The American Nightmare
I cannot be broken, I cannot be wronged
A yawn escapes my lips as a groan escapes Spencer’s as we hear my alarm on my phone going off. Rolling over I grab it and quickly turn it off before the bear known as Spencer starts cursing.
“Why do you have such an early alarm?” Spencer mutters from his spot on the floor.
“It’s 9am.” I inform him, rolling my eyes. “My bar opens in an hour for brunch, remember? So get your ass up.” I take one of my pillows and throw it at him. “I’m gonna head home and get changed. Meet me at the bar?”
“I’ll probably be a little late, I’m gonna video chat with Demi for a bit.” He informs me as he sits up; stretching. “I’ve been kinda neglecting her this weekend.”
“Boyfriend of the year.” I chuckle as I get out of the bed. I grab my boots and kiss my brother on his cheek. “See you in a bit. Tell Demi I said hi.” As I’m walking out of the room, I pull out my phone and pull up my conversations with Patrick as I head to his hotel room; stopping right in front of it.
Me: You up?
Drummer Boi: For you always? What’s up?
Me: Look out your door.
Seconds later, Patrick opens the door and an instant smile appears on his face. He walks over to me and instantly crashes his lips onto mine. Smiling into the kiss, I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He soon pulls away and places his forehead on mine. “I can’t wait to be able to do that in front of people.”
“Same.” I smile. “Soon. Spencer will be later than you guys, he’s gonna video chat with Demi for a bit. And then he’ll be there.”
“Nervous?”
“Nope.” I proudly say. “I’m excited. I can finally not keep you a secret. I can proudly call you my boyfriend in public, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.”
“I can finally admit to the guys you’re the reason why I kept looking at my phone with a smile on my face.” Patrick smiles down at me. “I love you, truly.”
“I love you too.” I tell him. “But I’ve got to go. I have to run home, change and head to the pub. I’ve got brunch to set up for.” With another quick kiss, I walk away to the lobby where I’ll wait for my Uber to pick me up.
**
Patrick’s POV
No sooner does Henley leave, a door opens up next to mine. Ricky appears and leans up against the doorframe, arms crossed across his chest and a smirk on his lips. “So how long has that been going on?”
“What are you talking about?” I question him, trying to act innocent.
“You and Henley; how long?” He asks again. “I had my suspicions but didn’t think it was actually true.” He smiles. “I’m honestly surprised you managed to keep this a secret.”
“How long have you had your suspicions?” I ask him. “Is that why you asked Spencer about what his reaction would be if any of us dated Henley?”
“About 2 months,” He replies with a shrug. “But this weekend confirmed it especially after I saw the way she looked at you whenever she thought someone wasn’t looking. It’s really cute. I’m also impressed that you guys managed to not tell Spencer about it. Henley tells him basically everything.”
“We were afraid to tell him,” I inform Ricky. “We didn’t know how he’ll react.”
“And now that you know?”
“We’re telling him and well the rest of you guys, at brunch today.” I smile. “We were gonna tell him last night but we didn’t want to ruin the vibe. He might be more pissed about the fact we kept this from him.”
“Well, I’m happy for you.” Ricky smiles. “Don’t fuck this up. Henley is like a sister to me, I’d hate to see her hurt. Even though I’m curious as to what Spencer would do.”
“Come on, let’s get Dan and Joe up; we’ve got brunch to get ready for…”
**
We walk into the Pub and it’s completely different in the day. The overhead lights are on and you can see all the movie memorabilia on the walls. And instead of playing heavier music like Ice Nine Kills, it’s some type of reggae rock band. Behind the bar, Henley and Nico are pouring at least 5 bottles of champagne into a huge drink dispenser followed by two bottles of orange juice. You can smell waffles cooking into the kitchen as well as random other brunch foods.
“Henley, what are you listening to?” Ricky asks as we walk up to the bar. “This isn’t what I usually hear you listening to.”
“It’s Diamonds and Pearls by Dirty Heads.” She replies, before tossing the bottles of champagne into a recycling bin. “You boys are missing the rest of your band, what gives?”
“Spencer is still talking with Demi, Dan is passing on brunch; he’s going to go shopping instead. And Joe is refusing to come near you after last night. He’s going with Dan.” I inform her.
“Pussy.” She chuckles. “Not my fault he fell. He missed the curb all on his own. It’s not like I pushed him.”
“You scared the fuck out of him,” Ricky laughs. “He thought you were a century old witch coming for his blood.”
Henley just laughs. Moments like this, you can tell her and Spencer are a lot alike. They both have this twisted sense of humor that’s so damn dark. It’s so hard to know if they’re serious or not.
“So it’s just gonna be the three of us until Spencer gets here, huh?” She muses. “I guess my news can wait.”
“Or you could just tell me and Pat,” Ricky offers with a smirk. He’s trying to mess with her. “Unless Pat, here, knows already.” He slaps a hand on my shoulder.
“Why would Pat know?” She questions, narrowing her eyes at him. Then she laughs. “Who fucking told you?”
“I saw you and Pat in the hallway this morning.” He laughs. “You’re cute together. How long have you guys been together? Pat never told me.”
“9 months.” She replies. “We planned on telling everyone today at brunch.”
“I’m shocked that you managed to keep this a secret for so long.” Ricky sounds impressed. “Congrats to both of you. Are you worried about Spencer?”
“He’s gonna be pissed that we kept it from him for so long but other than that I’m feeling good about it. It’s gonna be nice not keeping our relationship a secret.” I reply, smiling at Henley.
“Besides like Nico pointed out to me yesterday, Spencer would be a hypocrite if he got pissed off that I’m dating a bandmate. He’s dating Justin’s sister. He can’t be mad at this. For once he might actually like my boyfriend.”
“He’s never liked any of your boyfriends?” I question her, getting nervous.
“None of them.” She replies. “Always thought I deserved better. But to be fair, they were all assholes. One of them is the reason why I have a Medusa tattoo on my hip and thigh. Spencer had good reasons to hate my boyfriends.”
“Wait, what does a Medusa tattoo mean?” I ask her, worried.
“It’s a symbol of survival, strength and overcoming assault.” She replies. “An ex got really drunk one night and sexually assaulted me. Once Spencer found out, it took me, JD and Justin to hold him back from killing him.”
“Fuck, babe.” I walk around and bar and pull her towards me. “Wait, I remember that. I think I just joined that band. Holy fuck.”
“It’s fine.” She assures me, pulling away. “In Spencer’s eyes, you will never be as bad as that guy. So please relax, Spencer already likes you…”
“Why are we talking about me liking someone?” We hear Spencer ask as he walks up to the bar. All eyes are on him. “Normally I would love having all the attention but what’s up?”
“First of all, don’t get mad.” Henley starts.
“Whenever you say something like that means I’m gonna get mad anyway,” Spencer reminds her. “What am I not supposed to get mad about, Henley?”
“I’ve been keeping something from you for 9 months.” She sighs. “I’ve been seeing someone. Someone that makes me extremely happy and I love him a lot.”
“Where is this going?” Spencer let’s out a nervous laugh. “Who have you been seeing and why are you now telling me?”
“Because I don't want to keep him a secret anymore.” She replies. “He’s a drummer in a band but he’s super sweet, very easy going. You love him.”
Spencer laughs. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you and Patrick have been dating?”
“You knew didn’t you?” She smirks.
“Do I look like an idiot?”
“Do you want me to answer that?” She counters, smirking. “How long?”
“Since last night, you guys weren’t exactly hiding it too much.” He chuckles. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We were scared you’d make a huge deal about it.” I reply. “We thought you’d be worse than Justin.”
“I hated that unspoken rule between band mates,” he starts. “It’s hard to keep emotions separate, especially when you find someone that you care about. My only request is, don’t hurt my sister in any way, shape or form. Because I will kill you. Your drumsticks will find their way up your ass.”
I let out a laugh before looking at Henley. “Don’t worry. That’ll never happen."
“Why do you have such an early alarm?” Spencer mutters from his spot on the floor.
“It’s 9am.” I inform him, rolling my eyes. “My bar opens in an hour for brunch, remember? So get your ass up.” I take one of my pillows and throw it at him. “I’m gonna head home and get changed. Meet me at the bar?”
“I’ll probably be a little late, I’m gonna video chat with Demi for a bit.” He informs me as he sits up; stretching. “I’ve been kinda neglecting her this weekend.”
“Boyfriend of the year.” I chuckle as I get out of the bed. I grab my boots and kiss my brother on his cheek. “See you in a bit. Tell Demi I said hi.” As I’m walking out of the room, I pull out my phone and pull up my conversations with Patrick as I head to his hotel room; stopping right in front of it.
Me: You up?
Drummer Boi: For you always? What’s up?
Me: Look out your door.
Seconds later, Patrick opens the door and an instant smile appears on his face. He walks over to me and instantly crashes his lips onto mine. Smiling into the kiss, I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He soon pulls away and places his forehead on mine. “I can’t wait to be able to do that in front of people.”
“Same.” I smile. “Soon. Spencer will be later than you guys, he’s gonna video chat with Demi for a bit. And then he’ll be there.”
“Nervous?”
“Nope.” I proudly say. “I’m excited. I can finally not keep you a secret. I can proudly call you my boyfriend in public, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.”
“I can finally admit to the guys you’re the reason why I kept looking at my phone with a smile on my face.” Patrick smiles down at me. “I love you, truly.”
“I love you too.” I tell him. “But I’ve got to go. I have to run home, change and head to the pub. I’ve got brunch to set up for.” With another quick kiss, I walk away to the lobby where I’ll wait for my Uber to pick me up.
**
Patrick’s POV
No sooner does Henley leave, a door opens up next to mine. Ricky appears and leans up against the doorframe, arms crossed across his chest and a smirk on his lips. “So how long has that been going on?”
“What are you talking about?” I question him, trying to act innocent.
“You and Henley; how long?” He asks again. “I had my suspicions but didn’t think it was actually true.” He smiles. “I’m honestly surprised you managed to keep this a secret.”
“How long have you had your suspicions?” I ask him. “Is that why you asked Spencer about what his reaction would be if any of us dated Henley?”
“About 2 months,” He replies with a shrug. “But this weekend confirmed it especially after I saw the way she looked at you whenever she thought someone wasn’t looking. It’s really cute. I’m also impressed that you guys managed to not tell Spencer about it. Henley tells him basically everything.”
“We were afraid to tell him,” I inform Ricky. “We didn’t know how he’ll react.”
“And now that you know?”
“We’re telling him and well the rest of you guys, at brunch today.” I smile. “We were gonna tell him last night but we didn’t want to ruin the vibe. He might be more pissed about the fact we kept this from him.”
“Well, I’m happy for you.” Ricky smiles. “Don’t fuck this up. Henley is like a sister to me, I’d hate to see her hurt. Even though I’m curious as to what Spencer would do.”
“Come on, let’s get Dan and Joe up; we’ve got brunch to get ready for…”
**
We walk into the Pub and it’s completely different in the day. The overhead lights are on and you can see all the movie memorabilia on the walls. And instead of playing heavier music like Ice Nine Kills, it’s some type of reggae rock band. Behind the bar, Henley and Nico are pouring at least 5 bottles of champagne into a huge drink dispenser followed by two bottles of orange juice. You can smell waffles cooking into the kitchen as well as random other brunch foods.
“Henley, what are you listening to?” Ricky asks as we walk up to the bar. “This isn’t what I usually hear you listening to.”
“It’s Diamonds and Pearls by Dirty Heads.” She replies, before tossing the bottles of champagne into a recycling bin. “You boys are missing the rest of your band, what gives?”
“Spencer is still talking with Demi, Dan is passing on brunch; he’s going to go shopping instead. And Joe is refusing to come near you after last night. He’s going with Dan.” I inform her.
“Pussy.” She chuckles. “Not my fault he fell. He missed the curb all on his own. It’s not like I pushed him.”
“You scared the fuck out of him,” Ricky laughs. “He thought you were a century old witch coming for his blood.”
Henley just laughs. Moments like this, you can tell her and Spencer are a lot alike. They both have this twisted sense of humor that’s so damn dark. It’s so hard to know if they’re serious or not.
“So it’s just gonna be the three of us until Spencer gets here, huh?” She muses. “I guess my news can wait.”
“Or you could just tell me and Pat,” Ricky offers with a smirk. He’s trying to mess with her. “Unless Pat, here, knows already.” He slaps a hand on my shoulder.
“Why would Pat know?” She questions, narrowing her eyes at him. Then she laughs. “Who fucking told you?”
“I saw you and Pat in the hallway this morning.” He laughs. “You’re cute together. How long have you guys been together? Pat never told me.”
“9 months.” She replies. “We planned on telling everyone today at brunch.”
“I’m shocked that you managed to keep this a secret for so long.” Ricky sounds impressed. “Congrats to both of you. Are you worried about Spencer?”
“He’s gonna be pissed that we kept it from him for so long but other than that I’m feeling good about it. It’s gonna be nice not keeping our relationship a secret.” I reply, smiling at Henley.
“Besides like Nico pointed out to me yesterday, Spencer would be a hypocrite if he got pissed off that I’m dating a bandmate. He’s dating Justin’s sister. He can’t be mad at this. For once he might actually like my boyfriend.”
“He’s never liked any of your boyfriends?” I question her, getting nervous.
“None of them.” She replies. “Always thought I deserved better. But to be fair, they were all assholes. One of them is the reason why I have a Medusa tattoo on my hip and thigh. Spencer had good reasons to hate my boyfriends.”
“Wait, what does a Medusa tattoo mean?” I ask her, worried.
“It’s a symbol of survival, strength and overcoming assault.” She replies. “An ex got really drunk one night and sexually assaulted me. Once Spencer found out, it took me, JD and Justin to hold him back from killing him.”
“Fuck, babe.” I walk around and bar and pull her towards me. “Wait, I remember that. I think I just joined that band. Holy fuck.”
“It’s fine.” She assures me, pulling away. “In Spencer’s eyes, you will never be as bad as that guy. So please relax, Spencer already likes you…”
“Why are we talking about me liking someone?” We hear Spencer ask as he walks up to the bar. All eyes are on him. “Normally I would love having all the attention but what’s up?”
“First of all, don’t get mad.” Henley starts.
“Whenever you say something like that means I’m gonna get mad anyway,” Spencer reminds her. “What am I not supposed to get mad about, Henley?”
“I’ve been keeping something from you for 9 months.” She sighs. “I’ve been seeing someone. Someone that makes me extremely happy and I love him a lot.”
“Where is this going?” Spencer let’s out a nervous laugh. “Who have you been seeing and why are you now telling me?”
“Because I don't want to keep him a secret anymore.” She replies. “He’s a drummer in a band but he’s super sweet, very easy going. You love him.”
Spencer laughs. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you and Patrick have been dating?”
“You knew didn’t you?” She smirks.
“Do I look like an idiot?”
“Do you want me to answer that?” She counters, smirking. “How long?”
“Since last night, you guys weren’t exactly hiding it too much.” He chuckles. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“We were scared you’d make a huge deal about it.” I reply. “We thought you’d be worse than Justin.”
“I hated that unspoken rule between band mates,” he starts. “It’s hard to keep emotions separate, especially when you find someone that you care about. My only request is, don’t hurt my sister in any way, shape or form. Because I will kill you. Your drumsticks will find their way up your ass.”
I let out a laugh before looking at Henley. “Don’t worry. That’ll never happen."
♠ ♠ ♠
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