Seem to Stop My Breath
I Wish That I Was As Invisible As You Make Me Feel
Patrick’s Point of view
Three months from now one of my best friends is marrying my older sister. We grew up together, but it’s still strange. Andy, Pete, Joe and I always were the ones doing stupid things. Sometimes it was simple things like three years ago when we all bought paintball guns. It started as a game of capture the flag, but then it just turned into who could get shot the most without showing weakness. Pretty soon we were all running around in just boxers and t-shirts shooting paint balls at each other. Joe got me in the back a couple of times, which hurts a lot. In retaliation, I attempted to hit him back, but I ended up getting Andy really bad in the back. I felt bad but he said he was okay. It did look like he was bleeding, because I had red paintballs. After about an hour of us just shooting at each other, Ana and Chrissy appeared outside. Ana laughed at Pete who was trying to see his back, while Chrissy ran over to Andy cause she though he was bleeding. She lifted up the back of his shirt to reveal a bunch of red welts. She then looked at me, almost as if she knew I did it. She said that mom and dad had to talk to me. They did, so everyone stopped, Joe and Pete went to go get changed. Chrissy wouldn’t let Andy go though. She may be younger and not as strong, but can still be quite persuasive. She shot me an evil look as she went to get some ice for Andy’s back. At that point, Andy and Joe had been living at the House for about six months. She hadn’t shown any interest toward either of them. I assumed she thought of them as brothers. Apparently not. I had quickly changed and came out of my room in time to see Chrissy follow Andy into his room, she had a small bag of ice in her hand, and what appeared to be some antibacterial cream. I didn’t hit him that bad. Well, that was the start of my problems right there. If I would have been thinking straight, I would have pointed out that technically Chrissy wasn’t allowed in Andy’s room. I don’t think it would have stopped this from happening but, it would have delayed it, giving me time to get used to the idea that my best friend was dating my sister. Actually I don’t know what went on in that room when I was gone, but when I got back, Pete, Andy, Joe, Ana, Mikey and Chrissy were watching a movie. Chrissy and Andy were sitting next to each other. Again, I didn’t think anything of it. Even when she fell asleep on his shoulder, something she never did, I didn’t second guess myself. Two days later I noticed I hadn’t seen her in awhile and went up to her room. She was fixing her hair in the mirror in her bathroom. I casually asked why. When she responded “date” I was surprised, and asked if I knew him. She said yes, and that I’d get to talk to him later. Twenty minutes later when she appeared, purse in hand, ready to go. I followed her, unknown to her, down the stairs to see Andy standing in the entrance way. Andy looked up at her and smiled, however he then saw me and his look changed quite quickly. Chrissy must have seen it because she then glanced back and saw me standing there stunned. She ran down the last couple of steps and grabbed Andy’s arm. They quickly exited the house before I could say anything. I actually fell asleep on the couch waiting up for her that night. I was madder that my parents knew and hadn’t bothered to tell me. That was a long time ago and I still am weird-ed out by then though of them getting married. I was brought out of my little reverie by Chrissy, who tripped over me. She looked angry.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you still insist on sleeping outside my door?”
“Because, I can.”
“You’ve known Andy your entire life and you still don’t trust him?”
“False, I trust him completely; however, you are a girl.”
“Whoa really? Didn’t know that one”
She rolled her eyes, her voice filled with sarcasm. Okay, so I’d slept outside her door overnight for the past year. So what? It’s not my fault she’s a girl.
“Yes, you are, and I’ve seen what girls can do to a guy like Andy.”
“And that would be?”
“Make him forget about all his friends and risk getting kicked out of the Coven.”
“How the hell would he get kicked out?”
“Cause if he ever did anything to you, mom and dad would kick him out.”
“I doubt that, they love him, he’s kinda like their second or third son. Minus Pete, cause he’s really not family, he’s just lived here…”
“Chrissy, you’ve got to see this from my point of view.”
“Which is?”
“My best friend is marrying my sister.”
“So?”
“Guys talk, you know that, and frankly I don’t want to know what you and Andy do with each other.”
“Oh, okay, I though something serious was bothering you.”
“That is serious.”
“No it isn’t, it can be solved.”
She then walked away; I lay there confused, as always. Sometime later, Pete walked by limping. He didn’t give me a second glance. He was used to me sleeping out side Chrissy’s door. In Fact he had helped me keep watch several times.
“Hey Peter, what’s wrong?”
“Bob got me with his paintball gun.”
“Bob’s here?”
“Yes, and he brought his paintball gun with him. Dumbass”
Pete gave me a look like I was the stupidest person alive. Well, at that moment I probably was, but still, it was pretty harsh.
“Payback?”
“Defiantly”
“Wake up Joe and Andy?”
“On my way too.”
“Meet you at the top of the stairs in 10 minutes”
Three months from now one of my best friends is marrying my older sister. We grew up together, but it’s still strange. Andy, Pete, Joe and I always were the ones doing stupid things. Sometimes it was simple things like three years ago when we all bought paintball guns. It started as a game of capture the flag, but then it just turned into who could get shot the most without showing weakness. Pretty soon we were all running around in just boxers and t-shirts shooting paint balls at each other. Joe got me in the back a couple of times, which hurts a lot. In retaliation, I attempted to hit him back, but I ended up getting Andy really bad in the back. I felt bad but he said he was okay. It did look like he was bleeding, because I had red paintballs. After about an hour of us just shooting at each other, Ana and Chrissy appeared outside. Ana laughed at Pete who was trying to see his back, while Chrissy ran over to Andy cause she though he was bleeding. She lifted up the back of his shirt to reveal a bunch of red welts. She then looked at me, almost as if she knew I did it. She said that mom and dad had to talk to me. They did, so everyone stopped, Joe and Pete went to go get changed. Chrissy wouldn’t let Andy go though. She may be younger and not as strong, but can still be quite persuasive. She shot me an evil look as she went to get some ice for Andy’s back. At that point, Andy and Joe had been living at the House for about six months. She hadn’t shown any interest toward either of them. I assumed she thought of them as brothers. Apparently not. I had quickly changed and came out of my room in time to see Chrissy follow Andy into his room, she had a small bag of ice in her hand, and what appeared to be some antibacterial cream. I didn’t hit him that bad. Well, that was the start of my problems right there. If I would have been thinking straight, I would have pointed out that technically Chrissy wasn’t allowed in Andy’s room. I don’t think it would have stopped this from happening but, it would have delayed it, giving me time to get used to the idea that my best friend was dating my sister. Actually I don’t know what went on in that room when I was gone, but when I got back, Pete, Andy, Joe, Ana, Mikey and Chrissy were watching a movie. Chrissy and Andy were sitting next to each other. Again, I didn’t think anything of it. Even when she fell asleep on his shoulder, something she never did, I didn’t second guess myself. Two days later I noticed I hadn’t seen her in awhile and went up to her room. She was fixing her hair in the mirror in her bathroom. I casually asked why. When she responded “date” I was surprised, and asked if I knew him. She said yes, and that I’d get to talk to him later. Twenty minutes later when she appeared, purse in hand, ready to go. I followed her, unknown to her, down the stairs to see Andy standing in the entrance way. Andy looked up at her and smiled, however he then saw me and his look changed quite quickly. Chrissy must have seen it because she then glanced back and saw me standing there stunned. She ran down the last couple of steps and grabbed Andy’s arm. They quickly exited the house before I could say anything. I actually fell asleep on the couch waiting up for her that night. I was madder that my parents knew and hadn’t bothered to tell me. That was a long time ago and I still am weird-ed out by then though of them getting married. I was brought out of my little reverie by Chrissy, who tripped over me. She looked angry.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you still insist on sleeping outside my door?”
“Because, I can.”
“You’ve known Andy your entire life and you still don’t trust him?”
“False, I trust him completely; however, you are a girl.”
“Whoa really? Didn’t know that one”
She rolled her eyes, her voice filled with sarcasm. Okay, so I’d slept outside her door overnight for the past year. So what? It’s not my fault she’s a girl.
“Yes, you are, and I’ve seen what girls can do to a guy like Andy.”
“And that would be?”
“Make him forget about all his friends and risk getting kicked out of the Coven.”
“How the hell would he get kicked out?”
“Cause if he ever did anything to you, mom and dad would kick him out.”
“I doubt that, they love him, he’s kinda like their second or third son. Minus Pete, cause he’s really not family, he’s just lived here…”
“Chrissy, you’ve got to see this from my point of view.”
“Which is?”
“My best friend is marrying my sister.”
“So?”
“Guys talk, you know that, and frankly I don’t want to know what you and Andy do with each other.”
“Oh, okay, I though something serious was bothering you.”
“That is serious.”
“No it isn’t, it can be solved.”
She then walked away; I lay there confused, as always. Sometime later, Pete walked by limping. He didn’t give me a second glance. He was used to me sleeping out side Chrissy’s door. In Fact he had helped me keep watch several times.
“Hey Peter, what’s wrong?”
“Bob got me with his paintball gun.”
“Bob’s here?”
“Yes, and he brought his paintball gun with him. Dumbass”
Pete gave me a look like I was the stupidest person alive. Well, at that moment I probably was, but still, it was pretty harsh.
“Payback?”
“Defiantly”
“Wake up Joe and Andy?”
“On my way too.”
“Meet you at the top of the stairs in 10 minutes”