who else to blame?

III - covetous hands

If looks could kill, well, you know the saying.

The humming of the engine and the tune on the radio kept the car from experiencing an awkward silence. With Patrick riding shot-gun and Pete being in the back-seat with Andy, you could tell the two weren't exactly besties with the eye-daggers and hurried looks at one another. Andy was drumming along to the radio tune with his hands and Joe was concentrating on the road, obviously not wanting to get in the middle of the two.

Patrick wanted nothing more than to give Pete a piece of his mind. What the hell was he thinking? "Oh, wait a second, let me clarify rumours and by the time night rolls around I'll be fucking some random guy!" He thought. He wasn't helping Patrick's case either. It pissed him off seeing Pete with some random guy, he'd seen it with girls constantly, but something about this just grinded his gears.

After a few more minutes of silence, the group arrived at the studio. Promotions for their album were really hitting in hard now, as they were announcing something very special to do with the date of the release. Patrick wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to some tan, blonde woman sporting her best (and fakest) pan am smile.
As they walked to the entrance of the interview room the set workers flashed Patrick a quick smile, Patrick unwillingly flashed one back. It was at this moment Patrick overheard Pete making small-talk with a young sound tech, not long after she finished laughing, Pete explained...

"Yeah, these past few days have been all over the place, you know? Some people who I really thought were great are just ignoring me for no reason." Patrick glared at him.

"Maybe its jealousy?" The young sound tech said. Pete nodded his head in agreement.

"You know what? Yeah, that's it! Some people get a bit irked when the attention isn't on them anymore..."

That was it, Patrick bounded over to Pete and mustered up as much politeness as he could.

"Pete, may I speak to you for a moment?" Coughing after finishing the sentence. Pete just looked at him, giving him a grin. The sound tech waved. Patrick dragged Pete to a corner of the room and spoke in a hushed voice.

"What has been up with you lately? It's like every day you're giving me some sly comment or a glare. What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me?!" Pete retorted, "What about what's gotten into you? You're the one who ignored me in the first place, I did absolutely nothing to you!"

"I wonder why," Patrick scoffed, "It's not like you've been thinking up the wisest decisions lately. You haven't helped yourself, me or even Andy and Joe! If you keep it up, we're all going to look like fools."

"Oh, please do tell me what these unwise decisions are. I'm dying to know." Pete snapped.

"You go against what you said not even 24 hours earlier. I'm straight but I might as well go fuck some random guy I met at a gay club!" Pete recoiled and went quiet after Patrick spat these words.

"Since when were you one to believe what the tabloids said? You actively tried getting that shit taken down and you say that? Unbelievable!"

"1 minute, guys" A man dressed in black shuffled over to the two and said. Pete and Patrick glowered at each other, it was evident Pete wasn't finished yet.

"Not that it's any of your business, but the guy and I didn't even do anything! I thought something was going to happen, but it didn't. He could tell I wasn't feeling it. So please say what you just said to me again, in fact, say it to all of fucking America! I dare you." Pete turned around and waited at the door, tapping his foot impatiently. With a few seconds to go, the band walked into the interview room and sat timidly on their stools, with Patrick and Pete as far away from each other as possible.