Spaces Between Us (Petekey)

Second Part

Pete stares at his schedule, waiting at the front of his school for Patrick to show up.

Classmates, old and new, rush past him. Some dawdle around like toddlers, other's run for their class like this is the most important thing in their life. Pete remembers running for his classes too, when he was fifteen; but he's been to this high school for three years now and knows better than to think high school is start-all end all.

After all, there has to be something better than this.

Pete just has to find it.

Patrick shows up, still wearing both backpack straps, just like all the freshmen. He looks exactly like all the new students, actually, in his little button up and being roughly the same height as them. Pete can't deny that Patrick is adorable. Short and small and unintentionally hilarious. Just to piss him off, Pete leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

Patrick mutters a quick, "Fuck you," but doesn't step back or blush like he did when they were fifteen. The reaction is a bit disappointing, but Pete grins at his best friend anyways and with that, they start senior year.

Pete pretends not to notice the blonde boy by the oak tree, who wears skintight jeans and an expression that breaks Pete's heart, and hardens it all the same.

~~~~~~~~~~

"How the fuck are you still in honor's English?" Brendon demands, and Pete just smirks at him.

"Sorry, Brendon. Maybe if you were smarter, you'd get in too."

Bredon tsks. "Pete, you misunderstand. I'm not jealous, I'm asking because you have rocks for brains. Scientists will give me robotic wings and recreate dinosaurs before you write an essay worth shit."

Pete tries not to laugh, but laughs anyways. "Like you aren't fucking slow."

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Ryan Ross." Pete says, and Brendon has no reply; he just turns cherry red and mortified. Pete just laughs harder.

The truth is, Brendon could very easily come up with a retort. And it would shut down anything Pete could say.

But some things are off limits.

Ryan walks over to them with Joe and Andy. Before Pete can say anything, Ryan smiles shyly and Brendon swoops over and kisses him, like they're outside in the pouring rain, not in some crappy high school hall with teenagers everywhere.

"Where's Patrick?" Andy asks, easily ignoring the couple romantically making out next to him. Pete will never fail to amazed at Andy's ability to ignore romantic advances.

"He went to the music room early." Pete says. "Big surprise, I know."

There's mindless chatter about how their summer was, Pete goes to his first class home ec.

~~~~~~~~~

Pete's rethinking the whole "there must be more to high school," because if this is how his high school life is, everything is better than high school.

Mikey Way sits in the back of the classroom, staring at Pete with wide brown eyes. It's too late for Pete to pretend he didn't see them, so he just turns away and walks towards the other end of the classroom and sits down, and starts drawing all over his arms. Ms. Jackson walks in and announces she has a seating chart.

Five minutes later, Pete finds himself sitting next to Mikey. In the back of the classroom.

Apparently his life is a romantic comedy, except none of this is funny and Pete's heart is being torn to pieces. Pete can't imagine how this could worse, until Mikey sort of stares at him, and then gives a little wave.