Spin For You [Peterick]

-47-

Dear Patrick,

I hate you. You're the most unapologetically annoying person I've ever met. Like, seriously, this is getting ridiculous.

The beginning of today, I was fine. I was fine, just minding my own business, had a smoothie for breakfast, yep, a fucking smoothie, bitch. Check out the healthy on me. I was all geared up for the day ahead, ready to go, you name it, I was prepared for it.

Except this. I was not prepared for this.

It's so weird, I haven't felt like this in years. And of course you'd be the one to do this to me.

So anyway, some context is needed, I think.

We had the meeting thing today. About, like, getting the band back together. I still thought it was a stupid idea which would probably end with one of us getting knocked out by some kind of inanimate object, but I also sorta wanted to see what happened. If there's one thing I hate, it's being out of the loop.

I'd spent most of the car journey there muttering to myself about how ridiculous this was, and realising how much of a grumpy old man I'd become in the last week or so. All these silly kids, thinking they can be rock-stars again. Pfft. I am the oldest, so I'm entitled to be the grumpiest.

It was weird, going back to our manager's house after so long. It was also kinda weird not to be going there with you in the seat next to me, and a load of guitars in the back. I still knew the way, though.

He'd had a load of work done since I'd last seen the house, there was this extension on the side and a nice landscaped garden and a pretty little balcony running round the outside. And yes, to me that is interesting. There was a fuck load of cars in the drive already, and I wasn't even late. I wondered if you were already here, pushing down the excitement in my chest. I'm gonna see him again, holy hell I'm gonna see him again. Shut up, subconscious, nobody asked you.

Ringing the doorbell, I stepped back, making sure I was dressed okay. Not that I'd thought about it much. I'd gone kinda smart-casual, non-ripped black jeans and a nice-ish jacket. I picked nervously at the sleeves as I waited for the door to open.

When it finally did, I didn't even see who it was before they flew at me.

"Pete!" they shrieked, pulling me in for a hug.

"Uh...hi?" I choked as the air was knocked out of me.

"It's been ages, dude, how are you?" Whoever it was pulled away, gripping me by the shoulders and staring me straight in the face.

It was Charlotte.

Yeah, that Charlotte, the one you dated years and years ago. Wow.

Her hair wasn't red anymore, it was dark purple, shorter than it had been with a fringe that framed her face. She had that kind of slightly-more-grown-up-emo look, dressed in mostly black but with a purple plaid shirt. I was about to ask what the hell she was doing here, but then I guess this was her dad's house, so she probably had more right to be here than I did.

"H-hey, Charlotte, uh...I'm okay...you?" I stammered, trying to get my head around the huge hit from the past I'd just taken.

"Oh, don't bother with all that, get the hell in here!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me through the door.

A bit bewildered, I looked around at the wide hallway like it might close in on me, leaning down to take my shoes off as she babbled at me excitedly.