[Pete]

I hate being at home.

Don't get me wrong, Andy is awesome, but he's usually at work or at the library doing school work. So he's not around as much as I'd like him to be.

So I guess it's more that I hate being home alone. It must sound ridiculous that a grown man hates to be alone but no matter how old someone may be, loneliness will bring anyone down. Because a lot of us are afraid of just that; dying/being alone. And this place was as empty as I felt.

The funny thing is no matter how much I hate being alone, I kind of felt like being alone anyway. I don't know, I guess I was just in one of those moods.

I groaned when I heard a knock at the door, seriously I just wanted to lay on the couch and do nothing for the rest of my life. When whoever at the door knocked a second time, I groaned again and pulled myself off the couch. Couldn't have been Brendon or Gabe because they knew where the spare key was.

"Can you just go away so I can die alone?" I said bitterly through the door, listening to see if anyone would respond.

"Uh, I could, I guess..."

It was Patrick.

"Patrick? Shit, hold on."

What was he doing here? How did he know where- oh right, he dropped me off earlier. I almost forgot about that.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open, revealing a bored looking Patrick on the other side. We stared at each other for a moment, Patrick's expression unchanging.

"Are you gonna tell me what you want or...?"

Patrick leaned over to one side of the door and picked up my bookbag, dropping it in front of my feet. "You left it in my car."

"Thanks. I'm probably not going to use it ever again." I shrugged turning away from the door but I left it wide open, Patrick took it as an invitation and awkwardly stepped inside.

"Should I ask?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

I shrugged again.

"Does this have to do with what happened with Hoppus this morning?"

I shrugged once again.

"Stop with the shrugging! It's a simple yes or no question."

I plopped onto the couch and looked up at him. I didn't answer, I just wanted to see what he'd do almost like I've challenged him. But he gets frustrated with me and huffs.

"You're such an ass." Then he goes to leave.

But wait, I don't want him to go, not yet.

"Wait!" I shot up from the couch and gripped his wrist as an attempt to stop him. He looks between me and where my hand is before his eyes settle on mine. I'm not sure how desperate I look but Patrick stares at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Stay." It's almost a whisper and I'm partially hoping Patrick didn't hear but he did. He heard me say it. He doesn't look like he's going to punch me or walk out, he kind of looks...sympathetic. Why? He can see how lonely I am, how desperate for any kind of company right now that I'll ask a stranger to stay with me. I just want him to stay.

And my heart nearly stops when I see him nod and says softly, "Okay Pete."

A/N: Just a short little thingy here. Man, I got so much shit planned for this I think I might pee. XO