"You're safe now." Eddie told her. "You're with me."
Even though Patricia was a sinner at the time, she still remembered him saying that. And, yes, she did feel guilty for playing him like that. Even though it wasn't really her, Patricia still felt that she could've somehow stopped the sinner version of herself from playing her best friends like that—not to mention Eddie.
Eddie had already told her she was forgiven. "It wasn't you anyway, Yacker." He had said. But Patricia had never been one to believe everything everyone said. Especially after the whole Rufus thing.
Patricia looked up at herself in the girls' bathroom mirror. She noticed both the shame and the guilt behind the tears that were building up in her eyes. She never forgave herself for tricking her friends—sinner or not.
She could vaguely hear voices outside the bathroom door, in the hallway. It sounded like Willow and KT.
"You have to admit that the perfume I made smells pretty good, though." Willow said.
"Um…" KT didn't want to hurt Willow's feelings, so she gave her a small smile and continued. "Well it didn't make me want to crawl in a hole and die, so that's good."
"Oh, I'm so glad!" Willow rejoiced.
KT gave her another smile and then knocked on the bathroom door, making Patricia jump slightly. "Patricia, are you in there?"
Patricia quickly wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I'll be out in a second." She turned on the sink to make it seem like she was washing her hands.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked.
"Fine." Patricia grumbled back.
"Are you sure?" Willow questioned.
"You've been in there quite a lot lately." KT added.
"Is it so bad I want some alone time?" Patricia silently rolled her eyes.
KT took a deep breath and pointed at the staircase, signaling to Willow that she would be down soon. Willow nodded and bounced down the stairs to find Alfie.
KT knocked on the door again. "Can I come in, Patricia? It's just me."
"I guess." Patricia reached over and unlocked the door. Patricia sat down on the tiled floor near the door.
"What's up?" KT plopped down next to her.
"Nothing." Patricia grumbled and avoided eye contact with KT.
"It can't be 'nothing' if you're locked away in the bathroom."
"Well it is." Patricia rolled her eyes. "I already told you; I want some alone time."
"Why? What's going on?"
"Nothing, KT!" Patricia exclaimed. When she saw the look KT gave her, she continued. "Fine. But you're going to think it's stupid."
KT shrugged. "I'm sure I won't."
Patricia sighed. "I just feel bad about the whole sinner thing and—"
"I thought Eddie told you that—"
"He told me that it was okay and that I was forgiven and blah, blah, blah. But it's not okay. And I know you're going to say that it 'wasn't the real me' or whatever, but… I should've fought it more."
"Patricia—"
"Never mind, KT. I told you you'd think it was stupid."
"I don't—"
"Forget I said anything." Patricia got up and walked out of the bathroom, heading for the room she shared with Mara. KT got up to go after her, but the door quickly slammed shut.
Instead, KT let out a sigh of frustration and headed downstairs. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the voices of her housemates floating out of the living room.
"What if we drew a diagram of several atoms bonding?" Mara suggested to Fabian.
"A+ project!" Fabian exclaimed. The pair high-fived and began planning further.
"But, dude! I really want your help with this prank!" Alfie begged Jerome.
"No, Jerome. I think you shouldn't help Alfie prank Trixie. It's immature and unnecessary." Joy insisted. Willow shook her head.
The only one who didn't seem to be involved in a conversation was Eddie. Instead, classic Eddie, was playing games on his phone. KT sat down next to him on the couch.
"You seriously need to talk to your girlfriend." She nudged him with her elbow.
Eddie sighed and tucked his phone in his jacket pocket. "Is she in a 'mood'?"
"You could say that." KT replied. "Seriously, though. Go talk to her."
"Okay." Eddie groaned. "But I'm blaming you if I get any liquid poured on me." He headed up the stairs. When he reached the top, he could hear "The Trick the Devil Did" by the Sick Puppies blasting through iPod speakers. He knocked on Patricia's door.
"Go away, KT." Patricia's voice came from inside the room.
"Yacker, it's me." Eddie replied.
"I'm not in the mood, weasel." Patricia said.
"Come on, let me in." Eddie knocked again.
"No."
"Please, Patricia?"
"No."
"I want to talk to you."
"That's not my problem." Patricia responded.
"Come on, Yacker. Talk to me. I'm begging you, here."
Patricia paused. The volume went down on the loud music. She cracked the door open. "Fine. Talk."
"What's wrong?" Eddie asked, sitting on Mara's bed.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" Patricia asked as she sat down on her own bed.
"You've… been kind of quiet lately." Eddie replied. He tried to think of more evidence. "And you usually yack on and on and on."
"Gee, thanks." Patricia rolled her eyes.
"You didn't answer my question."
"There's nothing to answer." Patricia responded.
"Okay, listen." Eddie sighed. "Honestly KT sent me up here and told me I needed to talk to you. But she has reason to. I haven't seen you all day because you've been hiding out in here. I thought you were mad at me, but I guess you're avoiding everyone. So, why?"
Patricia let out a deep breath that she had been holding. "I feel… guilty." She quietly said.
"About…?"
"The sinner thing—"
"I already told you it was all good." Eddie interrupted.
"So? I played all of you guys, locked up KT, and then I tricked you." Patricia continued. "And even as I was a sinner, you guys all still cared for me, especially you, Eddie."
"Sinner or not, you were still my girlfriend. And I still loved you." Eddie blurted. "I mean…"
"Loved?" Patricia said. "Loved, as in past tense?"
"No! Present tense!" Eddie corrected.
"Really?" Patricia stifled a laugh.
"Really." Eddie got up and sat down on the bed next to her. "I love you, Yacker." He took her hand.
"Okay." Patricia shrugged and smirked.
"Okay?! That's it?!"
"For you? Yeah." Patricia's smirk expanded.
"Thanks." Eddie rolled his eyes, but smiled, knowing she meant well by it.
"Seriously, though." Patricia let her smirk drop into a soft smile. "I do."
"You do what?" It was Eddie's turn to smirk.
Patricia rolled her eyes and gave Eddie a shove. "I love you, too."
I know this has probably been done a few times before, but I wanted to do my own little version. Hope it was okay, and thanks for reading! HAPPY HOA ONE-SHOT DAY 2013! (:
