"There's a package in the hall," Trudy yelled from the kitchen. "I don't know whose it is but it says 'Top Priority' on it."
All the kids ran into the hall except for Patricia and Joy. Patricia walked and Joy was upstairs in her room.
"Awww," Alfie pouted, "it's Patricia's."
"Move," Patricia commanded as she made her way to it.
She looked at the package and smiled. "My friend Joey sent it to me. We haven't talked in forever!"
All the kids except for Patricia turned to Eddie. A brief look of jealousy flashed across his face then He put on his I-don't-give-a-damn look.
Patricia opened the package and the others waited with bated breath. After she ripped the package open she looked inside. A series of emotions flickered across her face as she looked at the contents of the box. Confusion. Recognition. Anger.
"I am going to KILL-"
"Now Patricia," Joy interrupted coming down the stairs, "let's not do anything rash."
"Joy! Look!" Patricia commanded, "Look at what came in the mail!"
Joy looked into the box and saw the twenty five bags of mini marshmallows. "Oh. That's bad."
"I don't get it," Eddie said as he picked up a bag, "what's so bad about a lot of marshmallows? I though they were your favorite."
"They are," Joy supplied, "That's why she's so mad."
Patricia ripped the bag out of a confused Eddie's hands and threw it in the box. She then picked up the home phone and dialed someone. She picked up the phone's base and started pacing.
"Joey!" Patricia yelled into the phone, "Well I would've texted but this is WAY to important..."
She blushed a crimson red. "Shut up! That's not why I called... NO... What the hell did you do?... Because I got your package!"
Patricia quieted down a little, "Fine, I promise I won't yell..." There was a long pause. Anyone could tell by the next look that came across her face that she was pissed." YOU WHAT?... And you promised you would forget about him. Now doesn't that make us a pair of liars? ...This, whatever this is, you two are carrying on isn't healthy..."
"So what?" Eddie whispered to Joy. "Is he gay?"
Joy responded by cracking a small smile through the sad expression Eddie noticed was upon her face.
Patricia took a deep breath. By this time everyone but Eddie and Joy had dispersed.
In a slightly calmer tone, Patricia said, "You don't get it. I don't like him. Never have. Never will. But, quite honestly, he's a player. Don't let him use you then come crying to me... What happened to us? We used to be such good friends! ...WHAT?...I put up with a lot from you but THAT IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE!..."
There was a long pause. Then something that NEVER happens to Patricia happened. She started crying. "Just shut up, okay?" Then she hung up and ran to her room.
"What just happened?" Eddie asked.
"Joey happened," Joy stated simply, "Every time Patricia talks to Joey it ends in a big fight. Patricia tells Joey not to date someone. Joey teases Patricia about being a virgin. I don't even know for a fact that she is a virgin and I don't think Joey knows either."
At this, Eddie blushed almost as red as when he assumed Joey had called Patricia a virgin.
Joy continued, "Then Patricia gets really mad and says something about how good friends they used to be. That's when Joey says something really mean about Patricia. It's never ended in Patricia crying, though. That one's new."
"Who is Joey, anyway?" Eddie questioned, suddenly overcome with anger. "I'll kill him for Patricia cry."
"Ask Patricia. I've tried to help her after the fights so many times that my method isn't working any more. You would probably have a different approach."
"What is your 'method'?"
"Niceness." Then Joy turned on her heel and left Eddie in the middle of the hallway.
Eddie walked up the stairs slowly wondering what he'd say.
Sorry your friends a jerk?
Mind if I beat him up for you?
When he finally reached Patricia's room he decided to just say whatever came to mind. He knocked three times and the door slowly creaked open. What he saw was Patricia, mascara and eye shadow smudged, knees clutched to her chest, sitting on her bed, still crying. When she saw him in her doorway, she sat up and wiped the tears from her face in a vain attempt to stop crying.
She sniffed," What do YOU want?"
"Well," Eddie responded, plopping on the bed next to her, "I want you to feel better."
"It's just, Joey does this every time. I mean, can't I just get a break?"
"Now," Eddie said, plucking a tissue from the box on Patricia's bedside table and handing it to her, "What can I do to help?"
Patricia looked up at him through her dark eyelashes. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because I really don't want to see you hurt," Eddie sighed, "What did he say to you to make you so sad?"
Patricia blew her nose. "What do you mean?"
"What did Joey say to you? Because, I swear to god, I will beat him up."
Patricia let out a small chuckle. "Joey is a girl. It's short for Josephine."
"Oh. Well then. What did SHE say to make you cry? It must have been pretty bad I mean, you're the toughest person I know."
Patricia took a deep breath. "She said that I'm the reason my mum died. You see, when my mum had cancer, her chances sucked. So, the doctors offered to put her on some experimental treatment. My mum said she wanted to, so I let her. The treatment was in the States so we took a plane over. Then everything started looking up. My mum was getting better. Thanks to my relatives and my job, we could pay off the money we borrowed for the treatment. Everything was going great. Then, one time when my mum was getting her treatments, I had finals. I told her that I could skip them and make it up but she told me to stay. She got done with her treatments early that week and decided to come home a day before she was supposed to. Then, on the ride home, the plane crashed. No one survived."
Patricia started sobbing again and Eddie hugged her to him, putting a protective arm around her. Then, when she stopped crying, they separated from each other a bit. Patricia looked into Eddie's eyes. Eddie looked into Patricia's eyes. Then, as if they were under a spell, they both slowly leaned in. Their noses bumped once, twice, before their lips met. Their mouths moved in rhythm with each others. Then, much to Eddie's surprise, Patricia traced his bottom lip with her tongue. Eddie gladly granted her access. After about ten minutes of snogging, they pulled apart panting.
"Wow," they both said at the same time.
"Did you-?" Eddie began.
"Feel fireworks?" Patricia finished, smiling.
Eddie nodded.
"Yeah." Patricia looked at the ground. "Did you-?"
"Yeah."