-1"I should go." Patrick whispered finally pulling away. Buy now they were both out of breath and there faces were red. Cat had a hicky on her neck and Patrick had her lip gloss smeared across his face.

"Do you have some where you need to be?"

"Yea actually, I do."

"Where?"

"I have… um b-b-b-"

"Come on spit it out."

"band practice."

"band practice?" Cat giggled

"Yea were gonna play a show for this new night club that opening."

"Wow."

"Yea." He liked Cat a lot but he wasn't ready to tell her that playing for a club, was a cake walk and no big deal what so ever.

"So your probably so nervous. What do you do?"

"I sing."

"Wow, I could never imagine singing in front of all those people. Aren't you scared?"

"Yea I guess so." Patrick was a little nervous but he hadn't been so nervous that he felt like he would puke since the first big show they did. He was completely over the stage fright he had and now he loved it he fed off it.

"I'll give you a life home and help carry your shit in."

"Ok thanks."

Patrick let her drop him off but he didn't let her help him carry his 3 bags up with him. He promised he would call her (and this time for real). He walked into his apartment with a smile on his face. He couldn't remember why he felt so bad to begin with. He walked over to his answering machine and hit play. Pete should have called him with the details for later that night. Normally he wouldn't have to rely on Pete for this but he had been dead to the world for the last few days. Pete however didn't call. He had a few messages from his dad asking him if he was ok a few old ones from Pete but nothing about the show. The probably got sick of trying he thought. He picked up the phone and dialed Pete's number. It went right to the machine, Pete screened all his calls.

"Pete pick up its me."

"HELLO PATRICK!! Are you okay?"

"Yea I'm fine. So what's the plan for tonight."

"Well we were gonna go to the club a little early play for an hour or so then get crazy and probably play again."

"Humm"

"But if your not up to it you can leave after the show."

"No I think I'll stay, get out of the house for a while you know."

"Yea I know"

"So what time should I be there for warm up?"

"7 and were planning on starting at 11"

"7?"

"I can push it back if you-"

"No I was thinking, we have an hour to sound check and warm up the relax a few hours and get cleaned up changed and start."

"Do we have songs lined up?"

"Not really we" he paused clearly debating on whether or not he should say something. "we pretty much work that out together."

"Okay do you want me to come over? I'm sure Andy and Joe are there."

Pete was shocked. He almost couldn't speak. Just a few days ago there was nothing he could say to pull Patrick out of his black hole and now he was calling and inviting him self over.

"I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yea I'll be over in like twenty minuets. Peace"

"Buy."

Pete stood there in his house completely and totally shocked. What had gotten into Patrick, one minuet he wouldn't even talk and the next minuet he's fine. Pete felt his stomach flip flop and a terrible thought crossed his mind. 'What if I don't know him as well as I think I do?' Pete pushed this thought out of his head. Something happened something big to boost his ego. Pete shook his head and grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and headed back to the living room where Joe and Andy were arguing on the couch.

"What's wrong with you?" Joe

"Fuck him just toss me the chips."

"I just got off the phone with Patrick."

"Let me guess he doesn't want to do the show."

"No Andy he was fine, Like completely normal he said he was going to come over and he's totally game for hanging out at the club later too."

"That's unlike him." Joe said through a mouth full of food.

"I say we don't make a big deal out of it and try not to piss him off."

Andy and Joe nodded after all Pete knew Patrick better then he knew him self.

Patrick knocked at the door and then walked in side. He knocked mainly for his own safety he had once walked in on Pete getting busy and ever since the he had knocked before entering. He slammed the door and walked in to the living room. Andy Joe and Pete all fell silent and turned to look at Patrick.

"Creepy" Patrick said in a sing song voice before heading to the kitchen for a bottle of water.

"So…Patrick every things cool?" Joe asked this question carefully. Pete shot him a glare he had just told them not to say anything.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I was just wondering."

"Ok"

They spent the better half of the evening messing around. Pete keep stealing glances at Patrick just to convince him self that Patrick was ok. Joe finally pointed out that it was 6 and they still didn't have any songs lined up.

"Okay" Pete said with a sigh.

"FINEEEEEEEEE" Patrick said in a high pitched whiny voice. "I guess we should work. so…."

"I'm kinda feeling Dance, Dance" Andy stated

"You wanna open with it?"

"I think it would be a good opener Pete."

"Okay so we have our opener 11 more songs to go."

"Wait" Patrick chimed in "an 11 song set?"

"Ya then we'll take requests and stuff."

"Oh ok Pete."

"How do you guys feel about doing Honorable Mention?" Pete asked

"No way"

"Why not Trick?"

"Cause I don't want to."

"Three against 1 so…"

"fine… what if I don't sing, like I just stand there and not do it."

"then you'll get your ass kicked."

"fair enough… I'll sing."

They were on their way to club which took longer then expected mainly because Joe took a wrong turn and they had to stop and ask for directions. When they finally arrived to the club they were already half an hour late. They did a quick run through of the songs they hadn't done in a while. After they were done with that and Patrick was sure he had his voice warmed up the went back stage and lounged around in the back room. Where they talked and laughed and hung out.

"So your ok Patrick?"

"Shut the fuck up Joe" Pete yelled

Andy slugged him in the arm. They all looked at Patrick they were waiting for something anything.

"I'm fine"

"What was wrong though?"

"I was just stressed out I guess." He offered them a smile and they ate it up. He didn't have to talk about what had been eating away at him for the past few weeks.

"I told you guys!" Joe shouted.

Andy and Joe seemed happy with the answer. He looked fine and he was acting fine and that was good enough for them. Patrick was family and as long as he was happy they were happy. The only one he couldn't quite fool was Pete. Pete had been keeping an eye on him all night. Waiting for a crack in his foundation for any sign of an eternal struggle but that's not what he got. Pete knew Patrick wasn't fine he knew him to well. There was something bubbling right below the surface. He had been able to keep from loosing it altogether but he wasn't out of the woods yet. What is it Patrick, he thought to him self, what happened to you that's so bad you cant tell me. We're brothers were more then brothers… we're band mates. I would be dead now if it weren't for you, so why cant you just let me help you. Let me pull you out of the water before you drown.

"Guys your on in five!" The loud voice of the stage director broke his concentration.

Patrick hopped up and grinned at Pete. "Shall we?"

"We Shall."