Chapter 7
Two people, one bed
It had been two days since the night Patrick finished off one of Bandit Keith's cronies, and the story had spread causing mixed emotions. Some people admired his stand against him while others thought he just wanted to get the man back for proving he was a cheater. Patrick usually found his table empty from that night on except for his brother and Jeffery, Jeffery still didn't know the truth but believed Patrick when he said he didn't cheat.
Patrick had turned in his star chips for the night and was resting on the couch in the main room leading to the bed room. His deck was on the clear glass table before him and his hat was tilted over his eyes. He nearly dozed off when he heard a knock at the door.
Patrick got up with a groan before he opened the door to see Erica standing there. Another groan issued from his lips before he motioned for her to enter. She entered cautiously until he closed the door. Patrick just went back to sitting on the couch before he finally spoke, "Come to lecture me about my dueling habits again?"
"Actually I came to ask you a favor," Erica said dropping her head looking down at the carpet.
"A favor?" Patrick asked.
"Yeah, I was wondering if I could stay with you tonight," She said softly.
He looked down for a second before something occurred to him, "So why do you need to stay with me? I thought your room was much better than mine?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," She said crossing her arms uncomfortably.
"You didn't meet your quota did you?" Patrick said getting up. It finally clicked in his head.
"Fine, yes I didn't make my quota. Are you happy?" She snapped. Patrick only put up his hands defensively.
"I just wanted why out of all the eliminators you chose me. Especially considering you seem to have some beef with me. Don't think I didn't notice you brushing me off," Patrick said still keeping his hands up.
She turned around facing the window in his room. He sat back down waiting expectantly. "Listen, can I stay or not?" She said sitting next to him.
"Yes you can," Patrick said. He then felt a pair of lips on his cheek. He jumped a foot in the air pushing himself away from her.
"What? You don't like me?" She said coyly.
"That was never in question," Patrick said moving on the end of the couch. "I just want to know why so friendly?"
She moved herself on top of him looking him in the eyes, "Why? Well we're sharing a bed aren't we?"
"Umm, you can have the bed," He stuttered. He really would have loved to have shared the bed, but his brother would have blabbed and then his parents would have murdered him on the spot.
"Do you mean it?" She said looking him in the eyes. "You're serious." She said as she backed off him blushing.
"Did you think I would take advantage of you?" Patrick asked frowning.
"It's just that-" She was cut off by him.
"Just what? The guys you've been dating have been jerks? Sorry, that doesn't cut it with me. Who on earth has been treating you like that? I'll tear them limb from limb," Patrick said getting up going to the window his hand clutched in a tight fist.
She looked down her face going flush, "You don't need to concern yourself with me."
Patrick turned around anger showing on his features, "No, You shouldn't be treated like that. No one on earth should be treated like that. Who?"
"Listen.. I'll sleep on the couch you can have your bed, I don't need much," She said trying to change the topic.
"You get the bed. I'll sleep where I damn well want, and tonight it's the couch," He snapped.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you had better back off, I'm not the enemy," She said as she shifted her position on the couch.
"You have the bed, take it," Patrick said calmly.
"I want the couch," She said softly looking down.
"We're both stubborn so I'll tell you what, we duel loser gets the bed," Patrick said.
"I'll take that one, better prepare for a world of pain," She said as she shuffled her deck. Patrick picked up his deck.
~*~
"One card Face down" Patrick said grimly.
"Attack with Wing Weaver," Erica said flipping over the Beast of Talwar.
Patrick groaned before he drew a magic card. His hand was empty of monsters. He then conceded placing his hand back on top of his deck.
"I win, you get the bed," Erica said.
"You get the bed?" Patrick asked quickly.
"That's right I get the bed," Erica said in agreement. Finally she realized what she had just said and laughed, "You're rotten you know that?"
"I also played rotten you know that?" Patrick said chuckling.
"Thanks," She whispered kissing his cheek.
"Don't mention it," Patrick said woozily. She moved leaving a hint of her perfume in the wake of her leaving. Patrick stumbled dizzily to the couch before he finally spoke, "Who was your boyfriend?"
"Why are you asking?" She asked turning around leaning on the door jam.
"Because they made a huge mistake in letting you go," Patrick said softly.
"You don't want to know," She said sadly before she turned to enter the room.
"Erica please," Patrick said softly.
She turned to face him, "You promise not to get angry?"
"I promise I won't get angry," Patrick said crossing his heart. She laughed at the gesture before turning to face him.
She took a deep breath before speaking, "Bandit Keith. I was going out with Bandit Keith."
"What?" Patrick asked. He felt like the rug had been pulled from under him. He was stuck between hatred and friendship.
"It's a little worse than that," She continued, "Up until he lost at regionals a year ago, we were engaged."
Patrick lurched at the news like it had dealt a physical blow to him. He finally looked up at her, "You're kidding?"
"Sorry, I'm not," She said before she went into the bedroom. The door shut behind her leaving him to sort things out.
Two people, one bed
It had been two days since the night Patrick finished off one of Bandit Keith's cronies, and the story had spread causing mixed emotions. Some people admired his stand against him while others thought he just wanted to get the man back for proving he was a cheater. Patrick usually found his table empty from that night on except for his brother and Jeffery, Jeffery still didn't know the truth but believed Patrick when he said he didn't cheat.
Patrick had turned in his star chips for the night and was resting on the couch in the main room leading to the bed room. His deck was on the clear glass table before him and his hat was tilted over his eyes. He nearly dozed off when he heard a knock at the door.
Patrick got up with a groan before he opened the door to see Erica standing there. Another groan issued from his lips before he motioned for her to enter. She entered cautiously until he closed the door. Patrick just went back to sitting on the couch before he finally spoke, "Come to lecture me about my dueling habits again?"
"Actually I came to ask you a favor," Erica said dropping her head looking down at the carpet.
"A favor?" Patrick asked.
"Yeah, I was wondering if I could stay with you tonight," She said softly.
He looked down for a second before something occurred to him, "So why do you need to stay with me? I thought your room was much better than mine?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," She said crossing her arms uncomfortably.
"You didn't meet your quota did you?" Patrick said getting up. It finally clicked in his head.
"Fine, yes I didn't make my quota. Are you happy?" She snapped. Patrick only put up his hands defensively.
"I just wanted why out of all the eliminators you chose me. Especially considering you seem to have some beef with me. Don't think I didn't notice you brushing me off," Patrick said still keeping his hands up.
She turned around facing the window in his room. He sat back down waiting expectantly. "Listen, can I stay or not?" She said sitting next to him.
"Yes you can," Patrick said. He then felt a pair of lips on his cheek. He jumped a foot in the air pushing himself away from her.
"What? You don't like me?" She said coyly.
"That was never in question," Patrick said moving on the end of the couch. "I just want to know why so friendly?"
She moved herself on top of him looking him in the eyes, "Why? Well we're sharing a bed aren't we?"
"Umm, you can have the bed," He stuttered. He really would have loved to have shared the bed, but his brother would have blabbed and then his parents would have murdered him on the spot.
"Do you mean it?" She said looking him in the eyes. "You're serious." She said as she backed off him blushing.
"Did you think I would take advantage of you?" Patrick asked frowning.
"It's just that-" She was cut off by him.
"Just what? The guys you've been dating have been jerks? Sorry, that doesn't cut it with me. Who on earth has been treating you like that? I'll tear them limb from limb," Patrick said getting up going to the window his hand clutched in a tight fist.
She looked down her face going flush, "You don't need to concern yourself with me."
Patrick turned around anger showing on his features, "No, You shouldn't be treated like that. No one on earth should be treated like that. Who?"
"Listen.. I'll sleep on the couch you can have your bed, I don't need much," She said trying to change the topic.
"You get the bed. I'll sleep where I damn well want, and tonight it's the couch," He snapped.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you had better back off, I'm not the enemy," She said as she shifted her position on the couch.
"You have the bed, take it," Patrick said calmly.
"I want the couch," She said softly looking down.
"We're both stubborn so I'll tell you what, we duel loser gets the bed," Patrick said.
"I'll take that one, better prepare for a world of pain," She said as she shuffled her deck. Patrick picked up his deck.
~*~
"One card Face down" Patrick said grimly.
"Attack with Wing Weaver," Erica said flipping over the Beast of Talwar.
Patrick groaned before he drew a magic card. His hand was empty of monsters. He then conceded placing his hand back on top of his deck.
"I win, you get the bed," Erica said.
"You get the bed?" Patrick asked quickly.
"That's right I get the bed," Erica said in agreement. Finally she realized what she had just said and laughed, "You're rotten you know that?"
"I also played rotten you know that?" Patrick said chuckling.
"Thanks," She whispered kissing his cheek.
"Don't mention it," Patrick said woozily. She moved leaving a hint of her perfume in the wake of her leaving. Patrick stumbled dizzily to the couch before he finally spoke, "Who was your boyfriend?"
"Why are you asking?" She asked turning around leaning on the door jam.
"Because they made a huge mistake in letting you go," Patrick said softly.
"You don't want to know," She said sadly before she turned to enter the room.
"Erica please," Patrick said softly.
She turned to face him, "You promise not to get angry?"
"I promise I won't get angry," Patrick said crossing his heart. She laughed at the gesture before turning to face him.
She took a deep breath before speaking, "Bandit Keith. I was going out with Bandit Keith."
"What?" Patrick asked. He felt like the rug had been pulled from under him. He was stuck between hatred and friendship.
"It's a little worse than that," She continued, "Up until he lost at regionals a year ago, we were engaged."
Patrick lurched at the news like it had dealt a physical blow to him. He finally looked up at her, "You're kidding?"
"Sorry, I'm not," She said before she went into the bedroom. The door shut behind her leaving him to sort things out.