Chapter 4- Kryptonite
"I can't believe that you're angry at me for coming to support Patrick, Ashlee!" Pete exclaimed. "Besides, with your new album that just came out, I don't see you when I'm with you anyways."
"Because, Pete, you'd rather fly off of Alabama for some stupid reason and not even tell me. You don't even want to spend time with me. You're off screwing around with your friends all the time (who hate me, by the way) and not bothering to care about the only person who should matter in your life," Ashlee screamed into the phone.
Pete rubbed his eyes and banged his head against the bathroom wall; which was a bad idea, seeing as it was made of tile. It left an instant mark that he knew was going to bruise. They had been on the phone for two hours arguing, again. He heard Hemingway barking to get to him through the door. Pete also heard something else he hadn't heard before. Leila, Cara and Casie and her boyfriend, Parker, had showed up. He didn't know how long they had been there, or how much they had heard. But at this point, his couldn't hang up with her to save his personal life reaching their ears. Besides, you could always read about his life in the tabloids when you wanted, or find something completely untrue about him on the internet.
"I'm tired of being seventh best in your life, Peter," Ashlee whined.
"Seventh best, Ashlee, what are you talking about?" Pete was confused.
"It's Patrick, Hemingway, the guys, Fall Out Boy, your fans, then me. I'm behind the stupid dog and your idiotic friends, Pete!" Ashlee cried through the phone.
The light that she had brought in his life just extinguished. In one sentence, she had put down anything that had meant everything to him and he knew what he had to do. To insult an innocent dog was something only someone purely evil would do.
"Ashlee, this has been along time coming. You can't just sit there and yell at me like I'm some kind of pet. You don't treat someone like an animal and except to get respect in return. You complain that my friends hate you. Well, maybe they wouldn't be so resistant to get to know you if you weren't a bitch to them. You put them down every chance you get," Pete said, his voice gradually getting louder with every word. All the pent up angry he had for her was coming out.
"In one breathe, you shot down and kicked on everything I love. I can't take it anymore. If you're making me choose my friends and my dog, than I choose my friends and my dog; because at the end of the day, they aren't yelling at me for spending time with one or the other!" Pete's voice had escalated into a yell.
"What are you saying, Pete?" Ashlee whispered through the phone.
"I'm saying that we're over, Ashlee. I can't handle your attitude any longer. Don't tell me that you didn't see this coming? We haven't held an adult conversation without yelling at each other; over something stupid little things to big major things, like you calling my friends idiots and complaining about my dog. Don't stand there and act like you're this indispensable person in my life when I can actually I get the same amount of comfort, when you would give it that is, from Patrick and the other guys. Hell, Hemingway pays more attention to me and showed me care more than you did. I'll have someone come over and get my things, if you still have them by then. Good-bye Ashlee," Pete finished in a hushed tone and closed his phone.
Breathing deeply, Pete walked to the mirror and stared into his dark eyes. He turned the water on and splashed some on his face, trying to clear his thoughts. The fact that he just broke up with the person that saved all those years ago was very daunting. He finally let out a loud scream. A scream that told the world he was pissed, relieved and sad all at once. He never knew he could feel so many things all at once without exploding; even though his emotional range is a bit bigger than a teaspoon. He just let his voice go until it felt like his vocal cords were going to rip out of his throat. It drove Hemingway crazy and he could hear him hollowing along and scratching at the door to get in. Then he heard Leila come and get him and take him away from the door.
Leila was about to knock on the door when Patrick opened it, startling her.
"Be quiet, Pete's on the phone with Ashlee," Patrick said, rolling his eyes. "They've been on the phone for more than two hours. And I think it's getting even more intense," Patrick said, trying not to divulge too much information that Pete would be uncomfortable with them knowing about.
Leila went to open her mouth when Pete's voice came through the bathroom door. They could hear every word Pete was saying very clearly. Cara, who had sat down on the bed next to Patrick, looked over at Casie, Parker and Leila and knew they were all thinking the same thing; they all felt very awkward hearing Pete's personal business when Pete didn't know they were there. Leila felt like she should do something. She decided to say something to Patrick really loudly to let him know that it wasn't just Patrick in the other room. She just felt better that he knew they were there, listening to him; so if there were things he was willing to say to Ashlee in front of Patrick, but not her and the girls, for the most obvious reasons, he would know that the audience had grown.
"Oh my gosh, I didn't know they were having problems," Cara said, looking at Patrick with concern.
"They've been rocky for ages, and I don't think it's going to last much longer. They never talk any more without fighting," Patrick admitted.
Leila sat there in silence. Hemingway, just now noticing the new arrivals, ran over to her and jumped on the bed, and flopped his head on her lap. They sat there, listening to the argument between Ashlee and Pete escalate. All of them felt like they were invading his business. Pete's voice was growing louder and faster. They all knew by the words he was saying, that this was it. They were breaking up. Whatever Ashlee said about his friends and even Hemingway, just drove him over the edge.
His voice finally died out, and they thought that it had all ended. Pete and Ashlee had just broken up. All of a sudden a horrible scream filled the air. The sound sent chills down Leila's spine. It was a terrifying sound. Hemingway jumped up out of her lap and ran to his master's voice. Leila got up and ran to Hemingway, taking him away from the bathroom door. The echo of Pete's scream in her mind scared her; it sounded so sad and full of pain. It made her want to cry to hear him in so much agony. She hardly knew Ashlee, but she already resented her. She knew all she had to know from Pete's scream. It told a thousand words, and they weren't happy.
The door creaked open. Once Hemingway saw Pete, Leila couldn't hold him anymore. He scratched her leg trying to get to his master. As soon as she was scratched, she let go; watching Pete carefully. Pete walked out of the bathroom and laid down on the bed next to Leila, face down on the pillow.
"Why don't we go swimming guys? Pete, you can stay here if you want," Patrick said, trying to give Pete some time alone. Leila didn't think that Pete should be left alone, but also didn't think he needed all these people surrounding him. They gathered their stuff for the pool, and Pete still hadn't moved.
Together, Casie, Cara, Patrick and Leila walked out of the door. Before the door closed however, Leila stuck her hand in the way.
"Hey guys, I think I'm going to just stay with Pete. Give him some company, you know?" Leila whispered to the rest.
"He won't talk to you right now," Patrick stated.
"I'm not going to try and get him to talk. I'm just going to be another body in the room if that's what he wants," Leila said.
Patrick looked at her for a second and was nodded. "If Patrick thought it was a good idea, then I know I'm doing the right thing".
She walked back into the hotel room and sat down on the opposite of Pete. She watched him for awhile. He was just lying there, soaking in the break-up with Ashlee. Pete stirred and sat up. Tear tracks stained his face. Leila wanted to reach out and take his pain away, but didn't quite know how. She got up, and moved to his side. She looked in his eyes and saw many things, but it still made her very sad. Leila sighed, shifted towards him and wrapped her arms around him.
At first he stiffened in her grip. He didn't know how to handle her arms around him. But he felt something that he needed that she was giving him. Comfort. Something that he needed to get through this, she was giving him. It was at this point that he decided to let her in. He relaxed in her arms and clung to her. Leila wanted to cry. He was clinging to her like a small child would their mother when they were scared of a storm.
She felt hot tears rolling on her shoulders. She just sat there, rubbing his back, whispering comforting words in his ear; she ran her hand over his head and through his hair. Leila held him like that for what seemed like hours. After awhile, Pete's body completely relaxed and she knew he was sleep. Seeing him this feeble killed her. She just held him while he slept, still rubbing his back. Soon, Leila got lost in comforting Pete, and fell asleep; cradling Pete like a baby, and with him arms around her.
The rest of the guys shortly came back from the pool to see Pete and Leila sleeping. Patrick wondered what she did to get him to let her in. Cara had this twinkle in her eye as she watched the two sleep, and Casie just took Parker's hand and smiled. They didn't stay very long, and left to get lunch, deciding to leave the two asleep.
Pete awoke a few hours later from the deepest sleep he can remember having in a very long time. He soon realized that he was in Leila's arms and flashes of the break-up with Ashlee were playing like a movie in his mind. Then the memories of Leila flashed in front of him. Her staying behind to keep him company, giving him his space until he was ready to face someone else; it was all coming back to him. Then he remembered her hugging him. And that's when he decided to let her in, decided that he needed someone other than Patrick to confide in. He remembered collapsing in her arms and just letting the events of the days come over him. She sat there, holding him, comforting him well after he fell asleep, he was sure. Leila was quickly becoming on of his best friends and he could feel it.
-note from the author-
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!! I don't know what the nest chapter's name will be, but I'm sure it'll be a doosy! Lol.. Comment on it if you love it! Or hate it, whatever.. Tell me what you think...