Chapter 10- Shut Up And Dance

"Oh my gosh! Leila!" Cara exclaimed, jumping out of Patrick's arms. It had been two weeks since Pete and Leila got to come home, and the doctor told Pete to stay in town for a month, so they were all crashing at Pete's. Leila jumped a little, causing her head to bang against Pete's. Laughing, massaging her head, Leila looked to Cara.

"What's up?" she laughed, trying to stop Pete from tickling her.

"I totally forgot about Paramore!" Cara said in disbelief. "The concert's tomorrow! What are we going to do? Kristi's expecting us, and I have her ticket!" Cara panicked.

Leila's mouth dropped open. With everything that had gone on in the last month and a half, she had totally forgotten about the Paramore concert.

"Don't worry, we can get you there," Patrick said, trying to calm his girlfriend down.

Cara looked dumbfounded at Patrick. "You would do that for me?"

"Well, if Pete offers to pay for Leila's ticket, you guys can be on your way in four hours," Patrick stated.

Cara opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and looked back at Patrick, "You're not coming with us?" she asked.

"I can't. We have to get back in the studio, besides; Pete has to stay in town for another two weeks."

And with that, Patrick bought the girls plane ride down to Alabama, and Pete bought the trip back. Three hours later, Cara, Leila, Pete and Patrick were on their way to the airport.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Cara said, kissing Patrick. Leila was holding Pete. She was scared to ride in a plane without him.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" Pete told Leila, worried about her plane ride. Leila just nodded, unable to find her voice. Her body was shaking slightly. Pete pulled her to him (able to stand and walk just fine on his own, with a boot instead of a cast).

Patrick and Pete watched Leila and Cara walk away. It was a bittersweet moment for the four of them. When they returned to the apartment they heard a Casie yelling from the other side. Patrick held Pete back from opening the door.

"You never want to go out and do anything with me! All you ever want to do it watch TV. and play video games! And on those rare times that you put the remote down, I have something else planned with Leila or Cara; well, now they are gone for two days and you won't get off your lazy butt to go dancing with me!" Casie's scream cut through the hard wood door.

Pete and Patrick looked at each other. They had never seen Casie mad before; it was almost as bad as Leila. Pete stuck his key in the door and jiggled the lock, letting them know someone was about to enter the house. Pete walked in to see Casie and Parker standing off, with Casie beet red in the face, and Parker just looked annoyed. Casie was so mad, that it didn't bother her that two new arrivals had just come in; she continued her rant on Parker.

"For once, please, take me out! We need to spend time together, other than the countless hours that I watch you play your video games!" Casie pleaded with him.

"For the last time, Casie, I hate going out to things like that. Why can't we just spend time together here?" Parker asked, getting red in the ears. "You are always pressing me to go out; when you know I hate clubs and bars!"

"If you don't take me out, I'll find someone who will," Casie said in an under tone. Parker's eyes grew wide.

"Fine! If that's the way you feel, then have it your way!" Parker yelled at Casie, grabbed up his jacket and stalked out of the door. Casie stood there in disbelief. She couldn't believe that he just walked out on her. She collapsed on the couch and put her head in her hands.

Pete sat down opposite Casie on a chair. He felt so bad for her. He knew that they loved each other; they just had to get through this. If anyone knew a bad relationship, it was Pete. He could tell that this wasn't a wasted relationship and they just had to work it out.

"Casie?" Pete asked tentatively.

Casie tossed her head back, breathing deeply. "I don't want to talk about it. I just need to go out," Casie declared, standing up.

"Well, you're not going alone in New York City… I'll go with you," Pete suggested.

"What? No… you just got your foot broken. I want to dance, and there's no way you can stand up all night on that foot," Casie shook her head.

"I know my foot better than you, and I also know Leila. She would kill me if something happened to you, and I didn't even go along to watch out for you," Pete reasoned.

Casie thought about it for a moment and she really didn't want to be alone tonight. She finally agreed to let Pete come along with her. They choose a place in deep downtown where Pete knew they never turn the house lights on. They told Patrick where they were going, and headed out.

They arrived and Pete threw his hoodie over his face and kept his head down. Once inside the club, Casie headed straight for the bar. She asked Pete if he wanted a drink and he said no. Casie ordered a shot of Liquid Valium and a rum and coke. Casie dragged Pete on the dance floor and they started dancing. By round three, Pete decided to join her. They continued that for a while; ordering a round and going back out onto the dance floor.

Soon, by round eight (or was it nine, they had lost count), and their rum and cokes, they were steadily getting more intoxicated. Their dancing kept getting more close and touchy as they consumed their drinks.

Cara and Leila's flight landed in Birmingham and Leila called Pete to tell him they arrived safely, but he didn't answer. Cara's phone had died mid-flight, or she would have called Patrick. Leila shrugged it off and left him a sweet voice mail, telling she loved him and to be careful of his foot.

Pete felt his phone vibrating but didn't answer it. He'd call who ever it was back; besides he was a little to drunk to make sense of anything at this point in time. All he was thinking about was dancing. The alcohol was clouding his mind. Casie was dancing her troubles away. She was so mad at Parker, that she didn't care how bad she would feel in the morning, she was going to drink and dance the night away. Casie just came back to Pete with two more shots. They downed them, but Casie lost her balance and tripped over Pete's foot boot. He caught her in time to save her from falling. When Casie stood back up, her nose was touching Pete's.

She could feel his breath hitting her lips. And with all the alcohol in her, she wasn't thinking straight. She kissed him. Pete's eyes widened for a second before kissing her back. Casie's heart was screaming at her to stop, but her head was telling her to keep going. Casie's arms found them selves around Pete, pulling him to her. And Pete wasn't stopping it either. They kept kissing on the dance floor for what seemed like years.

All of sudden, something clicked in both their heads. They broke apart as fast as they came together. Casie's eyes were as big as half dollars, and Pete looked like he had just seen a ghost. Pete's feet, which had been glued to the stop, up rooted and darted towards the back door; leaving a stunned Casie in his wake. She looked up in front of her, where Pete had been, and saw something that chilled her blood. Parker was standing in front of her; looking as if just got punched in the stomach. He turned away and weaved through the people. Casie took off after him. She finally caught up with him, grabbing him by the arm. He shrugged out of her grasp, turning around violently to face her.

"What do you want from me?!" Parker yelled at her. "You seemed to be perfectly content on the dance floor!"

Casie stared back at him. "Parker! Please listen to me—"she started, knowing there was no way to explain.

"No! I won't! I felt like a complete jerk when I left you today, so I called Patrick to see where you were. He said that you and Pete had come down here. So thinking nothing of it, I come down here; to give you what you wanted! And I see that—" he gestured towards the dance floor, "—and now I regret even coming down here!" Parker screamed, calling the attention of half of the club.

Casie tried pleading with him, but he wouldn't listen.

"Just answer me one thing. How could you do that to Leila?" Parker asked, his voice getting dangerously low.

Leila. The very thought of Leila made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't think about what she had just done to her best friend. It was a huge mistake, and involved alcohol. She was completely sober by this point.

"Please, Parker, I know I hurt you, but don't tell Leila! It would kill her! I am so sorry! Please forgive me!" Casie pleaded, clutching his shirt sleeve. He jerked his arm away.

"If you don't tell Leila, Casie, I will…" Parker said, and walked away.

Casie watched his retreating, feeling the dread sink in. There was no way she could tell Leila. It was a mistake; both she and Pete realized that. Pete. She looked around for him, but saw him no where.

Pete ran outside into the dark alley. He fell against the wall, sliding down to the ground. He felt ill.

"How could I have done that to Leila? She promised my mother that she would never hurt me, and here I go, trying to tear her heart out."

Pete took out his phone to see who had called. It was Leila, and she had left a voicemail.

"Hey Petey! It's me. Well, me and Cara made it Birmingham alright. I was just calling to check on you, see how your foot was feeling. Well, I have to go; me and Cara are going to get something to eat. I love you! Bye baby!

Pete dropped his phone and rolled on to his hands and knees and threw up. He couldn't stand to hear Leila talking to him like that. It felt like an iron hand had hold of his heart and was squeezing it as tight as it could. Casie opened the back door. She rushed to his side, rolling him back over and sitting him up straight. Casie's face looked like exactly how he felt.

"Parker broke up with me. For good, this time. And he says that if we don't tell Leila, he will…" Casie faded off, looking up at the sky. How in the world did they let this happen?

"I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top, she's got a body like an hourglass it's ticking like a clock, it's a matter of time before we all run out..."

"Nothing compares to, a quiet evening alone, just the one, two, I was just counting on, that never happened, I guess I'm dreamin' again, let's be more than this…"

"I can feel the pressure, it's getting closer now, we're better off without you, I can feel the pressure, and it's getting closer now, we're better off without you…"

"No sir, well I don't wanna be the blame, not anymore, it's your turn to take a seat
we're settling the final score, and why do we like to hurt so much?..."

Cara and Leila were rocking out at the concert, feeling a little bad that they were there without Patrick and Pete. But we're excited they were heading back in the morning.

Pete woke up to the bright sun beaming down on his face. It took him a minute to realize why he felt so miserable, then last night hit him over the head. He rolled out of bed and walked to the shower. He half hoped that he would drown, not having to face the rest of the world. Leila was coming back today, and he was dreading seeing her smiling face, when he felt like such a prick. Casie and Pete decided not to tell Leila right away. They were planning on telling her, but they had to figure things out first.

Patrick was hurrying everyone up to get ready so that they could go pick up the girls from the airport. The car ride there was nothing but awkward, but Patrick didn't noticed; he was just excited about seeing Cara today. They parked outside the airport waiting on the girls to show up.

There they were; hurrying to the car. Pete felt a wave of nausea hit him, and looked away from Leila. He could hardly stand it. Casie felt the same; she was just keeping her eyes down. Cara and Leila put their luggage in the trunk and got in the car. Cara got in the front seat, leaning over to kiss Patrick. Casie let Leila slide in to sit next to Pete. Pete had to let her kiss him, so she wouldn't suspect anything; but when Leila's lips touched his, his guilt doubled on him.

The group decided to meet up with Joe and Andy for lunch at a small diner downtown. During the middle of the meal, Leila got up to use the rest room, and Cara went with her. A thick layer of tension had fallen over the group since Leila and Cara's arrival. Casie and Pete were eating in totally silence. When Cara returned without Leila, Pete was worried. He had been paranoid ever since that night.

"Oh, she's just over there. Talking to Parker…" Cara said calmly.

Casie and Pete choked on their food and looked around. Sure enough, there was Parker, half blocking Leila from their sight.

-note from the author-

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for the next dramatic chapter!