DISCLAIMER: I don't own House of Anubis or 'Maybe' by Sick Puppies.
Guys, this is the longest chapter yet! There's a lot of drama in this one, so I'm excited to see your thoughts on it!
"Come with you?" Patricia blinked in surprise as she turned around. This was just getting weirder and weirder, and it was making her suspicious beyond belief. Why would he want her to come with? Where was he even going?
"To the party at Mick's house," Eddie clarified, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Patricia raised an eyebrow, even more puzzled. Why would he take the school 'freak' with him to a party? She'd do nothing but lower his status and embarrass them. Besides, she didn't want to go with him to a party where his popular friends flaunted their mansions and tried to look cool by pulling stupid stunts. She would be the odd one out, and they both knew it pretty well.
But, she also didn't want to go back inside and see picture-perfect Piper and her mother. It would be an awkward dinner for sure, and Patricia shared a room with her twin; it'd be hard avoiding her. Besides, neither one would really care where she had gone- why would they? They would probably congratulate her on getting into this kind of party- if she ever told them about it, that is.
Her mind was spinning into overdrive- which one would she hate more, socializing with people she'd always made fun of or listening to her mother babble on, subtly dropping critique into her words whenever she mentioned Patricia?
"Fine," Patricia spoke, a little surprised at how loud her voice was. "I'll come with you to this party."
A sly grin slid across his face as he surveyed her. Patricia rolled her eyes and walked towards him, eyes darting between the car and Eddie. "Wait," he stopped her, looking her up and down once more. She crossed her arms self-consciously; his eyes made her feel like a piece of meat, and she didn't particularly like the feeling. "You can't go looking like that."
Patricia raised an eyebrow, obviously unhappy her outfit was being critiqued. "Why not?"
Meanwhile, Eddie's thoughts were running wild. He bit his lip and held back his words. Because your clothes will make me look bad. It was risky- this bet that he couldn't tell anyone about. If he came with Patricia and pretended he had brought her as a date, everyone would probably throw him dirty looks. Her appearance was one of the most important things that branded her as freak, and, if he had to take her, the least he could do was make her look a little better, right? In a way, he was helping her. She almost looked threatening like this, wearing blue distressed jeans and a beat up leather jacket. He wasn't clothed much differently though- what was it about her that made her look so unapproachable?
It was the hair- that had to be what was bugging him so much. Ever since last night, when he had wondered how she would look with it pulled back, the thought had stayed.
"Um, here," Eddie fumbled inside his pocket for a bobby pin, handing it to her.
Patricia gave him a weird look, speaking her mind for once, "You carry bobby pins in your pocket?"
"Sometimes you need to pick a lock," Eddie shrugged, not expecting her to understand. But to his surprise, she nodded in agreement, face free of judgement, before fingering the bobby pin.
"I don't like these," her face scrunched up in disgust before looking back at the door, almost as if she was contemplating something. Patricia sighed, "Fine." She placed the bobby pin in her hair awkwardly, looking even more stupid than she did before. Eddie sighed- she was a girl, she should know how to do this.
He stepped closer and she drew back. "I'm going to fix it for you," Eddie reassured. She eyed him warily once more but didn't withdraw when he came closer. He was a good three inches or so taller than her, so it was easy for him to draw her hair back and place the bobby pin in with expert ease. (He had lived with his mom for years, don't judge.)
"There," he stepped back to admire his handiwork, curious as to how she looked. She definitely looked more vulnerable- maybe she had kept the hair in her face to ward people off. Patricia obviously wasn't one for social interaction. "You should, uh, keep your hair out of your face more often." He complimented, but he wasn't as calm and cool as usual, remembering last night. The words exchanged.
Eddie heard a vague mutter of 'don't tell me what to do' before the two set out to his car. As they settled themselves, he looked over at her once more. She really did look nicer with her hair pulled back- her greenish-gray eyes stood out more.
They rode without talking, Eddie having put on a Sick Puppies CD. The familiar tune of My World reached their ears as they drove on.
"I'm not coming back, I'm not gonna react, I'm not doing shit for you…"
Mick stood as he heard the doorbell, taking a final bite of his banana. The party hadn't officially started yet, but Amber and Joy had come early to help set up. Jerome was in charge of food, and Mick had spent the entirety of the time waiting for Eddie. At least Eddie and he could be civil- with Jerome, there was always some kind of tension in the air.
"Hey, Eddie," Mick clapped his friend on the back and let him in. He paused for a minute as a girl followed.
Was that who he thought it was? The freak?
Had Eddie managed to score a date with her? Had he actually won the bet already?
"What are you doing here?" Mick furrowed his brows.
"You told me I could invite someone," Eddie replied coolly before she could talk.
"Yeah, but not a freak," Mick protested, crossing his arms. He was happy his friend had won the bet, but honestly, what were people going to think now? If misfits like Patricia were allowed to come here, than it was practically open invite for anybody.
Meanwhile, Eddie mimicked his position, ready to lead Mick off and explain everything to him. He was ready to confess that this was all at the sake of popularity, so if Patricia could just stay long enough for Eddie to tell Jerome they were on a 'date', he'd be eternally grateful. He was ready to tell his best friend his plan as he usually did, because Mick was his confidante.
But he didn't lead Mick away and he didn't say any of that. What fell out of Eddie's mouth surprised him much more.
"Her name's Patricia," Eddie finally found himself saying. He could feel her eyes widen from beside him- and he didn't exactly blame her for the shocked reaction either. Eddie himself was a bit amazed that he had stood up for her. He continued on as a silence filled the air, "We'll just, uh, be helping with the food." He nudged Patricia, who nodded, still the tiniest bit astonished, and the two ditched Mick to maneuver themselves to the kitchen.
Eddie strode into the kitchen to see Amber and Joy filling chip bowls. He raised an eyebrow- usually it was Jerome in charge of food, but the blonde seemed to have left his station.
"Hi Eddie," Joy greeted. Amber kept her head down, seemingly intent on stirring the punch now. "Hey, who's- wait, is that the freak?" Eddie saw Patricia roll her eyes at the nickname, and he decided not to say anything this time. Starting something with Mick was one thing but Joy was another story entirely.
Amber looked up in surprise, "That's who you're cheating on me with?" Eddie winced as she gasped, and Patricia's eyes shot daggers at Eddie, filled with question. It was clear she was confused and didn't want to be here anymore.
"No," Patricia finally spoke when Eddie didn't, and Joy and Amber swiveled towards her in surprise at how loudly she had spoken to them. Eddie saw Jerome turn the corner into the kitchen and panicked- what now? If he told Amber he wasn't cheating, then that would mean he hadn't fulfilled the bet and Jerome was right there. If he did tell her he was 'cheating', than Amber wouldn't be his girlfriend anymore. "We-"
Eddie cut her off, "Yeah, Amber, sorry. I'm on a date with Patricia." Jerome gasped before covering his mouth and hiding his laughter, and Joy narrowed her eyes. Amber placed down the chip bag and locked eyes with him. Tears welled up as she pushed past Jerome and into the bathroom. Joy shook her head and shot both Eddie and Patricia a dirty look before chasing after her friend.
But Patricia's reaction was by far the worst.
She looked awed and regretful at the same time. Shock colored her face once more, quickly replaced by disgust and then sadness. And at the end, as she went through every negative emotion possible, all she did was shake her head, almost as if she'd expected something like this. She didn't cry though, instead opting to be consumed with rage. Her hand met his wrist as she tugged him out of the kitchen and into one of Mick's guest bedrooms. Eddie found it kind of weird, being led by Patricia. He probably should've been afraid of what was coming next, but all he could think about was how she was usually the meek one between the two.
"What was that?" she seethed once the door was closed. Eddie's eyes widened- sure, she had been a little snappy when he annoyed her before, but this Patricia was someone he had never known. She looked almost confident as she pushed a finger to his chest. Where was the girl who never talked? "I am not your date and we both know it. So, I repeat, what was that?"
Eddie exhaled slightly to calm himself- he was actually feeling a bit scared. This Patricia was unfamiliar to him and he wasn't sure what to say next.
You just can't tell her it's for a bet.
That was one of Jerome's conditions, right? Eddie couldn't let that slip, so he did what he was accustomed to. He lied. "Well, you see, it's actually not as bad as it looks. Seriously-"
Patricia's eyes darkened, "Tell me the truth, or I swear, I will personally make your life living hell."
Was this threatening, confident, determined Patricia only brought on when she was angry? Because, if anything, Eddie was the one who could ruin her life, considering his status. But she didn't seem to so much as acknowledge that as she glared at him fiercely.
"Look, Patricia, I know you might be feeling a little upset right now but-"
"Oh, I am done being upset," she sneered. "I knew it. I knew it. There was no way someone like you would actually try to be my friend. You're a liar and a creep and if you think messing with people like this makes you a 'bad boy,' you're dead wrong. So either you tell me what's really going on or I tell your mum exactly where we are. Your choice."
"You said you don't rat people out," Eddie countered before internally berating himself.
"I say a lot of things," Patricia dismissed, and Eddie let out a shaky breath, finding himself pressed against the wall. He sighed, ready to spill, when the door creaked open and Jerome slipped in.
There stood Jerome, ready to give Eddie his money.
There stood Jerome, one-hundred pounds in hand.
And there stood Patricia, slowly connecting the dots.
Hope you enjoyed! This chapter is probably one of the most important yet, because it's a pivot point in Patricia's character. Her true colors came out because she was angry with Eddie and couldn't remind herself to stay under the radar. (Because Patricia does act before she thinks sometimes.) So, watch out for character development because this story is far from over.