DISCLAIMER: I don't own House of Anubis or the Sick Puppies songs mentioned.
Piper gave him a quizzical look, but Eddie dismissed it, watching her pull the bobby pin out of her hair. He muttered a 'thanks' before jamming it in the lock, feeling Piper's eyes on him. He turned slightly to give her a questioning look, but Piper just crossed her arms and glared at him. Eddie sighed but didn't say anything, hearing the lock click before turning to Piper again.
"Okay, I know you're mad at me. But I'm going to fix this whole thing once and for all," he promised. "I don't know how long it'll take, so cover for me, okay?" And before Piper could protest, he had already slipped inside the bathroom.
The bathroom was fairly small but it was a big enough space that Patricia and Eddie could stand with a comfortable distance between them. Patricia was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and arms folded. To be honest, she didn't even look upset anymore. Just kind of angry or torn. She knew Eddie was there, but didn't make a move to acknowledge him. Eddie crossed his arms and leaned against the door, somewhat to prevent her from leaving as well.
"I was your first kiss," he finally blurted out.
"Yeah. You were."
Eddie heaved a sigh, "I didn't know. I mean, if you had told me that-"
"I didn't know you were going to kiss me!" Patricia suddenly fumed. Eddie bit his lip, wondering where to go with this. He wanted to fix things, but at the same time, he absolutely hated when he was always pinpointed as the bad guy in the situation. Patricia had kissed back- he wasn't all to blame.
Patricia had kissed back.
His eyes widened at the thought, remembering Joy's words of wisdom. Back when he was still popular, he used to watch Amber and Joy give love advice to begging freshmen. The two were in some kind of matchmaking business- one of the things that actually benefited people at the school. (The girls weren't all bad.) And when Joy had been asked how to tell if someone was right for you, she had a simple reply:
They kiss back.
Eddie tried not to panic- a million girls had kissed him back, and they were never right for him. Amber had kissed back, and that relationship hadn't worked out.
But if Patricia really didn't like him, then why did she kiss back? Eddie shook his head- she was just caught up in the moment, like him. It didn't mean anything.
"If it helps, my first kiss stunk too," Eddie shrugged, deciding not to fight back. He had come here to apologize, not start something else. "I was thirteen," he smiled fondly at the memory, looking up at Patricia, who actually looked curious. "The girl that kissed me only kissed me on a dare." Patricia gave him a skeptical smile. "So, I know how it feels. To have your first kiss taken away like that. And I'm sorry."
Patricia nodded, casting him a look before saying 'okay.' What could she say now? Eddie basically had the same first kiss experience as she had, so she couldn't exactly play any card. And the boy had been on a guilt trip too many times.
"You know, I really am sorry," Eddie repeated, looking sincere. "For…everything." Patricia raised an eyebrow and found herself taking a deep breath.
She couldn't do this anymore, couldn't stand here and be casual acquaintances. And honestly? Some part of her was telling her to move on from it- it was the stubborn side that was telling her to hold a grudge. Holding grudges was what she did, it's what she'd always done.
But it'd been months.
And karma had come around to Eddie, who had been kicked out of the popular group and had his father secret revealed to the whole school.
Maybe she could finally let it go.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
"I…forgive you," Patricia finally said, hesitantly closing her eyes and awaiting his reaction.
Eddie sputtered out his reply, "S-seriously?" Patricia opened her eyes again and nodded, feeling awkward. This was good, right? She was forgiving somebody. And besides, if anybody had wronged her, it was more her middle school peers than Eddie. She was taking something from the past and pushing it onto everybody else. "That's great. I, uh, didn't think you'd ever forgive me," Eddie joked. A silence fell over the two.
Eddie began speaking again, talking about the only solid thing they had in common. For some odd reason, he didn't want to go back outside. Maybe it was because he was afraid of what Piper would do to him. "So, Sick Puppies, huh?" He shoved his hands deep inside his pockets, unsure of how to talk to Patricia now. What were they? Still acquaintances? Friends? "You, uh, heard their new album?"
"Well, duh," Patricia scoffed. The two fell into that silence again, and Eddie wracked his brain for something to say.
"Are we friends or what?" He resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall for blurting that out- why? Why had he asked her that? Everything was so complicated though, and he needed a straightforward answer.
Patricia bit her lip, wondering the same thing. Were they friends? She tried hard to keep the stammer out of her voice, "I-I guess."
Eddie gave her a relieved smile, and Patricia took a minute to marvel at her improved social skills. She had just forgiven someone that had just stolen her first kiss and then befriended him. Wow. Eddie mumbled, "Cool, cool."
Patricia looked towards the door he was leaning against, "Are we going back out?" Truthfully, she really didn't want to face Piper again, and the weary look on Eddie's face said the same thing.
"If you want to," Eddie shrugged, but he looked uneasy at the thought and Patricia shook her head. She would rather be stuck in the bathroom with Eddie than be outside talking to Piper, who would make her explain and relive a situation she had just gotten over and done with.
"No," Patricia slumped down to sit against the wall once she realized Eddie had sat down against the door. Eddie nodded in agreement, twiddling his thumbs for a while before looking up.
"So, friend," Eddie bit his lip. He had to get a conversation going- he was never one to be able to sit in silence like this for long. "Uh, what's your favorite book?"
Patricia looked up in the surprise at the question but nevertheless wracked her brain for an answer. Come to think of it, she didn't really read unless it was required for school, and even then it was skimming at best. "Don't know."
"Mine's Harry Potter," Eddie muttered, looking down. "Although I like the third one better than the others." Patricia raised an eyebrow- she had not seen that one coming. Eddie liking Harry Potter? Fabian liked Harry Potter. Mara liked Harry Potter. And now Eddie did too? It was kind of nerdy in a way.
"Let me guess," Patricia snorted, finding herself talking before she could stop herself. "You're one of those Americans whose only reference to the UK is Harry Potter?" And it filled her with something great to talk to him like this. Joke around like she had before. It still felt awkward, but if she just tried to ignore the fact that it was Eddie she was talking to, then it was fine.
Eddie outright laughed and Patricia felt relieved he wasn't offended. He seemed pretty laid back though. "At first," he admitted. "I called the school 'Hogwarts' for such a long time." Eddie was definitely a bit reluctant to share this information with her, but Patricia was just watching him curiously. He wasn't sure if she was judging him, as she wasn't voicing her opinion.
"Okay, my turn," Patricia bit her lip, trying to think of a question. "Favorite movie?"
Eddie gave her a pointed look, "All the Harry Potter movies, obviously."
"You can't have eight favorite movies," Patricia protested, holding back an uncharacteristic laugh. Nothing he had said was even that funny, but there was something about his Harry Potter addiction that made her want to chuckle.
"Can too," Eddie defended himself childishly. "Why, what's your favorite movie?"
"Nightmare on Elm Street," Patricia shrugged before looking up with a teasing smile. "To be honest, you kind of remind me of Freddie Krueger."
Eddie placed a hand over his heart and gaped at her, "Well, I'm hurt, Patricia." The two fell into silence again once they realized what had just happened- were they…teasing each other?
"I mean, your name even resembles his," Patricia mumbled before she could bite back the comment. "Eddie, Freddie. Kind of the same thing." Eddie snorted at the comparison but didn't say anything.
Patricia bit her lip and glanced at the door again, "Won't our parents get suspicious or something?"
Eddie shook his head, "I told Piper to cover for us." Patricia nodded, although she wasn't sure that Piper was the best choice. Her twin had covered for Patricia on many occasions, once spewing something about hedgehogs to their mother.
"So…" Patricia began. "…what now?"
"Um," Eddie looked up. What should they do now, sitting in cramped quarters, both not wanting to face Piper? Their question game had dropped quickly and the two were beyond bored. Eddie's eyes lit up as he dug his hand in his pocket, taking out his phone and a set of earplugs. "Listen to music?" He offered her one of the buds to stick in her ear, and Patricia bit her lip. If she wanted to listen with him, she'd have to be extremely close to him. Eddie seemed to notice this and scratched the back of the neck, "You don't have to, I mean. But I do have the acoustic version of Odd One."
Patricia sighed- she absolutely loved the acoustic version. She hesitantly scooted over so that the two were seated next to each other, sides touching once more. She grabbed the bud from his hand and placed it in her ear as Eddie did the same with his. The familiar tune of Odd One filled her head, mellow and soft with the guitar.
It was frightening to be in such close proximity with Eddie- they kept landing in these kind of situations. His hand was almost on top of Patricia's, and she felt conflicted. It was almost as if she…wanted their hands to be touching. She closed her eyes to rid herself of the thought, blaming it on the kiss. That undeniably great kiss.
"Odd One, you're never alone..."
And as she looked over to Eddie, she realized something.
Maybe- just maybe- she really wasn't alone this time.
And that made her smile.
So, Patricia finally forgave him and now they're kind of friends. I tried to include some of the aspects from the show while keeping them in-character. I'd like to know how I did, considering I wanted to make sure there was enough development before they reached this milestone in their ongoing relationship.
And there actually is a Sick Puppies album coming out tomorrow, and I believe it's called Connect.