The Do Over (Peterick)

ten.

As Patrick pulls up to Elisa's (after stopping at Starbucks and getting his drink and calling Elisa for hers) and waits on her to come out, he messes with the bluetooth on the radio and hits shuffle on his favourite playlist. Things are really starting to look up for him at this point in time, so he's going to take advantage of it.

Patrick gets out of his car after making sure his phone is connected and playing actual songs and not that bullshit western stuff Wendall calls music. He walks to the door, swiping a hand through his hair and knocks, waiting for someone to answer the door.

That someone happens to be Elisa's father, dressed in his business attire — navy dress pants, a navy long sleeved button down, a grey blazer, and a pink polka-dotted bow tie — ready for a long day at the law firm he and his partner own. He smiles at Patrick and falls up to Elisa.

"'Lisa, Patrick is here!" He says, turning back to look at Patrick, who can't keep his eyes off of the man's colourful tie. Mr. Yao notices and straightens it immediately. "I know it's horrendous. It was a gift from Elisa for my birthday this past year. I wear it to make her happy."

Patrick has to refrain from saying, 'Aww,' because he's sure Mr. Yao would maybe probably punch him and instead settles for, "That's actually super sweet. You're a great father, Mr. Yao."

"You can call me Sam, son. It seems like you'll be around often, so there's no need to be formal." Mr. Yao — Sam, Patrick reminds himself — says, smiling at Patrick. He looks behind him to make sure his daughter isn't descending from the stairs before making a one hundred-eighty degree flip from what he just said and gripping Patrick by his collar. "But hurt my daughter, and you won't have a tongue to call me anything."

Patrick gulps loudly and nods vigorously, praying to, well, Spencer mostly, that Elisa will come down the stairs at any minute. When Sam hears footsteps, he immediately releases Patrick and begins fixing the collar of the younger boy's shirt.

"Morning, 'Trick. Dad, what are you doing?" Elisa asks as she picks her backpack up from beside the bottom of the stairs, walking over to her father and her fake boyfriend.

Sam smiles at his daughter and removes his hands from Patrick's now fixed collar. "Bonding with your boyfriend, honey. His collar was mussed." Sam flicks his eyes back to Patrick, daring him to say different.

Patrick clears his throat and says, "Thanks for fixing my collar, Sam. Ready to go, babe?" He points back at the car, ready to get the hell off of the Yao's front porch and into his car, safely away from Sam.

Elisa nods and gives her father a kiss on the cheek before walking out. She gives Patrick a quick peck on the lips, and Patrick practically races down the front steps to get ahead of her to open the car door for her. Sam is smiling when Patrick chances a look back, relaxing for a moment.

He grabs Elisa's backpack from her hands as she settles down, closing her door and opening the door behind her to set the pack down in the backseat. As Patrick climbs into the car, Sam waves at them.

"Okay, what the hell was that? You're all of a sudden on a first name basis with my dad, and he's fixing your collar for you?" Elisa asks as soon as they're out of the driveway. She picks up her coffee and takes a sip, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, that? Just your father telling me to call him by his first name before completely threatening to cut my tongue out. Nothing much." Patrick says in the most nonchalant way he can.

Elisa chokes on her coffee as she laughs, trying not to spill anything. "Goddammit. And he wonders why I don't let him meet my boyfriends often."

"Hey, he's a cool guy. He seems like a great father. But we're telling him it was your idea to fake date when we inevitably have to end this." Patrick says, and Elisa nods, a smug smile on her face.

She's still grinning when they pull up to the school. She finishes her coffee off right as Patrick finds a parking spot. As he takes the keys out of the ignition and races around to open her door, she busies herself with getting the empty cups out to throw in the bin by the door.

Patrick, in turn, carries both of their backpacks until Elisa can throw the trash in the bin. He hands her the maroon Jansport and takes her smaller hand in his. They walk into the school, and eyes dart to them, saying things without actually speaking. Things that actually make Patrick smile, for once in his life.

"Damn, they look good together." Someone says as they pass by. And whoever said it is right. They look right together, almost too right, one might say. Patrick is slightly taller than her, making her the perfect height to be his girlfriend.

Unlike Pete, who is about an inch taller than Patrick, and Ashlee, who is an inch taller than Pete. It's a funny sight to see the two of them when she's wearing heels. He looks like he could be her child, but she continues to wear heels almost daily, as if she doesn't know how ridiculous the two of them look together.

Pete is standing at his locker when he and Elisa round the corner. Patrick leans over and kisses Elisa's cheek, whispering, "Wait for me at your locker? I'll be back to walk you to homeroom." Elisa nods and walks down about eight more lockers before stopping in front of her own.

"Hey, dude." Pete says as Patrick approaches his locker, entering the combination as soon as he stops walking. Patrick knows better than to say or do anything to draw attention to the two of them, especially since they're both in committed relationships.

"Hey, man." Patrick says, grabbing the book he needs for homeroom out of his locker and dropping it into his backpack.

As he zips it up, he wonders why Pete is waiting for him at his locker like they're boyfriends. Not that Patrick minds, he's just confused.

However, when he goes to ask Pete that question, he hears an annoying and overly drawn out, "Pete!" Seriously, the name is one fucking syllable. How long can one bitch drag it out for?

Ashlee appears in front of her boyfriend, pouting at him. Pete sighs and turns to her. "What now?" He seems annoyed now, maybe pissed off if Patrick thinks about it long enough.

Ashlee looks taken aback by his tone, straightening herself up and looking him in the eyes. "Walk me to homeroom." She demands. Patrick gives her a look, one that says 'really bitch?' so he doesn't have to.

Pete huffs out a breath, clenching his jaw. For a moment, Patrick thinks Pete's going to say something other than an agreeing word. But Pete instead says, "Fine," and allows himself to be dragged off to the opposite side of the school that Patrick is headed towards.

The last thing Patrick sees before Pete completely disappears from his line of view is an apologetic look on the boy's face. Patrick shrugs in response and turns away, walking to Elisa's locker.

"Head up, Champ. Focus on how pissed he looked to be dragged away from you." Elisa motivates him quietly before taking his hand and walking with him to their homeroom class, one that Patrick wasn't aware they shared before.

yee haw update time