Chapter 9
Heather kept a reassuring hand patting
Patience's back, trying to calm her down. Paul turned to Greg. "He's crazy about
her, do you know that?" Paul yelled.
"I think pretty much everyone knows that Phelps is crazy for
her." Greg said. "It just doesn't help that he's crazy for about half of the
female population of the US too."
"You're our friend, you know that?" Paul asked.
"Yeah. Somehow, so is he." Greg said.
"Cause he's a human too." Patience spoke up, her voice
sounding very much like she had been crying. "People keep forgetting that he's
human." She whispered.
"Let's go." James said, the group set money down on the table
and then left.
****************************************
Bob was asleep when they arrived back at the hotel. But, when
Paul went into the hotel room he was sharing with Michael, they came to realize
that Michael wasn't back from wherever he had gone to.
The guy who had played designated driver said he'd go driving
around, seeing if he could find him. Freddie said they should wake Bob up and
explain what was going on. And, somebody else should stay in his room incase he
came back in a way that nobody noticed.
Patience volunteered to stay in the room. Paul and Heather
went to go wake up Bob. The rest of the team grabbed cell phones, leaving the
cell numbers with everyone else who didn't have their numbers and then went out
near the hotel looking for Michael.
Bob came into Michael and Paul's room a few seconds later.
"Patience, tell me everything. I want to try and figure out what's going on in
Michael's mind." Bob said.
So, Patience told him everything. She told him everything
starting with her and Michael's first meeting at the swim team booth, to playing
in the game, to the party. She even told him what happened at the bar, the fight
between her and Greg and how Greg had managed to insult Michael. She ended with
how she tried to stop him, but they ended up fighting between themselves.
That was when they heard the phone in Bob's room ring. He
quickly excused himself and went to answer it. And when he returned, he said
that he was going to get Michael.
The entire time that Bob was gone, Patience was freaking out.
The rest of the swim team had come home and was going to sleep. Paul had
actually fallen asleep in Bob's room, letting Patience stay in his while she
waited. Heather went back to her and Patience's room to sleep.
But, Patience couldn't sleep. She had grabbed her stereo that
was used for warm-up music earlier at the meet, and played her Switchfoot CD.
And somehow, that did help her relax a little. Enough to know that Michael was
okay, and that Bob was with him.
She lay down on what she figured was Michael's bed. Paul had
grabbed pillows off the one next to it, so she figured this was the one Michael
had claimed.
And that was when she saw his University of Michigan hat
sitting on the foot of the bed. She recognized it instantly as the one he had
worn at the baseball game. She picked it up and held it in her hands, somehow
feeling so close to Michael this way.
I wish I had what I needed
To be on my own
'Cause I feel so defeated
And I'm feeling alone
And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I'm a plane in the sunset
With nowhere to land
And all I see
It could never make me happy
And all my sand castles
Spend their time collapsing
Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough
She heard a knock on the door, and saw Michael there. Bob
was behind him, making sure he got into the room. Patience nodded to Bob, who
nodded back and went back to his room.
Michael stood in the doorway to his room, just looking at
her. Nothing was said between them, nothing had to be. Somehow, she knew what
had happened, why he had been gone, where Bob had to go get him from.
So, they instantly just embraced, happy to be back together.
She felt him lay his head on her shoulder and then heard him start crying. She
felt tears fall from her eyes, but she didn't care anymore.
She ran a hand up and down his back, whispering to him and
soothing him. She'd get the details from him later, when he felt like talking
about it. Right now, she was just being silent because she knew that was what he
needed. He just needed her.
Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough