"Nope," Petey responded into the phone as he stood just outside the library.
"You know, this could be a long shot, but try looking in the room where we tutor," Jonathan suggested.
"Okay!" Petey agreed, "Where's that?"
"The Barnes Building, room 23," Jonathan answered, "I don't know why she'd be there, but it can't hurt to look."
"Yeah, I'll go," Petey said.
"Okay. And thanks for the info," Jonathan said.
"You're welcome. Good luck! Hope it works!"
"Me too. See ya." And with that, Jonathan hung up.
Petey stuck his phone into his pocket and immediately headed for the Barnes Building. It was far, but not too far from the library. He didn't mind walking to it though, especially if Kristen might be inside it. It was snowing all around, which just made him want to prance. But the issue at hand held him back.
He reached the Barnes Building in good time and quickly found room 23. He opened the door. "Kristen?" he called.
Inside, huddled up in the far corner of the room sat Kristen, arms wrapped around her legs, and face buried into her knees, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Petey immediately rushed inside to her side. "Kristen!" he cried, crouching down beside her, "What's wrong?"
"Petey?" she asked, looking up at him, "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," he said, "You weren't home or at the library or with David or anywhere and we were worried."
""We"?" Kristen repeated.
"Me, Jonathan, and Sam," Petey said, "What are you doing here? What's wrong?"
Kristen wiped her eyes. "I just... its a good place to be alone, this room."
"Why do you want be alone?" Petey asked.
"I... can't," Kristen choked.
"What?"
"I have to do it. It's the only way."
"Do what? What are you talking about?"
"I've been given an ultimatum," Kristen said, "Just a couple hours ago, David called me. He said... he said..."
She sniffled, attempting to hold back more sobs, only to fail miserably and continue crying into her knees. Petey scooted closer to her and put both his arms around her in a tight hug. "What? What did he say?" he asked gently.
"He told me that if I didn't... ifI didn't... sleep with him, we were over," Kristen finally choked through her sobs, "He said that if we truly meant something to each other, I would go through with it."
Petey's jaw dropped slightly. "He's just giving you this ultimatum now?" he asked.
Kristen sighed, burying her face into her hands. "No! I mean he's just giving me the ultimatum now, but he's been trying to get me to do this for a while now," she cried.
"Like how long?" Petey asked.
"It first started the day he told me he loved me," Kristen replied, wiping at her red, puffy eyes, "That was the day I got mad at you guys, you know?"
Petey nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"That was the first time he told me he loved me and I decided that I loved him too," Kristen went on, "After we, you know... kissed a bit, it started to get really, erm... passionate? But I stopped it before he managed to go too far. He tried to coax me into it, because it would be the “perfect way to seal our love”, but I just couldn’t do it. He seemed understanding enough, not happy, but he let me go. I felt so bad and stupid after I left, and that's when I met you guys."
"And he's been asking you ever since?" Petey asked.
Kristen nodded. "Almost every day," she said, "But I just haven't been ready for it. I've been telling him that and I thought he understood, but now..."
She let out a tormented sob. "I don't want him to leave me!" she cried through her tears, "He's the only one who loves me, I can't let that go. I'll just... I'll just have to sleep with him."
"Kristen, you don't mean that," Petey said.
"It's true," she said, "I thought Annalise loved me, but then she ran off and shut me out. David is all I have left."
"That's not true. Don't say that," Petey insisted, "There are so many people who care about you! Like your parents must, right? I mean, they're your parents!"
Kristen didn't say anything and just stared ahead at the ground, clutching her knees to her chest. Petey continued. "And I know that I do," he said, "You're my best friend, I'd do anything for you. And then there's Jonathan. I mean, he's basically completely in love with you. And then Sam..."
"Wait, what?" Kristen interrupted, lifting her head and facing him.
"You know Sam? How he's always so happy to see you?" Petey said, "You know, sometimes he kind of reminds me of a giant puppy."
"No," Kristen said, "About Jonathan being in love with me."
Petey stared at her, tilting his head and furrowing his brow. "Wow, you really haven't noticed?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
Kristen looked back ahead, comprehending this new information. Petey was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "Kristen... what exactly has been going on with you and David lately? Really?"
Kristen glanced at him briefly. "I suppose you've already heard about our little incident the other day?" She rolled up her sleeve, revealing the gauze wrapped around her wrist. "And this?" She turned her head so that Petey could see a bruise on her cheek.
"That wasn't first time he was rough with me though," Kristen said, "That was just the first time it really showed. If anything was really visible before, I just put on a little makeup and it was like it was never there."
Petey's eyes widened. "No," he said quietly, "How could you let someone do that to you?"
"I just told myself it wouldn't happen again," Kristen replied, "It wasn't like it happened everyday or anything. He didn't mean it, really. It wasn't on purpose. And it didn't hurt that bad anyways."
Petey didn't respond, thinking. "Have you even done anything you've wanted to do since you started dating him?" he asked after a moment.
"Well... no not exactly," Kristen responded, "But he's more experienced than me. I just always figured that he knew best. I didn't want to do anything wrong."
"But... but that's the great thing about life," Petey said, "Making mistakes and learning from them. It makes you a better person! If you always follow someone, you're not becoming a new and better person, you're becoming them. How boring would the world be if we all did the exact same things the exact same way? Besides, how do you know that the person you're following is really the best example?"
Kristen shrugged slightly. "He always has seemed so nice... and perfect."
"Does he still?" Petey asked carefully.
"Well... I just... he's..." Kristen stammered, "Maybe?"
Petey exhaled. "Look, I may not know a lot of things, but if there's one thing I do know, it's love," he said, "And love is not making someone do something they don't want to do."
Kristen rested her chin on her knees once more, sighing softly. "I don't know," she said hopelessly.
"Sure you do," Petey said, hugging her again, "You just don't know you know. But you will. You'll figure it out."
Kristen sighed, sniffling slightly. Then she glanced at the clock. "Don't you have a curfew?" she asked finally.
"You are more important to me than angry apartment managers," Petey replied, smiling warmly, "I'll climb the wall to my complex any night for you."
Kristen looked at him and almost smiled. Suddenly the silence was broken by a loud buzzing. Petey looked around, confused, while Kristen reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. When she looked at it, her face dropped and her eyes widened.
"What? What is it?" Petey wondered.
"It's a text... from Annalise," Kristen answered in numb shock.
She slowly looked up from the phone and at Petey, an expression of pure incredulity and tension written across her face. "She wants me to come over to her apartment right away."
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