Patricia O'Brien

Patricia O'Brian  (パトリシア・オブライエン)

is one of Candy's classmate and best friend, her love interest is Alistair Cornwell.

Appearance
Patricia has short brown hair, she wears eyeglasses like her love interest she can be seen wearing the St. Paul's Academy uniform or casual green dresses.

Characteristics
Patricia is kind and like her friends, she would do anything to the person she truly loves. Patricia used to be reserved and shy

Plot
Candy meets her helpful neighbor, Patricia O'Brien, who seems to know all encyclopedias by heart and takes Candy on a school tour such as the library and the recreational hall. But after her old enemy Eliza loudly introduces Candy as the "Barn Princess", her former maidservant who was abandoned by her parents, and Anthony's murderess, even Patricia avoids Candy. Patricia even misinforms Candy about the required attire for the next morning on purpose. Not escaping Sister Gray's notice, Candy suffers through morning prayer in her distinct white dress while everyone else wears black.

Terry breaks into the girls' dorm, waving off Sister Margaret's warnings and assuring her his father will pay for the broken window. When Candy returns to her room, she encounters Patricia's grandmother Marsha there. Terry helped the old woman sneak into Candy's room by creating the diversion. Candy shows Marsha to Patricia's room. Marsha who has been home-schooled wants to stay a few days to see for herself how a boarding school compares to it. Patricia is much too afraid to hide her, so Candy decides to house Marsha. Marsha repays Candy by aiding Candy with her math homework. Eliza challenges Candy into a recital. Candy pretends to play the violin, while the actual violinist hides behind a curtain. But Eliza will not be fooled and pulls away the curtain and finds Patricia who pretends to be the violinist. After witnessing a few more pranks from Eliza, Marsha fumes over the school allowing such bullying, but then as Patricia and Candy grow to become friends she admits that one could also befriend wonderful people like Candy.

When Candy steals away to the Other Pony's Hill to spend time with Klint, Terry finds Neil and his friends skulking around to find out her secret and scares them off in a fight. Having witnessed the fight, Patricia too wonders what Candy's secret might be. Patricia reveals to Candy she has a secret, a treasure, and she will show it to Candy later. At class, Candy learns she is selected as one of the May-flower girls on the May festival, which involves a dance where she is free to pick a partner and invite loved ones. Patty expresses feelings of envy that Candy has two handsome friends like Archibad and Alistear to dance with, while she has no such friends. Candy promises to convince Alistear into dancing with Patty, sure that he would love to. Meanwhile, Candy hopes she might dance with Terry, and sends an invitation to Albert to come to the festival. Eliza's head is filled with dancing with Terry too, after he rescues her out of a pitfall that Neil had meant for Terry. Sister Gray intercepts Patricia bringing her treasure for Candy to see - a turtle named Yuli. Patricia is ordered to dispose of the turtle and remain in confinement in the contemplation room. Incensed, Candy launches a tirade against the Academy, its rules and Sister Gray, earning her confinement as well as a prohibition to take part in the Festival.

When Sister Margaret asks Patty to surrender her turtle Yuli before being locked in her contemplation room, Candy uses the nun's goodwill towards her to have the turtle handed over to her. While Patricia is set free the next morning, Candy has to stay locked in her contemplation room until the festival.

Trivia

 * In the manga after Alistair's demise Patricia wanted to end her life so she can be with him but Candy stopped as she wakes her up with a slap.