Small World | Peter Parker

chapter fourteen

I tried to open the doors to one of the rooms, hoping to find Liz's room, and I would quickly snoop around. Instead, I found every single door locked. I needed to find the key or somehow have Liz hand me her keys.

I went downstairs to find Peter or Ned and Michelle. There were dozens of people against the wall, talking amongst each other. Some faces I could recognize from school, and others I have never seen before. It wasn't an ordinary house party, and there were older people here, older men who weren't supposed to hang around with teenagers.

"Hey," I heard someone shout. The person repeated louder after I ignored them without looking back. "Hey!"

I glanced over to the side and noticed Flash leaning against the wall, a red solo cup on the one hand and his other hand placed on a girl's waist. I couldn't recognize her.

"Are you and Peter like a thing?"

"We're just friends," I answered honestly.

"Cool, because Liz is not happy," he laughed and shook his head. The girl next to him laughed along, understanding a joke I didn't.

"What does that mean?"

"Go ask her yourself!" He smiled and proceeded to ignore me. He turned and started talking to the girl next to him as I stood there, stunned.

I needed to back off. I couldn't risk losing Liz, at least until I could somehow get her to talk about what happened those two nights the girls went missing. I decided to look for Ned and Michelle rather than Peter and Liz. It's better to have her way.

I couldn't find them outside on the balcony or in the living room. I thought I'd grab something to drink from the kitchen if I had to stay here. I was too afraid to grab the bottle of water, and I grabbed an unopened beer can.

Checking the can thoroughly for any sketchy shit, I opened it. "Hey,"

I looked up to find Peter standing next to me without Liz. "What are you doing?"

He looked confused and grabbed the beer can I held, taking a sip. "What?"

"Where's Liz?" I questioned, grabbing my beer back from his grubby hands. "I thought you and her were talking,"

He shrugged. "I left Liz with her friends. She's fine,"

I gave him a look, wondering why he would leave her. "Pete, this could be your chance to start something again,"

"Not while she's drinking, and for the last time, not ever," he pointed his index finger at me. I rolled my eyes and pretended to bite his finger. "I'm here with you,"

I drank my beer to avoid looking at him. He pulled himself onto the counter and reached for my beer. I handed him my beer without a complaint.

He nodded, holding it against his lap. "Come here," he held his hands up and pulled me between his legs.

He turned me around to face the crowd and wrapped his arms under my arms, placing his chin on my shoulder. I couldn't tell if our height difference was awkward, but he held me against him. "Two guys standing by the TV aren't from around here, but I do know for a fact that they've been talking to girls a lot younger than them,"

"I see them," I studied their faces. "Do you know their names?"

"Iva and Jake," he answered. "Both graduated three years ago. Iva hasn't been clean. He works for a drug dealer named Gizmo. Jake's just follows everything Iva does,"

"Jake will be easier than Iva then,"

"Jake's loyal, probably in love with Iva too, so I think Iva's the best guy to talk to,"