STRAY KIDS.

XLV. TRAITOR

( STRAY KIDS! )
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE.
❝ traitor ❞

      THE BLARE OF BAD TRAP MUSIC cascades down the terrace steps. flash is having a pool party.

      of course. 

      not that he got the heads-up. he wasted all this time deciding on a t-shirt and jeans when it really didn't matter. but that's assholes for you.

      peter wanted to place an anonymous tip about rowdy kids having a party, even if that would make him sound like a disgruntled old man. although. . . in this neighborhood, it's likely the cops would arrest him instead.

      he follows mrs. thompson's directions and takes a left around the house to reach the raucous back patio.

   "oh, do be a dear and don't tell eugene i'm still around the house. he thinks i left for my rumba class," his mother tells him with a wink.

      eugene, he snickers to himself. flash hates it when anyone calls him by his real name.

    speaking of the devil, the birthday boy is floating on a gold–coloured raft in the middle of the pool. he's also holding the world's most obnoxious cocktail glass filled with some hostile looking beverage.

      he soon finds out it's called the flash, a special brew made for his birthday. add dr. pepper, ginger ale, and a bunch of other things that shouldn't go together and voila.

      every guest is obligated to pick up a glass, just to be polite.

     it only struck him now, as he looks around for a familiar mess of curly hair, that eli might probably, possibly be wearing a bathing suit.

      it's fine. that's just dandy. 

     then he realizes flash has probably seen her in her bathing suit.

   "happy birthday, eugene," he drawls forcefully as he reaches the pool's edge. he almost wants to throw the gift at him. peter just got him a set of regular test tubes, but he can think of creative ways he can shove them up his–

   "why thanks, penis," flash replies with a slight twist to his lips. "you can borrow a pair of trunks, if you want."

   "i'm good."

   they both stare at each other like it's about to go down. . . but nothing does when ned stalks along and pulls peter away from the pool.

"dude, i know you shoot web and stuff, but your eyes do not shoot rays, just FYI."

   peter frowns, giving ned a once over. "hey, you're wearing trunks."

   ned rubs the back of his head. "yeah, i thought you knew about the pool. . ."

   he shrugs it off. "don't feel like exposing myself anyway."

   "it's kind of ironic, you know, exposure. . . spider–man."

   "yeah, good observation, buddy," peter remarks distractedly.

   "eli's here somewhere, i could've sworn i'd seen her. but she's like a ghost, you know," ned mutters, glancing around.

  peter wonders whether she's avoiding flash. . . or possibly him? did he weird her out? is he being a possessive boyfriend even before he's an actual boyfriend?

  "i mean it, she could work for the navy seals," ned rambles on, sipping from his 'the flash' cocktail.

"we should totally bail once we find eli," peter proposes, skillfully avoiding a bunch of girls running towards the pool.

"bail where? the stepford wives next door?"

"i could pick you guys up with my web and—"

"yeah, no. i mean i know it can hold a lot of weight, but you'll scar poor elliott."

    ned is quick to notice the guilty look that crosses peter's face. "oh my god, you've already done that with her! you little traitor!"

"ned, come on, it was a one or two-time thing."

but his friend isn't having it. "i am going to remember this and hold it against you for the rest of your life. on your deathbed, i'm gonna have a powerpoint presentation about it."

    peter smiles fondly. "you're such a softie."

____

    NED HAS BEEN DISPATCHED to the house to find eli while peter sweeps the back yard, the plan being that all three of them will force happy to come down here and drive them to the nearest mcdonald's, but just as he's pushing the french windows aside, he turns back and sees. . . his superhuman friend with sharp spider-senses falling into the pool?

____
wow, this has just gone downhill. lmao