Heartbeat (A Beautiful Thing - SpideyChelle book 2)

The party that went wrong

A/N: Dear chapter skippers, your gonna wanna read this one. Thank you to all my consistent readers who I love.  NEW SPIDERMAN FFH trailer saturday as well so yay. 

Peter POV 

It was safe to say I was shaken up by the last scene. But after being almost numb for 4 hours I was unsure whether the events had actually happened the way I was now perceiving them. I had pressed replay so many times that my mind had probably screwed it up anyway. 

I couldn't trust anything at the moment but I knew I must do something about it. So I called Ned. He didn't pick up on the first try nor the second but come the third try I was met with a bad signal. 

"Hey, dude wassup?"

"Ned I need to talk to you. Can you come over?"

"I'm at Liz's party dude"

"Liz's party?" I question through the  crackling line

"Oh you didn't know? Liz's mum was holding a party at the hotel down the street. It's supposed to be so that people can talk about yanno the thing. But Liz invited practically the whole school and its lit" he slurs

"Aparty, really now/ the whole world's going to pieces and people are out hear dancing. Dude I really need to talk to you"

"Peter, come here just for an hour or so. Let it go. We can talk all you want in the morning but just come here. Get drunk or something. Just have a lil fun"

Then the call ends. I sigh, maybe he was right. And even if he wasn't; it was the only possible way I could talk to him at this exact moment. I was kinda of craving human contact as well. A hug maybe; even just someone bumping into me would be enough. 

So I gather my things; not bothering to change out of my hoodie. I brace myself and shove out any doubts or thoughts telling me that this wasn't right or that it was too soon and leave. She would want me to be happy even if it was just for one night. I needed to climb out of this depressive state if I was going to do anything with the leads I had on finding her; finding them all.

As I get to the hotel - of which I had never actually entered despite it being just around the corner to my flat- I am greeted by a group of chattering women all holding full glasses of red wine in their hands. I walk in cautiously, almost covering at the sight of so many strobe lights and glitter balls. I beeline for Ned. 

I catch a glimpse of a cowboy hat in my peripheral vision and instantly know it could only be one person. I barge past a group of teens about my age ho I don't recognise to find Ned standing alone. 

"Hey dude" Ned greets. I sigh in relief at a familiar face. 

"Ned; you're never gonna believe-" I start

"Hey, Peter" Liz says cheerily or was she tipsy. I don't know "I didn't think you'd be able to make it. I'm glad you did though"

Liz. Happy to see me. What? Things had always just been awkward between us since yanno her dad tried to brutally murder me. 

"Lemme get you a drink" she offers, going to the drinks table, not waiting for a response. 

She comes back with a red cup full to the brim with an indigo liquid, swirling around. I take a swig of it, assuming it was just punch. 

Ned kept going back for drinks while Liz and I talked - trying to avoid the topic of anyone... gone. The more I talked to her, the more I released she was definitely tipsy. Everyone here was. That's when I start to zone out myself.  Was it really punch

"Alright I think - uh- uh I'm gonna head out" I garble incoherently.

"Awwww" Liz whines "Come on, you've barely had one dr It's my favourite song. Dance with me Peter"

"Go with her dude" Ned smirks

And before I know it I'm being pulled onto a dance floor dancing to some song. It had a slow beat and ryhtym; before I knew it I was losing myself in the night. Rocking back and forth in Liz's arms, numb to the trauma that surrounded my life. 

After a few songs of just being there in the centre with her. I slipped away to go to the toilet. The corridor was dark compared to the busy neon flashes of the party and it put me on edge as I stumbled - almost falling-down the corridor. Colour patches swirled and lingered in my vision as I hauled open a door leading to a gender-neutral stall. I sat down on the cold seat and steadied myself from seeing double. 

When I got up, my world still blurred and hazy as if it had been put through a filter, I reached for the sink but caught something in out of the corner of my eye. Something red. 

I turned, horrified. 

"Don't test fate. Love doesn't surpass destiny... Peter." was etched onto the wall... in blood. Pig's blood. 

What. the. hell 

A shuddered breath was elicited from the back of my throat but that was all I could muster as I slowly backed away from the dripping wall. I was slipping in and out of consciousness. It definitely hadn't been punch I was downing. I go to run out the door but feel it resist as I push outwards with my last remaining strength 

"Peter" Liz breathes confused "it's me" she slurs

"Liz" I shrink back, quaking with pure terror. 

"What's up. Why are you crying?" she queries confused

"Blood--- on - the - wall" I stutter uncontrolably 

"Peter" she continues "there's nothing there"

Knees buckling beneath me, I fall to the floor still pointing one shaky finger at the wall that seemed  to echo in my mind relentlessly

She almost falls down the floor with me as she is now heavily intoxicated. She clasps my face with a shaking hand. And looks at me in the eye, I stare back. Her eyes were much wider, making me feel dizzier looking at them as I struggle to keep a firm grasp on reality

"Oh, Peter.. so traumatised. I wish I could take it all away. I--- I- u- I can see your pain" she whispers, still mispronouncing her words. Then she leans in closer "don't look at whatever you can see you on the wall"

"Uh" I breathe taken aback as things start to go black. Is it the same for her? I have no time to ponder on the thought as suddenly our foreheads are touching.

"Kiss me" she whispers seductively 

And suddenly her soft lips are pressed against mine. Ever so comforting. Wait no. Pull yourself together 

I pull away. The expression on her face was hurt. Destroyed. 

"You" I hiccup "You- could- never-- be ----- her" I whisper

Then everything goes dark.