when the party's over, hockstetter 𝜗𝜚

xv. come to your senses

❨ WHEN THE PARTY'S OVER ❩
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
COME TO YOUR SENSES

‧ : *: ‧ °✧

winter, march 1989.

"this is like the fifth time today." oliver speaks from the other side of the bathroom stall.

although he had promised to let (y/n) befriend him on her own, he had subtly inserted himself into her life over the past few weeks. whenever she was alone, he would deliberately alter his route to ensure their paths would intersect.

(y/n) huffs, sitting on her knees for a few seconds to make sure she's done before standing up and flushing the toilet.

she was now fifteen weeks pregnant, and her senses were incredibly heightened. the multitude of smells that lingered in the derry high halls were not a good match for her.

her shaky hand unlocks the stall before she steps out and goes to the sink to wash her hands.

she looks up at her tired reflection, choosing to splash some water on her face as well.

once she's done, she glances over at the brown eyed boy.

"you know i can't help it." one of her hands protectively rubs her growing bump while the other grabs oliver's arm, allowing him to lead her into the hallway.

"(l/n)! the fuck are you doing with him?" patrick's tone is harsh as he comes rushing down the hall towards the two teens, with the rest of the gang following closely behind.

"leave her alone, man." oliver says, stepping in front of the girl.

the raven haired boy chuckles darkly, slowly advancing toward him, "why the hell would i listen to you? she's my girl."

"that sure isn't what she said a few minutes ago." oliver responds boldly.

(y/n) looks at him with disappointment, knowing that whatever happens next won't be pleasant. she tries to step in between them, but the gang moves first, shielding her.

time seems to slow down as patrick is the first to throw a punch. the sharp crack of his fist connecting with oliver's cheek reverberates through the empty bathroom, making (y/n) jump.

the brown-haired boy spits blood onto the floor, his expression transforming into one of fury as he lunges at the young man.

(y/n)'s watering eyes widen in horror as oliver doesn't seem to give her boyfriend a chance to fight back.

she was shocked; the nerdy looking boy had always seemed harmless. seeing this side of him frightened her.

"henry, stop this!" she pleads, surprised that no one from administration has come to investigate the commotion. she assumes everyone is too afraid.

the dirty blonde-haired boy shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk tugging at his lips. patrick finally gets up, now straddling oliver and relentlessly pounding his fists into his face.

at the sight of blood, (y/n) feels a wave of nausea wash over her. she blinks rapidly, trying to ignore the sudden ringing in her ears.

"victor, please, stop them." she tries again, gripping the platinum blonde boy's arm tightly, "make them stop!"

her heart pounds heavily in her chest, each beat echoing the helplessness she feels. she watches, her breath catching, as he too shakes his head in silent refusal, the weight of the moment pressing down on her.

she despised everything about this—the relentless struggle for dominance, the unending arrogance, and the constant need to prove something to everyone.

a sharp pain stabs at her side, intensifying the frustration she feels in that moment.

all she wants to do is scream at the top of her lungs. she is overwhelmed by hatred—hating derry, butch, henry, and the entire gang. she despises oliver and his insistent demands, but most of all, she loathes patrick hockstetter with every fiber of her.

(y/n) doesn't even realize that everything has stopped until she feels a hand on her arm. looking around, she sees that she's on the ground, with all the boys, including a bloodied oliver, staring down at her in concern.

someone was screaming, a piercing, ear-splitting wail that seemed to narrate a tragic tale.

she buries her head in her knees, trying to escape the noise. it isn't long before she realizes the sound is coming from her own throat.

patrick kneels down in front of her, his pale hands reaching to grab her by the elbows but he freezes in his place when she lets out a shout.

"get away!"

as he looks into her vacant eyes, he feels his heart shatter. he realizes he's the cause of her pain, tearing her apart in more ways than one.

he had done exactly what he'd been afraid of.

"the fuck is her problem?" henry asks, his eyes full with worry despite his harsh tone.

"i don't know what's happening, she—look at her face, man. something's goin' on in her head." victor is the one to reply, his face mirroring henry's.

patrick quickly lifts the girl, cradling her in his arms to avoid putting pressure on her pregnant belly.

the gang and oliver make a beeline for the back exit of the school, ignoring the curious gazes of their classmates.

"she's sleeping." oliver mutters, causing everyone to put their attention back on the now limp-bodied female.

they continue their walk to the parking lot, belch stopping oliver as they reach his car.

"get lost, you've done enough."

☆

"patrick?" (y/n) croaks, dried tears on her cheeks and her voice just barely above a whisper.

the blue-gray eyed boy glances over at her, immediately intertwining their fingers.

"shh, don't strain yourself." he hums, his thumb massaging the skin on her much smaller hand.

"wh-what happened?" her soft eyes take in her surroundings, the shadow of a bruise on his face causing a flood of memories within her head.

she furrows her eyebrows in confusion, wondering where everyone else disappeared to.

patrick's eyes wander over her body, stopping on her stomach for quite a long time before his gaze reconnects with her own.

(y/n) sits up abruptly, her world coming to a halt as she starts to fear the worst.

"calm down, lil' bit. just let me expl—"

"the baby, 'trick. is it alright?" she stares at him with hopeful eyes, waiting for him to answer.

he nods, lifting a pale hand to caress her cheek, "he's alright. i got an earful from the doctor, says to keep you away from any stressful situations."

he doesn't have the strength to look her in her eyes. this could've been a lot worse and it would've been all his fault.

a knock on the door interrupts the quiet moment, oliver walking in with his gaze downturned. he doesn't get too close, stopping a few feet away from the hospital bed.

"you have some nerve showing yourself he-" (y/n) begins, but to her surprise, patrick shushes her.

"i just came to apologize, (n/n). i disrespected you and your relationship and even worse, i caused your baby unnecessary harm. it won't happen again, promise."

the girl refuses to respond. oliver takes that as his cue to leave.

"it was my fault too, lil' bit, don't put all the blame on him." patrick speaks, lifting her chin so that she's looking into his eyes.

"damn straight it is." she pulls away, "you've got to do better, patrick! i tolerated it before but we've got a kid on the way, you can't keep getting into pointless fights!"

the eighteen year old boy nods solemnly, mentally bidding his past life goodbye.

everything felt all too real right now.