The Butterfly Effect: a Peter Parker Fan Fic

Part 27; Sweaters are Dumb

Guilt has very quick ears to an accusation ~ Henry Fielding

My eyes flutter open to my bright, blinding room. The sun shines through the window, causing every single dust particle to be visible. Everything seems so serene, so peaceful... very unusual.

I cast my mind back to the night before. Nate, the bet... the last thing I remember was me running out of the cinema after wearing Peter's sweater. I remember feeling so, so guilty because that's a boyfriend-girlfriend kind of thing to do and we definitely weren't together. But nothing comes to mind as to what happened after that.

"Hey kiddo," a voice says. My head snaps towards the doorway where the voice came from.

"Dad?!" I squeal, both in excitement and surprise, "what are you doing here?!"

He chuckles and walks over to me, "I'm not here."

My brow furrows, "'what do you mean you're not here?" I reach my arms out to hug him but he steps backwards.

"Don't touch me!" he snaps, his face shifting into an anger filled one.

"Dad?" my voice falters into a worried one, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he mimics my voice which is very unlike his personality, "I'm dead, that's what!"

He's dead? He can't be dead! He's here! "Dad, are you okay?" I ask quietly.

He points an accusing finger at me, "you killed me!"

What does he... what is he saying? "You're not making any sense," I say breathlessly.

He chuckles very cooly, "what do I mean? What do I mean?!" The raising of his voice causes panic to rise to rise in my chest. "You didn't give the money to Rory, and now it's too late! I'm dead! It's all your fault!" he adds.

"But you're here, you're with me!" I get out of bed and reach over to him.

He steps backwards, "stay away from me!"

I disobey his direct order and place a hand on his shoulder. He groans with pain and disappears in the blink of an eye. My eyes dart around me desperately. "Dad?" I call out, "dad?!"

"What have you done?" a new voice appears in my room. When I turn around, it's Rory. She stands in my doorway with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You killed him!" she blurts out, "it's all your fault! He's dead. Keith is dead."

Her words ring in my head. Dad is dead. It's all my fault. Dad is dead.

I sit up in bed, panting. Beads of sweat trickle down the side of my head.

It was just a dream, it was just a dream...

I rest my chin on my knees and rock myself  back and forth.

It was just a dream, it was just a dream... 

The familiar scent of pinewood wafts past my nose. I look down to see that I am still wearing the outfit from last night. Everything returns to me gradually. I took the late bus back to the house and remember being so deflated from the night, that I didn't even bother to change into something else so I just slept in the same outfit and judging from the cream colored stains on my white pillow, I definitely didn't take my makeup off either.

I still can't believe Nate. And to believe I felt guilty for using him. He used me to win money against his friends. I thought he was different to the others; sweeter and more down-to-earth... I guess not.

A clock laying on my bedside table flashes as a new hour to the day begins. 10am and I am not prepared for any festivities that the non-family has planned for today. Maybe I'll just wag them all and tell them that I have plans with friends to celebrate.