Meet Me Halfway

Chapter 6

Alice's piercing scream was heard throughout the halls of Riverdale High, raising concern and fear by everyone present.

FP paused and stopped in his tracks as he heard the sound, followed by what seemed to be something tumbling down the stairs around the corner he was slowly approaching.

Fred, who wasn't that far behind him also snapped out of his thoughts to investigate the scream. "What the heck was that?!"

"Probably one of the girls." FP answered before running after the noise.

"Did you hear that?" Hermione asks Gladys as the two were still sat in the room waiting for the others to get back.

"I think everyone in Greendale heard that." Gladys said as she walked towards the door. Hermione followed after her.

Hermione fidgeted and panic ran across her face. "It sounded like Alice." She said running down the hall with Gladys.

The two girls reached the stairwell they believed the noise had come from and found a shook up Penelope with tears in her eyes, gripping onto the wall balcony and glaring down at whatever it was at the bottom.

Hermione followed the redheads eyes and was stunned to see an unconscious Alice at the bottom.

"Alice! Oh my God!" She screamed in worry as she ran down to check on her.

"Penelope what the hell happened?!" Gladys interrogated as she pulled her best friend aside.

Penelope instantly wiped her tears and frantically waved her hands as she prepared to plead her case. "It was an accident I swear! She just lost her grip, I didn't mean for this to happen!"

FP and Fred approached the top of the stairwell to see Penelope mumbling to Gladys about something being an accident, clear panic and worry painted all over the girls' faces.

Fred and FP look over the stairwell and find Hermione hovering over Alice's body, desperately trying to get her to regain consciousness.

"Don't move her!" Fred advices before running down there to help Hermione

FP's eyes popped open in panic as he constantly looked back and forth between Penelope and Gladys and an unconscious Alice.

"What the hell happened? Did you push her?!" He fumed as he angrily approached Penelope

"Okay back off FP it was an accident!" Gladys said getting in between the two.

"It was! I swear!" Penelope pleaded. "I was just trying to stop her from running off and she lost her balance and fell."

"Yeah well it's hard to tell with your constant instigating Penelope." FP snapped back. He clutched onto his letterman jacket trying to calm himself down and stepped back a little.

"Is she breathing?" He asked

"I think so." Fred replied

"Somebody get Principal Featherhead!" Hermione begged looking up at the three teens. None of them bothered to move, she assumed it was from the shock.

"NOW!" She yelled again so they'd get the message. Gladys eventually ran down the hall to Featherhead's office and returned with him around a minute later. He was stunned to see one of his pupils unconscious on the ground.

"I want an explanation for this now!" He demanded looking directly at Penelope.

"It was an accident, we were- talking and I tried to stop her leaving but she lost her balance." Penelope explained again

"That better be the truth Miss Blossom."

"It is! I swear on my Father's grave." She was beginning to get frustrated with everybody doubting her. Yes she didn't like Alice but she'd never stoop as low as to deliberately push her down the stairs.