Meet Me Halfway

Chapter 40

The utter look of despair that formed over FP's face and the devastation that overtook his chestnut brown orbs upon hearing the groundbreaking revelation that his girlfriend had been unfaithful to him was enough to move anybody to deep empathy.

At least that's what Hermione and Gladys felt as they observed his dumbfounded expression while he stood in the doorway, the two of them suddenly feeling immense guilt surge through their system, and before they could even speak, he had aggressively backed away, and turned on his heel.

Gladys straightened herself up, inhaling a deep breath before chasing after him in a panic.

"FP!"

It was hard getting a response from him as he abruptly shifted through the noisy and sardine like packed group of teenagers that danced freely in his living room, but she finally caught up with him, right before he reached the blasting stereo, gripping his arm and pulling him around.

"FP wait! Please just let me explain-"

"Don't, touch me Gladys!" He acidly spat out, glaring her down in fury before ripping his arm out of her gold and proceeding to the stereo, practically tearing the plug out of the socket/

The drunken and lively party goers reacted rather negatively at the sudden loss of music they were gleefully dancing and vibing to, making their disappointment loud and clear as they all expressed sounds of woe, groaning and booing towards FP.

"Party's over, get out!" He irritably ordered of everyone, making himself as loud as possible.

Previously immersed in innocent party chatter, Alice and Fred halted their conversation in the corner the second they heard FP's troubled voice, their faces expressing concern as they stared in his direction.

"Dude, what's the matter?" Fred questioned as he approached him, but no answer was delivered.

"I said GET OUT! NOW!" FP roared once more as the first demand clearly didn't register.

In mass mutual confusion, all his guest slowly staggered and dispersed, making their way to the front door and exiting briskly as talk of FP losing it bounced back and forth between them.

As the living room cleared, and spilled booze, glass bottles, streamers, confetti and empty red drinking cups were the only thing left in sight, Gladys and Hermione, racked with guilt and sympathy, moved closer to the centre of the room, staring directly in FP's path.

FP released a shallow groan, running his hand over his tense shattered face. "I need to talk to Gladys. Alone." He hissed in emphasis.

"Fred?" Hermione weakly called out, prompting for him to take her hand and leave. "We should go."

He darted his gaze back and forth between his best friend and girlfriend, before reluctantly taking Hermione hand in his and proceeding to the door, the concern he displayed still very much present as he stared on.

"I'll, call you tomorrow." He noted in a whisper, before leaving out the door with Hermione.

Alice, who had remained silent for the past few minutes couldn't shake the worry she felt over seeing FP in the current state he was in, a state of emotion she hadn't seen since Charles fell ill in hospital.

"FP, what's happened?" She quietly asked, however, earned nothing but silence from him.

Taking matters into her own hands, literally, she took a hold of his clenched fist, feeling his tenseness finally ease up a little as she did.

Obviously, this blatant display of affection did not sit right with Gladys, and in a flash, she was storming over to towards the two, hellbent on pushing Alice away by any means necessary.