The Butterfly Effect: a Peter Parker Fan Fic

Part 26; Worth Fifty Bucks

"You're cowards. You're all cowards. You're just as bad as he is!" I point to Nate, objectifying him. I swivel on my heel, facing the exit.

Peter simply looks at Nate in rage the whole time. He stands up and jumps over his seat into the row we were sitting in, "you asshole! She's an amazing girl and you used her for a bet?!"

"This is none of your business, Parker," Nate growls.

"You made it my business when you hurt her like this you coward," Peter retorts and raises his fist to punch him square in the jaw.

But I rest my hand on his shoulder and yank him to face me. I shake my head, "he's not worth it." His hard expression softens and his fist falls to his side. I smile sadly. Simply sprinting out of the cinema feels wrong and doesn't feel like enough... so I sprint out with the finger up at all of them.

A crowd of people exit a cinema room, probably having just finished watching a movie. The walls seemed to have caved in more, creating the effect of having the cinema smaller. My heart beats rapidly out of my chest and an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia comes over me... or perhaps it's the feeling of betrayal.

I shove past them all, even causing one of them to drop their drink. They shout out after me in frustration, but I don't turn back around. I just want to be back in Malibu. Right now, it feels like it'd be the only place I'd feel comfortable.

I just want to hear dad's voice... his voice will, at the least, make me feel a little more hopeful. Outside is pouring, but it seems like a better option of being trapped inside with dozens of other sweaty people. Even just the sound of the phone dial even brings me a sense of optimism. MJ appears outside the doors of the cinema, She marches right up to me and by my side. "Are you okay?" she asks.

With a wave of my hand, I dismiss her. "Go back inside," I tell her, "it's cold. I just need to make a call."

"You sure?" her voice drops to a whisper.

I nod in response just as dad picks up. "I'm sorry for calling unexpectedly. I just need you right now and I miss you and I just wanted to hear your voice. Everything is falling apart, dad. I wish I was with you right now--"

"--Raven?" the voice isn't dad's. It belongs to a female.

"Rory," I run a hand through my soaking wet hair, "sorry, I didn't realize it was you. How are--"

"--Raven, I was tossing up between calling you or not because I didn't want to worry you but you called, so I guess the fates are telling me I should tell you," Rory interrupts.

I gulp in an attempt to get rid of the sudden lump in my throat, "what's wrong?"

"Your dad... he..." her voice trails off.

"Is he okay?! What happened?!" my heart races at a million miles per hour.

"He's okay now," she reassures me, "we just had a scare. He was giving a tour of the lab and he just collapsed out of nowhere." My breath catches in my throat. He was doing what he loved, sharing his passion with others and then he just collapsed... "The doctor said that if we don't start the chemotherapy now, it's going to get way too dangerous," she says.

If it wasn't for the fact that my father's life was in shambles right now, I'd be focusing on the fact that Rory said 'if we don't start the chemotherapy'. I pinch the bridge of my nose and bite my tongue before speaking, "so what are you going to do?"

"We're going to have to cut back... and we'll find some money lying around somewhere."

"Rory, you aren't going to find ten thousand dollars from cutting back and lying around!"