wanted (phan) || book #3

two

fanart by @nena_bena

tw// some sexual references, death

P H I L ' S  P O V

"I look stupid," Dan groaned.

"I haven't even seen you yet," I retorted, waiting until he came out the bedroom. I watched as the knob turned and stepped back, blinking when Dan finally came out. "Woah."

"What?" He blushed, instantly averting his gaze. Daniel was in a tight cargo shorts and a light button down that hugged his torso.

"You look ravishing."

He blushed harder at my words and I chuckled, pressing a kiss at his dimple. "Come on, we're going to a  party tonight for the first time in a long time."

He took my hand and we headed out, eventually ending up in the two of us staring at the house as if it were a fifty foot lion.

"It's just a party," I cleared my throat. "We'll be fine, right?"

Dan gulped, nodding. I took ahold of his hand again, feeling how sweaty it was, dragging him through the doors with me. The lights were off in the house besides the multicolored disco, illuminating the people on the dancefloor. Some people leaned on the wall, others texted lamely on their phones, some kissed, and others simply chatted.

The song changed and Dan stopped in his tracks, squeezing my hand. "Wait- I know this song," Dan told me, beginning to pull me to the dancefloor. "We have to dance to it."

"In that skirt, I can't say no," I cheekily replied, watching Dan's dimples appear as he giggled.

He let go of my hands to wrap his arounds my shoulders, and mine held his waist. We began swaying along to the beat.

After awhile of dancing, I pressed one a kiss to his nose. "I'm gonna go use the restroom then get myself a drink."

Dan laughed. "Meet back on the dance floor in five? I'm gonna get some punch." I shot him a lopsided grin and skipped off to the restroom.

I tiptoed through the hallway, snaking through couples and drunks, searching for the bathroom. I found the door and set my hand on the knob, pushing it open but feeling the wood hit something. I furrowed my eyebrows.

I pushed the door open again, but it wouldn't budge. I slithered through the crack and looked behind the door, letting out a yelp at the sight revealed.

Under my gaze was a dead body, eyes still open, empty cup in her hand. The girl was a brunette, and her skin wasn't paling yet, meaning this girl had just died. Immediately I squatted down, looking for any signs of wounds. None.

I picked up the cup in her hand, examining the leftover droplets of her previous drink. It was red, obviously the punch. My eyes went wide.

Daniel was getting punch.

"Shit!" I hissed, jumping up and dropping the corpse's cup. I pushed through the crowds, searching for Dan. He was no where to be seen. I began hurrying over to strangers, asking if they had seen him. All of them were either too drunk to remember or too stupid to know.

I frantically looked around the room, and that's when I saw him. His white skirt swaying as he sashayed back over to me, a small grin on his face. I ran over to him, snatched the cup in his hand, and threw it on the ground. Strangers around me stared in confusion. Dan went red.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" He cried. "Now everyone's staring!"

"Outside, now," I commanded, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door with me. We met in the backyard, a few smokers minding their own business in the back. I pulled him over towards the fence and took a breath. "Dan, something's wrong with the punch."

"What did somebody drug it? Of course they did, it's a party."

"No- worse. Somebody poisoned it."

"What the hell are you talking about? How do you know?"

"I'm not completely sure but I am not taking any risks with you. So anyway, I went to the bathroom and something kept blocking the door. I squeezed my way in and there was a dead body. A girl, newly dead, empty cup of punch in her hand. I checked for wounds but there weren't any."

"Phil, stop it, you're overthinking this. She could have just had alcohol poisoning in general."

"We need to call the cops," I told him.

"Are you crazy? We're not so innocent ourselves! Are y-"

Sirens cut us off. I sighed.

"Too late now, come on."

Dan and I hurried back inside, waiting until the cops came in. Two officers stepped in, asking a short girl with tears down her cheeks where the corpse was. She pointed and I took my chance, trudging over to her.

"Excuse me?"

She turned to me, sniffling. "Who are you?"

"I'm, uh-" I cut myself off, running my eyes over her figure. "Phil."

"Sam," she forced a smile, shaking my hand gently.

"I know it's kind of sudden, but did you know that girl from the restroom?"

She nodded, wiping at her runny nose. "Her name was Madison."

"And did she ever show any signs of unhappiness or distance?"

"No," she shook her head. "Maddie was always happy, always smiling. . . she was the life of the party, you could say. She'd never hurt herself or anybody else for that matter."

"When did she start acting weird?"

"Um. . . She went to get a drink and then kinda started stumbling and saying that she didn't feel good. But it wasn't that she drank too much, I think something was wrong with that punch."

I shot a look at Dan who rolled his eyes. "Thanks, we'll be on our way. Sorry about your friend."

"Shit happens," she murmured, sniffling once more before talking to someone else. I headed over to Dan and was about to speak when his eyes focused on something behind me, his skin paling and body freezing. I turned to see it was the cops.

"H-hi, officers," I stuttered.

"You were the one who found her according to bystanders, am I correct?" The first man asked. I read his tag. Officer Pete. I nodded up at him. "Did you know this girl?" I shook my head. "Do you know anyone at this party who could've had someone to do with it?" I shook my head. "Did you see her fall?" I shook my head.

Every question felt like a punch to the chest. My heart was racing and my stomach was churning, and I felt sick. I wanted to scream at the men to shut up, to stop antagonizing me and leave Dan and I alone. It was as if they were shining a bright flashlight right at my eyes in a pitch black room. I hated it, I hated them, I hated this.

I backed up into Dan and he titled his head.

"Phil, you okay?"

My breathing was getting faster. I felt as if I was losing control of my body, of my voice, of my surroundings. I felt weightless and hopeless.

"I. . ." I trailed off, looking up at the officers who were now slowly becoming blurry. Their words now sounded as if I was underwater and they were above land, and I felt dizzy. The room began spinning and everything seemed to slow down. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

I hurried out the house, throwing up in a bush. Dan came up behind me, rubbing my back for moral support. People hollered behind me, laughing, assuming that I was vomiting before of drinking too much.

If only that was the case.