Untamed

Chapter Twenty-Four

He sighs. "It would be better for you to be more like your boyfriend Pete, here."

"Not when you threaten my family."

"And who is your family, exactly?"

Just then, my phone goes off. "Miss Stark, your father is calling you."

"You forgot to turn Friday off?!" Peter whispers.

I scramble for my phone in my purse and when I get it out, Toomes snatches it from me. A picture of Tony displays on the screen.

"Ah. Everything makes a little more sense now." He keeps my phone in his hand, not giving it back.

I grab Peter's hand. "We're leaving. Now."

We get out of the car and quickly walk through the school doors. Everything seems fuzzy and loud. My head is spinning and I'm still trying to process what just happened. My attempt at recollection is disturbed when Peter breaks the silence I have created in the chaos of Homecoming.

"I have to go."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You can't."

"Yes, I can and I will."

"Gracee, you heard him. He'll kill you!"

"Not if I kill him first."

"You can't kill him."

"Why not?"

"Because he's Liz's dad! I know what it feels like to not have a dad and I can't let that happen to her."

"You care about her," I say in realization.

"I do. And that's why I shouldn't have asked you to come with me."

His words bring a sinking feeling to my stomach. Tears prick in my eyes and I try not to blink so they won't fall.

"What are you saying, Peter?"

"I'm saying that this was a mistake."

He walks away from the crowd and I lose him from my sight. I look around and it feels like I can't breath. Loud music and laughing voices fills my ears. Everyone around me is dancing and it looks like they're moving in slow motion. The bright flashing lights blind me and my vision is blurred from the tears in my eyes.

I've only known Peter for a few weeks and things felt different around him. I feel something I've never felt before, I just don't understand what it is. He makes me feel carefree, something I don't let myself feel often. I thought I was a good judge of character, but I guess I was wrong. The Peter I thought I knew wouldn't leave me like this. He wouldn't make me feel alone, even though I'm surrounded by people. 

I can't let him leave like this.

I won't.

Before I know it, I'm running out of the room. I run to the empty parking lot, and then I run around the side of the school to the back parking lot, where the buses are parked. I see Peter in his old Spider-Man suit, with the guy from the ferry, holding a weapon. The guy is blasting buses towards Peter, who is attempting to dodge them. I run towards him and quickly lift one that is about to land on him into the air, throwing it towards the guy with my powers.

"Gracee?" Peter says, surprised to see me.

I look at him, not saying anything. I'm not sure how I feel, but I know that I'm upset with him. I'm a forgiving person, but I'm not going to immediately pretend that what he did was okay, when it's not. I keep a straight face as I look at him, not showing that he hurt me. Suddenly, I feel a weapon pressed against the side of my head. I gasp as an arm wraps around me from behind.

"One wrong move and she dies," the man says.

"Are you seriously using me as a pawn right now?" I ask, and the weapon is pressed harder against my head. "Okay, okay. I'll shut up."

With one of my hands by my side, I use my powers to throw a rock into the side of the bus. The man turns his head to look and I use this opportunity to grab his arm, twisting it behind his back. There is a crack as his bone breaks, and he screams, falling to his knees. I run and grab the weapon he dropped, pointing it at him.

"One wrong move and you die."

The man looks behind me where Peter, frowning. Scared that something happened to him, I turn around and look to see Peter still standing there.

"Gracee, look out!" he yells as the weapon is shot out of my hand with a small pocket gun.

"Don't move!" the man yells, holding the gun with his unbroken arm.

"Why did he send you here?" Peter asks.

"I guess you'll never know."

Right before he pulls the trigger, a spider web is shot at him, sticking him to the bus. I look in the direction it came from and Ned is standing there, holding one of Peter's web shooters.

"Yes!" Peter yells.

"Nice shot, Ned!"