𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xviii. where is peter parker?

Nina took a deep breath and pulled open the envelope. She ripped the sleeve with a finger and shakily pulled out the letter. Heart racing, she unfolded the paper and read the words.

Her heart jolted. Her eyes widened.

"What?" MJ demanded, breathless in her anticipation. "What is it? What did they say?"

Nina couldn't quite believe it. She had begun to expect disappointment, therefore she'd never be disappointed━so much that this answer almost struck her to the ground.

"I got in," she managed, shocked. Locking eyes with Mary-Jane, Nina slowly broke out into a bright smile. "I━I got in!"

     Realising, MJ cried out in celebration. She quickly hid it with a gasp, but she didn't care. She leapt right off her chair and ran around to envelope Nina in a tight hug. Nina laughed, holding onto her just as tight as Mary Jane rocked them, repeating, "You did it! I knew you'd get it! You did it! I'm so proud of you!" over and over again. Then, "Get this woman a hot chocolate! Ten hot chocolates! We're celebrating!"

Nina grinned so bright her cheeks hurt, staring down at her acceptance letter feeling so light she might as well have wings. After what happened at OSCORP Unity Day, Nina needed this. She needed something good happen in her life━and now, she had it. She had a future. She was stepping towards her future.

"I'm going to NYU!" she told Mary Jane in a whisper-shout of excitement that her best friend reciprocated with a little squeal, kissing her messily on the head amongst her hair. "And you!" Nina quickly grasped MJ's shoulders, the two girls completely ignoring the other customers giving them dirty looks. "You are going to nail this audition, you hear me? Both of our dreams are coming true today!"

Mary Jane smiled and hugged her again, and Nina rubbed her back, knowing she needed it. MJ gave another final squeal, and Nina bit back her tears, beyond happy.

After getting another hot chocolate together, Nina walked MJ to her audition and helping her go over her lines last minute with thoughts on her expressions and performance. Then, she took a cab back to her apartment, calling her parents to tell them the good news. She celebrated again in the back of the taxi, and her driver even sent her a smile. Nina was over the moon, racing up the steps and into the small apartment in need of a quick clean to then call Harry. Nina bounced and danced around her apartment, making a grocery list, hoping to invite him over so they could have dinner together. She waited for him to pick up ... and pick up ...

She tried again, figuring he might have not seen her call the first time. Nina had less of a perk in her step as she waited, still holding her acceptance letter and wiping down her kitchen bench, suddenly inspired to revamp her apartment. She could put succulents on her window sil━that would be cool, right? Is that what college students do?

Nina reached her boyfriend's voicemail again. She pursed her lips and decided to leave a message, "Hey Harry, I have some great news to tell you! Call me back!"

She waited for him to call back, sitting down at her table, and her lounge, cleaning her apartment up to keep herself moving just waiting for her phone to ring. But as the time passed into the late afternoon with no call from Harry at all, Nina was running out of time to go to the store to cook dinner. She started to get annoyed. Recently━ever since Unity Day━Harry had started to become distant. Nina assumed it was to do with his father, it always was these days, and she tried to be patient, she tried to understand, and maybe she couldn't, because her father was around, and very much in her life. But Nina needed Harry around after what happened, she wanted to meet Mr. Osborn properly, and she wanted to tell him about how she did it! She got into college without help. Just by herself.