The Butterfly Effect: a Peter Parker Fan Fic

Part 14; The Jock and the Nerd

I let go of a breath I didn't even realize I was holding and immediately my face falls again. "What do you mean? What's wrong with the lab?" I speak quickly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. It's just..." she exhales deeply, "I think he's meeting up with a potential buyer."

"What makes you think that?"

Her voice is completely anxious now, "well he literally said 'you can come later and we can negotiate prices in my office' on the phone earlier."

Maybe it's the price of something else and I want to tell her this, but I don't believe it myself, so how could she? I pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale through my nose, "it'll be okay, Rory. Dad will make sure someone worthy buys the lab. And at least he can get chemotherapy."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I just thought you should know," she replies, but she sounds completely distraught now, "goodbye Raven."

And she hangs up before I can say goodbye. I look at my phone in shock. This is hitting her hard. The lab is a big part of her life and secretly, deep down, I think that dad is a big part of her life also.

I proceed to the room again and give a small smile as everyone stares at me. I flop onto the floor again and Peter gives me a concerned look. Are you okay? he mouths. I dismiss his worry with a wave of my hand and he winks at me. I shake my head and go back to reading content, but I can't help but see MJ's sorrowful face as she looks at our exchange.

"I still can't believe you convinced me to come to a football game," Peter says from beside me on the bleachers.

I shrug, "I can't believe I came, let alone dragged someone else with me."

It's only the two of us, with Ned being grounded for something and MJ saying that a high school football game isn't really 'her scene'.

"So why did you even come?" Peter asks, feasting on popcorn.

"Because," I nod towards Nate who's warming up by running up and down the field, "he invited me."

He chokes on a bit of popcorn and I pat his back. "Porter?" he asks between gasps for air.

"Yeah, but are you okay?" I hand him my coke and he takes it without hesitation, gulping quickly. He returns my can and hiccups. It sounds so small and fits his small and pure personality perfectly so it makes me laugh.

He shoves me gently, "stop laughing." Then his face goes back to serious, "but seriously, Porter?"

I really wish he was back in his playful mood. My shoulders tilt up in a shrug, "he's nice to me."

"He's a jock, Raven!" Peter blurts out, "all jocks just play people."

I glare at him, "that's very presumptuous and you're generalizing the entire jock population. They're not all bad. Nate is a gentleman to me and in fact, he gave me a ride home after you left me for MJ and--"

"I didn't leave you for MJ," he cuts in, "and I asked you if you wanted me to come back! She was unconscious so--"

I interrupt him with a cool laugh, "--she was drunk, Peter! It's not like she was dead or anything!"

He looks away, clearly shaken by my sudden outburst and I bury my face in my hands, avoiding his gaze. "I'm sorry," I murmur, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"So am I," he mutters, "I don't want to fight with you."

I lift my head and give him a small smile, "me neither."