The Pain of Love

Chapter One

Love causes pain. It hurts. It's simple logic. If you love someone, you eventually get a broken heart. If you don't love someone, you don't get hurt.

Again, it's logic.

That was Michelle Jones's philosophy on life. That is the very reason she didn't love anyone but her mother and little brother who were impossible not to love. That is why she was a self-identified loner and kept her distance from people- to not get hurt. She had learnt that the hard way.

Whenever MJ heard the girls in the hall at school gossiping and chatting about their next boyfriend who had just told them that he loves her, she wanted to shake them until they found sanity.

They were going to get hurt eventually. It was not invertible. Whether it be in a few days time when the boy leaves her for a cuter girl, or a few months down the road when they graduate and go separate ways for college, or say they even got married and for some reason, they get a divorce, or maybe they stay together for their whole lives, but then one of them dies. Heartbreak is bound to happen and that's why MJ stayed well away from love.

She just wished her heart would listen to her carefully crafted logic.

But then, when did her heart ever listen to anything regarding Peter Parker?

...oOo... 

MJ didn't mean to fall in love with Peter Parker; it just happened. His charming, kind, cute self had cracked through her defences around her heart. He had broken her facade of the quiet, judging girl who was too better than everyone. Don't get her wrong, she still was that person, just not around Peter as much. She was exactly sure it was love just yet. She had never loved anyone besides her family, so MJ didn't know how romantic love feels. And of course she couldn't ask her mother.

Now, as MJ sat across the classroom from Peter, she found herself smiling in his direction. Once she noticed what she was doing, she immediately looked away, not wanting to look like a stalker. But in truth, MJ already knew that she was.

She had followed Peter around after school on some occasions, and most times she lost him when he dated into random alleyways and disappeared, but there were a few times where she watched him help people. The first time she followed him a few blocks away from school to this sandwich shop that was just reopening. After some further research, MJ found out that it was the shop that had been involved in that explosion with Spiderman and the owner was reopening it at a different location. It looked like Peter was helping him set up all the shelves and stock in the small shop.

Another time she had followed him, MJ had seen Peter do a lot of random acts of kindness for strangers. He helped a young boy find his mother on the crowded street, he assisted an old lady with carrying her groceries and helped a bunch of tourists with directions. It was just a few small things he did, but hardly anyone took the time to help others these days, save Peter. He was an exception. He had a kind heart and a willingness to share that kindness with others. That is what eventually broke down the walls she had built around her heart. It also helped that he was incredibly cute and smart.

She smiled, thinking of the time when -

"Miss Jones, can you answer the question?" the teacher's voice broke through her daydreaming haze. Looking up, she saw that not only was Mr Henderson looking at her expectantly, but the whole chemistry class had turned their heads and were snickering.

"Ah, uh..." she stuttered, slightly panicking. Mr Henderson hated when they daydreamed in class.

Out of the corner of her eyes, MJ saw Peter writing something hurriedly on his notebook. Right as it looked like Mr Henderson was about to scold her, Peter raised his notebook so I could see it. Written on the page was the answer to the supposedly asked question.