STEPPING UP [BOYXBOY]✔️

CHAPTER 6: SPIDEY AND THE NOTE

PETER PARKER
Present

I glared at Ned with pure hatred in my eyes. "What do you mean you don't know where she is?"

He cowered away from my stance and shifted nervously. "You never told me to check up on her every three seconds! This isn't my fault."

I grumbled under my breath and fell back onto his bed. I came here first in hopes of finding him and MJ, but he hasn't heard from her. And she wasn't in band practice yesterday. Ned was just out of school, sick. And I knew it wasn't his fault that we couldn't find MJ, I just needed someone to pin my anger on. I called her house, the school, her friends but no one knew where she was. She was missing. But I certainly know what must've happened.

"I told Happy we needed to protect her and he didn't listen to me." I rubbed my temples and tried to think of something to do. Normally I would break down, probably cry and freak out over something like this. But I couldn't help but feel anything but numb- and a little bit of anger. "No one ever listens to me," I groaned.

Ned looked at me with so much pity that I wanted to shove it right back down his throat. "Don't do that," I hissed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't do what?"

"That look on your face. I hate it."

"What's wrong with my face?" he questioned.

"It's so full of pity," I complained, "I don't want you to feel bad for me. I'm so tired of everyone walking on egg shells around me like I could break at any second." I peered up to him. "I already am. It can't get any worse. So there's nothing to worry about."

He glanced at me guiltily and fumbled with his hands. "You're hiding something," I realized. "What is it?"

He muttered a swear under his breath. "I have something that might tell us where she is," he admitted.

"Ned!" I barked. "Why didn't you tell me? Where is she? We have to go right now!" I jumped up from his bed and advanced toward him but he pushed against my chest.

"I didn't want to tell you because of this."

"Because of what?" I interrogated, "tell me now, Ned. I can't believe you would hide something like this!"

"Because I know how upset you are." He mumbled, "I know you're going to go into this irrationally and get yourself killed. I can't watch you get hurt."

I shook my head, "I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes at me and tried to push me back onto his bed but I didn't budge. "Peter, just listen to me." I glared at him and refused to move from my position. "Guy in the chair," he whimpered.

I grunted and gave in, plopping down onto his bed and staring up at the ceiling. Ned pulled a piece of paper out of his desk drawer and I went to grab it but he pulled away.

"Listen to me first," he commanded, "hear me out before you go all x games mode on me, ok?"

I nodded and sighed, waiting for him to speak up.

"It's a note from the person threatening MJ," he started. "It says that if you don't show up to the this address tomorrow, then he's going for May next." I shot up and tried to snatch the note but he tugged it away. "Just let me finish."

"I know you, and I know that nothing can stop you from going. But if you go into this with no plan then he'll kill you and MJ at once. If you have to go, then you have to win."

"Like what?" I snorted. "Captain's dead and Happy will kill me himself."

Ned rubbed a hand on my shoulder soothingly. "Maybe you don't need anyone else, Peter." He proposed, "maybe you just need to believe in yourself for once."