SKYFALL | PETER PARKER [ 1 ]

14: THE SPIRIT

"We.. kinda saw that." Ned started, as Eleanor's eyes were still glued on Peter and Liz. They seemed to have fun, they kept laughing and laughing.

"You okay?" MJ asked, and the other girl felt she was looking directly at her.

"It's fine." Eleanor finally spoke. She saw how Liz touched Peter's arm, before placing her head on his shoulder.

Suddenly, a knot appeared on Eleanor's throat, and she felt someone's arm go around her shoulders.

"I know how much it must hurt." Michelle started. "You've liked him for a while, been there when he most needed it, just for him to be with someone else."

Ned then looked at MJ, squinting his eyes, mouthing a 'Really?'. In response, MJ just shrugged her shoulders, and whispered, "I don't know how to cheer people up."

"It's fine." Eleanor said, still glancing at Peter and Liz. "He's happy, and that's what matters the most, isn't it?"

Both of her friends at her sides stayed quiet. They didn't know what to reply, so they all mimicked her actions. Eleanor's expectations of an exciting, loud, and fun trip back home were now too high.

°°°

It was the next day, and Eleanor had found herself arriving to school without Peter. After a long night of crying her heart out with her mother (the elevator event and the Peter thing was just too much for her), she wanted to be alone for a while. So, she took her time walking to school. To her surprise, she arrived early, just to catch MidTown High's news broadcast playing on a TV.

"This past weekend, Midtown's Academic Decathlon team defeated the country's best to win the national championship. Later that day, they also defeated death." A guy Eleanor hadn't met yet talked on the screen.

"Explosion. Sally scream. Flash scream. Everybody screamin'." Abraham then appeared, along with exaggerated camera movements.

"There were purple lasers and smoke everywhere, It was just like a Bon Jovi concert." Charles said, then it changed to a frame focusing on Mr. Harrington.

"As you know, we made it out alive, and that's the important thing. I couldn't bear to lose a student on a school trip. Not again." Then the camera man zoomed into the teacher's face, making Eleanor chuckle.

"Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, thanks to the Spider-Man." The guy continued, and with Liz's friend, Betty sitting next to him.

"Thank you, Spider-Man." They said at the same time, before the guy continued talking. "Up next: The Spider-Man mania is sweeping the school. How can you show your spider spirit?"

Eleanor was about to continue walking towards her classroom, when a comment from the same guy caught her attention.

"It's weird though, Betty. We haven't seen Rogue for a while. I can't be the only one who expected to see her at Washington, am I?" He asked, receiving no response, making the environment way more awkward than it already was.

"Yeah," a guy in front of Eleanor started. "That electric chick hasn't been anywhere lately."

"Maybe it was just a one time thing." His friend replied, and they walked off.