Right There ✧ PETER PARKER¹ ❨o.h.❩

4 - Something's Wrong

CAT DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR FROM PETER FOR ALMOST A WEEK AFTER THE FIELD TRIP. She was extremely worried about him, especially after how bad he looked after the spider bite. What had happened? Had he been badly poisoned and forced to go to the hospital? Or worse - was he unconscious or in a coma? Cat couldn't bear the thought of losing another person that she cared for - not to something as small as a spider bite.

Anxiety and worry ate away at her, and so eventually, after the week was over, Cat decided to go over to Peter's apartment to see him. Sabina drove her there, and Cat spent the entire ride bouncing her leg and biting her lip. Please be okay, please be okay, she silently prayed, toying with the locket around neck. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.

"Hey," Sabina said as she pulled up to the front of the complex. "Relax, okay? I'm sure he's fine."

Cat took a deep breath and nodded, forcing a smile at her sister. Then, she opened the door and got out, heading into the apartment complex and walking up the stairs. When she reached the top, she went over to Peter's door, then hesitated right before she knocked. She was terrified of what she might find when the door opened; what if her fears were true? But she quickly shook her head and knocked on the door. She had to be positive.

Cat didn't know what to expect when the door to Peter's apartment opened. But she certainly wasn't expecting Peter himself to answer it. He had on a Midtown High decathlon shirt and pajama pants, his feet were bare, and his glasses were missing. Despite the fact that he had missed school for a week, he seemed absolutely fine, the only sign of his ordeal being the bandaid on his hand.

Peter's eyes went wide when he saw Cat standing there, and Cat was just as shocked. "C-Cat?" he asked. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I..." Cat blinked, unable to believe what was she was seeing as she tried to form words. "I came to see you. You missed school all week and I thought you..." She shook her head. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Oh." Peter's expression shifted from surprise to a look of guilt. "I... I'm okay. It's, uh..." He scratched the back of his neck. "It's been a rough week, but I'm totally fine." When Cat's eyes went wide, he quickly shook his head and rushed out, "I mean, I'm better than I was - I'm doing better than I - I mean I'm better now." His cheeks flushed red as he hunched his shoulders.

Cat raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. She knew Peter well, and she knew when he was hiding something. What he was hiding, though, she wasn't certain. "You sure?" she asked.

Peter nodded. "Yep," he said a little too quickly. "I'm good."

Cat continued to stare at him, then shook her head and said, "Well, next time just let me know you're okay, alright? I got worried."

Peter nodded again. "Yeah, I'll make sure to. Sorry."

Cat glanced at him, frowning when she saw he seemed to be favoring his left leg. Confused and curious (and knowing he would probably hate her for it later), she suddenly kicked his shin - not hard, but enough for him to feel it. But Peter's reaction was much bigger than it should have been, for he cried out in pain and jumped back before hopping on one leg, clutching his knee to his chest.

"Cat!" Peter said with a huff. "What the hell was that for?"

"What happened to your leg?" Cat asked, ignoring his question. "I barely touched you."

Peter's face immediately became that of a kid who'd been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. "N-nothing!" he stammered out. "I-I just, uh... I hit my shin on the table yesterday. That's all."

Cat frowned at at him, unconvinced. What was he hiding from her? And why?

Annoyed by his secrecy, Cat then rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. Just call or text whenever you can. Or don't, it doesn't matter to me."