"What's going on?" Happy asks as we drive away.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"What do you mean, what do I mean? You all were acting super weird. That's normal for Peter, but you? What's going on?"
"Nothing's going on, Hap. That guy just gave me a weird vibe, that's all."
"Yeah, I felt that, too."
When we arrive at school, Happy tells me to call him when we want to be picked up and to be safe and have fun. Liz's car pulls into the parking lot right as Happy drives away. She gets out with her date and then her dad pulls away and parks on the far side of the school.
"Maybe he's just chaperoning," I say, not believing it myself.
He gets out of the car and stands with the door open, staring at Peter and I. Chills go down my spine at his unbroken gaze.
"Come on, we have to get inside. Now." I start to turn around, but Peter stops me.
"No, we have to go to him."
"Who said we have to?"
"You and I both know that there's no other choice."
I sigh, turning around, and Peter and I both start walking towards him. When we get close, he grins, and I get an even worse feeling about this.
"Hey, kids."
The way he's acting like nothing is wrong makes me angry, and I realize my plan to be calm isn't going to happen. "Hey? That's what you have to say after you realize that we were the kids you tried to kill?"
Peter steps in front of me so I can't get any closer to him. "We saw you looking at us and just thought maybe you wanted to talk?"
"Talk. Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted."
"Is there a problem?" I ask.
"Does Liz know?" he asks, ignoring me.
"Know what?" Peter pretends to be confused, but we both know what he's asking.
"So she doesn't. Good. Both of you, get in the car."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think that's-" Peter starts.
"Get in the car," he says more sternly. "Or we are going to have even more of a problem."
Peter and I look at each other, before getting in and shutting the door behind us. I know this isn't a good idea, but I don't know what else to do.
"I've got a few secrets of my own. Nothing is more important than family. You two saved my daughters life, I could never forget something like that. So I'm going to give you one chance. Are you ready?"
Peter and I look at each other. He looks terrified, and I can only hope that I don't look as scared as him right now.
"You walk through those doors, forget any of this happened. And don't you ever, ever interfere with my business again. Because if you do, I'll kill you and everybody you love. I'll kill you dead. That's what I'll do to protect my family. Do you understand?"
Peter nods and I glare at him. It shouldn't be a privilege for someone to give you a chance to live instead of killing you.
"I just saved your life. Now, what do you say?"
"Thank you," Peter says.
"You're welcome," says Toomes, before looking at me. "And you?"
"You didn't save our lives, you just decided against killing us."
He sighs. "It would be better for you to be more like your boyfriend Pete, here."
"Not when you threaten my family."
"And who is your family, exactly?"
Just then, my phone goes off. "Miss Stark, your father is calling you."
"You forgot to turn Friday off?!" Peter whispers.
I scramble for my phone in my purse and when I get it out, Toomes snatches it from me. A picture of Tony displays on the screen.
"Ah. Everything makes a little more sense now." He keeps my phone in his hand, not giving it back.
I grab Peter's hand. "We're leaving. Now."
We get out of the car and quickly walk through the school doors. Everything seems fuzzy and loud. My head is spinning and I'm still trying to process what just happened. My attempt at recollection is disturbed when Peter breaks the silence I have created in the chaos of Homecoming.
"I have to go."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not. You can't."
"Yes, I can and I will."
"Gracee, you heard him. He'll kill you!"
"Not if I kill him first."
"You can't kill him."
"Why not?"
"Because he's Liz's dad! I know what it feels like to not have a dad and I can't let that happen to her."
"You care about her," I say in realization.
"I do. And that's why I shouldn't have asked you to come with me."
His words bring a sinking feeling to my stomach. Tears prick in my eyes and I try not to blink so they won't fall.
"What are you saying, Peter?"
"I'm saying that this was a mistake."
He walks away from the crowd and I lose him from my sight. I look around and it feels like I can't breath. Loud music and laughing voices fills my ears. Everyone around me is dancing and it looks like they're moving in slow motion. The bright flashing lights blind me and my vision is blurred from the tears in my eyes.
I've only known Peter for a few weeks and things felt different around him. I feel something I've never felt before, I just don't understand what it is. He makes me feel carefree, something I don't let myself feel often. I thought I was a good judge of character, but I guess I was wrong. The Peter I thought I knew wouldn't leave me like this. He wouldn't make me feel alone, even though I'm surrounded by people.
I can't let him leave like this.
I won't.
Before I know it, I'm running out of the room. I run to the empty parking lot, and then I run around the side of the school to the back parking lot, where the buses are parked. I see Peter in his old Spider-Man suit, with the guy from the ferry, holding a weapon. The guy is blasting buses towards Peter, who is attempting to dodge them. I run towards him and quickly lift one that is about to land on him into the air, throwing it towards the guy with my powers.
"Gracee?" Peter says, surprised to see me.
I look at him, not saying anything. I'm not sure how I feel, but I know that I'm upset with him. I'm a forgiving person, but I'm not going to immediately pretend that what he did was okay, when it's not. I keep a straight face as I look at him, not showing that he hurt me. Suddenly, I feel a weapon pressed against the side of my head. I gasp as an arm wraps around me from behind.
"One wrong move and she dies," the man says.
"Are you seriously using me as a pawn right now?" I ask, and the weapon is pressed harder against my head. "Okay, okay. I'll shut up."
With one of my hands by my side, I use my powers to throw a rock into the side of the bus. The man turns his head to look and I use this opportunity to grab his arm, twisting it behind his back. There is a crack as his bone breaks, and he screams, falling to his knees. I run and grab the weapon he dropped, pointing it at him.
"One wrong move and you die."
The man looks behind me where Peter, frowning. Scared that something happened to him, I turn around and look to see Peter still standing there.
"Gracee, look out!" he yells as the weapon is shot out of my hand with a small pocket gun.
"Don't move!" the man yells, holding the gun with his unbroken arm.
"Why did he send you here?" Peter asks.
"I guess you'll never know."
Right before he pulls the trigger, a spider web is shot at him, sticking him to the bus. I look in the direction it came from and Ned is standing there, holding one of Peter's web shooters.
"Yes!" Peter yells.
"Nice shot, Ned!"