Chapter Sixteen
Peter's POV
And so my life resumed. As abnormal as it all was, it was routine to me.
I woke up by 6:00 every morning, either to an alarm set to the lowest volume, or to the wailing of the sun shining through my window even earlier. Sometimes I hated my enhanced senses.
I got ready for the day in just enough time to catch the subway into school, and then I would meet up with Ned and MJ. Until quarter-to-three I was subject to droning lectures and crowded hallways, until at last I got to put on my suit. That was when I was happiest, when I was able to be in the spotlight without ever truly being seen. It was like controlling a character in a video game. It didn't really matter who I was, it just mattered who he was - who Spider-Man was. At least that's what it was to everyone else.
After a few hours I returned home and had dinner with May, and then I would work into the dark hours of the night on whatever research papers or textbook readings I had been assigned that day. On Tuesdays, I had the added stress of my testosterone shot. Though May always offered to help, I insisted on doing it myself.
Today was just like every other.
Aunt May was working the late shift again so I patrolled for a little longer than usual, watching as the children scurried home for curfew, giving way to the thrill seekers of the night life.
Finally, I let out a yawn, exhausted from the week of late nights and early mornings. I lazily tugged off my mask as I leapt from one building top to the next. Fishing my phone out of my backpack, I quickly pressed the first speed dial number, anticipating the only voice I wanted to here.
"Joe's Pizza, what can I get for you?"
"Hi, yeah, can I get two large cheese pizzas?"
When I reached my apartment building at last, I stealthily slipped through the window and shut it behind me, still wearing my Spider-Man costume. I automatically did so without making a single sound, since I was so used to May being in the other room.
I checked the time on my phone as I remained clinging to the wall in my bedroom. Joe's 29 minute guarantee meant that the delivery person would be here in a few minutes. I dropped my backpack to the ground and spun around towards my closet to find a change of clothes, only to come face to face with MJ.
"MJ! Hey! What's- what's up?" I asked in a rush of words, hastily beginning to remove the garments that made up my suit as though it wasn't already too late to hide it.
They raised their eyebrows, saying, "You- you were just on the ceiling." It was clear that they were in shock, but it appeared to be less due to the realization that I was Spider-Man and more due to the fact that I was attempting to deny it.
"Oh hey, cool costume dude." Both of us turned with anticipation to see Ned walking through the doorway.
"Th- thanks?" I replied, as he simply smiled.
The doorbell rang then, and Ned called out, "I'll get it!" before leaving the room as quickly as he had entered.
MJ stared after him with a dumbfounded look. "Did he really just-"
"Yeah, he really just," I replied, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.
"Stupid ass motherfucker..." MJ sighed, before facing me again. Their expression clearly read Why do I even hang out with these two idiots?
"MJ, I can explain. It's not- I'm not- I mean, well, I am, but-" I started, but was soon interrupted.
"PIZZA TIME!" Ned shouted across the small apartment.
My stomach growled suddenly, and I grinned at the thought of food. MJ caught my now bare arm as I began to leap out of the room.
"Don't think we're done talking about this," they warned. "Oh, and you should put on some clothes."
I had never changed so fast as I did that night, and I can tell you that it was absolutely because I was ready to devour some pizza.
In the kitchen, I piled three slices onto my plate and leapt onto the couch beside my two best friends who were arguing over what to watch on Netflix.
"I'll be honest, I didn't realize you guys were coming over tonight," I said finally.
"Oh, we weren't planning this. You weren't answering your phone, so we came over to check on you," MJ started.
"Yeah. And then you didn't answer, and we didn't feel like going back to my place, so we just let ourselves in. Oh, and you're out of milk," Ned finished.
"Glad to know I can always count on you guys to break into my house and drink all of my milk!" I said, laughing.
"Is nobody going to talk about the fact that Peter ordered two large pizzas just for himself?" MJ cut in, just as I began to stuff my face with food.
"Is that a challenge, MJ? 'Cos I'm totally capable of that. I am a growing boy, you know," I said, adding, "and I'm freaking starving."
It's safe to say that I ate enough pizza to feed an army that night, so much so that I feared I wouldn't fit into my Spider-Man suit that entire weekend. I made a mental note to challenge the Avengers to a food eating contest later on, just maybe on a day when the Hulk was out of town.
A/N:
I have to admit I was really tempted to have Peter climb in the window holding a smoothie and MJ would point to his suit and say "whatcha got there" and he would say "a smoothie" like that one iCarly scene, but I was too lazy to write in the part where he actually acquires the smoothie. That's a job for future editor me, so if you're reading this future me, you should add that in.