— • —
She eventually stopped crying, but that didn't mean anybody in the Giraldo household was any happier. Diana and Victoria watched as Luna rushed past the living room and went straight up to her room, Andrew trailing behind. She spent the entire night locked in her bedroom, muttering a "go away" to each person who knocked on her door. By the time Mia was called to try to get in, she gave up, just letting the girl in so her family could stop their pestering.
Luna sighed as she leant back against Liz, the girl's arms wrapped tightly around her as she sat on her lap. The subway ride to school was already bad when she was in a good mood, but with the frown she wore and the people stood all too close, everything just seemed to be much worse. Luna could feel Liz frowning against her, making her glance over her shoulder to her friend.
"You okay?"
It was the same question she's been hearing since she threw open the door of her house the previous night. Yet, she still didn't have an answer. They weren't broken up, or at least she wanted to think they weren't, so was she okay? Whatever the hell was happening between herself and Peter wasn't okay, so by default, that meant she wasn't okay. But she couldn't tell anybody that. Because then they'd get concerned, and the last thing she needed to add to the equation was people concerned about her emotional state even more.
Luna nodded, "I'm fine." Biggest lie of the year.
Liz didn't question the girl anymore, making their walk from the train to the school all too quiet. Liz opened her mouth to begin a conversation, but remained silence as a group of girls rushed towards the two.
"Hey Luna, we loved the show, is it possible we can get you in for an interview?"
Luna blinked, looking over to her best friend quickly. "I, uhm, I promised Liz one already. Sorry." And that was the second lie she told that morning. Because why on Earth would her best friend ask to interview her like she was some celebrity? Hell, she barely had two hundred followers on instagram.
The girls' eyes trailed over to said girl beside her, Liz shooting them a small smile. "Sorry guys, you can try another cast member." The girls all shrugged in response, congratulating Luna once more before leaving the two to themselves. "So I'm interviewing you now? Who are you, Emma Watson?"
"I wish," Luna muttered, letting out a sigh of relief as the locker beside hers wasn't opened. "I just didn't want those girls to ask me anything non-play related, and knowing the girls at this school, they would."
Liz shrugged. "Fair enough." Her eyes lingered on the locker two down from Luna's as they passed it, noticing how her best friend avoided looking at it at all cost. "Was it that bad?" Luna's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and she got Liz a look as she worked on opening her locker. "That you can't even look at his locker?"
Luna tensed up, shaking her head. "No."
"Then why are you acting this way if it's not that bad? We're best friends Luna, you don't have to lie to me."
"Give her some time." Mia appeared beside the two, a frown on her pink stained lips. "It took me four hours to get her to open her bedroom door for me, I don't think she wants to talk about it yet."
"Well, are you broken up?" Luna shook her head. "Okay, I'm officially confused."
"Good," Luna muttered, shoving her geometry textbook in her locker. "Now, please stop asking questions. I really don't want to talk about it, here especially."
Luna failed to notice how Liz's eyes had darted to something behind her. "You really don't want to talk about it?" Luna sighed, shaking her head again. "Right, well you two get to class, and I'll handle this."
The girl walked past them, Luna watching with furrowed brows. Her lips parted as she watched Liz approach the familiar boy, who looked as if he was in a rush to get somewhere. And by the way his eyes widened at the sight of Liz, she was able to assume he was in a rush to get to her. "Let's go," Luna mumbled, shutting her locker before falling in step with Mia.
Peter let out a sigh as Luna began walking away, his eyes trailing back to the girl in front of him. Though she was shorter than him by a couple inches, Liz Barns was intimidating, especially now. Her lips were downturned into a frown, hand extended out to stop Peter from stepping any farther, earning them a lot of dirty looks from people eager to get to class early.
"Liz, I need to–"
"No you don't."
"Liz–"
"Lalala, can't hear you."
Liz couldn't help but smirk as an exasperated expression settled on his face, taking this as her cue to talk. Grabbing onto his arm, she led the two to Peter's locker, before putting on the sternest stare the boy's ever seen. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, eyes trailing around the hallway, hoping somebody would come to his rescue.
"You know, she won't tell me or Mia what she said to you when she went to your house. Says it's because she isn't ready to talk about it, but personally, I think she doesn't want to expose if you were an asshole or not. The nerds are always the worst ones, you know?"
Peter's lips curled into a frown. "Liz, hurting Luna is the last thing I wanted to do."
Liz's features softened at this. "Really?"
The more he thought about it, the more idiotic he felt. At the start of school, he was the boy who was always stumbling over his words, and couldn't even speak to a pretty girl without becoming a blushing mess. Even with all that, Luna somehow developed feelings for him. Unlike a lot of the other girls at the school, she actually took the time to get to know Peter, giving him a chance he didn't think he'd ever have. He could have never guessed months later that she'd be the very same girl that'd make an effort to tuck herself beneath his arm, grinning widely as she did so, before poking fun at the pinkness of his cheeks. The very same girl who's heart he'd managed to break without even trying to do so.
"Well, you already did Parker," Liz reminded, instantly feeling bad as hurt washed over his features. "Yesterday was really important to her, and you knew that. You need to figure out what your priorities are, because if your girlfriend isn't one of them, then that's gonna be a problem." Liz spotted Ned rushing towards them, letting out a sigh as she wrapped up their conversation. "I'm rooting for you guys Peter, just remember that."
Peter frowned as Liz began walking away, shutting his locker just as Ned made it to him. "What was that all about?" Ned asked curiously, watching Liz's fleeing figure. "She looked serious, and I never see Liz looking serious, she's always joking."
"Yeah, well, Luna and I aren't in the best place right now."
Ned frowned. "Oh." He then perked up, lifting something out of his pocket. "Join me, and together, we'll build my new lego death star."
Despite the excitement he felt about Ned's news, that excitement slowly faded as they passed a classroom. On instinct, Peter peaked into the window, only feeling more defeated when his eyes landed on Luna, her head leant against her hand while Mia spoke to her, looking anything but happy.
He'd been so distracted that he didn't hear Ned make plans with him for that night. Nor did he notice how Flash had seen him longingly staring at his girlfriend, and was now watching in curiosity. The one thing he did notice was when Luna lifted her head, she immediately turned away from him, and ironically enough, he wished he didn't notice that, because maybe his heart would ache the slightest bit less.
— • —
AND WE HAVE OFFICIALLY MADE IT
TO HOMECOMING
oooooo I'm so excited
I HAVE EVERYTHING PLANNED