3rd Person POV
Once they met where the team was located, Liz asked them, "Where's Peter?"
"He said he was doing something but he'll meet us there." Ned said to them
"Okay, well, can you text him where he is? We can't be late." Isabella responded and Ned nodded his head
Mr. Harrington said to them, "Alright, guys, come on. We need to go through the entrance and follow their procedures."
He continued, "Flash since Peter is not here, you need to fill in for him."
The team was walking, heading to the auditorium. Michelle whispered, "Peter didn't tell you where he was gonna be, huh?"
"Yeah, and Ned's covering for him." Isabella sighed. "It wouldn't be the first time."
Isabella handed her phone into a ziplocked bag then handed over her purse to Mr. Harrington, "Thanks, Mr. Harrington."
"No problem, I don't want them to think that we're cheating." Mr. Harrington said. "It'll be safe with me."
"Yeah, thanks again." Isabella smiled then walked into the auditorium
The announcer told them, "Make sure all cell phones are turned off."
Isabella sat in between Ned and Liz. Liz whispered, "Where the hell is Peter?"
"I don't know. He should've been here by now." Isabella whispered back
The Academic Decathlon competition began and the Midtown Science and Technology Team were writing down their answers in the booklet.
They also kept on raising their hand and answering the questions correctly.
As time went by, the announcer told them, "We have now entered sudden death. The next correct answer wins the championship."
Liz and Isabella glanced at each other and Isabella sent her a small smile. She reached her hand under the desk and held onto Liz's hand since she noticed she was stressing out.
Liz held onto her hand then they both looked at each other with small smiles. Isabella turned her head looking over at the entrance doors waiting for Peter to arrive.
Isabella sighed to herself and glanced at the speaker who asked the question.
Michelle and Isabella rang the bell then glanced at each other. The announcer asked them, "Midtown tech?"
Isabella smiled at Michelle and nodded her head with confirmation, letting Michelle answer the question.
"Zero." Michelle spoke, remembering the time when Isabella and herself were studying last night and how hard it was for them to get the right answer.
"That is correct." The announcer told them. "Midtown tech takes the championship!"
"Yes!" Midtown Tech Team cheered with victory
Cindy and Ned hugged Michelle as Flash and the boys were jumping with joy, running across the stage.
Isabella and Liz hugged each other and Isabella told her, "We did it!"
Liz smiled at her as they pulled apart from each other. They both started to cheer with the rest of the team then they shook hands with their opposing team.
Isabella smiled at her team then glanced over at the doors with her heart slowly breaking with her mind on Peter Parker.
---
Heading over to the Washington Monument, Flash cheered holding up the trophy, "Whoo! We won!"
"Guys, I'm so proud of you." Liz told them with a smile
Flash said to them, "I told you we didn't need Peter."
"Flash, you didn't even answer a single question." Ned said back
Michelle nudged Isabella's shoulder, "Hey. What's up with you?"
"I'm just thinking." Isabella sighed holding onto the strap of her bag. "About Peter."
"Peter's keeping secrets from me. Now, he just bailed on the one thing that-" Isabella groaned rubbing her forehead
She continued, "He knew this was important to me."
"Well, whatever it is, Peter better be prepared." Michelle commented making Isabella chuckle
Once they stood by the monument, Michelle and Isabella looked up and tilted their heads. "Woah, that's amazing."
"Taking it all in, huh?" Mr. Harrington asked the two girls
Michelle responded, "Yeah, I just...uh, I don't wanna celebrate anything that was built by slaves."
"Oh, I'm sure the monument wasn't built by-" Mr. Harrington said and Isabella told him, "Sir, just don't."
Mr. Harrington gulped nervously and adjusted his blazer, "Well, enjoy your book, Michelle."
"Thanks." Michelle said and Mr. Harrington asked, "Bella, you coming?"
"Yeah totally." Isabella said and Michelle smiled, "I'll be on the ground if you need me."
"Don't worry, I'll send you an S.O.S if I need you." Isabella winked making Michelle laugh
Isabella walked over with Mr. Harrington entering the monument. Ned dialed Peter's number and Peter quickly answered it, "Ned, thank God you're alive."
"Peter? Are you okay?" Ned quickly asked
Peter told him, "Hey, hey, Ned, where's the glowy thingy?"
"Don't worry, it's safe, it's in my backpack." Ned said putting his backpack onto the box
"No, no! Ned, listen, the glowy thingy is dangerous!"
"You missed the decathlon. And Isabella's thinking about you. Look, Peter, you have got to talk to her and tell her the truth. I know you're trying to protect her and everything but she deserves to know."
"Ned, just please listen to me!"
"We're in the Washington Monument now-"
"Peter? Hey, is it you?" Isabella asked taking Ned's phone
"How's it going, Spence?" Peter said to her and Karen told him, "Is that Bella?"
Peter told her, "Look, I know it's hard to explain. But, please put Ned back on the phone."
"You should tell her how you feel." Karen pointed out
"What's so hard to explain, Parker? You ditched us when we needed you. I don't know what to think right now other than the fact that I'm more worried than mad at you." Isabella said to him
"Bella, please I'm sorry. And I'll explain everything. Just give the phone back to Ned, okay?" Peter pleaded as he jumped out of the bus and started to run
"Why? Parker, what's going on?" Isabella questioned with her eyebrows furrowed
"Bella, there's something in Ned's backpack, okay? And it's really dangerous." Peter quickly said to her
"What? Peter-" Isabella said then the guard said to her, "Miss, all items should be placed in the box."
"Yes, sir, sorry about that." Isabella said then placed the phone on the box sliding it underneath
"Bella! Bella!" Peter called out as he dashed towards the monument, "Damn it."
Isabella took off her charm bracelet and placed her bag on the box and slid it through. She walked past the security then got her stuff.
The team entered the elevator and Flash pointed out still holding the trophy, "Hey, Mr. Harrington, can I be the one to tell Peter he's expelled?"
"He's not gonna get expelled." Isabella said to them with her arms crossed
Liz said to her, "Izzy, he left his hotel room without telling anyone and he didn't even show up."
"Yeah, but there has to be something that's going on with him. Don't you think?" Isabella said to them
"Peter would've been here to explain himself." Cindy pointed out
Flash asked Isabella, "Why are you defending him? You were the one who was pissed off."
"Peter's my best friend, Flash. Yes, I'm pissed off just like you but I'm more worried because I don't know what's happening to him." Isabella replied then turned her head looking at Ned, "Do you?"
"I can't say." Ned replied then Isabella rolled her eyes, "Of course you can't."
The tour guide started to explain the Washington Monument then Ned whispered to Isabella who was standing right next to him, "Look, Peter's gonna tell you, okay?"
"Why can't you tell me?" Isabella whispered back
Ned said to her, "Because it's Peter's situation. He's going through something right now."
"How bad is it?" Isabella asked. "Is he gonna get hurt?"
Ned responded, "Don't worry about Peter, Bella. He's gonna be okay."
"I just don't get why he won't tell me if he already told you." Isabella said to him
Ned spoke, "Because Peter...He..."
"What about Peter?" Isabella asked and Ned replied, "He..."
Isabella started to shiver, holding onto her arms as Ned asked, "Bella, you okay?"
"Something's happening." Isabella told him.
She continued, "Peter said something about this thing in your backpack. He told me that it was dangerous. Do you know what he's talking about?"
"Oh no." Ned said then the glowy thingy erupted causing the elevator to stop. The team all looked up at the blue and purple plastered all over the ceiling.
Once it exploded, people from the outside could see what was going on. Peter asked Karen, "No, no, no! Karen, what is going on up there?"
"The Chitauri core has detonated causing severe structural damage to the elevator." Karen said to him
"Oh no." Peter mumbled under his breath
Michelle stood next to Spider-Man and pointed to the top, "My friends are up there!"
"Bella! Bella!" Michelle screamed. "Oh, my God."
"Bella?" Peter whispered to himself then told Michelle using his Queens Accent, "Uh, don't worry, Ma'am, everything's gonna be okay."
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Peter said as he started running to climb the Washington Monument, "Oh my God, that's tall."
Ned tossed his backpack to the center and the team all leaned away from it. Standing by the wall, Flash pointed out, "Oh my God, look at the ceiling."
"Just stay calm everyone." Liz said to them calmly
Abraham commented, "We're all going to die in here."
"No one's gonna die, okay?" Isabella said back. "No one's dying today."
She glanced down at her charm bracelet then back at the rest of the group, she whispered, "I won't let it happen."
Charles looked out of the glass and said, "We're all freaking screwed."
The Tour guide said to them, "I know that was scary, but our safety systems are working. We're very safe in here."
"Wow, that's totally convincing. I should be grateful." Isabella replied sarcastically
She continued, "Alright, well, we gotta come up with a plan. Open that shaft on the ceiling we'll leave one by one, okay?"
The team nodded and they started going up one by one. Now, it was only four, Isabella, Ned, Mr. Harrington, and Flash.
"Alright, who's next?" Mr. Harrington asked. Isabella was about to climb up until Flash moved her out of the way
"I'm next, it's my turn!" Flash said holding onto the trophy and climbing up
"No, seriously! Flash, what are you doing?" Ned asked and Isabella added, "Don't worry about the trophy!"
The elevator started moving making Isabella scream holding onto the sides. "Izzy!" Liz called out
"Take my trophy!" Flash said to the guards then they lifted up Flash holding onto his hands
"Ned, can you do me a favor?" Isabella asked and Ned nodded his head in reply
"I need you to tell Peter something if I don't make it out of here alive." Isabella said then continued, "Anthony is Tony Stark."
"WHAT?!" Ned said then the elevator dropped making Isabella, Ned, and Mr. Harrington screaming with fear
Spider-Man went through the window and webbed onto the ceiling onto the top of the elevator. He started pulling and the elevator stopped from falling to the ground.
"I did it." Spider-Man sighed with relief
Spider-Man fell into the elevator once it started moving down again. He shot his web onto the ceiling then positioned himself on the corner looking at the people upside down.
Spider-Man looked at all three figures then his eyes landed on Isabella, "Hey, beauty, nice seeing you again."
"Hey, Spider-Man." Isabella waved and Spider-Man told them, "Hey, how's it going? Don't worry about it. I got you."
"Yes! Yes!" Ned cheered as Spider-Man was pulling on his web string, "Hey, hey, hey! Big guy quit moving around."
"Sorry, sir. I'm so sorry." Ned said making Isabella chuckle in response
Spider-Man kept on pulling and the web kept on expanding. Once they got to their floor, Spider-Man said to them, "Alright, this is your stop. Move it, people. Move it. Move it."
Mr. Harrington exited then Isabella felt the coldness again on her arms, "Oh my God."
"Ned, watch out!" Isabella pushed Ned out of the elevator. The elevator dropped again with Isabella inside. She screamed as she jumped trying to reach Spider-Man's hand, "Spider-Man!"
"Spence!" Spider-Man yelled out then webbed her wrist. Isabella started breathing heavily holding onto the web string. She mistakenly looked down and saw the elevator disappear to the ground
"Look at me. Hey, Bella, just look at me, okay?" Spider-Man said to her as he was pulling her up.
Isabella made eye contact with Spider-Man as he said, "Eyes on me. Just keep your eyes on me. You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay."
Isabella furrowed her eyebrows remembering the time when Peter said those exact words when she had a panic attack. Their hands latched onto each other.
"Bella, I got you, okay? Just relax." Spider-Man said to her. Isabella was finally next to Mr. Harrington and the team, safe and sound.
Isabella turned to look at Spider-Man and sent him a small smile. He asked them, "So, uh, is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, thanks to you, Spider-Man." Isabella responded. "You saved my life."
Karen said to Peter, "Here's your chance, Peter. Kiss her."
Peter kept on looking at Isabella until he fell down making everyone look down at Spider-Man.
"Thank you." Mr. Harrington said then Flash called out, "Are you really friends with Peter Parker?"