Peter had barely gotten through the front door before Aunt May was tapping her foot, her face twisted up in a disappointed frown. He simply raised his eyebrows at her, popped one earbud out of his ear, and she went off.
"Peter Benjamin Parker, why did you lie to ___ about me being sick?" she scolded. His face paled and he opened his mouth. The look on her face made him snap his jaw shut. "Not only that, but you promised to go to a concert you had no intention of going to just to hang out with other friends! What am I going to do with you? You disappear all of the time and you're hanging out with people that aren't ___! She's such a sweet girl, Peter, why would you hurt her like that?" She stopped, breathing heavily.
Peter felt sick to his stomach. "D-Did ___ come down here?"
She nodded. "That sweet girl brought me homemade soup and bread because she thought I was sick. She didn't even get mad when I told her the truth, or what I know as the truth. She just looked absolutely heartbroken."
Heartbroken.
Peter felt the same. His bag slipped off of his shoulder, jerking his arm as it hooked on the crook of his elbow. He dropped the bag to the floor and blinked away sudden tears that overcame him.
"Did she say anything?"
"Not much," May said softly, shaking her head. "You hurt her badly, Peter. I don't get it. Do you not want to be friends with her? She's such a good girl... I always thought you two would, you know... end up together."
"I-I want to be her friend and I want to be more b-but Flash Thompson is her brother and I don't want to ruin their relationship and possibly have him hate me even more."
May shook her head and dropped it, tucking hair behind her ear. "Peter... that doesn't mean you should ever try to leave her like that," she whispered. "You were her best friend. Best friends don't leave each other like that."
"What should I do?" he asked, looking and sounding helpless.
"Apologize," she said, "and explain everything you haven't told her. I mean it, Peter. Everything."
"She'll never believe me," he croaked. "She'll never forgive me."
"That doesn't matter," she said. "You can't just leave her like this."
...
Peter sat on his bed, his phone in his hands. His thumbs tapped wildly on the screen, spewing pleading message after pleading message that you would just leave on read.
He didn't know what all to say. Everything he typed felt lame. None of it was enough. Nothing would ever be enough.
___, I am so sorry. Please let me explain.
I get that you're mad.
You probably don't want to talk but I need you to know that I never wanted to avoid you.
Please say something
___ please I know you're reading these please
He didn't receive one answer. He waited all night for a reply. When he dozed off for the night, he woke up every hour or so and checked his phone.
Peter had never felt so horrible.
...
Flash was extra protective the next day.
You figured he was just tired of seeing you cry, especially over a boy he didn't like in the first place. You half expected him to lamely say something along the lines of I told you so but he never did. Instead, he walked you to your locker and bought you a Coke at the vending machine, prompting a small smile out of you.
As he walked with you to first period, he told you about a party Liz was throwing. He was doing to be the DJ and wanted you to come too. That was one thing you loved about your brother; he loved to include you.
"We'll have a lot of fun," he said. "I'll even let you have a sip of beer. Just to try it."
"Ew," you said, grimacing. "I'm not trying that stale smelling garbage."
Flash chuckled. "Good answer."
He walked with you in the classroom. It didn't take any longer than a second to see Peter sitting at his seat, his big brown eyes on you.
You flinched and looked at the floor. You had to sit by him.
Flash leaned close to your ear. "Do you want me to tell the teacher to let you move?"
"No," you murmured. "I'll be okay." You were lying to Flash as well as yourself, but he didn't force you to think otherwise. He gave you a pat on the back and slipped off to go to his seat while you walked to yours. When you sat down, Peter opened his mouth. "Don't talk to me."
He was shocked by the harshness of your tone. His cheeks lit up red and his eyes grew all teary. If he hadn't abandoned you and made you feel worthless, you would have felt sorry for him. Not anymore.
"___, I-"
You snapped your head around to look at him. "What part of don't talk to me do you not understand? As if it wasn't enough that you didn't come to my concert after promising, you lied to me about May to cover up the fact that you were hanging out with other friends. You've done enough." You crossed your arms and looked away.
"I'm trying to tell you that you have the story all wrong! Look, there's something I've been hiding from you and I really want to tell you and explain it to you-"
"I don't have to listen to anything you have to say, Parker," you spat, sounding more like your brother. Your voice faltered. "You made me feel like nothing. I thought you liked me, too. I was wrong." You took a pencil out of your purse and opened your textbook. You pretended to look over answers to the homework. "You don't care about anyone but yourself when it really comes down to it."
Peter wanted to scream. He wanted to grab you and kiss you, tell you that he really did love you and every lie he ever told was to keep you safe. He wanted to show you the Spider-Man suit and plead for you to forgive him and understand.
But sitting in the middle of the classroom with everyone around, Peter could do nothing. He opened his mouth and shut it, his jaw tightening and his eyes watering.
He just wanted you to listen. You just wanted him to leave you alone.
...
You usually sat with Ned and Peter at lunch, but when you paid for your turkey sandwich and bowl of sliced pears, you were faced with two pairs of sad, wondering eyes staring right at you as you turned and sat in the seat your brother had saved for you.
Flash glanced over his shoulder at Peter, who looked sick. He shook his head at him and put an arm around the back of your chair. Peter looked away, sighing heavily.
"I wish you had told your Aunt May something else," Ned said. "It sucks that ___ thinks you were hanging out with me. I like talking to her and now she doesn't even smile at me."
"I screwed everything up," Peter said, picking at the bread of his sandwich.
"Yeah, you did," Ned agreed, nodding thoughtfully. He glanced at Peter. "But maybe you can fix it."
"I already tried," he mumbled. "She doesn't want to hear an apology from me." His stomach hurt. The kind, loving girl he had fallen in love with wouldn't forgive him. She always forgave. "I messed her up for good."
"Maybe not," Ned said. "I'd give it one more try... I mean, what have you got to lose?" He shrugged. "Go to Liz's party. DJ Flash is gonna be there to make our ears bleed so I bet she'll be there too."
"No way she'd go to a party," Peter said.
"I bet she will," Ned said. "She and Flash are inseparable - especially when one of them is hurting."
"And that's another one of my problems," Peter said, lifting his eyes back up to the table. Flash turned and caught his eye again, nothing but hatred in his eyes. "He really isn't going to give me chance now."
"You... never know."
Peter shook his head. "She just means so much to me, you know? She's such a good person and I hurt her. I hurt her. I don't think she'd ever forgive me. But I've never felt this way about anyone. I want to do something for her."
"Well," Ned began, "there's the usual things... flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."
Peter scowled. "Dude!"
"Or you can just go to the party, apologize, and confess!" Ned hissed. "This is your chance, Peter."
He nodded thoughtfully. Maybe Ned was right.
...
"You should wear that purple lipstick to the party tonight," Flash said as he drove you home after school.
You furrowed your eyebrows. "Why?" you asked.
"Because... I don't know, you really like it. You seem confident when you wear it." He shrugged. "I'm just trying to make you feel like I'm here for you, okay? Parker is a jerk and I've always thought that, but now he's just beyond that."
"I know you're here for me, Flash," you replied, sighing. You were tired. "But I don't even know if I want to go to the party."
"Why not? You like my friends," he said.
"But Peter-"
"I seriously doubt Parker will be going to a party. The only reason he went to the last one was because he was hung up on Liz, but that is over," he said, eyeing you. "Besides, I think it'll be good. Music, food, friends... you need something like that. I'll even let you pick some of the songs."
You smiled. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said. "Whatever song you want."
"That's dangerous," you joked.
Flash smirked and shrugged. "I guess I'm just willing to take that chance."