***Before you all start reading, I want you to know I am experimenting with musical scoring in this chapter. I think it helps elevate one of the more cinematic scenes I wrote and I would appreciate it if you participated in the experiment. Enjoy!!***

https://youtu.be/YFTWeAv5Njw

The sun shone brightly on a perfect summer day in July. The streets were filled with people waving mini flags, pushing around decorated strollers and wagons, and dressed in a celebratory display of red, white, and blue. The smell of hot dogs and burgers was fresh everywhere you went and the sight of families smiling and making memories was in no short supply. For the biggest holiday of the summer was here, Independence Day, or as its commonly referred to, the 4th of July.  

Up one of the busier streets in Queens, a huge parade was rolling along that stretched at least 27 blocks. The local fire and police department vehicles took up the front, sounding their sirens as the inched forward. A unit of fancy cars followed behind, carrying the mayor, city council members, and other important members of the community, cordially waving to the crowds on either side of the road. The rest of the line-up consisted of marching bands blasting tunes like "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Semper Fidelis", colorful company floats with streamers that glimmered in the sunlight, and a slew of parade entertainers flipping and dancing through the streets.

Peter and May were settled at the spot Ben would always get every year. They were in quite a cheerful mood this morning as kids ran around playing with their little horns and sparklers. Peter would sometimes stop and think about how he would have to face Michelle later at the picnic, and if he was being honest, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

"Peter" May calls down to him, "stand up, I want a picture together." Peter rolled his eyes while smiling, finding a bit of cheesiness in her attempt to capture the moment. He stood up, taking May's phone and stretching his arm to take a decent selfie style picture. He made sure to take two pictures, so May could choose the best one. He broke from their pose and handed the phone back. She observed the pictures and scrunched her face in disgust. "I don't know about these, hun."

Shaking his head, he scoffed at his aunt's disliking for the pictures. A pair of fingers tapping his right shoulder broke his thought and he turned to see who was seeking his attention. The first thing he saw was a female body covered by a white t-shirt decorated with a distressed American flag paired with a pair of dark jeans. He recognized the figure before him and the battered hi-tops on her feet, and he gulped as he slowly lifted his eyes to meet her face. Michelle stared back with a bit of an awkward smile, feeling that the people around them would maybe stare at their interaction. A nervous face on Peter turned into a similarly awkward smile as he stared back. "Hey" he muttered.

"Hi," she said looking down briefly to rid herself of the awkwardness between them before reengaging, "um..., can we talk a bit."

Peter lost breath for a moment, he knew that this talk would somehow involve his secret. He also didn't want to leave May alone and turned to look at her. She was taking goofy selfies of herself with a couple parade performers, making excited, silly, and dumb faces to make the moment fun. Peter smiled at this and turned back to Michelle. "Uh..., yeah. Sure..." was his reply and Michelle perked up a nervous smile. They awkwardly stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before May came over.

"Who is this Peter?"

Now in the uncomfortable position of May asking, he knew he had to introduce her. "Uhh...," he struggled, "This is Michelle. Michelle this is my Aunt May."

The two ladies shook hands and May smiled in excitement at the sound of Michelle's name. She looked her up and down, observing her face the more than anything else. It made her feel even more excited, thinking that she was very pretty. Michelle sweetly smiled back, feeling a bit humble to meet the only person left in Peter's life that truly cared for him. "Oh hi," May delightfully said, "nice to meet you." The tone in May's greeting boosted Michelle's confidence and eased her nerves about meeting her, especially with a million people around them. "Nice to meet you too" she replied, releasing her grip from May's hand and plopping her hand on Peter's shoulder. "Do you mind if I borrow Peter a little bit."

Peter was a bit startled by Michelle's hand smacking onto his shoulder, and it was just as nerve-racking waiting for May's response. "Oh sure, you kids have fun. Just let me know where are, ok Peter?"

Peter sheepishly smiled, knowing that May would let him be with Michelle, who he could feel turn her head to see his reaction to his aunt's reply. "Ok," he said, "thanks May." The two teens started to turn toward the sidewalk until May abruptly stopped them.

"Wait, before you go, do you mind taking a picture of us Michelle." Both teens blushed, and Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Sure" Michelle giggled, and Peter went to a summoning May, who handed Michelle her phone. Peter stood to May's left and put his arm around her shoulders while May brought her's around his waist. Michelle snapped a couple pictures before they left, and May smiled at each one of them. "Thank you, sweetie, "May said as they went along waving back, "HAVE FUN!" She smiled to herself, hoping that things would go well with her nephew and this new girl in his life.

A few seconds later, Michelle and Peter were silently walking together through the crowded sidewalks, looking over to each other briefly. They locked eyes in one moment and couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction they had with May, finding the whole think awkward, but embarrassingly funny. Michelle was the first to say anything. "Your aunt's nice."

Peter gave a thankful nod, "Thanks..., your dad's cool too."

"Yeah, he told me you guys met" she said as the humor left the conversation.

"How'd you find me?" Peter asked, wondering how it was possible.

"Me and my dad were walking to the spot we like to watch the parade when I saw your freaky ears and nerdy haircut about a minute ago" she explained, dismissing Peter's thought that she was following him. However, he did feel a little timid to know that she thought he had freak-like ears. "My 'ears' gave it away?" he overstated, making Michelle nod with a snickering smirk.

"I mean that dorky shirt isn't gonna give you away" she came back, pointing at the light blue t-shirt he wore with Captain America's shield slapped on the front. Peter was completely astonished, and somewhat laughing on the inside at how painfully funny she was being.

"Oh c'mon," he played along, "I love this shirt, and Cap's a hero, how could you hate this."

"I'm not saying that I don't like the shirt," Michelle replied, "I'm just saying you wearing it is kind of..." She trailed off her sentence, thinking of the right thing to say. In both their minds, they wanted to get the whole spider conversation over with. They both had the whole weekend to think things over and each had their own questions about it.

"Kind of..., what?" Peter interrupted her silence. Michelle was hoping he would just come out and say it, making the situation less embarrassing for her to reveal the truth. In her mind, she hoped that if she did that Peter would just feel guilty about not telling her and promise to never keep a secret again. However, that would be a bit harsh, even for her. And in the process, she might lose him as a friend, at a time where they were really starting to get to know each other and feel comfortable together. "Ugh, never mind" she scoffed, and Peter's interested expression turned into a depressed expression.

His thoughts raced, thinking of what to do. At the front stood a risky choice and he fought against it hard. He grinded his teeth over whether he would do it but felt Michelle's trust in their friendship slipping through his fingers.

"Follow me" he said walking behind her and raising his left arm around her shoulders to lead them down a street perpendicular to the street parade. They paced halfway up the block before reaching the entrance of an alleyway that was mostly vacant. Michelle didn't know what to think of this sudden action, thinking that he was upset that she couldn't finish her thought. Peter breathed hesitated and looked in all directions before talking to her again.

"Look," he started, "I know it's difficult for me to keep a secret ok. I know that I probably don't deserve friends when I constantly have to lie to them about my life."

"Ok, slow down Peter," she said with calmly, "I'm not mad at you for keeping you're secret."

Peter perked up a bit, "You're not?"

"I can kind of understand why you would, and I'm not gonna hold it against you."

"Just promise me that you won't tell anyone, ok."

"I won't," she said firmly, "in fact, I don't know who I'd tell. Plus, you saved my dad, so I owe you for that." She said so while playfully slugging the side of his arm, assuring him that they were cool.

"Thank you"

"Yeah...," there was silence and a bit of staring at the ground for a moment before Michelle spoke again, "and to be fair, I've kinda known for a while."

"Really" Peter questioned. Michelle started walking back toward the parade and Peter respectively followed. "I wasn't completely sure, but when I saw you out my window, you sort of confirmed my suspicions."

"Yeah..." aggravated Peter, "sorry about that."

"It's fine" she replied in a nonchalant way, "just don't be an annoying pest next time."

Peter chuckled under his breath, relieved that this was the most punishment he would have to take at this time. "Point taken."

"So, how was your weekend?" Michelle asked very casually, to which Peter reacted in confusion. "My weekend?" he questioned. "Thought you would ask how it all happened or the things I could do, like everyone else would." Michelle shrugged off Peter's expectations, explaining that he could always tell her later.

"Ok, um..., it was good. I think?"

"How was your night with the girl?" Michelle asked. Peter kind of groaned remembering it, "It was interesting to say the least."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well now that you know about me, I think it's safe to tell you that we're sort of..., partners, if you will." Michelle nodded her head, understanding the what he meant. "To be honest, she came to me. I don't even know if I can trust her."

"Give it time, I'm sure she has her reasons for coming to you."

Peter simply nodded to keep things normal, but he thought about how Felicia completely kept him in the dark after that night. Plus, it had been a week since the boys had made any movement, and Peter was starting to get the feeling that they were going to strike again soon, and he had no way of knowing when.

"So, how was your weekend if you don't mind me asking?" Peter asked.

Michelle chuckled, "Aside from finding out one of my dorky friends can stick to walls while wearing a silly costume, not much happened. I read a few books, helped my dad out, and just sat my ass all weekend."

"Sounds like you need some friends" Peter joked. Michelle smirked, feeling comfortable with the lifestyle she had. "Maybe," she sneered, "or someone that's willing to go out with me."

Peter's heart pounded a little more with this statement. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by 'go out with her,' and it made him a bit pressured to say something. "You mean like anybody, or a..., boyfriend?" he stuttered.

"Eww no you loser," she snapped, "just like anybody to talk too. I don't think I need a boyfriend to have a good time."

"Got it," Peter replied quickly, trying to sneak away from the comment he made, "but you know, I could be that anybody if you want."

Michelle giggled a bit, making Peter confused, "What?" She shook her head, smiling at the thought in her head, "Nothing it's just..., before we started hanging out, I was the one suggesting it. It's kind of funny how it's the opposite now."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Good, I think. I'm still unsure." She wouldn't tell Peter this, but what she was unsure of was revealing how she felt about him. She didn't want to jeopardize what they had built in the short time that they had spent together. "But," she continued, capturing Peter's attention, "I wouldn't mind if we continued to hang out on a regular basis."

"Ok, yeah... cool" Peter casually said, holding back how giddy he really was on the inside.

"Yep" A slew of smiling faces and semi-flirty looks were exchanged between the two teens as they made their way up the sidewalks to who knows where, just being content to be with each other.

"So what time is the picnic?" Peter said, breaking the silence. "I don't think your dad said, other than it was after the parade."

"It's at 4," she explained, "that way everyone has a chance to get there after this is done." Peter understood the reasoning and assured that he and May would be there on time. They discussed what the picnic would be like, and Michelle tried her best to summarize it in the best way possible. Peter was soon kind of excited to go, knowing that he and Michelle were on comfortable terms.

As time passed, they came upon a series of townhouses, where Michelle's father was already setup and watching the parade. They both looked at each other and agreed that their 'talk' was over, for now.

"I should uh... get back to May" he said, wishing that he didn't have to go.

"I know," she smiled, "See you in a few hours?"

"Yeah, for sure" he smiled back in excitement.

"Do you know the way back?"

"Peter doesn't, but uh..." he smirked, letting his statement go silent. Allowing Michelle to guess how he was going to get back to May, which she did after a few seconds, making her chuckle, as well as something she didn't even know she wanted to do. "My God, you are such a nerd," she said sarcastically as she stepped closer toward him. Peter's eyes widened as she casually came up against him, wrapping one arm over his shoulder and the other around his torso for a quick hug. Peter naturally hugged back for the short time that they were in each other's arms. Peter felt his senses go higher than he ever had before. This was the first time he had ever hugged a girl his age, and the feeling overwhelmed him with confidence and belonging. He noted the feeling of her body brushing against his and the feeling of his hands brushing against her back. Michelle, though the initiator, felt like the one person in the world as Peter hugged back. She knew he was probably confused or shocked by this but was happy to know that he embraced it once they were actively doing it.

Peter chuckled as they released, "Yeah, I guess I am." Michelle sweetly smiled, looking down when Peter stared back with his brown eyes. "Good." A bit of silence took over from there, both secretly wanting the other to stay. "I'll see you later Peter" Michelle said as she turned toward the direction of her dad.

"See ya, Michelle." He followed in the same direction but to the right, heading for an alley to change into his costume. As he ran up the alley in glee, Michelle watched with a smile until he hid behind a dumpster.

***ATTENTION*** For a better experience, please start the video below at time stamp (3:55). Read along with the corresponding time stamps for musical cues. ***THANK YOU***

https://youtu.be/T6BYGbrLf24

(3:57) As soon as Peter was in costume, he climbed to the roof to get a solid running start to start his swing.

(4:01) He reached the roof, and everything seemed to go in slow motion as he ran at full speed toward the edge of the roof.

(4:06) A wide smile beamed across his face as he slid his mask over his head. His mind raced, thinking about how great Michelle was.

(4:11) In an expression of joy, he cheers excitedly "WWHHOOOOOOO" as he runs across the roof.

(4:15) On the ground, Michelle hears this gleeful cheer, knowing exactly who it is. She looks up to the roof of the next door building and awaits the sight of Peter in his suit.

(4:18) Finally, Peter leaps off the building, the warm wind fluttering against the fabric of his costume. Peter's mind is filled with delight, feeling light as a feather as he descends into the street below. The crowd below look up to see his figure against the bright blue sky.

(4:25) Michelle smirks excitedly at the sight of him, and sighs under her breath, "Nerd."

(4:27) Extending his right arm out across his body to the left, he fires a web-line to the side of the road that he leaped from.

(4:30) As it attaches and sends him into a swing, the crowds below start to cheer at the arrival of their friendly neighborhood hero flying over the parade.

(4:34) Peter looks around him, feeling appreciated by the people of Queens, and elevating his already happy heart for his strong friendship with Michelle. In his mind he thought, this is probably the greatest day of my life.

(4:41) Peter comes to the end of his swing and releases his grip, sending him through the air like a softball.

(4:44) With gravity pulling back down, he raises both hands to the sky, firing a web to each side of the street. As he enters his arc, he feels a strong tension in the webs and decides to roll his body into a flip once free-falling again. He comes up in his arc, exerting more momentum in his swing into his flip, being successful.

(4:57) Back on the ground, Michelle watches Spider-Man swing away as the crowd cheers him on, and still smiling. Smiling at the fact that she's got a friend that accepts her, cares enough for her, and is also a web-slinging superhero. As Peter swings out of sight, she can only whisper to herself, "Go get em, loser."

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A/N-  Yeah man! Another chapter out, and on-time. I had a really fun time writing this one for you guys and I can't wait to get to work on the next one. 

I LOVE the 4th of July, it might be my favorite holiday. And I always loved seeing teenage friends having a good time together walking up the streets with a parade going on. So I thought that would be a fun thing to do for our two leads, especially when they can be more open with each other.

Also, as I pointed out, I wanted to experiment with using music cues to enhance the imagery of my writing. I have a few other musical ideas in mind, so this was kind of my test run. And I hope you enjoyed it. 

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a vote if you did, and be sure to express your thoughts in the comments below. Feedback (positive or negative) is always appreciated.

FINAL THOUGHT: In 10 days (January 23rd), it will be my 23rd golden birthday. To celebrate, I thought it would be cool if I did a Q&A for you guys. So that's what I will do. Between now and Tuesday, January 22nd at 3PM CST, I will take any questions you have about me or the story. In return, I will post an update on my birthday with your answered questions, as well as a few questions that I have for you guys if you want to answer them. I hope you'll participate.

New chapter next week. Until next time, BYE!!!