The rest of the week blurs by. People at school have started staring at me now for an entirely new reason. The school has donated to our family as well, so everybody knows about the bodega explosion.

I don't approach Peter and he doesn't approach me. He hasn't texted me a reply, and Anthony says that they haven't talked about the explosion either. I'm surprised he and Anthony communicate. Anthony reassures me (even though he doesn't need to reassure me) that they only talk in passing, about biochem or chemistry, or other science things. Robotics even escapes them now.

My brother, who doesn't technically need a job since he's off probation now, finds work with a construction crew and hooks up Sergio with a job as well. Their first gig? Rebuilding the Bodega. The world is full of small coincidences, I guess.

Eventually, there is a party at Liz Allen's. So many kids are going, but I don't dare go and betray my brother.

That is, until Anthony is invited.

"Please come with me," Anthony begs me. "Please."

"She's your boyfriend's ex," I hiss, looking around the hallway since I don't want to out Anthony. "I'm not betraying my brother like that, and neither should you."

"The entire robotics club is going," he pesters me. "I already talked to Dantae and he agreed."

I read his mind. Dantae, for some strange reason, actually agreed to this crazy plot.

"I'm not even in robotics club," I point out. "There is no way that I'm going."

Cut to Friday night, and Anthony and I sneaking out my window. I wear jeans and a tube top, because Dantae said if I wore a hoodie I would look insane. It's pretty cold out, but a hoe never gets cold, or whatever. Dantae didn't tell me that, but Anthony did, much to my brother's chagrin.

The one loose end is that, since Dantae is working, we have to bring along Sergio. Sergio, who somehow makes a black t-shirt and jeans look cool. He meets us down at street level, and then we go catch a car together.

"Darcy," he says. He takes my hand and spins me in a pirouette. "Wow."

"You're lucky Dantae's not here," Anthony points out.

Sergio shakes his head back and forth. "I couldn't help myself even if he was."

I feel a blush rise on my cheeks, but I let my hand fall from his. Even though I shake my head, I can't stop smiling. I feel pretty, like really pretty. Tonight, I'm wearing grey and black makeup that makes my eyes sparkle. My hoops are perhaps the biggest I've ever worn, and they practically touch my shoulders. Best of all, it's not just me who sees it.

Maybe tonight, Peter will be there.

I shred the thought from my mind, just like I shredded the documents filled with my research on Spider-man. Not only is he certainly patrolling the city tonight, but if he wasn't, he wouldn't want to see me. He didn't even bother to answer my text.

"We're going to be later than fashionably late," Anthony says.

I nod, and the three of us hurry along. We catch the subway, and I feel almost like a tourist, watching everything. The night feels magical, and all the tall buildings look beautiful, and you cannot even tell that a few years ago, New York City was destroyed by an alien invasion. I'm not a girl who can read minds, I'm just a girl.

We get there pretty late because we have to walk quite a distance, but it's clear which house is hers. Cars line the block, and people are chilling on her massive lawn, drinking. Her house looks like it's mostly made of glass.

That is when the feeling begins to sink in. I don't belong here.

Sergio wraps his arm around me, and we begin to head up to the house.

We walk up the long driveway and open the main door. I watch as people in tops much more expensive than mine wave at their friends. Flash is DJing, which is bizarre. How has no one called the cops on all this noise? I mean, Liz Allen isn't white, but this neighbourhood sure is. I bet that's it is anyway. Everyone is drinking out of red solo cups. We didn't bring anything to drink, and so we head into the kitchen.

There, I am about to pour some brown alcohol into my cup, when Sergio stops me. "No way."

"I'm just trying to fit in," I whisper, looking around.

Anthony fills his cup with coke and takes the brown liquid from me and pours it in his cup. He winks at me, lifting his cup to cheers me before he disappears into the crowd.

"Phew, thank God he's gone," Sergio says. "You can drink what you want, just go easy on it. I get the feeling Dantae is having him keeps tabs on me while I keep tabs on you."

I exhale, thankful. I begin to pour in the liquid, and Sergio cuts me off, with a wink. "I said go easy."

"I am going easy," I say, when in actuality, I've got no idea what I'm doing.

Sergio fills up his cup too, and then we head in.

He gets me to dance with him, and it's mostly just moving my shoulders and hips to the beat while I take the occasional sip of alcohol. He's not legal either. He just turned 18. We shake and jump and laugh as the music plays. Song after song passes, and I begin to worry less about fitting in and more about fitting next to Sergio.

Liz Allen brushes past us, and my eyes follow after her. Sergio notices. We both stop dancing.

"You think she's happier now?" he asks.

I know my brother is, but it still would probably hurt to see them both. "I don't know. I honestly couldn't tell you."

She greets someone at the door, and I walk a bit forward to see who she is greeting. I spot him.

Peter Parker, with Ned right next to him. Neither of them seems to notice me.

Sergio pulls me back and brings us up against a wall. "Is that the Peter kid who's got you all up in a tiff?"

I nod, "yeah, that's him."

"You know," Sergio says, running a hand along my jaw. His touch is electric. "We could make him jealous, if that's what you want."

"What do you have in mind?" I lean into him, bringing our faces inches apart.

He smiles, wiping his bottom lip with his free hand. "I could kiss you."

The last person who has kissed me is Peter. Before that it was Harry, and he sucked. My hands are buzzing, and my throat is on fire, and God do I want to kiss somebody, and Sergio makes me feel pretty. He's my brother's best friend though. I don't want to ruin it.

Fuck it.

I lean in, and our lips graze each other.

"Peter Parker!" a speaker above us blares.

I pull away, looking up at Flash Thompson, who is ridiculing Peter.

"Where's your bestie? Where's Spider-man?" he asks. "Did he run away upstate like your ex-girlfriend?"

Peter's face stiffens. He ducks his head and looks over at me. He sees me hands, resting on Sergio's collarbone and he runs off.

I let go of Sergio and I tail after him. I duck through the crowd, following Peter.

"Peter!" I call. "Peter!"

He ignores me, continuing to rush through the crowd. I feel my upper lip harden, and my brow furrow. All I can think is, what's he thinking? What did he see? I refuse to read his mind though. I give him the courtesy of privacy, even if neither of us really is used to that.

Eventually, Sergio catches up to me.

I can feel myself tearing up. My nose is twitching as I hold in my tears. I'm not going to cry. Nothing can make me.

Instead, I let his arms wrap around me from behind and hold me. I lean backwards, letting my head rest against his chin.

I knew it. This whole time, I knew that a good boy like Peter Parker didn't deserve someone as messy and complicated and bad as me. I'm Darcy Delmar, a thrill-seeker first and foremost and a half-decent person second. He is good first and dangerous second. How could I have ever pictured us being together?

"I want to go home," I tell Sergio.

Sergio nods. I can feel his face pressed against my hair. "I'll take you there, okay? Just, please don't cry."

~~~~~

This is all good and fun, but my heart is shattered to pieces on the concrete. Welp. Hope you all enjoy that!