"Are we really gonna go to a party? We're party people now?" Miles sighed as he and Claudia sat on Facetime with his computer on his desk as he sifted through his closet. Yes, he had impeccable taste and yes he was an absolute cliche in that specific sense, but he had absolutely no idea what he should wear to a party. The last "party" he had been to was when Claudia invited him and a few friends over to watch the new season of Orange Is The New Black when it premiered.

"Yes, hurry up and get dressed," Claudia said with a rushed tone as she applied makeup using the camera as a mirror. Of course, she had been ready hours ago in terms of an outfit choice. He envied her ability to make decisions as quickly as she did.

Crossing his arms, he stepped back and glared at his closet as if the outfit he should wear tonight would simply jump out at him. Part of him wanted to look so good he had Flash on the floor begging to have him back just so Miles could reject him. He laughed off the thought, knowing Flash admitting to being gay or at least bi in public was a fantasy that would never be realized.

After a few minutes, he stepped in front of the camera for Claudia's approval to which she nodded. "Yes, yes, go with that! Finally, okay, my sister and I are leaving now we'll be by in a few!"

"All right, all right," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his black hair. It was starting to get long, but he was fine to leave it that way. "I'll see you soon!"

She bade him goodbye before hanging up the call, leaving Miles in a silent room. With a sigh, he looked at himself in the mirror. Who was he kidding?

Distracting him, a ding sounded from his phone.

"Oh, that was fast," he muttered to himself as he reached for it, expecting it to be Claudia's "I'm here" text.

However, the screen showed a text from Flash, asking, Will I see you tonight?

If he was a little bit dumber he would have thrown his phone at the wall. Or even worse, texted Flash back. Instead, he tapped on it solely to get rid of the notification (making sure his read receipts were on because 'petty' is his middle name) and turned his phone off. He scoffed to himself, looking at his pitiful reflection once again.

"Who the fuck does he think I am?" he mumbled to himself, internally fuming, "Who's the goddamn stalker now, Flash? Huh? God, I hate this. I hate all of this. What am I doing here?"

He should just text Claudia and tell her he wasn't going tonight. It would be so easy to just cancel and then curl up into a ball of blankets and wallowing. With his phone in his hand, he had the cancellation text all typed out, but something was stopping him from sending it. Was it cowardly to cancel? Would it be better to show up and look so much better without Flash? Miles sighed, he was being ridiculous and he knew it. It was best for him to just not go, right?

However, just as he was finally about to hit send, a text from Claudia came through. Too late, she was here. Sighing, he took one last exasperated look at his reflection before heading out. He said goodbye to his parents briefly before stepping out into the cold New York night. Plastering on a fake smile, he walked over to Claudia's sister's car and hopped in the backseat with his friend.

"Hey, guys," he greeted cheerfully, sighing as he deleted his typed out cancellation message. Well, in the great words of John Mulaney, This might as well happen. It was too late to turn back now, huh.

"Hey, hi," Claudia greeted, poking his arm gently as soon as she noticed him avoiding eye contact, "What's up? I hung up like five minutes ago how did you get all sad boy hours all of a sudden? You good?"

"I don't wanna see him," Miles admitted with a gentle exhale as his eyes stuck to the view outside the car window, "He texted me. I didn't respond."

"Phew!" she exclaimed, which surprised him slightly, "I was scared you were gonna go running back to him, but I should have known you better than that. He doesn't deserve your time or worry tonight, okay? Just have fun and let loose a little, you've been so tense since all of this started. Just fuck him and look good while dancing with somebody else."

Miles sighed, wishing he could be as carefree as Claudia was. "You know I worry too much to do something like that."

"Enough moping," Claudia's sister, Claire, chimed in from the front seat, "We're here so have fun and dance like your life depends on it. If any of you get blackout, don't call your parents, call me."

"You're ridiculous," Claudia scoffed as they began to exit the car, "But thank you for driving, I'll call you when we need a ride home."

Claire pulled away and the two of them stood facing Liz Allan's house. Music was booming from inside and they could see kids dancing in the house as well as kids scattered throughout the porch and yard. As they entered the house, they could see Kaelyn Albright and Beth Tju were locked in conversation with Liz... strangely also with Peter Parker and Ned Leeds. Now that was an interesting group if Miles had ever seen one.

"What are we doing here, Claudia?" Miles sighed, but his voice was hard to hear over the bad EDM playing throughout the house.

Looking over at the DJ area, Miles froze. There was Flash and the boy already had his eyes locked on him. Miles had half a mind to go over there and say something, but he knew he shouldn't. Even looking at Flash felt like a bad idea. Thankfully, the eye contact ended as Flash went to make fun of Peter Parker instead. Breathing a sigh of relief, he eyed the crowd as he looked for familiar faces. Claudia squeezed his arm reassuringly, knowing how tough it was for Miles to see his ex after all that had been happening. The rumors had finally settled, but that didn't mean the hurricane of emotions between the two boys hadn't.

Flash was flirting with Kaelyn over the microphone and just listening to it, Miles wanted to barf in his mouth. Judging by the redhead's expression, he could tell she was feeling the same thing. Then, the weirdest thing happened.

"Don't worry, Flash, I don't date losers," Kaelyn spoke matter-of-factly, "That's why Peter's my boyfriend and not you."

"Holy shit, no way," Claudia muttered as the two of them watched while leaning against the wall and staying away from the crowded dance floor where this was all going down. Now that was a couple Miles hadn't expected. Well, he didn't have much to say for himself in that area considering he dated Flash Thompson.

Flash scoffed, still speaking into the microphone, "Oh, yeah? Prove it."

Sure enough, the crowd began chanting those last two words and like a car crash, Miles could not look away. Kaelyn and Peter kissed in the middle of the dance floor and strangely, Miles felt a sort of envy. He had never gotten to kiss Flash in front of a bunch of people like that. He never would. Not that he wanted to kiss Flash anymore, at least, that's what he was constantly trying to convince himself.

"Man," Miles sighed as he eyed the scene, "I fucking hate high school parties."

I had to re-read a chapter of Busted to write this scene and man, I miss when things were simple with Kaelyn Peter, now everyone is just dead and sad also thank you to starIords for the beautiful new cover gin is so talented and amazing and i love her