Starting with a trip on the subway, Peter, Michelle, and Ned rode until they reached lower Manhattan. It seemed nervously quiet in moments, as they were all getting used to being together in a setting that didn't involve Michelle instructing them what to review in decathlon practice. Heck, this was all was more for Ned to get used to. He meant what he said when he said he noticed Michelle watching Peter with an interested, sometimes longing, look. He found it cute over time and sometimes wondered what a relationship between her and Peter would look like. What clichéd sayings they would exchange with each other. How would they make each other happy and how would they tick each other off. Actually, it didn't take much to think about what Peter could do to tick off MJ. But still, it was fun to think about, and now they were actually together. Which, in its own right, can be different from what ever you imagined.

Other than that, the ride over was quite content among all three. However, Peter did go into lookout phase. In other words, a way of him observing people and places around them seeing where a source of potential trouble could come from; like he was being Spider-Man without the costume on. It was almost natural for him to do this, as this came with the responsibility of being a superhero. But with the mask off, he looked more like that creep you find randomly looking at you uncomfortably. He was the only one standing while his two friends sat snuggly in a partially crowded side of the train car. They both noticed this behavior, knowing better than most of the passengers around them.

"Dude" Peter heard his larger friend say, turning his head toward them. He could see an almost embarrassed, yet amused, expressions on their faces. "What?"

"You look like you've just committed murder and looking for your next victim" Michelle honestly told him. Ned nodded along with her, making Peter ponder his actions. Realizing what kind of behavior people could perceive from him, he blushed and gulped so hard that it made his friends burst out laughing. Michelle sank her head into her lap as she laughed, while Ned leaned back and wrapped his stomach with his arms to brace the burning sensation that came with laughing so hard.

The conversation that followed lasted until they hoped off the subway and walked a few blocks to catch a bus that would take them across the East River into New Jersey. The ride only lasted twenty minutes, but it felt longer with all the traffic they encountered just to get to the Holland Tunnel around the Greenwich/Tribeca area. Although, once they were inside the tunnel, things seemed to quicken. And once they reached their final point on the bus, they boarded another train that would take them to a decent walking distance from Liberty State Park; the park that hosted the music festival.

They walked up the Northern most street of the park up to the entrance, where a crowd of a hundred or more waited to enter. A peppiness was in their stride as the energy and anticipation started to swell, for this was probably the most fun thing that any of them had done all summer. Time would pass until their tickets were scanned and they could pass through the gates. Their eyes explored the new surroundings, noting every detail they could find. Everywhere they looked was either a stage, tent, or trailer with crowds of people standing around or inside. The sound of DJ's mixing a set of beats and sounds to create a sound of their own and people cheering like crazy. The mixed aroma of dozens of food vendors all swirling together, enticing hungry or weak-minded walkers into buying something just so they could bite into something. Even more interesting was the different types of people that they saw. Peter and Ned especially were awe-struck with the scene before them. Like a collage of sizes, colors, interests, and styles all collected in one place.

"Wow" the two friends commented. Michelle's mouth pulled into a small smile, as they both geeked out in a new way.  "This is amazing!" Ned continued.

"It's like we've entered a new realm" Peter said. "One where people wear glitter on their faces and colorful highlights in their hair."

"That's not a weird observation" Michelle said, a hint of sarcasm present in her voice. "Is it just me, or does it look like everyone is either wearing tank tops, cargo pants, bandanas, or nothing at all?" Ned followed, still observing everything around him. "You missed a category" Michelle again commented, only for Peter and Ned to stare ponderously to her. She immediately nods past them, giving them a hint that they should be looking at something. They look in the direction she nodded toward and spotted a gaggle of college girls giggling and galloping together wearing only daisy dukes and bikini tops. The eyes of Peter and Ned incredulously widened, and their cheeks blushed a hot red as their eyes found the regions that were off limits. It didn't help any further when one of the girls noticed their staring and made a disgusted expression toward their behavior. They shrunk as quickly as they turned away, their cheeks redder than before. Michelle scoffed with an exhausted eyeroll. "Boys."

"It was implied! Okay!" Ned said hoping to save his dignity.

They continued walking around being fascinated with everything around them. Small local music groups and solo artists were also at the festival to showcase their talents. They stopped near a few that sounded nice, as they still had over an hour until the Billy Joel concert. Each band had their own unique personality. One would be very hipster, another more techno-based, and another so wild that you wouldn't know where to categorize them. It was beyond bad, as the lead guitarist looked like he was more interested in how many hair-flips and flexy guitar strums. It totally threw off the rest of his fellow band members, who were obviously trying their hardest to keep the tune in order. The trio didn't stay too long for this group as they were getting a little tired from listening to random guitar solos that were terrible to listen to.

"Gosh! This is awful" Ned criticized. "I wonder how they were able to get an invite?"

"They're probably high or something" Peter answered, sounding like it wasn't worth much thinking to figure it out. Michelle pursed her lips understandably, as the behavior displayed in-front of them would be something someone under the influence would possibly do. "Let's go find something else." They all agreed to leave, watching the terrible guitarist one last time as they did. However, as Ned's gaze left the guitarist, it soon spotted a familiar figure. A short, blonde figure with one of the brightest smiles he's ever known. He slowed his pace as he soon recognized who it was.

"Hey, look! It's Betty!" He pointed her out to Peter and Michelle, who lightly smiled at the sight of their fellow classmate and school news reporter. She looked the same as she did in school with a blue wool sweater, light jeans, and designer sneakers. She stood behind a metal gate at the end of the stage, watching the band with the terrible guitarist with interest and joy. "Oh, yeah! It is her" Peter replied pleasantly. "Let's go say hi!" Ned then suggested and walked with the couple behind him. They moved at a steady pace, as they didn't want to be separated through the dispersed crowd that sat between them and Betty. Eventually, they all made it through and walked right up to her.

"Betty!" The blonde teen turned at the sound of her name, only to find Ned's joyful smile first. As soon as she recognized Ned, the images of Peter and Michelle soon walked out from behind him. Her lips pulled into a smile for the random encounter with her classmates. "Hey, guys! Nice to see you!"

"You too" they all replied. Ned was the most enthusiastic of the group. Peter was just a tad less than he was, and Michelle was more toward the neutral. "Are you a VIP or something?" Ned asked, wondering how she would have access to be in the performers and crew only area.

"Sort of" she answered with a nervous chuckle. "My brother's the guitarist and my whole family gets backstage access." At this point, the trio almost felt bad for her to have a brother that would willingly go out on stage and make a fool out of himself, though they didn't want to show or tell her that. "Oh- that's... cool" Peter said as neutrally as he could.

"He sounds like a dying velociraptor" MJ so honestly followed, practically stealing the air from the other three. "MJ!" Ned and Peter both gasped, with Betty surprisingly giggling after the fact.

"It's okay. I kind of agree with her" she said. "He's only been playing for a year and his buddies all wanted to form a band."

"So, how did they..."

"How did they manage a spot in the festival?" Betty finished Ned's question. "No clue! All I know is that they found someone to endorse them and now they're here." The three friends all had blank expressions, as it became clear that almost anything was possible, even if it seemed impossible. "So, what are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Peter's aunt got tickets for the Billy Joel concert and he invited us" Ned explained, eager to voice his excitement. Peter smiled happily that Ned was having a good time, then looking to Betty for her reaction. Her reaction was just as kind as anybody's, with a soft smile and engaging eye contact. "Oh, that was nice of your aunt, Peter" she replied. "I wish I would have gone. I like his music."

"Yeah, he's super cool!" Betty nodded in agreement, thinking about the what a good time they would have at the concert. She then turned to Michelle, finding this a rather strange appearance for her. "MJ, I don't think I've ever seen you outside of school. It's kind of weird." Michelle's eyebrows furrowed slowly, almost looking like she was partially scowling. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"Well..." the blonde started, "I only see you at school and you usually keep to yourself. So, it's kind of different seeing you out with people we know." At this point, Peter could see a look in Michelle's expression that tried to hide what she was thinking. To Peter, this was almost an accusation for stemming away from what people have stereotyped about her. "What made you want to come out?" Betty continued sweetly.

"These guys had a spare ticket, they asked, and I accepted. Nothing to complicated about that." Michelle said blatantly, trying to stop Betty's curiosity before it flowed into other questions she didn't want to answer just yet. Peter could feel her emotion in every word and knew that her mind was surging with defensive thoughts that would soon turn into offensive comments if it went too far. He gently reached over to her hand and took it in his own. He started massaging her hand with thumb, trying to sooth her thoughts and ease her anxiety. Michelle felt appreciative that Peter had noticed how tense she was getting, as it did calm her nerves back to a normal state.

The same could not be said for Betty, who was a bit taken back by Michelle's blunt response. She was only curious in why she was suddenly hanging out with people from school. But then again, she didn't know her that well. Therefore, how could she have known if she ever was? She shook the thought and nodded, implying that she understood her blunt, and in one way, rude message. "Right. That makes sense."

"So, are you here to support your brother, or something else as well?" Peter asked, trying to bring some levity to the situation. Betty gave a faint smile, appreciating Peter's light tone. "Kinda. I sort of want to support him, but I only came here because... "

"Eh, Betty!" her brother suddenly called from the stage as the band finished their set and were now exiting the stage. The group of teens all looked up to him as he descended the stairs with his shirt off and sweat dripping down his abdomen. "Finish talking with your little friends. The guys wanna go grab a drink before we go home." Peter, Ned and Michelle were all disgusted, now guessing why she was here. They turned their eyes to Betty to see what she would do.

"Bennett, you're supposed to take me home right after the concert, remember? That's what you said!" she feistily replied. "Yea! Well, plans change, sis. So, you're gonna have to wait awhile for that. And you're driving since I won't be able to."

"I only have my temps! I can't drive!" she argues.

"Oh, well! In that case, find your own way home. While you're at, find a way to explain to mom why I would leave my car God knows where just to get home safe, or why I died in an auto wreck!" Betty was rendered silent, only letting out his name for the sake of sanity. "I don't want to hear it! Let's get moving!" He didn't have anything else to say after that, as he followed the rest of the band behind the stage where they all gathered around a large pudgy man that was dispersing envelopes to each member. Ned noted the pudgy man for his ginger hair and beard and glasses that made him seem like any normal schmuck. Just after, Betty turned back to the group with the look of defeat all over her person. "God! I hate him sometimes."

"Well, if you want" Ned said, stuttering before the thought of what Peter and Michelle might think, "you could hang out with us until you find something. I mean the concert's not for another hour and a half. So, that would give you some time to call your parents to come pick you or your brother up, or you could call a cab for him , or..."

"That's nice of you, Ned, but I really should go with Bennett" she explained sweetly and appreciatively. "My parents would kill me if I left him alone to get himself home drunk or high, or something worse. If there is such a thing." Ned's smile fell to a small frown, hoping that she would be alright with a bunch of crazy rockers getting drunk around her. "Plus, I feel like I'd be crowding your night out, and I don't want to do that to you guys."

There was only silence for the moment, for our favorite threesome didn't know what to say to the fact that one of their classmates was being used to drive uncertified with an intoxicated adult in the car. "Um... " Michelle suddenly cut through the silence, "thanks. And be careful. He doesn't look like a trust-worthy person." She said it calmly, but with a bit of an edge. Peter and Ned were a bit surprised that she would be the one to wish her safety. Betty perked up a smile and thanked her. "Thanks, I'm sure I can keep up with him. It's just the driving that scares me. Ya know?"

"BETTS! LET'S GO!" her brother called to her again from behind the stage.

"I'm coming!" she turned and yelled back, her hands jutting out of her frame to exaggerate her expression. She turned back to her classmates with a sad smile. "I gotta go, guys. Have fun at the concert!"

"We certainly will!" Ned said, as the three of them all waved her off. Michelle did so less enthusiastically, as she was still curious about the meaning of her words to her. Betty waved back as she started walking down the space between stages and soon vanished behind the stage. The trio turned back and resumed their roaming of the festival.

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A/N- Howdy, folks. How's everyone holding up? I'm not sure if I gave this statement that last time I updated, but I still know that we'll make it through this. We've only been here for roughly four weeks, and hopefully it will die down in the upcoming month. I gotta tell ya, I do miss work and going to physical school, or just going to the movies. Plus, they moved back all the MCU movies by about three or four months. So that's a bummer. But still, we can do this. Don't lose hope!

Onto the chapter! This bit at the music festival will go on for another chapter where I will round up on the event there. But for this portion, it's all about establishing new friendships. Like Ned getting used to Peter and Michelle, or the inclusion of Betty. Speaking of which, I've been waiting to do something with Betty for a while and now I get to work with her. I think she will be our main non-spidey side story of the book. I hope you like what I'm doing with her so far.

Hope you guys are doing alright and that you liked the chapter. Leave a vote if you did, and don't forget to express your thoughts in the comments. New chapter coming next month, so be sure to be on the lookout for the "May Updates" announcement to find out when it will be released. Until next time, BYE!!!