chapter eight:
❛ detective skills ❜

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Gwen knelt down in front of her nine-year-old brother Max, adjusting the straps on his backpack while trying to keep her voice steady. Max was fidgeting, his wide eyes watching her closely as though she might vanish at any moment. Mrs. Henderson stood by the front door, her elderly dog Baxter curled up on the welcome mat, breathing heavily as he dozed.

"Max, you're gonna have a great time with Mrs. Henderson and Baxter, okay?" Gwen smiled, trying to keep things light. "I'll only be gone for a couple of days."

But Max wasn't having it. His brow furrowed, and his hands tightened into little fists at his sides. "But what about Mom?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly. "Aren't you gonna look for her?"

Gwen froze for a moment, the mention of their mom making her chest tighten. She swallowed the lump in her throat and placed a gentle hand on Max's shoulder. "Max... the police are looking for her, okay? They're doing everything they can."

Max shook his head stubbornly, his eyes welling up. "But what if they don't find her? What if she—"

"Max, please," Gwen interrupted softly, her own voice wavering now. "I love you, okay? But I need you to be good for Mrs. Henderson while I'm gone."

Max's face turned red as he stomped his foot on the hardwood floor. "No! I don't want you to go! You're supposed to stay and help find her! Why are you leaving me?" His voice cracked, the frustration and fear pouring out of him.

Gwen's heart sank as she watched her brother's small frame tremble with emotion. She didn't know how to explain to Max that she couldn't stop her entire life, even though that's exactly what she wanted to do. The trip was mandatory, and they were barely holding it together as it was. She couldn't let him see how scared she was too. How much she worried about their mom every single day.

Mrs. Henderson, sensing the tension building, stepped forward and crouched down next to Max, her kindly face soft with understanding. "Max, sweetheart, I know you're worried about your mom," she said gently, reaching out to pat his arm. "But you don't have to do this all alone, you hear? Baxter and I are here. We're gonna keep each other company, and we'll even do something fun while Gwen's away. How does that sound?"

Max looked up at her, his bottom lip quivering as he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. "But what if she never comes back?"

Gwen's breath caught at the bluntness of his question. She opened her mouth, trying to come up with something—anything—that would reassure him. But Mrs. Henderson beat her to it.

"Now, none of that, Max," she said firmly but kindly. "Your mom would want you to be strong, wouldn't she? Just like your sister here. And I promise you, Gwen will be back in no time at all. You'll barely notice she's gone, because you'll be too busy playing with Baxter and helping me bake those cookies we talked about."

Max sniffled and glanced at Baxter, who was still snoozing on the mat, completely oblivious to the turmoil in the room. Slowly, he nodded, though his little fists were still clenched at his sides.

Gwen reached out and pulled him into a hug, pressing her cheek against his hair. "I'll be back before you know it, okay? And I'll call you every night." She kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Max."

Max mumbled into her shoulder, "Love you too."

Mrs. Henderson smiled warmly at Gwen as she stood up, brushing off her knees. "Go on now, dear. We'll be just fine."

Gwen lingered for a moment, looking at her little brother's tear-streaked face, but she knew she had to leave. With one last wave, she picked up her bag and headed out the door, the weight of everything—Max, their mom, her own fears—settling heavily on her shoulders.

But she trusted Mrs. Henderson. And she had to believe, for Max's sake, that everything would be okay.

Gwen bit her nails anxiously, her gaze flitting between her watch and the bus that was still waiting to be filled. Standing beside MJ, she tried to focus on the excitement of the upcoming school trip, but her mind kept wandering back to her mother's mysterious disappearance. It was a gnawing worry that wouldn't leave her, no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

"Peter?" The voice broke through her swirling thoughts. Gwen turned abruptly, her frustration bubbling up as she saw Peter Parker jogging toward them. The sight of him stirred a mix of irritation and curiosity in her.

"Oh, look, who decided to show up," Gwen said with a scoff, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She crossed her arms and glared at Peter, who was trying to catch his breath.

Peter looked momentarily hurt but quickly turned his attention to Liz Allan, who had been waiting nearby. "I was hoping I could rejoin the team," he said, his voice tentative.

Flash Thompson, always eager to assert his dominance, strode over with a smirk. "No way. You can't just quit on us and then waltz back in like nothing happened," Flash retorted, his tone laced with condescension.

Gwen sighed deeply, her irritation with the entire situation palpable. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Flash actually has a point," she stated, crossing her arms tighter.

Before Peter could respond, Mr. Harrington emerged from the bus, his enthusiasm palpable. "Hey, welcome back! Flash, you're back to first alternate," he announced cheerfully.

Gwen's eyes widened in disbelief. "No effing way," she muttered under her breath, her teeth grinding in frustration.

MJ, still absorbed in her book, chuckled softly beside her. "Maybe this trip will help you stop hating Peter so much," she said, not looking up.

Gwen shot her a scowl. "You think so?" she retorted, clearly annoyed by MJ's nonchalant attitude.

MJ, unperturbed, stepped forward. "Excuse me, can we get moving already? I was hoping to get in some protesting in front of an embassy before dinner," she said with a determined air.

Gwen folded her arms and joined her. "Protesting is patriotic. Let's get on the bus," she said, nodding toward the vehicle.

Mr. Harrington, ever the supportive teacher, agreed. "Protesting is patriotic. Let's get on the bus," he said as he ushered the students aboard.

Gwen and MJ made their way to the back of the bus, claiming a pair of seats in the far rear. MJ immediately pulled out her book, diving into its pages with the usual intensity. Gwen, meanwhile, settled in beside her, staring blankly out the window. The rain pelted the glass in a steady rhythm, a perfect mirror to the chaotic swirl of thoughts in her mind.

Her thoughts were clouded with worries about her mother's disappearance and the strange feeling that Peter Parker might have a connection to Spider-Man. Ned's casual comment in gym class a few days ago about only assisting Spider-Man had only heightened her suspicions. The rain outside seemed to intensify her thoughts, making her wonder if Peter was hiding something.

Her reverie was abruptly shattered when Peter stood up and walked toward the back of the bus, taking a seat next to Ned. He seemed preoccupied, his voice low and his words barely audible as he spoke into his phone. Gwen's curiosity spiked as she watched them from her seat.

"MJ," Gwen whispered urgently, nudging her friend, "Don't you think that's suspicious?"

MJ, engrossed in her book, barely looked up. "Nope," she replied nonchalantly.

Gwen's frustration boiled over. "I mean, seriously! I had a literal staredown with Spider-Man last night in the pouring rain! And now Peter's acting all secretive and weird?"

MJ glanced up briefly, her expression unreadable. "You're overanalyzing things, Gwen," she said with a shrug.

Gwen's frustration reached its peak. "No, I'm not! There's something definitely going on. Just look at how Peter's acting—he's being all sneaky. And what about Ned? Why is he whispering on the phone?"

Flash, sitting a few rows ahead, overheard the conversation and couldn't resist chiming in. "What's this? A staredown with Spider-Man? Sounds like you're just looking for drama," he said with a smirk.

Gwen's eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. "Oh, please, Flash. Maybe if you weren't so busy trying to be the king of everything, you'd notice there's actually something happening here!"

Flash laughed derisively. "Yeah, right. And I suppose you've got some big conspiracy theory about Peter Parker now?"

Gwen's face flushed with anger. "Just because you don't get it doesn't mean it's not happening! Maybe some of us actually care about what's going on!"

MJ, still focused on her book, sighed. "Gwen, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be. Relax and enjoy the trip."

Gwen huffed and leaned back in her seat, casting one last glance at Peter and Ned. Peter was now laughing quietly with Ned, their conversation seemingly lighthearted. The rain outside continued to pound relentlessly, a fitting soundtrack to her tangled emotions. Gwen wondered if she would ever get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding Peter and Spider-Man, or if her fears about her mother would ever be put to rest.

Gwen and MJ entered their modest hotel room, the bustling city lights of the outside world barely visible through the small window. The room had two twin beds with a simple dresser and a small TV mounted on the wall. The décor was bland, but it served its purpose. Gwen was still fuming from the day's events, her thoughts tangled around Peter's suspicious behavior. She dropped her bag on one bed and began pacing the small room, her mind racing.

MJ, on the other hand, had immediately settled onto the other bed with a book in hand, seemingly unaffected by Gwen's agitation. The room was filled with the quiet rustle of pages turning and the occasional sigh from Gwen.

Gwen stopped pacing and turned to MJ, her frustration palpable. "MJ, I don't get how you're so calm about all this. Peter's acting weird—like, seriously weird. He just suddenly rejoined the decathlon team after quitting. He said it's in case 'Mr. Stark needs him.' What kind of excuse is that?"

MJ looked up briefly from her book, her expression unreadable. "Gwen, what's the big deal? Maybe he just wants to help out. People change their minds all the time."

"No, it's not just that," Gwen shot back, her voice rising with irritation. "You didn't see him today. He's been so dodgy and evasive. And don't get me started on this 'Mr. Stark' thing. It's like he's hiding something."

MJ sighed and set her book aside, clearly exasperated. "Alright, fine. If it helps you sleep at night, yes, Peter's been acting a bit off. But I really don't think it's something that's going to end the world."

Gwen's eyes widened as she processed MJ's admission. "Wait, you think—"

MJ interrupted, her tone weary. "Yes, Gwen. If it makes you feel better to think Peter's hiding something, then go ahead. But it's probably not as dramatic as you think."

Gwen's face flushed with a mix of realization and anger. "You knew this all along, didn't you? You were just pretending to be nonchalant to keep me from freaking out!"

MJ sighed and rubbed her temples. "Gwen, I didn't want to worry you more. Sometimes you get fixated on things, and I thought it might help if I downplayed it a bit."

Without giving MJ a chance to respond further, Gwen stormed out of the room, her mind set on confronting Peter. She made her way down the dimly lit hallway, her footsteps echoing off the walls. As she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with Peter, who was standing near the elevator. He wore a hoodie pulled low over his face and carried a backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Peter?" Gwen called out sharply, her voice cutting through the quiet hallway.

Peter looked up, his face a mix of guilt and surprise. "Oh, hey Gwen," he stammered, shifting uncomfortably. "Just heading to the pool with Liz and some of the others."

Gwen's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident. "To the pool? At this hour? And with Liz?"

Peter's gaze darted around nervously. "Yeah, just... just going to hang out. Nothing special."

Gwen crossed her arms, her frustration mounting. "What are you really up to, Parker?"

Peter's voice cracked slightly as he replied, "Nothing, I swear. Just... you know, hanging out."

Before Gwen could press further, Peter mumbled an excuse and hurried off down the hallway, leaving Gwen seething with frustration. Determined to find out what he was up to, Gwen decided to follow him.

As she rounded another corner, she was intercepted by Ned Leeds, who was emerging from the stairwell. "Hey, Gwen!" Ned called cheerfully. "What's up? Are you looking for Peter too?"

Gwen barely glanced at him. "Ned, move out of the way. I'm following Peter."

Ned looked puzzled and tried to keep up with her. "Peter? Oh, he's just heading to the pool. Why are you—"

Gwen pushed past him, her focus entirely on Peter. As she reached the stairwell, she noticed something startling: Spider-Man was perched on the rooftop above. Her heart raced as she saw the familiar red and blue suit silhouetted against the city skyline.

Gwen's mind raced, trying to reconcile the sight of Spider-Man with Peter's suspicious behavior. "How the hell is Spider-Man here now?" she thought, her suspicions about Peter being Spider-Man intensifying.

Gwen turned back to Ned, who was now trying to catch up. "Ned, why didn't you tell me Spider-Man was here?"

Ned looked confused. "I didn't know Spider-Man was here. I thought you were just following Peter."

Gwen rolled her eyes and decided to follow Spider-Man. Why was he here? Where was Peter?

ASH SPEAKS!

storage unit scenes next chapter!!!! HEHEHEH

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