chapter nineteen:
❛ starks glasses ❜

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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

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Gwen was nestled in her bus seat, drifting in and out of sleep, her headphones cocooning her in a world of music. Outside, the sun was setting, casting warm shades of orange and pink over the rolling European countryside as their bus bumped along the highway. She was halfway between a dream and reality, her head leaning against the cool glass of the window, the steady hum of the bus lulling her deeper into relaxation.

Suddenly, she felt a persistent shaking on her shoulder. The touch was frantic and pulled her immediately from her half-sleep. Her eyes flew open, startled, and her vision sharpened to see Peter Parker's face right in front of hers, looking wide-eyed, out of breath, and oddly enough, wearing a pair of very familiar glasses-Stark's EDITH glasses.

Gwen pulled her headphones down, brows knitting in confusion. "What, Peter?"

Peter, swallowing nervously, looked around as if ensuring no one was paying attention. His eyes met hers, and he leaned in close, whispering hurriedly, "I... I may have, uh... accidentally sent a kill vehicle to Brad. And I don't know how to stop it."

The words took a second to sink in, but when they did, Gwen's eyes went wide, and she felt a surge of adrenaline shoot through her veins. "What?!"

Her raised voice drew curious glances from the students sitting around them, but Gwen ignored them, her mind racing. Without another word, she stood up, grabbed the glasses off Peter's face, and put them on herself. "EDITH," she said urgently.

The AI's calm voice responded, "Hello, Gwendolyn Stacy."

Peter blinked, his surprise apparent. "How do you know her name?"

Gwen looked at him, equally baffled. "Ac-actually, I'm not sure." Shaking it off, she focused again. "EDITH, cancel kill vehicle!"

"Cancel not overridden," EDITH replied in an unruffled tone. Gwen let out an exasperated groan, pulling the glasses off in frustration.

"Damn it, Tony Stark, and your glitchy, janky-ass tech!" she muttered. But before she could react further, a hand shot out, and Flash grabbed the glasses right from her hands.

Flash held them up, grinning as he inspected them. "Dope glasses. How did you afford these?" He slipped them on, clearly impressed with the high-tech look.

Gwen shot Peter a wide-eyed look of panic, and he mirrored her worry. They needed those glasses back, and fast. "Flash," she snapped, her voice firm, "give them back."

"Flash, please," Peter added, his voice more pleading, but his urgency was clear.

Gwen glanced over her shoulder toward the back of the bus. Her breath caught as she spotted the kill vehicle speeding up behind them, its sleek form cutting through traffic, closing in dangerously fast. Her pulse quickened.

"Flash!" she tried again, reaching for the glasses, but Flash held them just out of her reach, smirking.

Peter's expression hardened, and before Gwen could say anything, he moved faster than she thought possible, his fist connecting with Flash's face. Flash's head snapped back, and he slumped into his seat, knocked out cold, the glasses slipping from his hand.

"What the hell, Peter!" Gwen hissed, looking at Flash's unconscious form in disbelief.

"I didn't mean to punch him, I swear!" Peter whispered, his face a mix of regret and urgency. "He just wouldn't let go of the glasses!"

Gwen rolled her eyes as Peter gingerly picked the glasses back up, leaning down to whisper a quick apology to the unconscious Flash. With a nervous glance around the bus, Peter slid the glasses back on. "EDITH," he murmured under his breath, "please don't kill Brad."

Meanwhile, Gwen noticed MJ watching them from a few seats over, a faint smirk on her lips. Gwen shot her a sharp glare, silently daring her to say something. MJ, amused, turned her attention out the window.

From behind them, a voice asked, "Did you just punch Flash?" Zoha, sitting a row back, looked between Peter and Gwen with a mixture of surprise and approval.

"No," Peter replied quickly, his voice high-pitched and defensive, clearly not fooling anyone.

Gwen glanced back at the front of the bus where Dimitri, their driver, was obliviously chatting away. Her gaze flicked back to the kill vehicle tailing them, its sleek black frame flashing ominously in the side mirrors. Without thinking, she surged forward, grabbing the steering wheel. "Dimitri, I'll take over for a second!"

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked, but before he could react, Gwen jerked the wheel hard, causing the bus to swerve violently to the left.

Everyone on the bus screamed as they were flung to the side, their bodies crashing against each other as the bus tilted dangerously. She heard the loud, metallic crack as the kill vehicle fired, its bullet smashing into one of the side mirrors, sending glass splinters flying.

Clinging to the aisle with one hand, Gwen shot webs out to two nearby seats with her other hand, anchoring herself as the bus continued to swerve. She hauled herself upright just as Dimitri wrestled the wheel back under control.

"Peter, Gwendolyn, sit down and buckle up!" Mr. Harrington shouted from his seat, panic in his voice. Gwen shot Peter a quick glance, mouthing, "Go, now!"

Thinking fast, Gwen pointed out the window, her voice loud and animated. "Oh my god, baby mountain goats!"

Everyone on the bus, including Mr. Harrington, turned to look out the windows, craning to see the imaginary goats. While they were distracted, Gwen leapt up, pushing open the emergency hatch on the bus ceiling and poking her head outside.

The kill vehicle was closing in, its sleek, black exterior gleaming menacingly in the setting sun. Wasting no time, Gwen shot her hands forward, her webs shooting out and latching onto the vehicle. She tugged hard, pulling it closer until she felt it begin to lose control. Just as it reached the bus, it veered off and exploded in mid-air, pieces scattering across the road.

Gwen ducked back inside, breathing heavily, her heart racing as she clambered back down into her seat. Mr. Harrington turned around, his brow furrowed. "I don't see any mountain goats," he said, looking thoroughly confused.

Ignoring him, Gwen turned to Peter, who was staring at her, half in awe, half in relief. She smirked, brushing imaginary dust off her shoulders. "You're welcome. I just saved our asses."

Peter let out a breath he'd been holding and slumped into the seat beside her, shaking his head with a small, grateful smile. Gwen noticed how tense he still looked, and her expression softened. She knew exactly why he had panicked like that. The photo-the one with the mysterious Russian woman. She hadn't missed the rumors circulating and could only imagine the trouble that picture had caused him.

With a sigh, Gwen stood up and made her way to the back of the bus where Brad was sitting, his phone clutched in his hand, clearly texting someone. She reached out, snatching it right out of his grip.

"Hey!" Brad protested, reaching for his phone, but Gwen sidestepped him with ease.

Ignoring him, she opened his photo gallery, scrolling through until she found the picture of Peter and the woman. She deleted it, then navigated to the "Recently Deleted" folder and erased it permanently. Satisfied, she handed his phone back with a glare. "Don't be a jerk, Brad. What you saw isn't what you think it was. And if you did this to impress me because of your obvious crush on me... it didn't work."

Brad's face fell, and he looked away, his pride visibly stung. Gwen spun on her heel, making her way back to her seat beside Peter.

"Photo's gone," she said, settling back into her seat with a satisfied sigh.

Peter stared at her in disbelief, his expression softening with gratitude. "You... you really did that for me?"

Gwen shrugged, her lips curving into a small smile. "We're friends again, aren't we? What are friends for?"

Peter's expression shifted, a familiar teasing glint appearing in his eyes. "Friends who... you know... kissed twice before?"

Gwen felt her cheeks flush a warm pink, and she quickly looked away, biting her lip to keep from smiling too wide. "You owe me for saving your ass. Like, the tenth time."

Peter laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back. "It definitely hasn't been ten times."

Gwen arched an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. "Feels like it."

As the bus continued down the road, Gwen let herself relax, feeling a warmth in her chest she hadn't expected. She and Peter shared a quiet laugh, and for the first time since they'd arrived, the chaos and worry melted away, leaving her with just a sense of calm. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

ASH SPEAKS!

this slowburn is slowburninggggg (its almost over guys)

i apologize for another short chapter 🤧

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!!!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)