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Gwen searched everywhere for Peter, but nothing, it was like he vanished in thin air. She had to find him: it was clear for her that something happened at the party, and she was sure Veronica had something to do with it.

Unknown to Gwen, she wasn't the only one searching for Peter: Betty Cooper was running in every corridor, everywhere, desperately trying to find him before Gwen. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense that Gwen felt something for him: the way she hugged him the first time she saw him, and also when he left Pop's, the way she always looked at him, the way she was upset everytime he talked about Veronica...Kevin was right and she couldn't waste any time.

Peter was trying to avoid anyone that day: not only his relationship with Veronica was broken, but that dream...that frightening nightmare was still tormenting him. He thought that, in a way, he deserved it, that this was his punishment for all the pain he brought to her Aunt, for the murder of Ben. How couldn't he blame himself?

But eventually hiding wouldn't have been an option anymore, because he obviously had to be in his first class. Once he got inside everyone's gazes were on him, including Archie's, Veronica's, Betty's and Gwen's. He ignored everyone and went to sit in an empty seat, keeping his head on his sketchbook while drawing projects for a possible new suit, new web-shooters, etc.

The people inside were whispering among eachother about what happened at the party with Archie and Veronica. Betty's and Gwen's gazes never left Peter, and neither Archie's. He was feeling like shit for what he did to him, and so was feeling Veronica, who had her gaze on the table she was sat in. It was like she lost her constant party mood, she was truly upset about what she did and didn't know how to make it up with Peter. At this point Jason's death wasn't the only topic discussed at school: everybody talked about the party and each one had an opinion on the matter. Some thought Veronica was cruel, some thought it was Archie's fault, others that it was just a kiss, while others said that it was a serious matter, the jocks (of course) were happy for having been able to land a hit on Penis Parker, while some of the cheerleaders were truly sorry for what happened, one of them being Flash's girlfriend, Liz Allan. Liz wasn't pining over Peter, but she knew that he didn't deserve all the hate he recieved that evening at the party: he was a nice guy, and she would've confronted her boyfriend about what he and his friends did, including Cheryl.

That's why she was talking to the 'red widow' in class

Liz: *with crossed arms* "You know, I never thought you were that cruel, Cheryl."

Cheryl: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Liz: "I'm talking about what you did to Peter, Cheryl: you went too far."

Cheryl: "I made him learn his place on the social pyramid, Liz."

Liz: "You were cruel. After what he suffered-"

Cheryl: "And what about me?! He dared to lecture me, humiliate me in front of everyone, I only returned the favour."

Liz: "No, you did much else: you broke his heart."

Cheryl: "It was Veronica who broke his heart: I didn't force her to make out with Archie in the closet."

Liz: "...you're incredible, Cheryl. All he did was defending his friend from you, but maybe you can't comprehend something like this."

Cheryl: "If you don't agree with my antics you can just leave the Vixens, I don't care."

Liz: "With pleasure. And for the record, I'm not the only one who thinks that you're truly a cruel person."

After that Liz left the class under the perplexed gaze of Peter. Cheryl seemed taken aback from what Liz said, but she kept her proud little smile. Archie was also confused, he thought her and Liz were inseparable, and yet she just kicked her out of the team, he wanted to know...

After a few moments everyone heard their teacher's words

Teacher: "Seats, everyone! Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up!"

Archie: "Can I be with Cheryl?"

Veronica already talked with Peter, so she wanted to talk to Betty too: she saw how her friend glared at her after she came out of the closet. Veronica knew that Betty had a thing for Archie...but she also thought that she felt something for Peter too, she had to know.

Veronica: "And I wanna be with Betty!"

Betty wasn't very happy with this: she was still angry at her for betraying Peter's trust, not to mention that she kissed Archie without even knowing that she felt nothing anymore for him, meaning that she would've betrayed her if she still had a thing for Archie, and that made her piss.

Betty: "Oh, uh, I was thinking I'd partner with Kevin."

Betty thought it was a perfect excuse: she was already near Kevin, but some way Parker luck managed to get a hit on her too...

Moose: "Actually, uh, Keller's with me: we, like, talked."

Kevin: "Oh God."

And there goes Betty's only hope, or maybe not...

Betty: "Hey, Peter, you're all alone, would you like company?"

Veronica, at this point, knew that Betty would be on Terminator mode if she was alone with her. Peter barely glanced behind him, towards Betty's table, and understood that she wanted not to sit with Veronica, so he shrugged at Betty.

Peter: "If you want..."

His tone was very sad, but it was just merely percievable...except for his girl friends. Betty was fast to sit with him, and Gwen cursed herself for not being fast enough to ask that. Veronica ended up sitting at a random table, near a girl she didn't know, wishing to be at Betty's spot near Peter.

Betty glanced at Peter, seeing his sad brown eyes staying on the table.

Betty: "Hey, Peter. So...do you wanna talk about last night?"

Peter: "Ehm...not-not really...sorry."

Betty: "No no, it's okay. You know, I'm just worried about you: you've dealt with so much in these months..."

Peter: "I appreciate it, Betty, I-I really do. But...I'm not really in the mood for talking today."

Betty: *with a sad smile* "Okay, Peter, I understand."

After a few moments, while Peter kept cutting and dissecting the toad in front of them, he said

Peter: "I'm sorry for Archie, I know how much you liked him."

Betty: *showing a sad smile* (if only you knew, Peter) "Thanks, Peter, I mean it. And I'm sorry about Veronica, I saw how you cared for her..."

Peter: "I-It's okay: we talked and she...she said she would make up to me in every way she can...but I'm not ready yet to forgive her, you know?"

Betty: "I completely get it, Peter. I practically went all out at Archie for what he did at the party, so..."

Peter: "Betty..."

Betty: "What?"

Peter: "...why did you abandon me?"

Betty: "W-What?"

Peter: "This Summer. We live practically near eachother, yet you didn't visit me once after...you know. Look, I'm not mad at you, but I need to know."

Betty feared the time when this conversation would've been held between them: she never wanted to leave him on his own, she'd been stupid, and she regretted every moment what she did to one of her best friends. Now here he was, Peter Parker, asking why his friend hasn't been a friend towards him. Peter saw the look of guilt on her face, so he put an arm around her and showed her a smile.

Peter: "Hey, I'm sorry, this question can wait for another moment. As I said I'm not mad at you. Even though you ditched me, I'm happy you sent me messages from time to time, it made me feel...not alone, you know? So...thank you, Betty."

Betty couldn't believe her ears: the same boy who lost his Uncle and was abandoned by his friends, including her, was now thanking her for the silly and stupid 'Hello, how are you?' messages she sent him. Just when she thought that Peter Parker couldn't surprise her anymore, he always managed to take her by surprise. She was truly moved by his kind words and, with teary eyes, hugged tightly Peter

Betty: *whispers* "I'm so sorry, Peter. I swear I won't do something like that to you ever again."

Peter returned the hug

Peter: *whispers* "Hey, shh...it's ok. I could never be mad at you, Betty Cooper."

Betty felt relieved at his words, words that also gave her a sense of hope, hope that the boy hugging her could maybe...probably...hopefully feel something for her, and this made her smile in his shoulder, now wet due to her tears.

Betty: *parting from the hug* "Sorry, I got your sweater wet."

Peter: *smiling* "Don't worry, it's okay."

Betty: (that damn smile of yours will be my end, Peter)

Meanwhile Gwen was watching the whole scene, and she was both happy that in some way Betty managed to make Peter smile...but was also mad that it was Betty to make him smile. She watched the look on her face and could tell it was a look of pure kiss desire, because is the same look she herself always had towards the curly brunette boy who always stood by her side, made her smile despite the odds, and put the others before himself...now it was her turn to do something for him: she would've talked to him later, discover what was upsetting him and comforted him.

In the meantime Archie was talking with Cheryl, he wanted to know what was the reason for her to kick Liz out of the Vixens, and he also wanted to know how she was holding up with her brother's death.

Archie: "Cheryl, we haven't talked since the summer, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your brother."

Cheryl: "Jason was the best."

Archie: "If I can do something to help..."

Cheryl: "That's sweet, Archie, but unless you were at Sweetwater River and know who shot Jason..."

Archie at this point remembered the gunshot he and Ms. Grundy heard the 4th of July, and he silently cursed his morals that, in these days, were a bit on and off, so he asked with a little uncertainty

Archie: "Do, uh...do you know if the police have any leads?"

Cheryl: "What? No, you ghoul, but it's only a matter of time, and my twintuition is telling me it's someone we all know."

Archie: "Right."

Archie then looked at the poor dead toad on the table, the animal they had to use the scalpel on, and Archie thought about Cheryl. He thought that this could've been strange for her due to the fact that her brother's body was being examined by the coroner, so he offered himself to do it, but Cheryl, with a murderous look on her eyes directed to the girls who were saying awful things about her, started to cut through the toad's skin. Archie was a bit worried for her at this point, but he still had a question for her

Archie: "Cheryl, if I may ask, why did you kick Liz out of the Vixens?"

Cheryl: "Were you listening to our conversation?"

Archie: "Well, you weren't exactly silent."

Cheryl: "I was just teasing, Archie. For the reason I did it, it was because of what she said."

Archie: "And it was...?"

Cheryl: "Why so interested, Archie?"

Archie noticed the change of attitude of the red-headed girl, and decided to let it go. He thought he could've asked Liz another time anyway.

Archie: "It was just curiosity, but nevermind that."

After the lesson was over Peter excused himself from Betty and headed out for lunch. She did offer him a place on her and Kevin's table, but he politely refused: he needed to be alone and think, so he just sat on the school's steps and held his hands clasped with his fingers interlocked to one another and kept his head lowered. He must've stayed like that for a lot, because he was seen by none other than Gwen Stacy, who finally found the perfect occation to speak with him

Gwen: "Hey, Peter."

Peter was surprised to hear her speak to him since she was angry at him, but it was a very welcomed surprise

Peter: "Hey."

She sat near him and held her hands in the same position as Peter's, then awkwardly asked him

Gwen: "So...how are you?"

Peter: "...Good."

Gwen didn't buy it, she turned to face him

Gwen: "Nuh huh, how are you really? I saw you being off all day, you didn't even look at your...beautiful girlfriend. So tell me, what happened?"

Peter: *chuckles a bit* "I never managed to hide anything from you..."

Peter lowered his head a bit, thinking about what happened to him in these past months.

First he got his powers, that he thought were a blessing, a way not to be a loser anymore, but that thought got away after his Uncle, his father figure, his life model, died because of him, because he couldn't stop a damn thief. Because of him his Aunt, who was practically his mother, was suffering every day, plus she was struggling with the money, even though she didn't want him to know, he wasn't stupid. He always heard her cry in the darkness of the night, making him unable to sleep and leading him to get out and swing from building to building, just to take his mind off of it. Then the same people he trusted and he thought were his friends just abandoned him, leaving him alone. Now he thought he met someone who really cared for him, but the same person betrayed him with his once best friend, and the worst part was that Gwen warned him

Peter: "...You were right."

Gwen: "What do you mean? About what?"

Peter: "About Veronica, you were right: you said that I barely knew her and that it was too early to...but I didn't listen."

Gwen realised that her suspicions were correct, she definetely did something to upset him this bad, and she was ready to unleash Hell on her. Gwen put a hand on the both of his

Gwen: "What did she do to you?"

Peter: "Do you remember the party Cheryl was having?"

Gwen: "Yes, I do."

Peter: "Well, I couldn't go with her because I had to do something important, so I went there a bit later..."

Gwen: "Okay..."

Peter: "I-I entered and was greeted by Flash..."

Gwen: "Oh no, what did he do?"

Peter: "He just said 'hi' and called me 'buddy'"

Gwen: "'Buddy'? Suspicious..."

Peter: "That's exactly what I thought. Then he led me to a room where everyone gathered and made me sit between Chuck and Reggie, while he stood up in front of me."

Gwen: "...They trapped you."

Peter: "Basically, yeah. Betty tried to tell them to leave me be, but they didn't leave me. They kept asking me questions about me and Veronica, and I ended up saying that we kissed and that..."

Gwen: "What?"

Peter: "That I...l-loved her..."

Gwen was deeply hurt by this statement. The fact that he felt this for her made her almost cry...almost...then she noticed that he said 'loved' and not 'love'

Gwen: "Oh...wait, 'loved'? Why the past tense?"

Peter stood silent

Gwen: "...It wasn't a simple argument, was it?"

Peter shook his head 'no'

Gwen: "What happened?"

Peter: "Flash said that she would've been there in five minutes, and when she arrived..."

Gwen felt that the next thing was hard for him to say, so she took both his hands in hers and made him turn to her direction. She noticed his head was low, so she gently lifted it with her finger, making him look at her sweet, sad smile she was giving him, saying to him to continue

Peter: "W-When she a-arrived, she wasn't a-alone, with her was...A-A-Archie...c-covered in h-her l-l-lipstick..."

Gwen's smile faded and her eyes widened in surprise: she couldn't believe that Veronica did this to him, and that Archie betrayed his trust like this. When she saw Peter's eyes fill with tears she pulled him in a tight and comforting hug. Peter didn't deserve all of this: first his Uncle, then this...it was unfair. Hearing him sob in her chest only made her heart break, and made her remember when they were in this same position when his Uncle died. It made her hurt to see one of the most sweet, happy, selfless and caring boys she knew cry like this.

Gwen: "Hey, shh...it's alright, I'm here. Hey...have you already talked to Archie?"

Peter: *sniff* "I haven't for all summer..."

Gwen: "What?"

Gwen was confused: why on Earth didn't they speak for all summer? What happened while Harry and her were away?

Gwen: "Peter, what do you mean 'all summer'? What happened while Harry and I were away?"

Peter: "I...they..."

Gwen: "'They'?"

She parted away just a bit to watch him in the eyes. She brushed off his tears with her thumb, then she caressed his cheek with a worried expression on her face

Gwen: "...Peter, what happened to you? What happened during these months?"

Peter was uncertain if he should tell her: he wanted his best friends to rebond, he wanted the six musketeers back together...but he also needed to tell someone how he truly was feeling, he needed to get rid of all this venom inside of him, and besides...Gwen was his best best friend, he never felt so attached to someone other than her, not even Betty...she deserved to know

Peter: "They...a-a-abandoned me..."

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