chapter eight!
mystery in the suburbs

THIS WAS a stupid idea.

They shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be doing this. And yet here Peter was, in the passenger seat of May's car, outside Liz's home in the suburbs with his suit tight on his skin under his shirt, jeans and flannel. The wheels of his aunt's car came to a stop in the street, right outside the driveway. Liz's home was ... crazy. Of course, anyone who was able to live in the suburbs━at least, here, held enough money to live quite comfortably. They were by far unlike Peter who had a comfortable and really small apartment in Queens's centre. The house was large; two stories with modern, rough brick foundations and contemporary block-style rooms to which the party could be seen through floor-to-ceiling extravagant windows.

Peter stared, a million possible disaster outcomes running through his head. He heard May and Ned talking, but it was distant like he was listening through a plastic up attached to another with string. His suit itched, as if reminding him, I'm not meant for this. Spider-Man wasn't a party trick, and yet, part of Peter obviously wanted this plan to work, otherwise he wouldn't be wearing it.

But he felt guilty and nervous, and the sudden feeling to run all the way back home. He could probably do it, he had the stamina these days. He wanted to be that spider that scuttled towards the dark corner, under the drains, into the tiniest crevices to get away, but he didn't move.

Cars were parked all up the street. Groups of friends━some in casual get ups of jeans and jumpers, others in tight crops and dresses or collared shirts. He didn't belong here. This wasn't his sort of scene, and he was fine with that ... but at the same time he wasn't. He wanted it to be his scene. He wanted to show Flash up so desperately it hurt. And he most definitely didn't want to disappoint Liz.

"House party in the suburbs," teased May, grinning on youthful olive skin. She then sighed, shoulders slumping as nostalgia hit, "Oh, I remember these. Kind of jealous." Peter knew she was trying to grab his attention, but he was fixed.

Ned poked his head through the seats from the back, very happy with his fedora and bright red shirt. "It'll be a night to be remember."

May smiled at him, chuckling. "Ned," she said, still beaming, "some hats wear men. You wear that hat."

Ned gushed at the compliment, shrugging. "Yeah, it gives me confidence!" he said cheerfully.

"This is a mistake," Peter said finally, forcing himself to look away from Liz's flashy home. "Hey, let's just go home..."

May tilted her head at him, her smile falling to a look of understanding but at the same time Peter had a feeling she didn't. "Oh, Peter," she squeezed his arm. "I know. I know it's really hard, trying to fit in with all the changes your body's going through." Peter made a face━yeah, not what he meant. May gave him a knowing nod, "It's flowering now."

Peter looked away, letting go a sarcastic chuckle at his aunt's antics. At this, May spun around to Ned, "He's so stressed out lately!" she whispered. He threw his head back, not liking this conversation at all.

Ned agreed, "Yeah. You know what helps with stress?" He shoved his head in right next to Peter's. He arched a brow at his friend. "A party. We should go to the party."

Peter just wanted to get out of the car. "Yeah, yeah, let's do it," he said quickly, opening the door and pushing it wide open. "I'm gonna go."

May called him back, "Peter."

He ducked his head back into the passenger seat. She smiled at him, "Have fun, okay?"

Peter couldn't help but smile. His aunt wasn't his mother; he lost her a long time ago, but that didn't mean she hadn't become one. He would be lost in his life without his Aunt May. "I will," he promised her.

"Bye, May!" Ned waved from the driveway.

Peter gave his aunt a final glance before closing the car door and meeting up with his friend. Together, they started up the driveway with others from their school (and some from others). Peter's heart raced, and he did not want to do this, at all, but he kept going.

Not even halfway up, Ned whispered, "Dude━you have the suit, right?"

Peter glanced anxiously around━no one was paying them any attention. He swiftly pulled up his flannel sleeve where the red fabric attatched skin-tight to his arm. Ned grinned and gave him a shake from his arm, "This is gonna change our lives!"

As soon as they entered, music blared into their ears. Peter winced, massaging his ear as he and Ned filtered through the groups crowded at the sides into the nice, expensive home. Inside was perhaps even more magnificent than the outside. Tall, pristine white ceilings and modern furniture. It felt like Peter had stepped straight into an open home and yet also a family home. Large, rich, but also comforting. It made it not feel like the foorboards under his feet were most likely more expensive than his entire wardrobe. They passed the entrance to the loungeroom where at the gorgeous windows, Flash worked behind a glass-table decorated with Christmas lights. He had his computer set up and headphones over one ear, dancing along like a clown, "DJ Flash!" boomed through the speakers in a low voice.

Peter rolled his eyes, of course.

Ned shuffled in close, shoulder-to-shoulder to express the plan in a hushed whisper. "Okay. We're gonna have Spider-Man swing in━" he gestured towards the open patio door, "━say you guys are tight, and I get a fist bump or one of those half bro-hugs━"

"Can't believe you're at this lame party."

Ned almost squealed at the sudden voice of Michelle Jones. Peter stared at her━since when was she standing there in the kitchen, buttering peanut butter onto a slice of toast? Did she hear anything? How does she do that?!

Calming down enough to speak, Ned murmured an incredulous, "But ... you're here, too?"

Michelle narrowed her eyes at him. She set the butter knife down into the sink, "Am I?"

She took a bite from her toast and left them there, utterly bewildered.

Another voice joined them. Slender, mischevious, with a sultry tone that accompanied any word she spoke, Felicia Hardy emerged from the lounge room to glower at Peter and Ned. She looked as stunning as always, her long blonde hair pin straight over her shoulders to which she wore a tight lace crop-top and high-waisted faux leather pants. Her glare peirced them under a smokey cat-eye. "Look who it is," she announced. She pointed her beer at Peter first, "the boy who broke my best-friend's heart and his geeky side-kick."

"I'm not a side-kick," said Ned. "I━I would say I'm more the sorta ... guy in the chair," Peter threw his gaze up to the ceiling, exasperated.

Felicia didn't care one bit, "Whatever."

Peter found himself looking around. He was frustrated in himself to feel a fall of disappointment in his chest to see her no where. "Uh ..." he cleared his throat awkwardly, meeting Felicia's scowl. "Wh━where's Nina?"

Nina's friend bounced her brows, shocked. "Oh, wow! Look at you, finding time to care about her whereabouts."

Peter clenched his eyes shut for a second. The last thing he needed right now was Felicia's angry comments about him and Nina. "Can we not do this right now, please?"

"Why, are you busy, Parker?"

He met her scowl with one of his own. Felicia rolled her eyes, "She didn't come, stud. She's too busy studying for Nationals. You know, I tell her, you don't need to study, you're the smartest girl I know! But━"

"She doesn't want to let the team down, yeah, I know," muttered Peter absent-mindedly. "Besides, she wants it for her college application."

Felicia narrowed her eyes back onto him. Peter suddenly felt like he was prey, and she was prowling towards him with intentions to kill. Even when he and Nina dated, Peter always found Felicia a little scary. Even before that. He and Nina came to Midtown, bright and eager as Freshman's after making sure they'd get into the same high school, determined to stay together through everything. They met Felicia in their first class━for while they were nervous, she wasn't. She decided she wanted to talk to Nina, and from there, well, here they were. He still remembered that day; scared out of his mind. But he had been okay, because he had Nina. She sat with him, walked with him━they were glued to each other and continued to be, until Peter had no other choice but to unstick. And now his side felt cold; incomplete.

Peter didn't know what Felicia planned to say next, for Liz saw them from down the hallway. Her face lit up and she smiled━a beautiful smile that reached her eyes. "Oh, my gosh! Hey, guys!" She made her way over, looking both suprised and yet happy they made it. Peter felt his heart flutter to think she had been looking forward to their arrival. "Cool hat, Ned."

Ned stood up straighter, "Hi, Liz!"

Peter was far quieter. He had to force his voice out, and it came out hoarse and rather high, "Hi, Liz."

She looked really pretty. Simple, but elegant like she was one of those actresses at a red carpet: she was beautiful, and she didn't even need to try, but when she did, she became glorious. "I'm so happy you guys came." Liz seemed a little nervous; shy, even, hunching up her shoulders and awkwardly pointing to the house around her. "There's pizza and drinks. Help yourself."

Peter tried to clear his throat. It didn't work. "What━what a great party." He ignored Felicia's scowl, but he could still feel how it burnt. He knew why━and it only made his nerves worse.

Liz scrunched her nose a little, "Thanks," she mumbled, still smiling.

He was at a loss for words. Liz was smiling at him, and she was speaking to him, and she looked gorgeous and his heart pounded. And yet, Peter was hesitant. He was unsure━he wanted to say something else, and yet his thoughts pulled away like they were attatched to a string; they tugged to another girl, probably sitting alone in her room with hot chocolate, tapping her pen against her cheeks and studying for something she didn't need to, because she was one of the smartest people Peter knew.

Glass shattering broke him from his thoughts.

Liz jumped and glanced over. Her smile fell and a flicker of annoyance crossed her features, "Oh ... I━" she gave them all a sheepish, apologetic look, "━my parents will kill me if anything's broken. I gotta━Cia?"

"Coming," said Felicia Hardy, giving Peter a final glare of: you're an idiot and followed Liz into the game room.

"Bye," said Peter weakly, though he wasn't sure whether Liz heard him.

Once they were gone, Ned rounded onto him. "Dude!" he said in a low, urgent voice. "What are you doing? She's here. Spider it up!"

But Peter had made his decision. "No," he shook his head. "No, no. I can't!" he added at the look on Ned's face, like he had just said no to a Star Wars movie night. "I cannot do this," said Peter, stronger this time. "Spider-Man is not a party trick, okay? Look, I'm ... I'm just gonna━you know━be myself."

He smiled, but Ned just sighed; disappointed. "Peter, no one wants that."

Peter stared at him for a second, shocked. "Dude," he muttered, if not a little offended. Ned shrugged as if to say, it's the truth, man.

He went to walk away to get a drink, opting to ignore what Ned said. But he didn't get far. As soon as Flash spotted him from the desk, he grabbed the microphone and called out, "Penis Parker! What's up?!"

The blaring horn sound that followed made Peter grow hot to his cheeks and boil in his stomach. He clenched his hands, glowering back at Flash and trying not to focus on how everyone's eyes turned to him and Ned in the hallway. Or how they were already laughing.

Flash looked around, confused with a comical arch of his brow, "So, where's your pal Spider-Man? Let me guess: in Canada with your imaginary girlfriend?" Peter's cheeks flushed at the laughter and whistles of burn that followed. "That's not Spider-Man, that's just Ned in a red shirt."

He glanced at Ned beside him, and in seeing the fall of his friend's face, he gritted his teeth. With no other words said, he stormed towards the back door.

Annoyed━whether it was at himself, Ned, Flash, or all three at once, he wasn't sure━, Peter found a secluded place beside the backyard shed. He made sure no one could see him as he crouched and leapt right up onto the roof. Using his webs, he climbed up further just in case, eyeing the party-goers inside the home warily.

This was not what Mr Stark had in mind when he handed him this suit, that was for sure. As Peter threw off his flannel, sneakers and pants, he could only just imagine what he'd say; how disappointed and angry he'd be. Peter didn't want to disappoint Mr Stark. He wanted to prove himself worthy of an Avenger; that he could be trusted.

And yet here he was ...

Peter sighed, crouching in the dark beside his pile of clothes, stretching out the suit around his legs and arms. He tried to think of what he'll say. Whispering under his breath as he took off his shirt, Peter tried out: "Hey, what's up?" in a low, foreign voice to his normal high tone. "I'm Spider-Man. Just thought I'd swing by and say hello to my buddy Peter. Oh! What's up, Ned? Hey, where's Peter, anyways? He must be around ..."

He stopped. Letting his head fall, Peter let out another long, dreadful sigh. "God, this is stupid," he told himself. "What am I doing?"

His eyes flickered down to where Ned stood, waiting at the glass doors. He looked around, searching for Peter and yet at the same time, trying to seem as nochalant as possible. He looked a little ridiculous. Peter wanted to help. He wanted to do this as a favour for Ned, but also for himself━his friend was right: this would change their school lives. Peter dreamt of the days to which Flash would just leave him and Ned alone ...

A flash of bright, illumine blue spiked in Peter's peripheral. It made him glance up, and he frowned. In the distance across the dark shapes of roofs and trees, near the glow of the city lights, the dark night sky was lit up for a moment in a billowing explosion.

Peter froze. He thought he was seeing things━until the blue returned; bigger this time, breeching up into the dark in a cloud of azure.

He sprung back up to his feet, heart beginning to race. Peter knew that was no ordinary explosion. "What the hell?"

Peter glanced briefly back at Ned. His chest rose with guilt, but he instead grabbed his mask, pulled it over his face and broke off into a run across the ceiling away from the party━and right towards the danger.

*ೃ༄

     WITH HER parents out for dinner together to celebrate their anniversary, Nina took this chance, home alone, to raid the hot chocolate and had way too much as she studied. She made sure to leave some milk still for morning coffee for her father, but other than that, a two-litre carton was now down to its final days for she drank the rest of it with warm chocolate powder in her mug. And now, in consequence for her actions, Nina felt sick.

She didn't regret it, though. Nina loved her hot chocolate until it wasn't healthy (and her father has told her many times. As a doctor, he became like a helicopter over her shoulder at everything she did and ate: "Have you exercised today, Nina?", "Have you had your protein?", "Go outside, the sun's out, it's good for you━but not too much!"), but having a drink with her as she studied, watched a movie, or read a book, it helped. And since she just got back from skating up and down the street, annoying people and hiking over bumps in the sidewalk, a hot chocolate was nice to just calm her down and settle her mind.

(Even if she did now feel sick to the stomach).

Lying on her back and scrolling through her phone, Nina read some articles from the Daily Bugle website. She soon got distracted through by Instagram, wondering whether Spider-Man had any new photos. That got her into thinking about the party. Had he gone? Did Peter really convince Spider-Man to show himself at a high school party? Nina was sure if he had, she would've heard about it from Felicia and been made fun of. But her friend's texts were mostly about how bored she was, and how Flash was annoying by thinking he was funny. Her last text talked about wanting to break his computer and take away his microphone to shove it up his━

Nina jumped a little when her phone suddenly started to call in her fingers.

She sat up, her upset tummy not mattering anymore as she stared at the contact number, wondering whether she had one too many hot chocolates and started making things up.

The familiar face stared back at her, smiling from where she had taken the picture almost a year ago at his apartment. Peter Parker was calling Nina, and she was frozen for a moment, heart racing before she even began to consider whether she should answer or not.

The rational part in her━that sounded very much like Felicia━told her no, don't answer.

But Peter hasn't called her at all in ages. What if something happened? What if he was hurt? What if ... what if he wanted to talk to her?

(Nina was still clinging onto whatever kept her dangling, waiting for Peter to pull her back up, no matter how she hated it).

Nina accepted the call and with a hitched breath, placed it against her ear. "Peter?" she called anxiously.

He didn't answer. Instead, there was a strange noise on the other end. Really strange. Almost as if something hard was hitting straight through solid brick. Nina jumped again, eyes widening in horror. "Peter?" she asked again. "Pete, are you okay? What's happening?"

There was scuffling, sounds like he was running━panting. Nina realised that he hadn't meant to call her. It had been an accident. Her whole chest seemed to deflate━she had held so much hope that he had called asking for her help, or wanting to talk to her. Desperately clinging onto the hope that everything might just go back to what it was.

She was an idiot, apparently.

With a sigh, Nina pulled her phone away from her ear and ended the call. But, even as she realised he had accidentally butt-dialled her, she couldn't help but be worried. What had been that sound? Why was he running━was he ... was he in danger?

He was at the party. He should be fine. He was fine.

But ... maybe Nina should call him back, just in case ... right?

Either way, she was already tapping onto his number, placing her phone on speaker and listening to it ring ... and ring ... and ring ...

But unlike every other time since they broke up, she didn't wait, listening to the constant ringing with annoyance, she was sick with worry.

When it hit his voicemail, like usual, Nina had to fight herself not to call him again. Instead, she waited until his voice stopped to say, "Uh ... hey, Pete, it's Nina. Well━um━you already know that 'cause you have my number. Um━well━uh━you just, I think you accidentally called me earlier? I wouldn't━I wouldn't really be bothered by it I just ... you sounded like you were in trouble so just ... when you can, give me a call, okay?"

She waited for him to call back with a racing heart for the next hour. She called Felicia, asking whether he was at the party. Instead of being exasperated that Peter was the topic of conversation, in hearing the distress of her voice, Felicia actually made rounds at Liz's home, searching for him. Nina called Liz, she called Betty, she called even Michelle who's number she had from Decathlon. She called Ned, and received a very suspicious response of: "Peter? Who's Peter, I don't know a Peter?"

Long story short, he had left the party, and no one━not even Ned━has heard from him since. Nina thought she should call May, but due to Ned's desperate attempt to be nonchalant, she had a feeling he knew what Peter was doing and where he was. Nina didn't want to worry May more than she already is. She already got calls from her almost nightly wondering whether Peter might be at her place, for he snuck out most nights. Nina was really worried anyway. She was super worried. She had been angry at Peter, of course, but under it all, he was still her childhood friend. He was still the boy who she made her first science fair experiment with, and won the gold medal. She still cared about him so much.

Just before she was about to call May when a familiar tap sounded from her window.

Still rather distressed, Nina only glanced briefly to check whether it was the web-slinger, who had started to make a common trip to her window each night since the first and gestured to let him know it was open. She heard him grunt as he pushed it open, not watching for she was reading Felicia's text of: no luck :( and feeling part of her twist.

She didn't look up properly until she heard a louder, far more painful grunt than the one before. Nina frowned at Spider-Man, wondering what the struggle was for, until she saw.

Nina gasped.

Pushing herself off her bed, she rushed forward and held out her hands, catching the vigilante as he almost dropped onto her floor.

She didn't see his pain, or what was causing it, but she felt it in the way he winced and recoiled under her touch. Nina's heart raced even more. "Oh, my god. Are━are you okay?! What happened?!"

Spider-Man leant onto her and she helped him sit down on the pillows by her window. She ignored how her stomach jolted to feel him so close, like he trusted her and knew her more than he did. As Nina sat him down, trying to hide how she shook, the superhero muttered, "You should see the other guys."

Nina knelt down, sitting back. She stared at the way he set down the bag he had brought with him, wincing and gasping in pain. He was her age━he had to be, and here he was, hurt. In this moment, Nina was met with shock of the truth to Spider-Man. Of what danger he put himself in. Everyone either romanticised heroes or called them menaces, but they never saw them like this, crumpled and in pain, still human despite everything they can do.

Seeing the look on her face, Spider-Man tried to put on a strong facade. "I'm fine," he said in that higher-pitched, familiar voice.

"What happened?" asked Nina again, not believing him one bit.

" ... A few things. I crashed through brick walls, destroyed a tree house, gate-crashed a pool party. Oh, and I nearly drowned, so ..."

Nina scoffed in her disbelief, but it was weak, "A few?"

She wondered whether he was giving her a brittle grin under the mask. Nina didn't know what to do. He had arrived at her window, almost collapsing━what if he needed to go to hospital? Can he go to hospital?

"I'm going to grab my dad's first aid," decided Nina and stood up.

Spider-Man immediately shook his head, "No, Nina━"

She cut him off with a sharp glare. "I'm getting it, and you're telling me what happened, okay?"

And as she left her room, Nina chose to ignore the coincidence to which she thought she heard brick walls falling over the phone, Peter disappearing out of nowhere ... and Spider-Man showing up at her window just an hour later.

*ೃ༄

a/n: practically a week till no way home = quick updates

y'all wanted more memes, and I answered:

mj seeing the boys at the party like:

peter after ned telling him no one wants him to be himself:

btw just to remind you guys, out of all peter parker spider-men this century so far, andrew's was the only one who couldn't save his significant other ... it hurts, okay. gwen and peter constantly hurt me.

also, can red (tv) be practically the playlist for peter and nina? like cos i stg almost every song practically fits them. as well as sour. just red and sour put together that's it; that's this book's playlist.