I can't help falling in love with you (again) | PeterMJ

Friendship is better

"See, you know this stuff MJ, I think you're just distracted." Betty closed the book as the clock reached half-past the hour.

"Yeah, I know, I just feel like it's not going to stop in time for the exams, we've not got long left, and too much is happening."

As she's putting the books away Betty seems to have an idea. "You need time to relax, take your mind off things for a while, if it can wait let it wait."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm taking you out. I know you're not into all the shopping stuff, spas and all that, but I want to take you to places where you enjoy."

"But what about-"

"Relax. Once your minds relaxed you can focus on your work, I'm sure your dates with Peter can wait, your little mystery thing can as well, your future is your priority right now, and spending some time away from everything might be what you need, just put your phone on do not disturb, and we can spend today just relaxing."

"I mean it wouldn't kill going to get some Pizza and new books." I had mostly read everything on my shelf, I'd either exchange the book with Betty, read it again or donate them. I did need some new ones.

"Great!" Betty spoke. "I need some new ones, the whole reporting thing is needing a new section until Prom season, I was thinking a daily book recommendation?"

"I'll write you a list." I say.

We end up heading into the city, we go through to thrift stores, book stores, all to try to find some new and old books I could read. "Do you know what my least favourite book trope is?" Betty speaks, I shrug in response as I read the summary of a book I just picked up. "The amnesia trope."

I freeze for a moment, "What?"

"Yeah, they do it in TV shows and movies too, someone loses their best friend to amnesia as an ending, or they have this whole storyline where they build each other to the person they are and then, in the last few chapters one of them loses their memories, it's like they never met the person and nothings changed, all that character deveopment. For nothing."

"For romance books mine has to be miscommunication." I say. "The characters just need to talk, and things will be solved, and they just... don't." I know that sounds extremely ironic, how I'm not communicating with Peter the way I want to, and same with him, but I'm worried about all the things I now know, I like what we have now, as I did before, but now, now is nice.

I put the book I was holding back on the shelf, "want to go and get food?" I ask.

Betty just nods, also placing her book back on its shelf, and we walk out of the store and head through the busy city, as we pass there are stalls on the sidewalks, selling magazines and newspapers, we stop outside one and look at the display. "Hm, Liz went far, she's back on the cover of this magazine. Do you think she blipped?"

"Maybe. She went far in those five years we missed, she didn't let the fact her dad's in prison bother her success."

We continue to look through the stacks, until the owner of the stall passes us a newspaper.

'SPIDER-MAN AND BLACK CAT, NEWEST SUPER-FLING?' Was the headline, and below was a photo, his mask was pulled up to reach his nose bridge, Black Cat had her hands cupped on his face, he was upside down, seemingly attached to one of his webs, the pair was kidding.

And it hurt to see.

I stutter on my words as I pay the receptionist. "Than- thank you."

"MJ... you alright, you seem to have gone pale."

He's moved on.

"MJ?"