𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xlv. festival of light

chapter forty-five
festival of light

    "GOOD NEWS! we're going to the opera!"

    On the list of many things that Nina would consider to be good news, hearing Mr. Harrington declare that in front of a whole group of students dressed for the greatest party of all time ... was not good news at all. 

    Her classmates around her all let out a collective gasp of horror━they frowned and they made incredulous faces; murmurs of disbelief and complaints were uttered off their lips━Mr. Harrington's smile wavered, not expecting a reaction of such displeasure. Nina fiddled with her glow-stick necklace she had made specifically for this night. Her friends all had similar looks━some went all out with glowing bracelets, glowing fake glasses, glowing pinwheels; Ned had even gave himself a glowing headband. Flash had made up the largest, practically carrying a glowing hula hoop. 

     "You're kidding me?" let out Tyler, unable to believe it. On their list of activities they would want to do this summer, attending the opera was nowhere to be found. 

     "The opera?!" others exclaimed in frustration.

     Nina turned to Peter, who was the only one that didn't complain━she found him sitting back awkwardly, turning his glow band around and around and around; she narrowed her eyes, trying to ask whether this was somehow his doing and in return, he sighed a, just go with it, please?

    He had been quiet all evening since he returned. Nina had presumed it was to do with their small phone call━and she was worried because of it. But now, she could see there was more. He was stressed, and not just about tonight. He sat there, tense and rigid; he barely even glanced at her. 

     Mr. Dell propped his hands on his hips, immediately pushing of all blame onto his colleague standing beside him, "Don't look at me━" he pointed not-so-subtly at Mr. Harrington who sent him a disgruntled look.

     "What happened to the carnival?" asked MJ, the only one of them who wasn't decked out in glow-bands. 

     Mr. Harrington gestured to them with the envelope of tickets, "This is upgrade living, guys," he tried to persuade them. They all shared annoyed looks. "Come on━the tour company just gave us these tickets! For free! Do you have any idea how much opera tickets cost?"

     "No," said Flash, dead-panned. "Because none of us have ever wanted to go to the opera. Ever."

    Peter continued to plead Nina and Ned to go along with the plan━despite how upset they were about it, the look on his face told them that it was where they needed to be. He had to keep them out of danger. Nina slowly turned her own pleading look onto Ned, determined to not be the one to lose popularity over agreeing with their teacher.

    Ned stared at her as if she had betrayed him. She shrugged, feigning perfect innocence. He clenched his jaw, but in the end, relented. Closing his eyes, he forced the words brutally from his mouth: "Uh ... I think━" he sighed, annoyed, "━well, I think this is gonna be culturally enriching for us."

    Mr. Harrington grinned at him. "Thank you, Ned━" he pointed the tickets at him. Ned replied with a grim and pained smile, wincing the moment Betty turned to him, shocked. "Everyone, this is gonna be━maybe━the best four hours of our whole trip."

     Even Nina let out an audible exclaim at this. "Four hours?!"

    "Guys!" let out Ned. "I think this is gonna be really fun! Seriously!"