Just A Kid ◇ Peter Parker

5◇ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

RILEY NEVER RECEIVED a text from Peter. She didn't even see him the next day at school. Which was weird, as he promised to text her. This was totally unlike him.

Peter didn't even turn up for most of the rest of the week. He missed a decathlon meeting, which was rather important as it was about dates and times to meet up to start training for their first head to head. She only saw him come down to the tech room a few times. Avoiding her gaze

This wasn't like him.

Riley was currently sat at lunch with Ned, Gwen and Harry, thinking about Peter. She needed to speak to him, to see if he was okay.

"Riley?" Ned's voice travelled the small distance towards her, knocking her out of her day dream.

"Hmm?" She mumbles and looks over to her friends, all looking at her curiously.

"You zoned out." Harry tells her and she notices Gwen nodding next to her.

She sighs and gets comfortable on the plastic seat, trying to get back into the conversation.

"Sorry. What were we talking about?" She asks with a sigh. Gwen rolls her eyes at her.

"The football game. You know, the one that's coming up? First game of the season?" The girl tells her, acting like she's a small child who needs words sounded out to her.

"Oh right. You all going?" Riley asks, this time Harry rolls his eyes.

"Riley, we're all going. We planned it just now." He tells her. The girl looks at her friends with confusion. She really did zone out.

"Oh. Right, yeah." She mumbles.

"Riley. What's up?" Gwen asks, worrying about her friend.

For days, Riley has been constantly zoning out of everything. Even the teachers are starting to get on her tail. Something isn't right, and everyone can see that.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Um. I'll see you in class." The girl lies and leaves the lunch table before anyone can stop her.

Gwen and Harry watch with worry as she leaves the canteen. Riley was a mess. They just couldn't pin point why.

Ned begins to talk again, drawing the attention back to the group.

"Did you watch the wrestling the other night?" He asks excitedly. Gwen and Harry give him confused glances.

"Some guy beat Bonesaw McGraw! That guy is a beast! And this guy beat him! He was literally just in a red and blue jumper and mask! It was awesome!" Ned tells them. Harry and Gwen look impressed as Ned pulls up the video to show them.

The last class went by slowly. The teacher droned on and on about things that Riley wasn't paying any attention to. She kept getting odd glances from the students around her. They thought it was weird not seeing Riley assertive and copying down notes. None of them realised that Peter wasn't there.

Gwen and Harry were like hawks, watching her every move from the front. They were concerned. More concerned for the girl than they usually are. She had barely said much the whole week. She was usually chatty towards them.

It was like a switch had been flipped and the Riley they knew had been replaced by a quiet and out of this world replica. It was worrying.

Riley knew that she was being watched. Not only by the teacher and the people around her, but by her two friends at the front. She avoided their eyes the entire lesson. It was like the day her dad died all over again. But she had something to do.

So when the final bell of the day went off at 2:45, she made a beeline for the school exit. She crossed the school field and raced up the steps to the train.