WEB OF LIES [TRANS PETER PARKER]

four

Chapter Four

Peter's POV

After I "recovered from my illness," I was thrown right back into the mess that I had left my life in a few days prior. The museum. Michelle. Pushing Ned away. I was so committed to fix what had gone wrong, that I wasn't even surprised when I walked into Biology first period to see that new face seated right next to Ned, at our lab table.

Peter, you've got this. You're a superhero, one girl can't ruin you.

I marched up to the table, my thumbs latched under the straps of my backpack. "Hey, guys, what's up?" Voice crack. Of course. My smile faltered but I pushed through. My eyes met Michelle's before quickly retreating to Ned's.

"Peter! Oh, I was so worried about you. May called and told me that everything was alright but I hadn't heard from you so I thought that maybe-"

"Ned!" I exclaimed as I laughed nervously and patted him on the back. I didn't need him drawing any more attention to my situation than need be. He winced at my touch, and I quickly drew my hand back when I realized that I was practically slapping him. Instead, I cleared my throat and pulled up a stool, sitting down carefully.

I then began sifting through my backpack, trying to keep myself as unapproachable as possible to the no doubt observant Michelle. I felt her gaze on me, and immediately felt threatened.

"Uhh, you know what Ned, I'm not really better. I actually feel quite ill again, oh no, I'd better go," I said through muffled fake coughs as I began yanking at the zipper on my backpack. "It was nice meeting you Michelle, alright, I'll see you around-"

"Mr. Parker. Where do you think you're going?"

I turned to face my teacher, Ms. Warren, who stared me down with a well-equipped poker face.

"Uh, I, uh- No where," I explained. "I was just, uh, sitting down. Right here, see?" I laughed awkwardly as I slid onto the stool beside Ned once more. Ms. Warren gave me a questionable glare once more before beginning the lecture.

I heard Ned trying to get my attention beside me, inconspicuously of course because our teacher had eyes like a hawk, but I pretended not to notice by staring straight forward as though I were engaged in the lesson. Instead, I was trying to save myself an anxiety attack by thinking about my untapped abilities. Webbing.

I was sure I could concoct some sort of formula which I could then suit into web launchers of some sort. Who knew whether they would actually come in handy, but it would be fun at least.

"Hey, Peter," I heard Michelle call my voice.

"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my daze only to see that Ms. Warren was no longer speaking, and the entire class had begun to work amongst themselves. Ned was no longer beside me. "Where's Ned?"

"He went to get materials," Michelle replied, and then for my confused look added, "for the lab."

"How do you know my name?" I was shocked. Did she really not recognize me? Or did Ned tell her everything? What if they were best friends, now, without me?

"Relax, buddy," Ned chuckled as he placed an arm around my shoulder and sat down once more. "Peter, meet MJ. MJ, meet Peter."

I blushed immediately. Maybe it wasn't Michelle, maybe it was someone entirely new and I had nothing to worry about.

"I used to be Michelle," MJ clarified. I was confused, was she reading my thoughts? "You know, since you just called me Michelle a few minutes ago? Anyway, it's just MJ now."

My face reddened even more with that. Gosh, now she knew that I knew her before, and she probably was remembering me right now!

"Right, yeah. Sorry... MJ," I mumbled, trying to regain my composure.

"So! Shall we start the lab, then?" Ned broke in with an overly cheery face as he clapped his hands together. He always came to the rescue at one point or another, as long as I was willing to let him. I nodded eagerly, allowing my eyes to drop to the notebook in front of me.

The lab proceeded without any bumps, and I found myself thinking about MJ once more. Not in an anxious manner as I had been, but in a more thoughtful way.

Today she was wearing a loose black button down shirt over black skinny jeans and burgundy Doc Martens. Her hair was in a messy updo, as it had been at the museum, with her side bangs left out.  I remembered her always being the "tom boy" of the class when we were younger, even moreso than I. She was the kid in a baggy t-shirt with knots in her hair, sat in the corner reading a book.

Suddenly, I felt bad for how I had reacted around her at first. She had just switched schools and was probably trying to make friends for once.

I hadn't realized I was staring, but she met my eyes. I offered her a smile smile, however weak and sympathetic is was, and in the same instant she managed to divert her attention from me. I brushed it off, assuming she hadn't seen.

Finally, the last five minutes of class approached and we all started cleaning up the work space.

"So, MJ, are you thinking about joining any clubs?" Ned asks as we finish.

"Actually, I was thinking about Academic Decathlon."

My eyes lit up. "Academic Decathlon! Wow, yeah, you should do that! That would be great- I'm in that! I do Academic Decathlon!" My face flushed at my eagerness.

"Yes, Peter, we know you do," Ned sighed.

MJ only laughed. "Well, then, I guess I'll see you there!"

The bell rang curtly and MJ hurried off, saying something about having to follow a map.

"I thought you were gay!" Ned exclaimed as we exited the room and started on our way to English.

"What?! No, Ned, I'm bi. I thought we went over- wait, what made you think that I'm not gay?" I asked in a fluster.

"Nothing, just... You seemed a lot more friendly with MJ today than you were the other day," he said as he smirked.

I huffed, deciding that I had no argument against that. Now my main focus was to get through this school day so that I could go home and, well, unleash my inner spider. I noted that I was going to have to get a better name for that if this was going to become a regular thing.

A/N:

I just went to get bandaids for when i start my t shots next week and they had spider-man ones so ofc i got those! I figured this was a proper place to share that accomplishment, don't mind me

Also I'm gonna start uploading regularly every Mon/Wed/Fri!