Ajax is just a junior in high school, just there to get in and get out. She keeps to herself and stays behind the scenes but that changes when she's assigned to work with Peter Parker on a project. She's had her eyes on him since freshman year but n...
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The next morning came around and Peter found himself meeting up with Ned as he did every other day. However, this time, Peter had a lingering smile. It was soft but there. Peter almost looked like a little kid with little puppy eyes.
"How'd your project go?" Ned asks as they pass 21st Station.
"Good." Peter nods, looking to his friend, hands gripping the straps of his backpack.
"I can tell." Ned snickers, keeping his stare in front of him.
"Shut up." Peter rolls his eyes, the smile just faltering.
"So, she talks?"
"What?" Peter snaps his head to look at Ned with furrowed brows. "Dude, of course she talks."
"I've never heard her say a single word and I've had classes with her since freshman year." Ned muses to try and get Peter to give him some details.
"She talks, a lot." Peter nods. "She knew a lot about our project already and she knew about the stuff we were doing in mythology. Dude, she even knew about our pop quiz."
"Good to know she knows what's going on in school." Ned gives a soft chuckle with his sarcasm.
The boys make the rest of the walk talking about Peter's Spider-Man routine, him explaining the encounter he had with a guy that was robbing a woman walking home. The attacker only got one hit in and it was because Peter was ushering the woman away. Ned found Peter's retelling just as entertaining as every other Spider-Man thing that happened.
Peter and Ned get to the school and the conversation switches to what the cafeteria was serving for lunch, both unamused. They stop at Peter's locker first and head to Ned's where they meet up with Gwen. Peter's attention went to straight to her and stayed on her, his heart finding a different rhythm with the words she spoke. But, while Ned was swapping out books from his school bag, Peter spotted Ajax down the hallway, eyes looking to the ground with her white earbuds sticking out her hoodie and into her ears while her blue sketchbook was clutched to her chest.
"Peter?" Gwen asks, pulling Peter's attention back to her.
"S-sorry. I-I what?" He shook his head, confusion sweeping over him. He never got distracted when Gwen was talking to him. It was Gwen.
"Why don't you go talk to her?" Gwen muses.
"No, no. It's fine." Peter shakes his head, glancing to Ajax.
"She doesn't have friends, you know? You could invite her to sit with us at lunch."
"Do it, dude." Ned urges.
"Go on, I know you want to." Gwen teases, making Peter's cheeks turn a vibrant red.
Ned looks to Peter with a knowing grin and the shake of his head. Gwen didn't have to listen to Peter talk about Gwen for the past year and she didn't have to listen to Peter try and explain the odd knot he felt in the pit of his stomach when he was with Ajax the night prior. Peter didn't want Gwen to know anything of that. She was his best friend.
