Us Against The World ｡ Peter Parker [2]

38 - Spidey vs. Vulture

There was an unclear feeling nipping at my insides while I pushed through the dancing teenagers at homecoming, everyone laughing and enjoying the night. A feeling that almost felt like somebody was trying to whisper in my ear that danger was right around the corner. Maybe it was my own intuition trying to drag me away from an oncoming storm, but naturally, I was the type of girl to ignore it and fumble through the dark alone. 

I found Ned Leeds huddled by the refreshments table, his hands full with odd finger foods while soy sauce was smeared across his lips. His signature cowboy hat was placed upon his head and he was laughing at something Michelle Jones had grumbled out. "Flo, hey, want some spring rolls? They're really good."

"No time for food, cowboy," My throat felt dry and my hands grew clammy. Ned was already protesting that there was always time for food when my hand snapped around his wrist and dragged him away from Michelle. I caught her eye, flashing her a quick smile. "You scrub up alright, Jones."

Michelle brushed off the compliment, "I know."

Again Ned was giving me his puppy-dog confused eyes while shoving another spring roll into his mouth. Music blared around us, a few teachers monitoring the doorways but my full attention was on the geeky boy that knew Peter Parker's secret. "What's up? Aren't you supposed to be hanging out with Clayton?" he asked with a full mouth. 

"No, I mean yes," I blurted out, trying to calm down my racing mind. "Clayton will understand though. Look, we've got a bigger problem on our hands right now. Pete knows who You-Know-Who really is behind the mask. He's Liz Allan's dad." 

Ned's mouth popped open. "What?" 

I scanned the bleaches, looking for Clayton Cole who had my purse, along with my cellphone. I had promised Peter I would try and call somebody that would listen, maybe Tony Stark or Happy Hogan and we were running out of time. My hands gripped Ned's shoulders, drawing his attention back to me. "Peter thinks he's planning something huge and he's going after him. We've got to help him by calling somebody." Ned numbly nodded with my words. "Peter should be outside right now, go to him while I grab my phone. Can you do that, cowboy?"

"Yeah, totally. Absolutely. Sidekick to the recuse." 

While I hurried back to Clayton Cole, rambling out some lame excuse about having to ditch the dance, he politely handed over my belongings with a blunt nod of his head. Guilt swamped my stomach, knowing tonight should not have ended with me hiking up my dress and running to the boy that was not my actual date tonight. With only a half-decent goodbye, my heels clicked on the polished gym floor as I made my grand exit back towards the hallways which would lead me outside into the cool night air. But before I could even reach the backdoors, somebody was calling out my name and I spun around to find Harry Osborn. "Harry, I really can't really talk right now--"

Harry stepped in close, a little too close for my taste and I edged back a little bit. There was a strange fire resting in his eyes and I couldn't help but see his father. "Where are you going?"

"Um, I just have a really bad headache." I tried. 

He didn't believe me, not by a long shot. "Has this got to do with Pete? Why are you both always having secrets conversations? Aren't you supposed to be broken up?"

There was no real time to have an argument with him right now, mainly because another boy needed my help right now and because if my suspicions were indeed correct, the rich kid with major daddy issues had taken up his father's mantle and maybe was just as insane. "Firstly, we so don't have secret conversions. Secondly, define breakup. Get with the times, the world is complicated and so are relationships." I ticked off my little rant on my fingertips, true irritation flooding my voice. "Thirdly, if you don't mind, I have somewhere else to be tonight and that doesn't involve you."