Every Day ── PETER PARKER²

28. Make Her Pay

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"What are you doing?"

       Luna took pride in being an all around nice person. She never went out of her way to be rude to a person, not unless provoked first. She'd always been a good judge of character, always managing to pinpoint the positives of a person before any negatives were brought to light. It baffled her that Danielle, a girl she once went to for comfort in the form of cheek kisses and tight embraces, had managed to wrong her. She was no longer an angered ex girlfriend, she was a vengeful daughter of a monster.

She expected the company. It was the school dance, almost the entire school was in attendance, of course Danielle would be there. Still, Luna tensed up as the girl slowly approached her, looking from the girl to the stack in her hands to the open locker. She could see the moment the anger instantly filled the girl, her steps quickening, hands curled into fists at her side.

Luna swallowed harshly, instantly taking a step back when Danielle came to a stop in front of her. "What are you doing?" she shot back, shaky hands raising the stack in her hand. "I deserve an explanation."

Her eyes narrowed into a glare, though she found herself staying silent, unable to provide a valid explanation. Instead, she looked Luna up and down, lips twisting into a smirk. "You look pretty, it's such a shame your date ditched you."

It should have stung. It would have stung had she said it to Luna prior to her mini break with Peter. But she was new now. She lived new experiences, she learned new things, and so throwing her boyfriend's absence didn't hurt her anymore. He was being a hero, why should she be upset over that?

        "Danielle," Luna said slowly, fingers curling around a photo before lifting it to show Danielle. It was a photo of Luna standing outside of her father's house, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her sweater. She followed her there. She didn't go to school just to follow Luna to see her father for the first time. It was a special moment for her, and Danielle had managed to ruin that by snapping photos of it as it took place. "What–What is going on?"

Danielle's blank stare didn't falter. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Luna let out a shaky sigh as she shook her head. "No, this isn't just, nothing. You're stalking me."

It was that word that made Danielle. Her blank stare was instantly filled with rage, and Luna's breathe caught in her throat when Danielle stepped towards her. "You think I'm a stalker, Luna?" Her eyes had darkened, a deranged look in them that Luna had never seen. "You think I want to spend my time following you around? Taking photos as proof?"

"Proof of what?" Luna choked out, tears pricking at her eyes once more.

"Proof that you lied about my dad," Danielle scoffed, stepping forward once more, Luna instantly taking a step back.

Luna swallowed harshly, shaking her head. "No... I didn't lie about that." She straightened up, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling. "I had nightmares about that night, and sometimes I still do. Your dad stripped me of everything! He made me feel worthless, like I was nothing but a piece of meat, like I needed protecting." She sucked in a harsh breathe. "You have a problem understanding the truth? Talk to the court, but I will not have you downscale what your father did to me."

For a moment, Luna thought Danielle finally understood. Understood the pain the girl had to endure because of what her father did to her. But then Luna found herself against the lockers, Danielle's arm pressed against her throat. There was a fire in her eyes, and Luna found herself shaking as fear took over her body.

"You're a liar," she hissed, Luna letting out a choked cry as she pressed harder against her.

"Dani, you're not like this," Luna cried out, hands desperately trying to pry her arm off of her. "Let me help you. Please, I can get you out of this."

"I don't need your help," she snapped, Luna letting out a whimper when Danielle's face came closer. "I need my dad. But he's in jail." She narrowed her eyes. "You have no idea what it's like, Luna. To have someone who means the world to you just torn away, someone you thought would never leave you behind."

"I do get it." Danielle scoffed. "My dad left me too, Dani. He left me when I was six, in the middle of the night so I wouldn't be able to stop him. But I got him back. And you'll get your dad back too."

Something flashed in her eyes, almost too quick for Luna to catch it, but she did. Danielle faltered for a moment, her arm relaxing the slightest bit. Seeing her chance, Luna moved quickly, hand grabbing onto Danielle's arm. Before the girl had a chance to react, Luna was twisting her arm back, leg raising to deliver a kick to her knees, sending Danielle to the floor.

As quickly as it had gone, the fire appeared once more. "You're going to pay, Giraldo!" Danielle let out a loud yell as she pushed herself off the ground, Luna stepping back quickly as she began advancing towards her.

"Danielle Georgeson!" The voice boomed throughout the hall, both girls freezing as the clicking of heels became louder. Ms.Warren could not look any more menacing as she approached the two girls, and for once, Luna was grateful for her presence. In a rush, Luna scooped up the photos that had been discarded on the ground, leaving Danielle in a daze as she rushed to the woman. Her friends trailed behind her, each looking as shocked as the other, having seen the last seconds of whatever the two girls were doing.

Everything happened too fast for Luna to process. One moment she was explaining the circumstances to Ms.Warren, then the next the school was swarmed with police. Most were addressing the man stuck to a bus, a gift left by a certain web-slinging hero, while some tended to Danielle, students overlooking as the girl was handcuffed. More was found as they searched her locker–more photos of Luna, photos of Peter, even some of Liz and Mia. Whoever Luna associated herself with, Danielle had most likely taken a photo of them. Not only that, but written threats against the girl. Letters Danielle addressed to her father, all of them depicting some sort of violent act she wanted to oppose on Luna. It was enough to bring the girl to tears, but it didn't, not this time. She'd grown so used to Danielle's threats that seeing them written didn't faze her, as sad as that was.

Luna was hugging Ned now, Mia and Liz speaking to an officer a few feet away. Her head was resting on his shoulder, the two sharing the same thoughts. They wished Peter was there. After such a long, eventful night, Luna could use the comfort from Peter. Almost like the heavens heard their thoughts, an officer's radio began going off. "Situation at Coney Island," the static filled voice announced through the radio, instantly earning both Luna and Ned's attention. "That Spider-Man guy caught a criminal, he left behind a big mess though."

Luna found herself smiling, her and Ned sharing a look. That was their Peter.