Insight

Chapter 6

It took about three and a half weeks for Ned and MJ to figure out that something was off. I left before Peter got there, I didn't really talk much when we were stuck together and the way Peter looked at me, like he wanted to tell me he was sorry for something he didn't do or for letting me go, or whatever it was really started to catch their eye.

So, naturally, I was confronted about it.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around, seeing Ned come from behind me. I laughed a little and gave him a soft hug.

"Hey, they let you out early?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Yeah, we were finished with our work so he let us go before the bell." Then he looked around us as if he were scanning the perimeter and then started to fiddle with his fingers.

"Is everything alright, Ned?"

"What's going on with you and Peter? You're acting weirder than usual around each other and you keep ditching us."

I clenched my jaw, looking around us and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't-" Ned gave me a look and I rephrased myself. "Won't. I won't ditch."

Ned pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "So then you wouldn't mind going to Anthony's with us, then?"

I cleared my throat, adding a smile. "I'm there."

Soon enough, the last bell rang, releasing the school and Peter, directly followed by MJ, showed up to my locker. MJ tightened the straps of her backpack, jutted her chin at the three of us.

"So, Anthony's?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ned answered and she raised an eyebrow, now turning her attention to Peter and me.

"All of us?"

I shrugged, hoisting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. "Yeah, I'm free."

"Peter?"

He looked over at her and then me, eyes slightly wide and panicked. "Uh, yeah, yeah. Let's go."

At Anthony's, we ate our pizza and talked through the raging awkwardness, slowly seeping back to our normal selves. I played the part. I acted as if everything was okay but truth was, I shouldn't be there. I should be at the Facility, abusing my power to change the course of time to know what I have to do to stop it from happening.

"Casey... Earth to Casey."

I blinked and looked over at MJ, "Yeah? Yeah. I'm sorry, uh, Lego Death Star, yeah."

The Ned and MJ looked at each other and Peter just looked at me, silently asking if I was okay and I brushed my hair behind my ear. Thankfully Ned continued as if the little pause never happened.

"Yeah, we finished it. All 4,016 pieces. I just don't know if I want to superglue the whole thing or save our work or just have it so I can break it and rebuild it again. Peter says to glue it and MJ says to have it incase I have a mental break down. What do you think?"

I pursed my lips, "I follow MJ but not for the mental breakdown reason. You might just want to start over if you're bored."

I felt my knee bouncing up and down as our time there continued. We worked on our homework, projects, talked about the new Star Wars movies and what plots would be useless and what plots would be cool or badass. While I was there, and active, I couldn't help but force myself not to seep into each intricate detail what would stop Thanos.

I made eye contact with Peter and felt overwhelmed. I grabbed my stuff and stood up, "I have to go."

Everyone began to object, rambling over each over.