Senioritis

Stay Sober

Ned put down a massive box of decorations on the kitchen table.

"We better get to it, Peter." He smiled, opening up the box.

Peter smiled too. He enjoyed spending time with Ned, and they always decorated Ned's Christmas tree together because his parents were never home.

Peter was glad that Ned had invited him over. They had done some of their holiday homework together and played some video games. He'd been trying to do everything to forget about what happened last weekend.

Peter and MJ had been nothing but civil to each other the morning after MJ had said those things to him. They spent their last day at the cinema, then at the arcade - they didn't touch each other, they didn't hold hands. He didn't kiss her once.

He just let her have her space.

They spent their last night on opposite sides of the bed. Peter remembered MJ saying goodnight to him and him saying goodnight back, but nothing else.

He drove them back down to her house, and handed her over to her Dad. Walter had smiled and asked them how their weekend was and Peter had nodded and smiled, and said it was amazing.

Even though he was pretty sure he had finally fucked everything up for good.

He promised Walter that he'd be back later that week to help MJ pack the last of things and drive her to the airport.

She really was going to spend three weeks in Chicago with her Mom. And she really was moving to school two hours away from him.

"The invitation is open to you, Peter." Walter had said to him. "If you want to go..."

"That's okay, Mr. Jones." Peter had said. "She deserves to spend time with her Mom alone."

He remembered seeing MJ looking up at her Dad then back at Peter. That hurt, expressionless look that always made Peter feel horrible. She didn't say anything else to him before Walter closed the door.

And that was it.

He hadn't seen MJ since. It was like everyone had forgotten about Oscar - he just seemed to have disappeared.

Peter had gotten a job at Mr. Delmar's store, trying to re-pay May back for all the trouble he had caused her. Uncle Dave had come over to their apartment a few times to make sure they were okay, and Peter knew he was giving May money.

He spent his evenings in Ned's house, playing video games and eating junk food.

And through it all, he could never stop thinking of MJ. How much he missed her and how much he wanted to say to her. They hadn't called or texted each other once.

He had told May about what happened, but not enough for her to be too worried about him.

And he still hadn't told Ned anything.

And now it was the day before MJ was leaving. It was late in the evening and Peter knew he had to go back to her house because he couldn't break his promise.

"Dude, are you feeling okay?" Ned asked, as he began to play some Christmas music on his phone.

Peter nodded, before swallowing, then grabbing a decoration from the box.

"Ned...I've gotta tell you something." Peter sighed.

"Shoot." Ned said, before smiling. Peter liked how Ned always wore comic book store T-shirts, and how he was always ready to listen to Peter.

"Um...." Peter stammered, before biting his lip.

He didn't know where to even start.

"Oscar's not...who you think he is." He said, walking up to put the decoration on the tree.