Observations

Ned

Peter thought movie night would be like old times, but it wasn't. It definitely wasn't. Peter stopped some guy from stealing an old woman's purse, so he was late, but there was no way was he bailing on Ned again. So he showed up an hour late. 

Ned and Michelle had waited for him to start the movie, instead having Ned teach Michelle how to bake. When Michelle opened the door for Peter, she was covered in flour. Peter walked in confused to see Ned, covered in even more flour, placing brownies into the oven. 

"Hey guys.." Peter's voice was unusually high.

"Hey Pete!" Ned greeted cheerfully. "Oh that's good. You brought pizza. We're starving. Teaching MJ to bake is exhausting."

"Hey!" MJ yelled. "You're just a horrible teacher."

"You're a horrible student!"

"Am not!"

"You threw flour at me!"

"You were laughing at me!"

"You cracked the whole egg, eggshell and all into the batter!"

"I didn't know that you weren't supposed to do that."

"Literally everyone knows MJ!"

Ned and MJ started laughing at each other's appearance. Peter stood dumbfounded. He still found it bizarre that Ned and Michelle were friends. They seemed from opposite worlds. Ned was nice, goofy, and all around optimistic. Michelle was cynical, sarcastic, and to be honest, slightly intimidating.

"Do you have something I can change into?" Michelle asked. "I think your mom might kill us if we get the couch all covered in flour."

"Yeah, just look in my room," Ned answered, starting to clean up the disaster in the kitchen. "Take whatever you like."

"Thanks."

Once Michelle was out of earshot, Peter turned to Ned. "Dude what the heck is going on between you and Michelle?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. It just seems like you two are closer than I thought." Peter awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. 

Ned smirked. "And does that bother you?"

"What- no. It's just weird is all." Peter stuttered. Ned looked at him amused.

"Oook, if you say so," Ned smiled. Peter felt like he was missing something.

"Leeds, finding clothes in your closet is impossible. My legs are too long. By the way, you're never getting this hoodie back." Michelle walked out in fresh clothes. All Peter could do was stare at the blue hoodie she was wearing. His blue hoodie, that he'd been looking for, for weeks.

Ned spoke up before Peter could. "Those clothes aren't even mine. They're Peters."

Michelle looked down at the faded Midtown hoodie. She shrugged. "You're still not getting this back, loser."

"So let's get this movie night started!" Ned yelled happily. Michelle and Peter stared at him. "What?"

"Forgetting something?" Michelle quipped, staring at his flour covered clothes.

Ned looked down at his clothes and smiled sheepishly. "Oops, almost forgot. Be right back."

Ned dashed to his room, leaving Michelle and Peter alone, much to the latter's chagrin. Michelle grabbed the snacks and plopped on the couch, spreading to food on the coffee table. Peter didn't know what to due so he just began setting up the movie.

Ned was taking entirely too long, and Peter was beginning to get antsy. The awkward silence was deafening. He looked over to Michelle to see her engrossed in a book he didn't even see her pull out. His Spidey hearing picked up on a faint sound from the hall. Great. Ned was taking a a shower. Now he had to suffer in awkwardness for longer.

"So you and Ned, huh?" he blurted out.

Michelle looked up from her reading, furrowing her brows. "What?"

The tips of Peters ears turned pink, and he squirmed under her gaze. " I just meant, you know, you two are closer than I thought."

Michelle went back to her book without a second glance. "Relax loser, I'm not going to steal your best friend. Ned's great and all, but I'm not inclined to spend a a whole lunch period debating Star Wars."

"Yeah, Ned is great. Greaty great great."

"Okay..."

"I know I've been a flake recently, but that means you nd Ned have spent a lot of time together right?"

Michelle put her book away, since Peter didn't seem like he was going to stop talking anytime soon. "what are you going on about, Parker?"

"I just, you know, saw you guys are pretty close. Seem to enjoy each others company. Ned is a great is a great guy. Wouldn't want to see him," Peter gulped at Michelle's hard stare, "get hurt."

"Are you really trying to give me a shovel talk right now?"

"Yes?"

Michelle let out an uncharacteristic snort. "Dude. Ned and I just friends. In Case you haven't noticed, which it's obvious you haven't, Ned is crushing on Betty Brant."

Michell looked at him bemused, and Peter felt his cheeks burning. "Oh."

"What's up guys," a freshly showered Ned joined them. He grabbed a slice of Pizza and settled into the armchair. "What did I miss?"

"Just Peter making a fool of himself."

"Again?"

"Hey!"

Ned shrugged. "Sorry. So?"

Michele went on to tell him about the events that had transpired, with her own commentary succeeding in making Ned and Peter both turn red, one from laughing to hard and one from wanting the earth to swallow him whole.

"I do not have  a crush on Betty Brant!"

"Dude, it's like so obvious. Besides I happen to know she likes you too."

"She does?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter, since you don't have a crush on her, right?" Michelle smirked.

"Let's just start the movie, " Ned grumbled. Peter put on Back to the Future and settled on the opposite of the couch from Michelle.

Michelle and Peter laughed out loud. Peter smiled. aybe having Michelle around wouldn't be so bad.