Black Swan ▹ Marvel

ELEVEN: SUPER WEIRD

School was repetitive for Peter. He rarely had to pay attention to understand a topic, the only reason he saw for coming to school is that's the only place where he saw Liz ever since she started spending all her free time with Elizabeth. Part of Peter was resentful of her, but he knew something was going on with her and her family.

Peter sighs and walks toward the bathroom with the hall pass in hand.

"God, you're so stupid," a familiar voice said in a different hallway.

"I knew you would come around, Copper," another said. Peter pressed himself against a wall and peaks into the hallway. He sees Elizabeth leaning against a locker with her arms folded and a mischievous smile on her face and the person she was with was Flash fucking Thompson, who was a little too close for comfort. Flash was his usual cocky self.

"Whatever," Elizabeth told Flash and stands up straight. Peter sucks in a breath of surprise when Elizabeth kisses Flash on the lips. Apparently she hears something so she breaks away from him. Peter whips himself out of sight.

"Did you hear anything?" Flash asks Elizabeth.

She replies, "it was probably just someone going to the bathroom."

Peter hears the smacking of lips once again. Disgust washes over him like a wave and it sends shivers down his spine while his space scrunches up.

Why the hell was Elizabeth Copper making out with Flash Thompson?

Peter leaves quietly and goes back to class without even using the bathroom like he intended to. Peter felt like he was growing throw up in Honors Algebra when Flash came into the room and took his seat after an alleged trip to the water fountain. Since when do Flash and Elizabeth not hate each other, since when was Elizabeth down to make out with someone like Flash. Also, when did Peter become so obsessed with Liz's best friend's predicament.

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Lunch was busy, but Elizabeth was able to stomach standing in the lunch line with kids gossiping about each other and talking about inane things in pop culture that Elizabeth herself used to be obsessed with when she was normal. She missed being concerned with things like that, she missed being normal.

Elizabeth chooses her lunch and pays the man behind the lunch counter with her student ID. She leaves the counter holding her chicken tenders on a generic plastic tray. Her eyes scan the cafeteria looking for Liz, but first her eyes land on Peter Parker. He's staring at her. Their eyes meet for a moment, but he looks away when Ned bumps his arm and shows him something on his phone screen.

Elizabeth knows that Peter knows something about her, certainly not about her powers. Even then he knows something that he had no business knowing about. Elizabeth spots Liz sitting at a table with her back turned eating a sandwich right near Peter. Why wouldn't she be near Peter, he was supposed to be her boyfriend. Elizabeth walks over to the table and sits down next to Liz.

"Hey, guys," Elizabeth said and lets a false smile simmer onto her face as her long blonde hair swung in her face. Liz turns to her.

"Hey, Lizzy," she said and takes a bite of her sandwich as Elizabeth sits on the bench and sits her tray on the table.

"Peter, Ned I feel like I haven't seen you in like a million years! How are you?" Elizabeth in a friendly tone of voice.

"I'm good," Ned said and ate some of the rice he brought with him from home as Peter looked at Elizabeth's smiling face with a suspicion that Liz picks up on. She raises an eyebrow.

"I don't know things have been kind of boring for me," Peter answers in a tone of voice that was passive aggression and pulls a bottle of water out his backpack which was sitting next to him. Elizabeth's fake smile drops. He opens the bottle and gulps down half of it in what seems like half a second.

Elizabeth somewhat frowns at this answer, but Liz voices her displeasure first.

"Peter, don't be mean to Elizabeth," Liz said in a harsh tone of voice. Ned stares at his rice and minded his own business.

"I need to talk to you," Peter tells Liz and grabs her hand, "alone."

Liz sighs and the two get up and walk away.

"What do you think that's all about?" Ned asked watching their backs as they walk away. Elizabeth's frown deepens.

"I don't know, maybe it's because Liz and I have been spending a lot of time together," Elizabeth told Ned, who looks at her.

"I guess, but you're best friends," Ned replies. This makes the boy even more confused.

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Liz let out an annoyed huff as Peter pulls her gently by the arm out of the cafeteria away from where Elizabeth and Ned sat eating lunch. She follows him to an empty hallway and he finally lets her hand go.

He looks around like he's suspicious and paranoid.

"Peter, you're acting so weird," Liz told him and his eyes dart toward her.

"I'm acting weird!? Something weird is going on with Elizabeth," Peter insists. Liz's face tinges in disgust at this comments.

"No, there isn't," Liz rebukes at Peter in an annoyed voice.

Peter shakes his head.

"I saw her on a stretcher at the SHIELD branch I visited a few months and she's acting super weird," Peter says and Liz takes a deep breath and crosses her arms.

"Weird like what, Peter?" Liz asks.

"I saw her kiss Flash Thompson today," Peter tells Liz. Liz seems blindsided by this news, but quickly straightens back up.

"You're being mean to her back she kissed Flash and you don't like him?" Liz asks. The look of disgust has settled back on her face like a stagnant puddle of water.

Peter sighs, "it's not just that stuff with Flash, she's changing into a whole different person. I have this crazy feeling that she's dangerous."

Liz is unamused by his slander of Elizabeth.

"She's been through a lot Peter, people are allowed to change," Liz replies lamely. Her hair falls into her face, she's beautiful to Peter even when she's upset with him.

"Yeah, but-," Peter starts, but Liz cuts him off with a gesture of a hand.

"I just want to make one thing clear. I'm not going to let you disrespect my best friend. You're spreading lies about her and that's so not okay. Lizzy and I have been like this for as long as I can remember," Liz crosses her fingers. "If I had to make a choice I would choose her every single time."

Liz starts to turn away. Peter reaches for Liz's arm, but she evades his grasp.

"Liz," Peter said softly. She looks at him. Her brown eyes are painted in sadness and annoyance.

"I almost lost her once, please don't make me choose."

She turns and starts back toward cafeteria while Peter is left alone in the cold hallway.