𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑶𝑰𝑵𝑬 // 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓

10

I sit in the Thai restaurant beside Peter and May at the small round table.

"How's your Pad Thai?" Peter asks, taking a bite of his food.

"It's really good," I smile. May, Peter, and I contently eat our meals, and it is quiet for a short moment.

"Oh!" May squeals, ending the silence abruptly, "I got an email from your school today, about the winter formal? Why didn't you two tell me?! Aren't you excited?! Getting all dressed up, corsages, boutineers, adorable photos... the email made it sound like prom but for the whole school instead, how exciting!" 

Peter and I widen our eyes at each other. We both weren't too thrilled about the announcement of a winter formal. Both of us did not have the most ideal school dance experience with homecoming. Peter ditched his date, Liz, for God knows why, causing a massive drama outbreak at the dance in his absence. I, on the other hand, wish that I ditched my date. I was asked by one of the decathlon members, Sebastian, and said yes out of a pathetic combination of pity and fear of breaking his tiny heart. Sebastian is a nice kid, but he was an incredibly boring date. We spent most of the dance sitting on the bleachers silently sipping punch. I'm not even quite sure why he asked me to homecoming in the first place, but I wish I'd just said no.

"What?' May asks, confused by out lack of excitement.

"No- nothing, May. The winter formal sounds fun, right Fel?" Pete raises his eyebrows at me, begging me to back up his fake interest to appease his aunt.

"Yeah... Sounds real fun," I force a smile. 

"Have you thought about who you want to take, Peter?" May asks him eagerly. Pete looks to me awkwardly.

"Um, no. I think I'm just going to go stag," he says quickly before shoving another bite of his food into his mouth.

"What about you, Felicia? Any rumors of who's asking you to the formal?" she asks me in desperate hopes of gossip.

"Uh, actually yes," I say hesitantly, not knowing whether or not Peter has heard the rumors. "Well Betty told me in history today that Harry Osborn is thinking about asking me," I tell them, looking shyly at Peter.

"Harry Osborn?" Peter slightly raises his voice out of disbelief. "He like just transferred to Midtown, how does he even know you?" Peter's words sting, and May gives him a scolding look.

"He's in my microbiology class. Mr. Moran asked me to be his tutor to help him catch up," I say bluntly. 

"Well I think that's wonderful, Felicia. You know, Peter and Harry used to go to summer camp together when they were little," May informs me.

"Oh really? I didn't know that," I give Peter a smug expression. "Were they close?" I ask May.

"Well this was before I was Peter's guardian, so I wasn't as close with Peter as I am now, but I remember every summer the two were tied at the hip," May smiles. 

All of the pieces begin to fall into place in my head - Peter and Harry used to be pals when they were young because they'd go to science camp together. After Pete's parents died and Peter stopped going to science camp, the two lost touch. And now that Harry's at Midtown and instantly became popular the second he stepped foot in the school, Peter is jealous.

"He seems like a nice guy, and he's very handsome," I softly smile, twirling my fork in the noodles on my plate. 

"If he asks you, will you say yes?" Peter asks me, his curiosity in his eyes.

"Yeah, I think I would," I smile to May.

"Alright, Peter, now we've got to find you  a date," May winks at her nephew. "Know any cute girls who'd be interested in our handsome Pete here?" she asks me, half joking, half serious.

"Hmm... Michelle Jones in our English class always stares at you a lot. I'd bet money that she'd say yes if you asked her to go to the Winter Formal with you," I smile suggestively at Peter.

"MJ? You- for real?" Peter stammers in shock at what I had just suggested. 

"What? She may be kind of a loner, but she's really pretty cool. Not to mention she's gorgeous. I mean I'd go for it if I swung that way," I wink at him. 

"Uh- Okay, yeah. I'll try talking and see how it goes," Peter says bashfully, taking another bite of his food. 

May and I look at each other, big excited smiles on both of our faces at the thought of Peter actually dating. 

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We arrive home to the apartment at around 8pm. Peter and I head straight to his bedroom; both of us plopping back onto his bed in  food-comatosis states. 

"UGH I'm so full," Peter exclaims.

"Yeah, me too," I agree, "I feel like any minute now, my stomach is going to explode with Thai food."

We both let out light laughs, turning onto our sides simultaneously so we are facing each other.

"So..." Peter starts, and for some reason, I'm nervous to hear what he's about to say. "Do you really think MJ likes me?" he asks, brown doe eyes wide.

My stomach drops slightly, and having this reaction confuses me. Why is it upsetting me that Peter's asking me about a girl when I was the one who suggested the whole thing in the first place?

"Um, yeah," I nod, and swallow a lump in my throat, "I mean, I don't know for sure really, I haven't talked to her about it, but I- I think so."

There is silence for a short moment, as we both just stare at each other. His eyes flicker all across me face, as if he's searching for something.

"I... Um... Do you- do you think I should go for it? Asking her to the formal I mean..." Peter says with begging eyes, seemingly hoping for me to give one answer in particular, but I'm not quite sure what the answer should be. 

"Um, yeah. MJ's great. I mean why not," I smile softly. I watch as Peter's face falls slightly. I must not have given the answer he was looking for...

"Okay, yeah- yeah- you... you're right," he says with disappointment in his voice. He looks like a sad puppy, and for some reason it's melting my heart.

"Pete... What's wrong?" I ask him, causing him to let out a lengthy sigh.

"I..." he starts to say, and I can tell he's hesitant to tell me whatever it is, "Nevermind," Peter's face falls.

"Peter..." I say softly, and gently touch the side of his face. "Whatever it is... you can trust me," I delicately caress his cheek with my thumb. He seems so stressed, and all I want in this moment is to fit it, to make everything better.

"Fel..." he says so faintly, "You have no idea..." I can see the pain in his eyes, and for some reason I want to cry. I can feel it, his pain, his struggles, but I want to know - I need to know - what's causing it.

"I can't..." Peter whispers.

"It's okay," I tell him comfortingly, "It's okay..."

We lay there like that, with me gently caressing Peter's cheek, until we both fall fast asleep.

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A/N

This chapter was so fun to write! I loved how cutesy it was :) Let me know what you think! Don't forget to COMMENT and VOTE!!