How'd You Get This Number? // mamaspider

15 - top bunk

how in the everloving heckety heck have we reached almost 50k reads in the time span of one month?

also this chapter has many triggering elements involving discussion of abuse
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My finger gently presses Ned's doorbell. Immediately, the door swings open with the force of a thousand Hulks. "PETER—" Ned squeaks, grabbing my arm and pulling me into his living room. We immediately book it to his bedroom, bypassing everyone. I shout a quick hello to Mrs. Leeds before I'm shoved through a doorway. "Are you okay?" He asks once he closes his door.

"No!" I screech at him, waving my arms around wildly. "May just tried to hit me." I drop my backpack on the floor and plop down on the bottom half of his bunkbed.

"She what?!" Ned freaks out on me, eyeballs widening to unimaginable extents. "May tried to hit you?!"

I sigh and run a hand down my face exhaustedly. "I'm sorry to just show up with all my problems, Ned. You shouldn't have to deal with them too."

"Peter, stop..." Ned insists, sitting beside me on the bed. "Don't do that. I'm your best friend. I signed up to carry, like, half the load of horribleness when I agreed to be your Guy-In-The-Chair." He smirks at me. I chuckle, scratching the back of my head in thought. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

I take a deep breath. "I know." I smile up at my best friend. We sit in silence for another moment. "I don't think the Avengers trust me."

"Why?"

"They hacked into my phone." I scratch the back of my head and look to the floor in embarrassment. How did I not catch on? Of course they wouldn't trust me. Nat is way too secretive to trust anyone with anything—you know, her being a spy and all. "They listened to my conversation with May."

"Okay, that's not your fault." He points an angered finger at me. "They shouldn't have been all up in your business, man."

"Yeah..." I trail off, stressed.

In case you're wondering—I messaged Ned earlier today after I missed our hang-out. He seemed to understand after I explained that I was unconscious practically all morning. Well, he understood after he freaked out about the fact that I knew the Avengers.

We go quiet again. I feel bad for showing up at his door with all my emotional baggage, but I needed someone to talk to. The Avengers broke my trust, May tried to hit me...but Ned?—No, my best friend is always gonna be there for me. I know I can rely on Ned, no matter what. "You okay?" He murmurs after another moment.

A few tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "No." I wipe my cheek on my sleeve, neglecting to let Ned see me cry. "Why would May try to hit me?"

"Peter, she's always had that..." Ned pauses hesitantly, "...problem."

"No, she hasn't." I explain between sobs, "She didn't used to be like this." Ned grabs my shoulders and pulls me into a hug, finally giving me the signal to let it all out. I just sit there—crying. As if I were a kid again. Or something like one, at least.

"Come on, Peter. You need to get some rest." Ned sighs and stands up.

"Are you sure it's okay if I stay here?" I check again, grabbing my backpack and chucking it onto the top bunk.

"It's always okay, dude." He chuckles, grabbing some PJs and going to change in the bathroom attached to his bedroom. "Here—some of your pajamas." Ned throws a handful of my clothes at me.

"How do you have these?" I laugh as I look down at my pajamas.

"We have, like, a bajillion sleepovers a month, dude. You always leave stuff here." Ned shrugs. The bathroom door closes behind him. I quickly change into my PJ's.