Spideychelle one-shots

Dear Journal (Pt. 7)

Peter

It's funny how quickly everything can change. One moment, one breath, can be all it takes to destroy everything. 

Peter couldn't have said, later, if he had sensed the danger before. If he had seen what was coming. 

But his spidey sense was tingling, and he'd made the mistake of writing it off as nerves.

He should have known better.

MJ

There were a few moments that MJ would remember for the rest of her life. Some moments that were so important, so blindingly awesome, that they would leave an imprint forever.

Meeting Spiderman. Being shot. (She didn't say they had to be good memories.) Winning the State-Wide Science Fair, Peter at her side, for what the judges called an 'Incredibly in-depth and vital look at one of the superheroes of our time.' 

One judge had even told her that her essay had made him see things in a way that he never had before - that she had a knack for writing that cut through all the nonsense.

MJ was glowing by the end of it, glowing with pride and hope and the knowledge that she was finally - finally - making a name for herself. 

They had done it. Peter was smiling, beaming really, when they went up to receive their trophy - when MJ had thrown her arms around him and hugged him - the lights on the stage burning their eyes. 

"We did it," he whispered, the warmth in his eyes making her blush.

"We are amazing," she whispered back, clutching his hand in hers. "I mean, first place? We're practically legends. "

"You are," he said, and she shook her head. "No, I'm serious," he insisted. "I mean, this was your idea. I thought it was going to be to hard, but you knew. And... It was amazing. It is amazing."

She smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you. We make a pretty good team."

"We do, don't we?" He said, smile back in place. 

MJ squeezed his hand and held their trophy up higher, walking proudly off the stage. 

Peter

He should have seen it coming. He should have seen it coming.

But he hadn't, and now everything was ruined. 

It's all my fault. 

MJ

She didn't notice when the screaming started.

Everything was already so loud; schools cheering when one of their own won, announcements from the stage, then the general hubbub of hundreds of people clearing from the auditorium, most of them overtired kids who'd spent most of the day so stressed that they were now hopped up on an adrenaline high.

She only really noticed when Peter stiffened beside her, squeezing her hand tighter and pulling her closer. 

"What is it?" 

"Can't you hear the screaming?" he said, and as soon as he mentioned it, she could: it was coming from outside. Coming from the hallways, from the entranceway.

"We have to get out of here," he said, pulling her towards the doors. But other people were noticing,  were flocking towards the only exit.

"Is that - do you smell smoke?" MJ asked.