Chapter 21

Peter wasn't in the best of moods as he walked through the school gates. He spotted Flash and his friends pointing and laughing, but that wasn't the main reason for his frustration.

He knew he'd been followed while he was Venom—not just by Black Cat, but Spider-Man had also been snooping around the warehouse. If anything more than just photos started showing up, he'd need to handle it.

Dealing with Spider-Man was straightforward enough. He was supposedly one of the good guys, so Peter figured asking him to stay out of his business might do the trick. Maybe they could even reach an agreement: Spider-Man could handle patrols during the week, giving Peter time for school, while Venom could take over on weekends, allowing Spider-Man a break.

Black Cat was a different story. She'd outright attacked him, thinking there was some link between him and Peter. Which, of course, was true, but it made things even more confusing. Peter shook his head. Keeping up a secret identity was complicated at times. She had also mentioned someone named Marko—was that one of the muggers he'd dealt with? Was she looking for payback? Or was it tied to Aleksei somehow?

Gwen had already told him that Aleksei was running a chop shop, but Peter hadn't gotten involved in anything illegal. All he did was repair items, ensure they were clean, and then Aleksei would sell them. He wondered if he should ask Matt if this could get him into trouble. He knew enough from TV to realize handling stolen goods knowingly was a crime, but just cleaning them?

He waved over at Gwen, who was standing beside a grumpy-looking Felicia. She seemed tired and irritated, her usual scowl even deeper.

"So, uh, hey Gwen," he greeted with a smile, taking her hand. "And hey, Felicia. You doing okay?"

She groaned and, as she lifted her bag from her locker, he noticed her wincing and favoring her right side.

"Rough judo practice?"

Felicia frowned and pulled her arm closer to her side. "Gymnastics accident," she replied curtly.

"So… I talked to my dad, and, uh, he had an interesting suggestion, Pete," Gwen said with a sly grin.

Peter saw the look and froze. Oh no, what did I forget?

"Hey, Pete," Felicia interrupted, "wanna go to prom with me?"

Gwen playfully swatted her on the arm, making Felicia wince again, then pointed her finger at Peter.

"Don't even think about answering that."

Oh no, I really forgot. He cursed internally, and now Felicia had made things worse. She knew he hated disappointing people. If he said no to her and asked Gwen, Felicia would be upset—and Gwen would be mad that he'd forgotten and asked her as an afterthought.

"Felicia, I'd love to go to prom with you, but I already promised Gwen another date," he replied, trying to keep things light.

Felicia laughed. "Yeah, I was just kidding, Pete. Not like you could take us both."

Gwen paused, glancing at Felicia with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Peter. "We'll discuss that later. And yes, Pete, I'd love to go to prom with you."

Peter looked down. "Sorry, Gwen. I just thought it was a given, since, you know, we're dating."

Gwen squeezed his hand and hugged him. "Yeah, me too. I, uh… didn't tell Felicia, though."

Felicia rolled her eyes. "It's not like I wanted to go anyway," she muttered, then turned and walked away.

"Still on for the weekend?" Gwen asked, and Peter nodded. "Good, 'cause I need to go find out what's up with her." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you in English, third period?" She waved as they parted and then hurried after Felicia.

"Hey!" Gwen called out as Felicia kept walking. "Oh, come on," she huffed, trying to catch up. Felicia was in great shape and could really move when she wanted, while Gwen was more of a science nerd who liked her snacks and TV shows.

Practically having to run, she finally grabbed Felicia's hand. "I said, hey."

Felicia stopped and clutched her folders against her chest. "I heard, but I don't want to talk."

Gwen shrugged. "Fine, then don't. Listen, Pete and I have been dating for a little over two weeks. I didn't tell you, you know…" She waved her hand around.

"Yeah," Felicia replied noncommittally. She noticed that Flash was nearby, clearly interested in what they were saying.

"I can still go to prom with you if you want," Gwen offered, hoping to make her smile.

"And watch you two fawn over each other? Yeah, no thanks. I'll pass."

Gwen straightened up, standing just inches away from Felicia. "Stop being so ridiculous. If you want to come with us, then we'll go as a trio. No cheesy dates, no fawning, and no playing favorites. You're my best friend, and so is Pete."

Felicia struggled to keep her breathing steady. Gwen was standing so close—close enough that she could just… no.

She took a step back. "No. It won't work, and he's your boyfriend. You're bound to play favorites." And with that, she stormed off again.

Gwen groaned. Even if Felicia was avoiding her, she couldn't get away completely. They still had chemistry together that morning, and they sat right next to each other.

Gwen found Felicia already sitting at their usual table. "Running away won't fix anything, you know. We're still stuck together for chemistry class."

Felicia opened her folder, pulled out her books, and looked at Gwen with a sad expression. "Yeah, we are."

Flash overheard their conversation.

So, Gwen's dating Puker. What a total waste, he thought to himself.

He pulled out his phone and headed into the boys' bathroom. "Hey, everyone out!" he shouted, and the stalls opened quickly as the occupants scrambled out, seeing who it was.

He scrolled through his contacts and dialed "Dad." The line rang a few times before connecting.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me. We've got an intern here, Gwen Stacy. Can you move her over to my department?" He paused. "Yeah, she is. And her dad's the police chief." Another pause as his father spoke, and Flash chuckled. "Thanks, Dad."

He couldn't wait to see the look on Parker's face when he found out he'd be seeing his girlfriend every day.

Maybe, now that he was graduating and heading to college, it was time to break things off with MJ. She was a bit odd, and even after all this time, it still felt like she wasn't really there. He snorted—not that he cared; she was hot, and that was all that mattered.

He was finishing up at the urinal when the bathroom door opened.

"Hey, I thought I told everyone to get out!" he shouted, zipping up. "Didn't you hear me?" he started, but then stopped.

"Hey, Eugene," said Harry, standing at the sink, washing his hands. "Quiet, and don't tell anyone I'm here. But maybe it's time you handled things with Peter, don't you think?"

Flash nodded. "Maybe it's time I finally handled things with Peter."

Harry gave a sly smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Make sure they're handled. I don't like loose ends." He looked around, tutting. "Well, this was fun, but I really don't care for the stink of failure in here." Leaning in close, he added, "Remember: finish things with Peter."

Flash nodded. "Finish things with Peter."

Flash blinked as the bathroom door closed behind Harry. He stood by the sink, staring at himself in the mirror. He looked good—why wouldn't someone like Gwen want him? He was way richer than that loser Parker. Yeah, he'd get Peter out of the way and show Gwen what a real man was like.

He smirked, drying his hands, knowing Peter was probably at his locker right now.

Jean shivered as a wave of dread and fear seemed to move through the school. She darted into the girls' bathroom to get away from it. She knew that if she lost control, her feelings could affect everyone around her. She needed a safe place, just in case something happened, and the bathroom was her best option. She pulled her phone from her pocket, ready to call the mansion if things got worse. If necessary, she'd need the professor's help.

The professor had explained that it was just her powers manifesting, amplifying hormonal surges—that unexpected feelings of love, anger, and fear were normal. He'd even gone into a talk about puberty and how it would heighten these sensations. She'd learn to control her feelings, and eventually, her powers too.

Jean had hated that conversation, mortified beyond belief. He could have at least asked Miss Munroe to have that talk with her.

This was different, though. She was happy—Scott had asked her to prom, and she'd said yes. The professor had even given them permission to attend a normal high school dance. She'd already asked Kitty to help her pick out a dress.

She waited until the feeling passed, then splashed cold water on her face.

Get a grip, Grey, she told herself, taking a deep breath. As she dried off and grabbed her bag, she accidentally bumped into Flash as she exited the bathroom.

"Watch it, Red," he snarled, but what he was thinking troubled her even more.

Images flashed in her mind: Peter, lying beaten while Flash kicked him repeatedly. Gwen stood by, laughing, calling Peter a loser.

Jean's head spun. I need to find Gwen, she thought urgently.

She usually kept her distance from them. Peter made her powers flare unpredictably, but this was an emergency.

She looked around. Where are you? But she couldn't locate Peter with her abilities.

Biting her lip, she thought, No, I can do this. I have to help him.

And she ran after Flash.

Gwen was getting frustrated with Felicia's behavior. She wanted to spend her lunch break with Peter, not hiding behind the bike racks with Felicia. The guys smoking nearby kept giving them strange looks.

"Fel, I don't have time for this. Pete's waiting," she complained. "Fine," she sighed. "What's going on?"

"Do you really have to go to prom with Pete?" Felicia asked, rubbing the top of her arm.

"Not this again? Look, Pete asked me, and you asked him, so… Felicia, want to go to prom with me?" Gwen asked, rolling her eyes.

"Gwen…" Felicia started to reply but then shook her head, sighing. "Never mind. It doesn't matter," she said quietly.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Fel! What is it?" Gwen grabbed her arm and pulled her away from everyone. "What? Are you… is this a confession? Just tell me." Felicia scowled. "Fine, you know what? I've had a crush on Pete since we met. He's goofy and awkward but sweet and funny. And, okay, I liked MJ too—she's cute and has a nice laugh… until she started dating that jerk."

Felicia looked at her, startled.

"You want more? Fine. You're adorable but such a pain. I love how you stand up for Pete when he's not around, but you can be such a downer." Gwen threw her hands up. "If you want to go to prom, then all three of us can go—as long as you don't complain about me kissing him first. I'll even give you the last dance."

Felicia just looked at her feet, unsure of what to say.

"Come on, Fel. You know what? I'm going to find Pete, tell him why you're acting weird, and then knock your heads together. Is that why you're not renting from him? You think we'll ignore you? Fel, we've been on three dates. He hasn't even made it to second base."

Felicia huffed, "Sorry."

Gwen rubbed her forehead. "He's got enough on his plate, Fel. Don't make things harder for him, please." Gwen stepped closer. "Look, if it's okay with you, I'll ask if he minds. He won't say no, and honestly… he might think it's hot."

Felicia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Fine, sorry. I… I'll apologize, but I really can't rent. It's my dad…" She looked away, disheartened. "But I want to. It's lousy being alone."

Gwen threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling Felicia in for a hug. "You're not alone, Fel. It's not perfect, but you have me and Pete."

Felicia hugged Gwen back tightly. "I know," but there was so much more she wanted to say.