That's Just The Way The World Works

Just One Perfect Moment

     Olivia and Dani sat on my bed, Dani sitting up and Olivia scrolling on her phone as she laid in Dani's lap. I sat at my easel and was painting a frozen river on my canvas, needing some extra money as my blog hadn't gotten enough traction yet. I was starting to doubt it ever would... Perhaps I needed a better story... I had some posts already, of course the opening, but I had others about actual crimes happening around the city with my own analysis of them. As of now, I had two thousand people who followed and looked at the blog regularly. Maybe I need to start going on my own missions... I can't just sit around and wait for information to come to me... Besides, Peter's dealing with enough as it is. He's become a much clearer picture in my head ever since he told me how he started being Spider-Man. I don't want to keep bombarding him with questions, and finding out for myself would be much more accelerating.

    "Looks good MJ." Dani calls, looking over her phone and at my painting.

    "Thanks." I say, looking at the whole picture, "I'm trying to put in more detail than I usually do."

    "GUYS!" Olivia says, suddenly sitting up. "It's three more days until Christmas!!!! I almost forgot!"

     I laugh lightly and Dani smiled while she said, "That's why we're spending the day here Liv—"

    "We're skating tonight right??? I can't wait." Olivia says, standing up.

    "Says the ex-figure skater." I snort.

    "Does anyone want hot chocolate?" Olivia asks, turning to face Dani and I.

    "I'll take some." Dani says.

    "I'm good." I shrug.

    Olivia nods and exits to the kitchen while Dani leans forward on the bed, "How are you? I haven't seen you in a while but I love your blog."

    "Oh—thanks, and don't worry about it. I don't go out much."

   "Yeah, I've been a bit stuck with school and work keeps me pretty busy. Liv and I are trying to save up for a cruise next summer."

   "That's—wow. Cool... Where do you work again?"

   "Skatepark, I teach kids how to skate. Just a little side hustle."

   "You tolerate kids? Now that's talent."

    Dani laughs, "It is." She grinned.

    Olivia goes back into my room with Hot Chocolate and we spend the rest of the time talking before Olivia and Dani get up to go get dinner... Peter was supposed to be back by now, we were planning on going together... "it's ok... you guys can go without me." I say, feeling deflated.

   "Oh... No way, we are not going without you... Just—text Peter to meet us there."

    I look up and smile a little, "Yeah, ok." I grabbed my black puffer jacket and headed out with Dani and Olivia. Us three heading to dinner as I felt like a third wheel. I don't think I had the right to feel this way... Peter was out saving lives. While I'm just... here. Third wheeling the night before Christmas Eve. Outside the restaurant we saw Ned who gave Dani a huge hug and Olivia jumped in. I'm not really a hug person but thag didn't stop Ned. He pulled me into the hug and then the four of us headed inside... What-

     The restaurant was dimly lit with gold laced into the trim of the front table. The carpet was a deep red while all the tables had perfectly white cloth over them. We got settled at the back of a dimly lit restaurant in a semicircle booth. This place was fancy—like really fancy, I wasn't sure how we even managed to book this, "Are you sure we're at the right restaurant?"