LOUD MOUTH → PETER PARKER ✓

Chapter Seventeen: Edelstein Interlude

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍: EDELSTEIN INTERLUDE

Callie and Gwen ran out of the Oscorp Building with Callie clutching the antidote in her hand. A police car screeched to a stop in the middle of the street ahead of them, and Callie felt her heart nearly stop. "Mom!" she nearly screamed, running forward and almost tackling her mother to the ground. Tears started to fall from her eyes like waterfalls, pooling on her mother's shirt. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

She suddenly pulled away, wiping her tears, and held up the antidote. "Mom, you need to get this to Spider-Man, it can stop the Lizard!"

Her mother looked at her with worried eyes. "Callie, we need to get you out of here."

"No, no, we need to get this to him now, right now! You don't understand―"

"Callie, I do understand." she said. "Peter is a man of many masks. I get it."

Callie's eyes widened. "You know?"

Her mom nodded, a small smile on her face. "I know, sweetheart. I know."

Callie nodded, more tears falling. She glanced at Captain Stacy, who had one arm around Gwen and another holding a large shotgun that Callie recognized as the type only issued to SWAT personnel. An idea formed in her mind.

"So you know why I need to do this." she said quietly.

"Do what?"

Callie suddenly broke free of her mother's grasp and whipped around, stealing the gun out of Captain Stacy's arm. It was heavier than she expected, but she picked it up and ran.

"Callie!" her mother and Captain Stacy yelled, trying to run after her.

"I'm sorry, this is for the greater good!" Callie screamed as she headed back into the Oscorp building, antidote and gun in hand.

one week ago

SINCE THE DAY SHE HAD FIRST BROUGHT HIM UP, all Mrs. Edelstein wanted to talk about was Peter. More specifically, Callie and Peter.

In the few visits the two had that month, Callie felt like she told Mrs. Edelstein every single thing there was to tell, from the time they accidentally set Callie's lunchbox on fire in the fourth grade to the time Peter got his head stuck in a desk chair for three hours.

And Mrs. Edelstein loved it all. She let Callie go on for hours about whatever memories she had, and in doing that, she allowed the young girl to realize how stupid she and Peter were when they were together.

Through talking to Mrs. Edelstein, Callie realized that she barely had any good memories that didn't involve him. It even got to the point where she went home and laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to come up with something. But she always drew a blank.

And telling Mrs. Edelstein about the kiss was . . interesting, to say the least. When Callie, smiling and hands clammy, told her what had happened in a brief sentence, Mrs. Edelstein jumped back in her chair and let out a shriek, her hand flying up to cover her heart. Callie almost jumped up, thinking Mrs. Edelstein was having some sort of heart attack―something that she was definitely not prepared for.

But then the older woman straightened up, giggling like she was four years old. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "I thought I was going to have to hunt you both down and glue your lips to each other."

Callie gave the woman an odd look, but she seemed to be off in her own world, staring off into the distance. "Do you know who you remind me of, Callie?' she asked dreamily.

"Who?"

"Me."

Calle looked up, confused, and Mrs. Edelstein continued. "I was like you in high school. Smart, pretty, popular."

Callie shook her head. "Mrs. Edelstein, I'm not―"

"Quiet, I'm explaining." Mrs. Edelstein snapped, making Callie purse her lips shut. "I was class president too, you know, but only in senior year. That was when I met Raymond."

"Your husband?" Callie asked. In all the time she had known Mrs. Edelstein, the woman had never once brought up her husband, but the way her eyes sparkled when he said his name told Callie that that had to be him.

"Yes, he was. He was our class treasurer. I had always thought him odd looking―never really paid much attention to him. It wasn't until the council had to hold a meeting and he got up to talk that I finally looked. And for the first time, I realized that I had known this boy all my life, and never once thought to talk to him. He wasn't much of a talker anyway. For a while I just assumed he was scared of me." she laughed lightly at that.

"But then when you got him talking . . I don't think you could've found someone more well-spoken than Raymond was. He was too smart for his own good, much too smart. Heart of gold."

Now Mrs. Edelstein's face grew dark. "And it was his heart of gold that got him killed." she said lowly, almost sadly. "He was a fireman. His friends said they didn't know where his mind went when he saw a fire. He would run in and refuse to come out until everyone was inside came out safely. To him, his job wasn't putting out fires. It was saving people―even the ones who started them."

Callie's hands started to shake as Peter's words echoed in her head. I don't think I have a choice.

"He saved seven people that day, just before the building went down." Mrs. Edelstein said. "Every single one of them still sends me a Christmas card." She paused.

"Every day I wish I had just noticed Raymond, I mean really noticed him, even if it meant I got an extra day to spend with him. " Mrs. Edelstein said. "You're the lucky one, Callie―you became his friend the first chance you had."

After another moment of silence, it seemed Mrs. Edelstein came out of her trance. Callie didn't understand how she could tell that story and not shed a single tear. But she looked at Callie, her casual nature back like nothing had even happened.

"So, when did you know?" Mrs. Edelstein asked.

Callie looked at her. "Know what?"

Mrs. Edelstein looked at her as though it were obvious. "That you were in love, dear."