The Tragedy of Mary Jane Stark

Moving Back

School was starting in two days. Happy helped Peter and Mary bring all of Mary's stuff back to her apartment.
"So you guys ready to go back to school ! I mean after all of this." Happy said standing in the elevator holding boxes with Mary and Peter.
"Honestly I can't wait. It will be the most normal thing to happen. Hopefully it will feel somewhat like normal again." Mary said hopeful. She really was excited to go back, to see her friends.
"Yeah me too! As much as I enjoyed just hanging around Miss Starks cabin, I think I need a routine again." Peter said holding Mary's apartment door open for Mary and Happy.
"Well I'm glad you guys are ready. I'm sure it will be chaotic but you two will get through it." Happy said.
"I think that's the last of it. Thank you Happy again, for helping me move." Mary said hugging Happy goodbye.
"Of course Mary Jane." Happy looked at her with sad eyes. "You stopped dying your hair." He pointed to her brown roots.
"Oh yeah."
"You don't like the red anymore? God I don't think I've seen you with your natural brown hair since you were 12." Happy said rubbing her head.
"No no I love the red. I just, haven't had time to dye it." Mary said now self conscious about her hair.
"Hey I like it. The brown with the red, looks cool. Alright I gotta go. Pepper just lost her two best baby sitter." Happy smiled. "Bye Peter! Uh tell May I said hi." Happy said hugging Peter. Peter had a confused look on his face. Happy left the apartment and shut the door.
"Did that seem like out of character of Happy? I mean I don't think he's ever been that- that unprofessional and nice to me." Peter said turning to Mary.
"Well. Maybe he's being nicer to you because Dad really liked you." Mary said kissing his cheek. He blushed.
"Uhh right. Let's start unpacking." He said picking up a box labeled cloths and headed for her room.

*
They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking all the boxes. Her cloths were put away and the many picture frames Tony had of them were set up.
"Okay, listen, there are so many fruits that don't live up to their name." Peter said as he helped hang up shirts.
"Oh I'm listening. Give me the list." Mary Jane replied.
"Fruits that don't live up to their names, a list by Peter Parker; passion fruit, grapefruit, honeydew, dragon fruit." Peter said using his fingers to count out the list.
"And fruits that do live up to their name?" Mary smirked turning to look at him.
"Orange." Peter said with a straight face which made Mary wheeze.
"I mean your not wrong." She said still laughing, Peter joining her. "Oh shit it's like 6:50, what time did you tell May you'd be home?"
"She told me dinner should be done around 7. So I bet you by 7:30 we will be eating take out on the floor." Peter laughed grabbing his phone and keys. "Than after that I'll go patrol. Are you sure you'll be fine here? All alone tonight. I promised May I'd start sleeping at her apartment but if you need me to I can sneak out?"
"No go! Go spend time with your aunt. She's probably mad at me for hogging you anyway. Go protect the city Spider-Man." Mary said walking up to hug him.
"I love you Mj. I'll see you tomorrow okay? If you need me please call me!" He said starting to climb out her window.
She watched as he began to swing through the city. Turning around mid flip to make a quick heart out of his hands. Mary giggled and just waved.
"Dork." She whispered smiling to herself. It was going to be a weird night, she had not slept alone in her own bed since. Well since Maple Twine Park.
She decided against leaving her apartment to get dinner, instead invited Michelle over to order take out.

Michelle arrived 20 minutes later with some Thai food.
"I heard they are going to email us our locker numbers tomorrow." Michelle said. They were sitting on the old couch in Mary's small living room.
"I hope so. I really don't feel like waiting in home room all morning figuring out lockers like freshman year again." Mary said. Her legs crossed as she was turned towards Michelle.

"Yeah me neither. I hope I don't have one next to Flash again. I swear his locker is a black hole, ive never seen so much random shit shoved into a locker." Michelle said aggressively taking a bite of her food making Mary laugh.
"I'll trade with you if you do. It's crazy that most of our grade already graduated. We are going to be stuck with kids that were five years younger than us." Mary said.
"Mhm. My poor cousin Kailey, her little sister is now older than her. It has to be weird. I'm glad my parents only decided to conceive once." Michelle replied. "Hey, if anyone bothers you about being a Stark or anything. Please tell me. I figured out this thing on my phone where I can send one sentence to a number over and over again like on repeat. If flash bothers you I'll have that thing say dick face on repeat until he blocks me."
"Thank you Michelle." Mary giggled. "I already know Flash is going to say something stupid. I'm prepared for that. I'm just nervous about how the facility might treat me. I know people are going to treat me differently now. Especially because he died bringing them back you know?"
"Yeah. I'm sure they will." Michelle said in her monotone voice.
"You think people will connect the dots? And like figure out Peter is Spider-Man. Because Spider-Man had connections to Tony Stark, Peter had his 'Stark' internship, and I'm Tony's daughter?"
"Nah the kids at our schools are such dumb asses. Peter could literally walk in school wearing his suit saying hey by the way I'm Spider-Man. And no one would think twice." Michelle joked.
"Imagine if Flash ever finds out Peter is Spider-Man."
"Oh my god I want Flash to find out so bad now. It would absolutely crush him. Nothing in life would give me more joy than to see Flash find out the person he is in-love with is Peter Parker."
"Pfff that would be funny. Also dangerous. I know Peters nervous about even having you and Ned know." Mary said quietly.
"Not nervous about you?"
"No I don't think so. Dad gave me an iron man suit so I can protect-... shit. I broke it never mind."
"Wait how do you break an iron man suit?"
"When I, well created my little reality in Maple Twine Park, the purple glow broke it. I had it stored in a little bracelet and the force of the glow smashed it." Mary said thinking back to that day.
"Oh damn. Well I'm sure you'll be fine, Peter wouldn't let anything happen. Not that anything would happen per say. Well I'm not sure about that actually, there's a terrorist group that formed. Like these people thought the world was better because half of infinity died. They more than likely hate your dad for what he did, so they probably hate you than." Michelle said casually.
"Wow thanks Michelle, really made me feel better."

They finished there food and Michelle said goodbye. She had to go with her dad to read slam poetry at some coffee bar. It was nearly 10 pm by that time. Mary wasn't tired yet but lonely.
No she shouldn't call Peter. He's out on patrol, she shouldn't bother him. But he did say to call if she needed anything...
He picked up on the first ring.
"Hey Mj! Are you okay? What's wrong?" He said, he was panting obviously mid swing.
"No no I'm fine uh how are you?" She said awkwardly.
"Doing alright I guess... any uh particular reason you called?" Peter said sounding distracted.
"I'm sorry. I- I think I'm just not used to being alone."
"No your good! Don't be sorry. Do you need me to come over?" Peter said grunting between words.
"Please don't. You sound busy. I'll leave you to it Spider-Man. I think I just needed to hear the sound of your voice. Goodnight Pete."
"Oh okay. Goodnight Mj!" He said and hung up immediately.
Ugh Mary felt embarrassed. Why did she call him he was obviously busy. She needs to get used to being alone, like before. Before the blip she never needed someone to be with her always. She was alone most evenings anyway. She was just spoiled having Peter spend every day with her for the past month. She did want things to go back to normal right?
Mary Jane spent the rest of the evening listening to music in hopes to fall asleep. It eventually did seem to work for she woke up tangled in her headphones. She looked at her phone, 4 am. Great. No one will be up for at least several more hours.

She got out of her bed when she remembered she packed something. She grabbed her wallet and pulled out a picture of her and Natasha when she was younger. If no one else was going to have a memorial for Nat at least she would.