The Spider and His Tribrid

Chapter 18: Give Me The Bracelet

Hope's POV:

I spend the entire weekend with my aunts and cousin, mainly ignoring all of Peter and Ned's phone calls. MJ came over and met them. They actually got along really well, which kinda surprises. Monday rolls around and they drop me off to school before they head to the airport.

"You sure you're ok to go back?" Freya asks me as we sit in front of the school. I nod. "I'll be fine. Besides, MJ would actually kill me for ditching her today." She gives me an unconvinced look. "I'm fine Aunt Freya. Now, I have to go and so do all of you. You all have a flight to catch."

I open the door and climbing out, shouldering my backpack. She sighs. "Fine. You're right. Just remember that Rebekah will be here in about a week to help you prepare for your homecoming thing." She reminds me. I groan.

I forgot I told her about that and now she wants to help me prepare. Apparently Elena Salvatore ruined her homecoming since they were trying to get Mikael to kill my dad and they didn't want her to interfere. It was a hole mess.

"Right, ok, I'll deal with it. I love you all and thank you all for coming." I tell them. "Love you too sweetie." Keelin says, grinning. I smile back before kissing the top of Nick's head. "I love you Hope. Have an amazing rest of the year." With that they're gone.

I sigh before turning to face the school. It's now or never. With a deep breath I walk into the school only to be bombarded with Spider-Man praise. I roll my eyes at all the posters as well as Betty Brant talking about him during morning announcements.

The first warning bell rings and I head towards my locker. Once I have my things I'm headed down the stairs to Chemistry when I hear two very familiar voices talking. I immediately stop walking. "Should we tell everyone?" Ned asks. "No." "Should I tell everyone?"

"No, dude, no. That's not a good idea." Peter reminds him. "Ok, well, come on, we'll be late to class." "I'm not going to class." "You're already in so much trouble for ditching the decathlon." Ned groans. He's seriously gonna ditch?

"Dude, listen, I figured it out. Right? The wing suit guy is stealing from Damage Control and what he takes from Damage Control, that's how he builds the weapons. So, all I gotta do is catch him." "But we have a Spanish Quiz." Ned reminds him.

"Ned, I'm probably never gonna come back here. Mr. Stark is moving the Avengers upstate, so when I bring this guy in..." He trails off, letting Ned connect the dots. "Dude, you wanna be a high school dropout?" He asks. "I am so far beyond high school right now." Peter says.

I set my face in a hard line. "Mr. Parker, my office." I roll my eyes when I hear the principle and Peter walk away, leaving me and Ned in the hallway. "Hope! I've been trying to get ahold of you all weekend." I shrug.

"Sorry Ned, but I was afraid it was Peter using your phone to call me and I really didn't want to talk to him." He nods in understanding. "I should probably wait for him-" I immediately cut him off before he can say anything else.

"No, get to class and tell Mrs. Slater that I'm not feeling good after the Washington incident. I'll see you in Algebra, ok?" He nods hesitantly before walking off down the hallway. I sit down on the steps with a sigh as I wait for Peter to get out of the office. I hear the door open and stand up.

It's him. "Peter." I call, catching his attention. He turns to me, shocked. "Hope?" I nod. "What happened in there?" He shrugs. "Just detention for ditching the decathlon." I nod. There's awkward silence between us before he breaks it.

"So, how are you doing? You didn't answer any of my calls or texts this weekend." I nod. "I know. I just...I needed a break." "And I totally understand that." "Do you?" He furrows his brows. "What do you mean?" He asks. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I heard you and Ned." "What?"

"I heard you telling Ned about catching this guy and being moved upstate to the Avengers' compound. Is that true? You catch this guy and then you're gone?" I ask him. He shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe. You know how Mr. Stark is about these things, but yeah. I hope so. I'm-"

"So far beyond high school. Yeah, I heard." More silence. "Hope, come on, tell me what's wrong." "Peter, the fact that you don't know what's wrong, is what's wrong. Are you seriously gonna drop out of school for a superhero gig that shouldn't be your entire life?" He sighs at this.

"Look, I get that I care a lot. I get that I care too much, but it's only because I've already watch my entire life fall apart once and I don't want anyone to have to go through the feeling I did. I lost everything because I was selfish." My voice cracks at this.

"I lost my mom, my dad, my uncle, my home, my school, my only friend. Everything. Please, Peter. You may think that this is what you want now, but it's not. I can promise you that, maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon you'll regret it if you drop everything for Spider-Man."

"You just don't get it Hope. Spider-Man is everything. Without these powers I'm nothing. Nobody. I was a nobody. I have a chance to do good in the world, why would you tell me not to?" "I'm not telling you not to, I'm telling you to not give up your life for it." I sigh.

"All this fame and glory may seem nice now, but in the long run this isn't what's going to matter." "You don't get it and I don't expect you to. You grew up with everything and you were powerful at the same time. I had nothing." At this my face hardens into a glare.

"You're right, I grew up at a fancy boarding school that I had to attend because my mom didn't have time to take care of me year round and my dad couldn't be near me because of an evil ancestor was out to kill me." His annoyance slowly fades away at my words.

"I spent the first seven years of my life hiding because if anyone knew I was alive they would try to kill me or use me to get to my dad." My voice is shaking at this point with both anger and sadness at the memories being brought up right now.

"When I finally got my dad back, it's because my mom was dead and I was dying and then, I lost him and my uncle, so do not stand there and tell me that I had everything, because I'm the reason I have nothing!" Tears are streaming down my face as I clench my jaw. "Hope-"

I extend my hands towards him. "Give me the bracelet." "What?" "Give me the bracelet. The one I gave you. You obviously are so far past high school and me. You don't need it anymore." He looks lost at the moment. Like he's trying to find the words to say, but he can't.

There's nothing he can say. Finally he reaches for his wrist and takes off the bracelet, placing it in my outstretched hand. I'm quick to shove it into my pocket. "Goodbye Peter." With that I walk away, and this time...I just feel numb doing it.