𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄, peter parker

eight - pizza toppings

oo. EIGHT

NADINE SIGHED AS SHE DECLINED A FOURTH CALL FROM MARGOT, MOVING HER EYES TO THE CLOCK IN THE KITCHEN AND TRYING TO PUSH THE GUILT AWAY. She wasn't sure how many more of Margot's missed calls she could gather on her home screen before they came banging at her door, but she was willing to wait and find out.

As much as Nadine wished she could answer, she couldn't even think of Gwen without feeling ill, and Margot seemed to be spending more and more time around the girl.

Not that Nadine could ever blame them — they loved her, and she was happy for them... but it was a reminder of her part in the death of Captain Stacy.

Nadine placed her phone screen-down on the counter as another voicemail from Margot came through, and decided to focus on gathering chips and chocolate, carrying them to her own room and leaving her phone behind.

If Nadine was going to spiral, she wasn't going to do it alone.

Which is why a second later, a tap on her window interrupted her thoughts, and she rushed to open it.

"I should really just start leaving this window open." Nadine commented, opening the conversation lightly.

"Would make it easier for me when I crawl in here, injured." teased Peter, his mask already pulled off, leaving his brown hair tousled and showing the faint bruises on his face.

"Maybe don't get into the habit of getting life-threatening injuries?" suggested Nadine, eyebrow raised as she turned to make her bed, and opened up the chocolates she'd brought in. Peter closed the window behind him, and limped over, stealing two chocolates.

"It's kind of in the job description." he replied, his voice light as he placed down his backpack by the side of Nadine's bed.

"Whatever," scoffed Nadine, a smile hinting on her face as she finally sat down on her bed, leaving space for Peter to sit next to her, the chocolates in the middle. "Do we have to do more math? Can't we just... I don't know, anything other than math."

"We could always confront our problems, if you'd prefer?" said Peter, a laugh in his voice.

"Math it is!" Nadine cheered, grabbing her notebook from the desk beside her bed, and a black pen. Pulling off his gloves, Peter got started on their tutoring session.

oo

"STILL NO ANSWER?" ASKED GWEN, EYES TRAINED ON MARGOT'S HUNCHED SHOULDERS. She couldn't help but feel sympathy — Nadine had been avoiding her, too, but it wasn't that same. They were Nadine's best friend, and for her to just... not answer, there was clearly something going on.

"No," responded Margot, trying to keep the frustration and sadness from their voice — but the way Gwen immediately approached, hand resting on their lower back, quickly made it clear that they hadn't succeeded.

"She's probably just busy," suggested Gwen, rolling her eyes at the doubting look Margot supplied her with. "The whole thing was a lot for Nadine, maybe she just needs time."

"I'm sorry," Margot said, "I'm meant to be helping you, right now."

"Well, how about this," started Gwen, "why don't we just help each other." She gently pulled Margot back towards her bed, and let them rest their head on her chest.

"You spoken to Peter?" asked Margot, Gwen's hand running through their hair.

"Not really, saw him at— at my dad's funeral, though." Gwen replied, untangling a knot in Margot's hair, before going back to her previous motions. "Maybe he's with Nadine."