The Forgotten -Marvel 2-

Chapter 22

It wasn't as weird as Lydia thought it would be. In truth, having Peter and May around was fun. She was never around people her age. There was only Wanda, but she was still several years older. Now, Lydia had someone who was actually close in age. Spending time with Peter was fun. They got along well and enjoyed the same things. Peter introduced her to Legos, which she now loved.

"Okay," Lydia sang as she walked through the condominium. "We have three board game options-" she stopped talking at the sight of Peter.

Peter's head snapped in her direction the moment she entered the room. In his hand is his phone, but there's something on the screen. "Peter," a girl says. Her face is on the screen. She sits up straighter, getting closer to the camera. Lydia recognizes her from the pictures Peter showed her. "Who is that?"

"Uh." It's hard to miss the panic in his expression. "No one. Bye." He hung up.

"Is that MJ?" Peter had told her about MJ. "She's as beautiful as you described." Peter sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. "Peter?" She set the board games on the table and moved closer to him. "What is the matter?" A second ago, he seemed fine. Now, something was wrong. "Peter?" Lydia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"This entire situation is so stressful," he broke down. Lydia withdrew her hand, setting it in her lap. "Mysterio ruined everything. I'm the most famous person in the world. And now, MJ's going to be mad at me. I can't ever win."

That confused her. "Why?"

"A mysterious girl shows up in the back of my Facetime, and I hang up with no explanation." Peter dropped his head into his hands again. "I'm such an idiot."

Lydia tried to understand, but she wasn't updated with social media or social cues, for that matter. Spending her life trapped inside buildings wasn't easy, and she sometimes got confused. "Then just tell her."

Peter peered at her through his fingers. "Tell her what? That the girl living with Happy is an ex-Hydra experiment with superpowers who I fought with once and thought I'd never see again?"

She shrugs, "I mean, yeah."

"But," Peter sat up straighter. "Happy said we can't tell anyone."

Nobody was supposed to know about her. "You told them your secret, right? And they didn't tell anyone?" Peter nodded in confirmation. "If you trust them, so do I." A lot of people knew her secret now—a lot of bad people. Lydia wouldn't mind if a few good people knew it too.

That confused him. "You barely know me."

"It doesn't matter." It didn't. "Tony trusted you." Peter smiles faintly. "Plus, we're friends." Lydia never had many friends, but she considered Peter a friend. "Tell them." What's the worst that could happen?

"Okay." Peter tapped his phone. "I probably shouldn't tell them over text."

"Probably." Lydia fiddles with the sleeve of her sweater. "Happy said you start school tomorrow, correct?"

"Yeah." Peter wasn't looking forward to school. It wouldn't be easy. "I'm dreading it."

Lydia understood. It wasn't easy being a regular person and a superhero. There was a point in time when the world found out about her, and they were not kind. Luckily, Tony kept her identity a secret, but the words spoken haunted her. They would replay over and over in her mind. It made understanding Peter's situation easier. "I wish I could help." There was nothing she could do. "But I've never been to school."

"That's right." It's a small detail Peter forgot. "That's so cool. You know, you're like a real-life Disney Princess."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?"