NOWHERE LEFT • Peter Parker

three •

"This is a joke right?"

February 2025

Peter felt trapped, like any second he'd say something wrong and give away the fact that he knew his new friend's deepest secret.

Yet she showed no signs of being suspicious of him, not as she scribbled away at her homework, highlighting sections of her notes with different colored high lighters as she went.

Her eyebrows were furrowed as she hunched over her work, he could hear faint whispers coming from her side of the table as she read her work aloud to herself. He could tell she wasn't overly confident in herself despite knowing all of the material thoroughly.

Peter couldn't help but admire Cecilia in a brand new light, not only did she bust her ass in work and school but she filled her nights the exact same way he did. Fighting for the little guy, helping old ladies cross the street, and getting kittens out of trees. With this new information, her entire personality made more sense to him.

Her cold and hard exterior was for her protection, she kept people at an arm's length to keep them safe, but underneath all of that, she was kindhearted and cherished the ones she loved. He hadn't the faintest idea of what she would do when she found out the truth.

And since she hadn't shared hers, he wouldn't share his.

"I can feel you staring at me Parker, what's up?" Cecilia questioned as she lifted her head and finally met his gaze. He cleared his throat and adverted his eyes quickly before he began tapping his pen against his own homework.

"Nothing sorry," he chuckled, "So, what did you do last night?" Peter had hoped his question had come off nonchalant and since Cecilia had to form a lie she didn't question it.

"Just hung out with Kate and Yel, taught Lucky a new trick," Cecilia answered with a small shrug as she twirled the pen in her hand between her fingers effortlessly, Peter was nearly distracted by how she twirled it back forth with her eyes never leaving his.

Her answer wasn't a lie either, she had hung out with her roommates and taught Lucky how to play dead all in one night. She just left out the part about the street brawl.

Peter watched for any clear sign that she was lying, but there was none. In fact her heartbeat was steady, the only thing he noticed was the way she was looking at him with a confused expression as she caught him staring once again.

"What is going on with you? You're being weird!" She exclaimed gently tossing her eraser cap at him. Peter felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment at the fact he wasn't being discreet in his inquiries. Despite his embarrassment, the soft laughter that fell from her lips made him chuckle as well as he dodged the projectile.

"Sorry—long night, my neighbors are loud," Peter replied as he gently rubbed his eyes until his vision blurred. He blinked a few times and it returned to normal, once it had he could see Cecilia's warm gaze as she watched him.

That was of course until the ever-present pain residing in her head decided to strike. The young woman flinched at the sharp pain behind her right eye, with a shuttered breath she rubbed the palm of her hand against it in hopes to ease the pain but when she opened them again it only worsened.