Strumming Heart Strings - (Spideypool Band AU)

Chapter 7: Followers

“MJ!!!” Peter wailed pathetically on the phone, rolling on his bed like a child unable to express their frustrations

“Woohoo!” MJ whooped on the other line “I saw the video! Congrats”

“No! This is bad!” Peter sat up, his hair a mess from having woken up not long ago

“What? How?” MJ asked, sounding busy on her side

“Be-causuhhh” Peter groaned “I’m not supposed to call attention to myself, MJ! What if people figure out?”

“That youre Spiderman?” she asks and Peter nods with a pout despite her being unable to see “No offense, Pete, but no one would think you’d be Spiderman” she chuckled “The video is shaky too, so you don't have to worry”

Peter was worried.

Yesterday, someone apparently had recorded him and Ned’s performance and it had gotten attention mainly from people in that school.
Ned had messaged him about how cool it was that he was getting so many new followers and people who enjoyed his music and had let Peter know he (and his grandma) were happy for him too as people had begun to listen to his songs too…

Although some were disappointed with what they found, commenting “Why does he have no singing videos?” in his recent posts, one had claimed to have gone through his old songs just to see if he had any where he sang-
There were those that had asked both Ned and him to record an official version and post it online, they seemed to have enjoyed the different kind of music, commenting on how it sounded “straight out of a disney movie” or something.

It was embarrassing…

Most would’ve said it wasn’t that many people anyway but Peter still felt his heart flutter just to know people seemed to be not only enjoying his music but his voice- his voice!
Do you know how many times Peter had been told to shut up as a kid??? And now they were asking him to sing.

“I don’t know, MJ” Peter still whined, looking at one of the comments he had replied to, they had asked how he came up with the title for one of his old songs and he let them know they had lyrics…which was bad because now he feels as though he needs to post those embarrassing lyrics.

“Just enjoy it Peter” MJ huffed, zipping up something on the other line “People are enjoying your music and they want more…you’ve always wanted to have people like your stuff but are always too much of a wuss to show it to others”

“I’m not a wuss” Peter mumbled

“Anyway- are you going to record a new song with actual singing in it, or not?” she asked “Maybe actually show your face too, might get you more follows” she sang

Peter had a few social accounts, most used just to post his music and then never to return to. His instagram, was a mix of photography and videos of just his hands playing the guitar- they barely had any likes and MJ had annoyed him that he needs to fill the description with as many tags as possible instead of having a boring “old man” comment in it-

Peter didn't think “the weather reminded me of this song :)” was an old man thing to say but who was he to judge? She was the social media master, not him.

“What if they unfollow me because of my face” Peter whispered in horror, finding that possibility very likely

“I’m hanging up” MJ scoffed and Peter could hear the eye roll that came with it, far too used to him putting himself down.

True to her word, MJ hung up the call and Peter was left to obsess over the new attention. He didn't even think his parents gave him this much attention and he’d like to remind you that it wasn’t that many follows or likes.