Violet Tides: A Spider-Woman Story

Chapter 8. Friends are made (and then bad things happen)

The pills banner gave her had knocked her right out. The next morning she made her way to school. Violet had the first period free so she messaged peter.

Violet: Do you have your first class free?

Peter: yeah

Violet: Want to meet in the library?

Peter: sure

Be there in five

Peter and Violet spent the morning preparing the presentation which was due next friday. It was coming along nicely. They were just working out what to say; it was all they could do at school without access to the holotable. They soon became distracted and began to chat.

"How was the rest of your weekend?" Violet asked.

"It was pretty good," Peter replied. "You?"

"Boring" Violet responded. her mind thinking back to getting shot. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach. She pulled it away quickly and busied her hands with twirling a pencil. Violet thought back to yesterday she let herself think what could have happened if she had taken off her mask. All the possibilities flew around her head. They could be scared, confused, angry. In most of the scenarios it was bad for her she made the right choice but a small part of her kept whispering what if? What if she revealed her identity and it ended well for her. She thought of not having the weight of the secret on her shoulders, not having to keep it all to herself to have someone to talk about everything. The loneliness sometimes got to violet at random moments she would shake it off quickly it was better to not get attached, less pain. But Violet longed for a friend, someone she could share every part of herself with, someone that she didn't have to hide behind a mask just to have a conversation that went deeper than 'how you going'.

Violet looked up at Peter who was slowly becoming her friend. He smiled at her when he saw her looking then waved his hands in front of her face when she didn't react.

"Hello? Earth to violet"

Violet broke out of her daze.

"Sorry what?"

"I was asking if you would operate the holotable if i deliver the speech" peter asked.

"Yeah that would be good," Violet smiled .

***

Violet was shocked when Peter invited her over to sit with him at lunch. His group of friends sat close to the back of the cafeteria. Violet already kind of knew Michelle from biology and art. When she sat down she asked Violet to call her MJ. violet was introduced to ned. Peter had told Violet that Ned liked Star Wars and soon they were in a heated argument on whether the prequels were any good. After a while the conversation moved on to local school gossip.

"Flash is bragging that he was saved by Spider-woman." Ned said.

"Really" violet spoke. If she had saved him she didn't remember doing it.

"Yeah he is saying she stopped a crane falling on him and called him handsome and brave"

Violet laughed. "That would never happen"

"Why do you say that?" Peter asked.

"Omg have you met her?" Ned asked excitedly.

"What? Noo" violet put on her best poker face.

"She's a professional" Mj spoke for the first time since the start of the conversation. "Why would she say that unless it was because he was being a baby and in the way?"

"Exactly" violet said "it only makes sense"

"True," Ned said. "I guess it's her job. Hey Peter, do avengers get paid?"

"Ned!" Peter whisper-yelled. Violet furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't know," Peter said glaring at Ned. Violet laughed at Ned's guilty face. "I guess Mr Stark pays for everything so" Peter shrugged.

"You met Mr Stark didn't you Violet?" Mj asked.

"Yeah it was pretty cool" Violet put on her best starstruck face. And honestly Violet was starstruck. Between getting shot and dealing with the avengers as Spider-woman, Violet hadn't really gotten the chance to think about any of it. It was all a bit crazy, Violet hadn't realised that Peter was that close to Mr Stark. It was weird now that she thought about it.

The conversation moved on to other topics after Violet didn't elaborate. After lunch violet had a study period which violet used to prepare for her science test. The test was easy, Violet found out when she completed it within fifteen minutes. The rest of class violet doodled on the front of the test and passed notes to ned. Violet spent her second break the same as her first, with Peter and his friends discussing some obscure movie reference. The rest of the day past in a blur violet found it easy to distract herself in english and maths. When the last bell rang violet once again stayed behind so the crowds would disperse. She rushed excitedly to the library only to remember that the avengers were probably all looking for her. It wasn't a good look for them to be outwitted by just a friendly neighbourhood spider. Violet sighed and made her way to her apartment.

***

Tony pov

She was good, Spider-woman, at covering her tracks. Much better than peter. It had only taken Tony a few hours to identify him, well Friday a few hours. Tony had searched through hours of security feed from and not a single sighting of Spider-woman taking off her mask. Tony leaned back in his chair. After the whole disaster of last yesterday he had retreated into his lab. The others didn't understand why he cared. Tony wasn't sure he knew why either.

Ever since Peter Tony had changed. More cautious. A surge of guilt rushed into his brain. He had promised May he would keep Peter safe and so far he felt like he was doing a lousy job. May had died being on Peter's side when Tony had turned his back on him. Fuck even Spider-woman had done more than him. But she still didn't trust her. The fact that she wouldn't reveal her identity only made his suspicions grow. She was probably some kind of criminal using Spider-woman as a front he couldn't let peter be dragged into it whatever it was. The 'finding underoos' program had brought up nothing other than confirming the blood they found at the bar Spider-woman was shot and the blood from her bullet wound here the same. And that she was O+. there was a knock on the door.

"Come to bed tony" pep spoke softly. "You won't find anything more tonight, let friday do her thing"

"Fine" Tony sighed and took one more look at the spider-woman folder before closing it all down.

***

Violet wasn't exactly sure why Ms Wren was so angry, she couldn't remember anything she had done to make her this upset. All she had done was make skewers for dinner. Ms Wren had told her to make anything she wanted. Violet opened the fridge and decided on skewers, they were the quickest and easiest to make. Apparently when Ms Wren said make anything she ment make the exact thing i'm thinking of but won't say what it is. Ms Wren was furious.

"What are you thinking? giving a seven year old a skewer! He could have stabbed himself!" she shouted so loud violet could almost feel the walls shake. Violet couldn't get any words out; they were caught on the lump at the back of her throat. The tears that Violet was trying to hold back suddenly burst out. she wiped her eyes quickly hopeing Ms Wren hadn't noticed.

"Why are you crying you're the one that almost killed the boy," she hissed. Violet tried to slow her breathing, this wasn't the time to hyperventilate. Ms Wren was right she hadn't thought about Aleck's age when she had given him the skewers.

"You have broken my trust, violet, for the last time."

Violet knew what that meant, she wasn't the right fit.

"I'm calling Alice in the morning." That was the last thing Ms Wren said to her. She always liked to end arguments quickly.

An: what a shitshow hope you enjoy please vote and comment