Into the Light | Peter Parker x OC

Chapter Eighty-Four

A/N: i'm updating and it hasn't been six months— progress.

so i recently read king of greed by ana huang and i was promised groveling that the book really did not deliver so i'm hoping to add it to this story because i love some begging-on-the-knees, selling-your-soul, moving-to-london (iykyk) groveling! not much in this chapter yet, but i promise it's coming ;)

in other news...nothing. i've got nothing lol. this is gonna be a short author's note.

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"She, like, kicks puppies or whatever."

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Why did school have to start so goddamn early? It was only the second day, and Adelaide was already late for her first class. On top of that, the teacher didn't allow her to bring coffee into the classroom, and now Adelaide was un-caffeinated and hangry.

And to make matters worse, the only open seat left when she stumbled into the classroom was next to Peter.

He didn't even spare a glance at her this morning. Meanwhile, she couldn't stop staring shamelessly. She wanted to hear his voice. Hear the way he used to say her name. She also wanted to ask him about Brandy. What was she like? What was her last name? Her favorite subject? Her home address?

She bit her tongue, however. To make it up to Peter, she would have to do a lot more than just apologize.

Ned was there in her next class. He gave her a smile and let her sit next to him, which was a start. He didn't seem surprised to see her back, and she guessed Vivian might have filled him in on her return. He was sniffling a bit, his nose slightly red.

"Hey, you," she said softly. Ned smiled.

"Hey."

"You feeling okay?" she asked. He sniffled again, nodding.

"Yeah. Yeah, just allergies," he said with a shrug. He ran his eyes over her hair. "You?"

What a loaded question. Adelaide tried to answer it simply.

"Getting better," she answered. The teacher walked into the classroom, and everyone began to quiet down. "Can we talk after class?"

To her relief, he agreed. So after class, as they walked through the crowded hallway, Adelaide delivered her apology. What hurt the most was how easily Ned accepted it. She had pushed him away for so long, and he forgave her quickly. She knew he deserved more than that, even if he didn't express it, and Adelaide intended to make it up to him.

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Most people left her alone at lunch this time, which she was immensely grateful for. It also meant she had a clear view of Peter and Brandy.

"How long has that been going on for?" she muttered. Ned and Vivian glanced at each other.

"A few weeks. She's actually really nice and—" Ned shut up when he saw Vivian glare at him. "She, like, kicks puppies or whatever."

Adelaide wished. If Peter was talking to her then that meant she was probably a decent human being, which didn't really help Adelaide's case. MJ piped up from her end of the table.

"I saw her pick her nose once," she said, "But then I realized it was someone else who looked like her."

"Thanks, MJ," Adelaide mumbled. The girl gave her two thumbs up.