Spider-Gwen || Caught in a Web

Progress || Gwen Stacy

"The hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows"

-In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins

Band practice didn't normally start off on a sappy note, but tonight was an exception. The moment Felicia's garage door began to work its way upwards, Gwen had sprinted inside, hugging her two friends in turn and apologizing profusely for how she'd acted earlier. Felicia playfully teased her about it, and MJ had just about forgotten everything that had happened by then, which was the best welcoming that Gwen could have expected.

Now, the blonde was seated on her stool behind her drum kit, slowly spinning her drumsticks around her fingers as the trio went through one of the songs they were supposed to play at prom-Phil Collins's hit In the Air Tonight, a song that wasn't going to require Gwen's drumming until the very end. But she was going to have to put everything she had into that outro...

She watched as Felicia picked a few harmonic notes on her electric guitar, adding some ambience in the background while MJ worked her fingers along her bass guitar, swaying from side to side in front of the microphone while pouring her voice out into the air.

"But I know the reason why you keep this silence up..." MJ's melodic vocals echoed in the garage, accompanied by her fingers sliding down the fretboard. Gwen could remember when they first formed this band, and how nervous MJ was every time she stepped in front of the mic stand... now it was like second nature to her, and the drummer of the Mary Janes couldn't resist the urge to grin with pride at how far along her friend had come.

Gwen's part was coming up, and she gripped her drumsticks in anticipation, enjoying the music that her best friends were making as the song progressed. 

"...The hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows..." MJ sang, then sucked in a deep breath before belting out the next lyrics-"...It's no stranger to you and me!!"

Gwen pounded away, her hair whipping around her face as the band went into the outro of the song, working as one to shift the tone from ambient and melancholy to intense and passionate. She watched MJ outright abandon her bass guitar, gripping the microphone as she let all her emotions run free, power mixing with her beautiful tone as she sang. Gwen and Felicia shared a glance, both of them grinning simultaneously at how much fun it was to hear MJ really let loose with her voice-it was absolutely insane how much vocal talent she had.

As the song drew to its close, Gwen's drumming grew softer and softer, and she could almost imagine the crowd giving them applause-she had no clue if they'd like any of their original songs, but Gwen was almost certain that their cover of the 80's classic would be met with positive reception.

"Woo!!" Gwen cheered, setting the drumsticks down to give her friends a round of applause. Felicia clapped as well, and the two turned their attention to MJ. 

"Mary Jane Watson, you have outdone yourself with that one!" Felicia complimented, making her friend chuckle and flip her hair. 

"It's a fun song, I guess. Hopefully we'll do that well when prom rolls around."

Gwen nodded in agreement with MJ's statement, though thinking about prom brought her back to the tense emotions in her heart; swarming feelings that made Gwen want to throw in the towel and just go as a group with MJ and Felicia. At this rate, playing music with her friends was probably going to be the best thing about prom...

She must've gone into her pensive silence again, because eventually Gwen felt Felicia and MJ eyeing her warily. As her blue eyes lifted to meet their vision, she sat upright, trying to feign both composure and calmness while having neither. As with their earlier conversation, her two friends saw right through her.