Spider-Gwen 2 || Hanging by a Thread

Think About It || Gwen Stacy

"Someone finds salvation in everyone, another only pain"

-Be Yourself, Audioslave

Even though her tears were spent by now, Gwen remained on the floor, her heart still raw from another thorough beating administered by nightmares. She couldn't get any of that out of her head-the hopelessness, the feeling of being so enticingly close to affection from Owen yet still so far, and then the fear as the young man she'd fallen for had morphed into that insidious monster and attacked.

Gwen lifted her hands, running them through her wavy tangles of hair as she tried to think of something to distract herself with. Phone. Her brain thought immediately. Phone, grab it... find something to look up, watch some videos, anything but thinking back to what I just saw...

She groaned as she pushed herself up, her shoulder still sore from having fallen on it once the nightmare ended. Gwen got to her feet, then promptly sat on her bed before retrieving her phone from her nightstand. But as she unlocked it, her eyes immediately went to her text messages, where the red notification bubble still remained from MJ's unread text.

Maybe it was just from being emotional after the nightmare, but Gwen's stomach ached with guilt as she looked at it. Even though she was trying to disconnect from relationships to avoid a repeat of the Owen and Peter situation, she couldn't help but feel awful for outright ignoring someone she'd been close to. Especially someone as pure and caring as Mary Jane Watson.

Anything but thinking back to what I just saw... Gwen thought again, and sighed to herself as she pulled up MJ's text, her eyes scanning over the words that had been sent by her friend.

"Hey Gwen!! Just wanted to ask if you were busy this week, feels like it's been FOREVER since we hung out! I really miss you, drummer girl."

Ouch. Gwen's heart panged, her mind reading every word in MJ's voice as she looked over them. After all the silence that Gwen had sent everyone's way... MJ was still reaching out to her. 

Why am I surprised? Gwen thought to herself. That's such an MJ thing to do.

"There are people out there that need you to go back." Owen's warning from Gwen's dream made the blonde's fingers tense up as she held her phone. MJ was probably just wanting to hang out with a friend... but maybe there was something else behind this text? Something that was hurting MJ, maybe something rough that she needed to confide in Gwen for?

Was MJ one of those people that Gwen needed to go back to?

Don't. Gwen's mind told her, but she couldn't stop herself this time. Even if MJ didn't need a helping hand in this moment, the possibility that she might was too much to ignore. Gwen's thumbs tapped her screen, sending a message that just read, "Hi MJ".

That's it? Gwen scolded herself. You really have lost your social touch, Stacy.

She paused, then began to type out a follow-up message. She probably won't see them until tomorrow, anyways... it's almost midnight. Gwen thought to herself, but stopped what she was doing as three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"GWEN!! OMG YOU'RE THERE!!'"

MJ's text flashed on her phone, and Gwen felt her heart warming up-the familiar sensation of knowing that a close one was communicating without being there bringing a smile to the blonde's face as the three dots popped up again.

"I've got SO SO MUCH to talk to you about!! Are you going to have some time soon to catch up?!!" MJ's next message made Gwen chuckle to herself-again, she could practically hear MJ's overexcited voice through the texts.