Spider-Man | Doesn't Need Help

CHAPTER 30

"You are Spider-Man."

I looked at Ned in shock, and he looked at me with the same astonished look.

“No, I’m not…” I denied.

"You walked on the ceiling!"

I looked at him, afraid.

What now? What if he tells everyone, or worse, blurts it out at school? Everyone will know my identity.

Damn it all...

“Ned... I...” I began to stutter.

I paused, taking a deep breath and exhaling. I closed my eyes, feeling the approach of the damn panic attack I desperately wanted to avoid.

"Hey, take it easy, man." Ned appeared in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders, but as soon as I flinched, he automatically removed them. "Sorry. Breathe, Peter, take it easy." "He was calming me down, and I... well, I was trying..."

Slowly I started to calm down, and when I finally felt better, I looked back at my friend, who was still standing in front of me, looking directly at me.

And what am I supposed to do now?

God... Peter's damn luck.

"I'm Spider-Man... But please, don't tell anyone, I'll do anything! I swear, whatever you want! Seriously, I'll agree to literally anything, Ned," I said, panicking a little.

I was truly ready to pay any price to ensure that no one found out about my true identity.

Ned frowned slightly, still not taking his eyes off mine.

"But... I thought it was obvious I wouldn't tell anyone," he stated, and I frowned slightly.

Obviously he won't tell anyone?

It definitely wasn't obvious to me.

“You won’t tell anyone?” I asked, wanting to be sure.

I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw... disappointment in his big brown eyes?

But why the disappointment? Because I turned out to be Spider-Man?

"Of course not, Peter," he replied, stepping back slightly and sitting back down on my bed. "I thought..."

He stopped, breaking our eye contact and looking down.

And it was at that moment that it dawned on me.

“I thought you trusted me enough to know I wouldn’t tell.” I lowered my gaze as well.

It made sense...

I felt a little silly.

I don't know why I felt this way. It was strange, very strange, and I couldn't quite describe what I was feeling.

“I was wrong,” he said.

His voice... it was the first time I had heard such regret in it.

My heart sped up slightly and my hands started sweating.

"As you can see, of the two of us, I was the only one who considered our relationship a friendship." I closed my eyes for a moment, hearing the boy get up.

He started to head towards the exit, and I knew that if I let him leave now, I would lose the relationship we had built forever.

If he leaves now, I'll lose someone like the friend I never had.

"I've never had any friends," I blurted out suddenly.

Ned stopped.

"I can't talk to people, I can't form any kind of normal relationship because... It's complicated. I don't know how I should behave to be a good friend, but..." I turned, looking at him.