Talk Me Down // Spider-Man (BOOK 2)

Chapter 3 - Too Dangerous

Gwen's Mum had invited me and Pete to join their family for Dim Sum at the famous Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown after graduation. I was excited to go, and miraculously Peter agreed to go as well. I'd been sure he'd use any excuse to get out of it. The last 6 months he hadn't even wanted to talk to me, never mind go out for dinner with not only me, but the family of the man whose death he felt responsible for.

If I could describe the whole thing in one word, it would most definitely be awkward. Don't get me wrong, it started off ok. In fact it was pretty good. We'd talked about college, our plans for the future, our plans for the summer even. It was when comments like "I wish was your Dad here Gwen" or "how's your arm healing up Lauren?" that the atmosphere got a little more tense.

Pete had been quiet all the way through. He'd offer the odd sentence here and there, but nothing more. After the turn in conversation though, he just gave up, said nothing, and expressed nothing. You could tell there were a million things running through his mind, one of those probably being how he couldn't wait to get out of there.

"So, did you enjoy Dim Sum?" I asked him when we were on our way home. It only made sense that we headed back together, what with living opposite each other and all.

"It was ok, I guess." He couldn't even look at me.

"You could have just said no. Nobody forced you to come."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just I had such a good day with you today and I wanted to make the effort. See if we could make it as friends again." He'd stopped all together now. He had his hands securely in his pockets, his eyes firmly planted on the floor. I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well.

"Friends?"

"Well, yeah."

"Ok, so what did you decide? Are we friends or not?" I knew this was coming. Knew it was just a matter of time before we had to have this conversation. I just didn't think it would take place in a side street in Chinatown on the night of graduation. Life is just full of surprises.

"I could never be just friends with you Lauren."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means I can't do this."

"Let me get this straight. It's either all or nothing? We're either in this together or not at all? So which one is it, Pete? All or nothing?" I couldn't help the tears that sprung to my eyes in that moment. I always had that ounce of hope that one day he'd just appear in my window and say he couldn't handle not being with me, that he'd sweep me off my feet and we'd live our happily ever after. I should know more than most that life isn't some stupid Disney movie. It doesn't always end the way we want it to.

"Nothing." Like I'm surprised.

"Pete, what happened at Oscorp was a tragedy. It was horrible. I don't go a day without thinking about it. But I know, the one thing that would help me through is you. You were there, you experienced it. Only you and me know what that was like. It wasn't your fault what happened to the Captain, what happened to me. You saved the whole city."

"Lauren, I don't know what to do. I can't get it out of my head. You could have been killed up there. What would I have done if you'd died?" He was a wreck, could hardly get his words out. This was just a huge mess.

"It was my decision to go up there Peter. You told me to go home, and I didn't. Captain Stacy made his choice to be up there too. We both knew the risks. You can't blame yourself for choices that other people have made. It's not fair to you."

"Lauren, the Captain, what he said up on that roof. He was right. Spider-Man will always have enemies, and they will stop at nothing to hurt the people closest to me. If I have to stay away from you to keep you safe, then that's what I'm going to do." He was shouting at me now, tears evident in his eyes as he did. He was trying to make me understand. I did. I did understand, but that didn't mean I had to go along with it. I thought today was the first steps on getting something back with him. Turns out it would be the driving force that pushed him away for good.