Me & Gwen Stacy

eleven

-eleven-

Peter's POV

If it was possible to be grounded for life that was the current social state I was in. And when I say social I mean the lack there of of anything remotely social in my life as a result of my aforementioned grounding. I mean how lame is that? Spiderman, The Amazing Spiderman, The Superior, The Incredible-- grounded.

Being grounded meant a couple things. For one, no Super Spidy for at least a week. My house arrest was obviously longer than that, but I felt as if I had to adhere to Aunt May's punishment wholeheartedly at least for a week, and I mean-- the whole super hero thing was pretty much the reason I was grounded anyway. The first time at least. So hopefully, the city and it's wonderful, pushy, coffee addicted citizens could stay out of trouble for the week.

Secondly, it meant basically scrubbing everything in the apartment from top to bottom with my tooth brush until it sparkled. This among other cruel and unusual punishments (like attending Aunt May's book club, and helping the geriatric ladies dress up their dogs) kept me busy. But not busy enough to not think about Gwen. Which leads up perfectly to another side effect of my grounding.

It gave me a lot of time to think about Gwen. Seriously, by a lot I mean a lot. Whenever I closed my eyes (as dramatic as that sounds) all I could see was the hurt, and disappointment displayed so unmistakably on her pretty face when I swung away from her that night at the party. It was like the image was seared into my eyelids. I wanted nothing more than to talk to her, but being grounded made that difficult considering my phone was taken away, and she pretty much sprinted the other way if she caught sight of me in the hall. She hated me I was sure of it. But I was also sure that she loved me somehow deep down. How deep down I wasn't sure, but I knew she did.

I was lounging on the couch with nothing to do, just staring into space my mind hurtling at a mile a minute on Sunday evening when Aunt May called, "Peter! The phone is for you!"

I hoped up off the couch and made my way to her. I found her in the small kitchen at the stove making dinner. She was using one hand to stir something that looked and smelled like her amazing tomato soup, and the other hand she used to hold the cordless phone, her arm outstretched. I went to grab it but before I could wrap my fingers around the device she pulled it back, the speaker to her chest, "I know this isn't just about homework. I've already told him that you're grounded so don't go gossiping for hours with him like a couple of girls."

I flashed her a lopsided grin, and nodded, "Alright."

I reached, but still she held it away, her face stern-- an odd contrast from her usual demeanor. She was always smiling and it was evident by the laugh lines adorning her face around her eyes and mouth.

"I mean it young man."

I complied knowing that she was really trying to be serious about this discipline despite how much she wanted to bend.

With a quick reassurance I plucked the phone from her wrinkly old hands and ran up the stairs two at a time phone in tow.

"Hey man," I greeted Harry casually.

"Dude, house arrest or what?" he snickered.

I kicked a pile of clothes to the corner of my room and then proceeded to flop onto my tiny, creaky twin sized mattress, "It's no laughing matter. Aunt May is serious about this."

"Serious?"

"As a heart attack. So that's why we've gotta speed this up. I'm pretty sure she's timing this ever so stimulating conversation we should be having about homework so hurry up and tell me what you actually called for."