The Masks we Hide Behind || Peter Parker [1]

sixteen: that was cute

I sigh and sit down on the tiny stool the students sit on in art, staring up at the empty whiteboard. The day had already gotten off to a bad start, I had woken up late and had nearly no time to get ready, and I missed my train and had to walk to school, which I ended up being late to.

I set my backpack down by my feet and unzip it, pulling out a pencil and my journal. "What happened?" Ned asks. I look up at him, raising my eyebrows questioningly.

"What?"

"You're late." He replies.

"You noticed." I sigh, resting my elbows on the table. "My alarm didn't go off this morning."

"Get out your pastel paintings," Miss Bostra's gentle voice echoes through the classroom. "today will be your last day to finish them."

The entire class scoots their stools back, the loud noise of the metal legs sliding on the tile floor filling the classroom. Everyone heads over to the wooden cabinet, labeled 'first period'.

"You know what's depressing?" Ned asks as we stand behind the large crowd of students, waiting to grab our art.

"What's depressing, Ned?" I ask, semi-sarcastically.

"The Spider-Woman has like, disappeared."

"Has she?" I ask, quite uninterested.

"Yes. You haven't noticed? Everyone has noticed. The Spider-Man has still been out nearly every day. But the Spider-Woman is...gone."

I'm sure she's isn't...gone," I say. "maybe she's just taking a break." The crowd soon disperses and Ned and I lean down to grab our papers filled with the bright colors of oil pastels.

"Why would she need to take a break?" He asks.

"Who knows? She has a life, too. A life just like ours. What if she's in high school? What if she goes here? I'm sure she's very busy." I reply, then turn on my heel to head back to the desk we share.

"Why do you defend her so much?" Ned asks, following me and sitting down in his stool.

"I don't defend her," I say.

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't." I reply. "Besides, you always jump to defend the Spider-Man."

"I don't."

"Yes, you do." I sigh, picking up a blue oil pastel out of the small bin on our table. I start to fill in a blank spot on my paper, not even thinking about what I'm doing as I talk to Ned.

"You've sighed, like, five times today." He says.

"I'm aware." It's quiet for a moment after I say this, but soon Ned comes back in to fill the silence like he always does.

"What is that supposed to be?"

"A bird." I reply.

"Oh. It doesn't look like one." He continues.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Ned."

"No problem."

The rest of art went by quickly, mostly because Ned stopped talking. My other classes went by quickly as well, and before I knew it, I was standing at my locker, digging through my backpack for the granola bar I packed this morning.

"Have you even touched that thing, since...you know...?" Peter asks, motioning to my journal, specifically for art.

"No," I respond quietly, grabbing the granola bar out of my backpack and shutting the door.

"Mads," He sighs. "you need to get out of this...whatever you call it, phase, funk?"

"Sure. Let's go with funk." I say sarcastically as we walk down the empty hallway, towards the loud cafeteria. It's just the two of us for now, since Peter waited for me.

"Okay. Funk. You need to get out of it. You're really sad, and I get it, I understand. But it's just dragging you further and further down and...you haven't even opened your journal, Mads." He stops in the hallway, and I continue walking. He grabs my forearm and pulls me backwards so we're standing in front of each other.

"I'm worried about you," He says, his brown eyes full of concern. I bite my lip and shift my gaze to the floor. "Mads, you're so out of it, and I don't know what to do. I know you said to give you time, and I know it's only been a week or so, but...I just..."

"I know." I finish for him. "I know you're worried. I'm trying. I really am."

"Mads-"

"Peter." I cut him off. "I get it. I really do, I get it. I'm sorry-"

"Madelyn-"

"I've just b-been so drained, and busy, and I've had to help my mom and-"

"Madelyn-"

"and Lucas hasn't done shit, and I'm just really-"

"Madelyn!" He exclaims. I shut my mouth and stare at him.

"Yes?"

He starts laughing softly. I can't help but raise an eyebrow and stare at him. He looks up at me, smiling.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," He says. "well, I mean, uh, that was...kind of cute but anyways please don't apologize-" He says the last part really quickly and I cut him off.

"You thought that was cute?" I ask, flattered yet confused why he thought me venting about my dead father was cute.

"No, no, I mean, it was just...not the..." He stammers. "You were just pouring everything out and then stopped and acted like everything was fine after I finally got you to stop talking and-"

"Peter, you're talking really fast." I say. "I can understand you and everything, but now you're worrying me."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." He says.

"But, wait." I say, stopping him as he starts to walk away. He turns on his heel to face me.

"You thought that was cute?" I ask, grinning like an idiot and not even realizing it. He shrugs.

"Well, yeah. Almost everything you do is cute." Then his eyes get really wide and his cheeks get really pink, as if he realized he shouldn't of said what he just said. I laugh slightly and feel myself blush, and watch as he squeezes his eyes shut and mutters something under his breath.

"I'm going to lunch." He says, then turns around and quickly walks into the cafeteria.

"Peter, wait," I laugh, jogging to catch up with him. "thank you. That was sweet-"

"Can we just forget that happened?" He asks as we step into the large, noisy room.

"I'd like to remember that moment, actually." I say. He turns to look at me.

"Why?"

This time, I shrug. "Because it was cute." Peter rolls his eyes, still as red as a tomato, and walks over to where Ned and MJ are sitting. I laugh, joining my three friends at the table. I end up sitting next to Peter, and he's muttering things under his breath. I giggle to myself and unwrap my granola bar. That one moment between Peter and I made my day, and for the first time in several days, I walk home from school in a really good mood.

Author's Note
Merry late Christmas!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and had wonderful holidays!! I wanted to write a more positive chapter because my last chapters have been so depressing haha. I hope you enjoyed it!! Have a wonderful day!!