A night to remember

Part 3

"There you are," it sounded behind you. "We've been looking all over for you," Liz said worriedly.

     "We?" you frowned. "Or just you?"

     Liz sighed. "Tracy didn't mean to tell Flash you're in love with Peter. She would never do that on purpose."

     "Sure she wouldn't..."

     "Don't be like that, [Name]," Liz said, following you as you made your way back inside her house. "You know what Tracy is like. It's not her fault Peter doesn't like you back."

     "Wow," you said, a frown covering your brow. You stopped before walking into the door and turned to Liz. "Really?" you shook your head. "Fine, you know what... I'm going home. I was going to tell you about something amazing that has just happened to me, but fine... Have it your way."

     "Wait, [Name]. That just slipped out. It's been a stressful night. I'm sorry. I–I didn't mean it like that," she said, running after you as you walked back toward the road and got your phone from your pocket, already dialing your mother's number, hoping she'd be off her shift in the hospital to come pick you up. "What happened that you wanted to tell me about?"

     "I don't really feel like talking anymore," you said, crossing your arms. Your mother promised she'd be there within a few minutes. Even though you were dying to tell someone – anyone – about what had just happened, you didn't want to talk to Liz anymore. At least not right now. Not after what she had just said.

     "[Name], please. I'm really sorry."

     "I know," you sighed, truly knowing she would never have said that normally. "I just... I don't really want to go back to the party, so, I'd rather just go home."

     "Oh, yeah, of course," Liz said, sounding relieved. "You'll tell me about that amazing thing tomorrow?"

     "Sure," you nodded, knowing you probably still wouldn't. Who would believe you anyway?

     Liz stayed with you until your mother arrived and took you back home. She was too tired to ask you why you didn't want to sleep at Liz' place anymore, for which you were grateful for a chance. When you arrived home several minutes later, she immediately went to bed and you soon followed her example.

     You didn't feel like sleeping though. So instead of crawling into bed, you took a quick, cold shower and decided to spend some time on your makeshift balcony. You pulled on some comfortable clothes and pried open your window that led to the fire escape where you had made a small, but cozy place for yourself to sit and enjoy the soft summer night breeze. You climbed onto it and lowered yourself down into the pillows, pulling your knees up to your chin. With your cheek resting on your kneecaps, you took in a deep breath and stared at the bright moon, peeking up from behind the tall buildings of New York in the distance.

     You let the soft air fill your lungs as you thought back on what had happened tonight. Only hours earlier during gym class, you had thought about Spider-Man as a thirty-year-old pervert and now you were comparing him to Peter, the guy you had been in love with for the past few years. Things always had a strange way of turning out.

     Your mind was still racing in circles when you saw a young man making his way through the streets, walking underneath the fire escape of your apartment building. A backpack rested on his shoulders and he kicked a large stone out in front of him as he strode forward.

     "Peter?" you frowned, lifting your head from your knees and looking down at him through the holes in the platform.

     He quickly looked up, a bright smile soon curling his lips when he noticed you above him. "[Name], is that you?"