[2020 Watty Award Winner!]
[BOOK 1 OF THE HAVOC SERIES]
❝you may be the best web-slinger
around, but you're terrible
at keeping secrets.❞
in which even though peter has a new,
high-tech suit, it doesn't stop a girl with
common sense from discove...
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MUCH TO HER PARENTS' dismay, Lena returns to school the next day. She wakes with a less pounding headache and decides she's ready to go. Although the slight ache in her ribs is still present when she walks, it's more annoying than it is painful. She's just lucky that the autumnal air in Queens is cool enough for her to continue wearing her trusty denim jacket. Without it, the bruises prevalent on her arms would definitely be questioned.
Lena knows that she and Peter have to talk. The convention had brought the pairs of friends together, but they barely had a chance to really discuss what had happened to them. They're obviously a bit out of their league since their opponents have alien tech, but Tony didn't sound urgent enough about sending help. They need to talk about what their next move is.
But for now, she has more pressing things on her mind, such as school.
She hadn't done any of the work that Graham had brought to her. The strain would likely only make her conditions worse, and plus, she had better things to do than homework for once— like staring at her bedroom ceiling for four hours while thinking about the vulture man.
This makes for an extremely heavy backpack that weighs her down even more than usual. She's fairly certain that she'll achieve permanent damage to her back after a few years, especially if she goes into Cornell University's honors program. That means her days of heavy backpacks are far from over.
"Hey, Midtown!" Betty's voice greets from the nearest television mounted on the wall above the lockers. This time, Lena doesn't glance up and merely continues trudging down the hallway, dodging various shoulders and backpacks along the way. "Don't forget— Homecoming tickets are still on sale! If you get them this week, you'll have a 25% off discount."
"That sounds like a pretty good deal, old sport," Jason agrees almost robotically. "And remember— the theme is Roaring 20's, so be sure to get your Gatsby on... and stuff."
Lena wonders if anyone will have the heart to tell him what actually happens to Gatsby.
"—in Woodshop."
She blinks and narrows back into her surroundings, realizing that Ned is walking alongside her and has been speaking to her for an unknown period of time. Since she'd tuned the rest of the student body out to listen to Jason and Betty, she hadn't noticed him at all.
"Sorry." Lena shakes her head to clear it. "I didn't hear you, Ned. What did you say?"
"Peter has the glowy thingy and we're going to check it out in Woodshop," he repeats excitedly, a smile pulling up his lips.
