2. A Love, a Father, and a Legacy (Peter Parker)

Chapter 17

"Sarah, I really don't think this is necessary." The school day had just ended and Sarah had dragged me out of last period so we could stand by Peter's locker and wait for him to show up. "I think we should just go, Tony said I have to come straight home from now on unless I get special permission, and as much as I would love to rebel against his new rules, I don't want to deal with the consequences."

"Too late, there he is now." Sure enough, I could still make out Peter's curly hair making its way through the flood of students. Sarah pulled me around the corner so he wouldn't see us until it was too late for him to escape. As soon as he opened his locker Sarah rushed up to him, leaving me peeking around at them.

"You're a real asshole, you know that Parker. I should kick your ass right here right now in front of everyone."

"I'm not in the mood Sarah." He started putting books in his bag.

"Just like you apparently weren't in the mood to visit your girlfriend while she was in the hospital?" She crossed her arms, standing in a way that I think even Bucky would find threatening.

"You don't know what you're talking about Sarah. Leave me alone." He shut his locker and turned to leave but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward her.

"Maybe you should explain it to me because as far as I can tell your girlfriend almost died and you decided that giving her the cold shoulder was your best option. What the heck is even going through your brain Parker?"

Suddenly he got angry, angrier than I had ever seen him. "You want to know what's going on inside my head Sarah? Try the image of Sam unconscious and bleeding on the ground next to me and the only thing going through my mind is wanting to kill the person who had done it to her. Thoughts about how I could have stopped it, should have stopped it. And that if it weren't for me she wouldn't have almost died. So yes, I'm avoiding her. I'm doing everything I can to make it so she doesn't have to see me. Because if her being with me almost gets her killed then I'd rather feel dead on the inside for the rest of my life than have her lying dead beside me."

He slammed his hand against the locker making everyone in the hallway go dead silent before turning around and walking away. I didn't mean to say it, but somehow my brain was acting on it's own free will. "Peter! Wait!"

He stopped but didn't turn around. Everyone in the hallway was still staring at us. I started walking towards him and people began moving out of my way.

Finally, he turned to look at me and I realized how much worse he looked from the last time I saw him. All of the blood seemed to have been drained from his face. He had huge dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in weeks. His lips formed a straight line, hiding any and all emotion from his face. I held back the urge to cry from just looking at him.

"I'm assuming you heard that." His voice was cold and steady, no hint of the usual sarcastic tone.

"Peter, please talk to me." I looked into his eyes, searching for anything, any emotion that could tell me something. The only thing I seemed to see was guilt and a level of pain that I had never seen in his eyes. He stared back at me, not saying anything. We stood there for so long that everyone started talking again, no longer caring what we were going through. I was about to say something when he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the closest classroom.

"Sam, I'm not even supposed to be in your proximity." He shook his head and closed the door behind me.

"Why? Because of Tony? Screw him!"

"I don't care what Tony says anymore. Yes, he told me I'm not supposed to tell you what happened, but that's not why I'm not talking to you."

"Then why? Why ignore me and push me away?"