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

twenty-nine: i care.

Part of me feels nervous the second my eyes fix on my best friend, who's reaching into his locker. From just looking at his side profile, I can already tell he's tired, more than usual. The way his lips are pursed together, the way he rolls his eyes only slightly and some kid drops his back back right on his foot, and the way he forces a smile when he looks like he's telling the kid it's okay when he apologizes.

Is he mad at me? He never answered me yesterday.

Maybe he was just busy.

Or, maybe he didn't want to talk to you.

I shake my head to myself and force my feet to walk me forward in the direction of Peter's locker. Silently, I curse myself for being nervous. Peter is your best friend. You should never be nervous to talk to him.

Should I?

Oh my god, I need to stop.

I inhale a deep breath before stepping right up behind him and reaching out to tap on his shoulder. When I do, he turns around quickly, his eyebrows raised only slightly. The edges of his pink lips turn up into the slightest smile ice his eyes set on me, and I force a smile and push away the stupid nervous feeling in my stomach.

"Hi." I force out with a smile.

"Hi." He responds quietly before shutting his locker and setting his backpack on his back.

"Where were you yesterday?" I blurt out and instantly regret it. Peter doesn't even look at me as we walk down the hallway.

"Oh, I was sick." He mutters then quickly clears his throat.

"You've gotten slightly better at lying." I note and try to smile playfully.

"I'm not lying."

"Ooookay."

"I'm not lying!" He shouts with a slight chuckle. I turn my head to him and shake it with a smile, giggling only slightly.

"Whatever, Peter." I chuckle to myself. I'm just not even going to bother pressing him.

"You know, you can tell me anything." I bring up.

"I know."

"Like...anything and everything."

"Mads, I know. You're my best friend." He chuckles.

"I don't think you were sick." I thought I wasn't going to press him?

"I wasn- I was." He stammers.

"My point exactly."

"Why don't you believe me?" He snaps. I glance at him as we walk down the busy hallway.

"Because I can tell when you're lying. It's not hard."

"Whatever." He mutters and rolls his eyes. "J-just drop it, okay?"

"Okay, okay...I'll drop it." I say slowly.

"Thank you."

"But you know-"

"Mads!" He exclaims, looking bewildered as he faces me. I spot the tiniest smile forming on his lips, and I snort only slightly.

"Right. Okay. Dropping it."

~~~

Lunch soon arrived after the dreaded first four periods of the morning, and for just thirty minutes, we were free to escape into the lunchroom. I made a stop at my locker before entering the lunch room and sitting down next to my three best friends, watching as they took their usual positions. MJ has a book open, Ned has his arms crossed over the table and is babbling about something random, and Peter's cheek is smushed in his hand as he pretends to listen to Ned.