Love Song | p. parker (BEING EDITED)

4 | Pain

Your mind was reeling.

"Sorry," you muttered distractedly, moving away from the student you'd bumped into.

The hallway was packed with people. Classmates were shouting and laughing, music blared from speakers hooked to backpacks, footsteps of a hundred teenagers thundered down the hall around you, but you heard it all as though through a haze.

All external sound seemed muffled and distant.

After two class periods and a night of nearly no sleep, one question still permeated your every thought: was MJ lying to Peter?

Ever since you'd seen her on that rally stage, anxious thoughts had swirled around your brain. Everything was so confusing, but you'd boiled it down to two options. Either MJ was supporting the resistance as an ally, or she and Peter weren't really soulmates.

That second option was what worried you, for you had heard Peter express explicitly that he and MJ were soulmates. But his only evidence was her claim that he had said her Phrase once. He couldn't remember doing it, it had been at a party.

You liked MJ alright, but for some reason you felt incredibly protective of Peter. If MJ was lying to him...

You had missed your job interview, but that hardly mattered to you now. You'd sent an email to the manager of the pizza joint after returning home. Even though your focus had been on something else, you'd noted the manager's request for another interview later that week. The rest of last night had been spent fretting over Peter and MJ.

You tried to tell yourself it was none of your business, but that didn't stop you from feeling physically ill every time you thought about it.

Your worries had only increased once you'd gotten to school.

Ned had found you after first period to ask if you'd seen Peter. You told him you hadn't.

Fear bubbled in your stomach as Ned's eyebrows had creased. "He's never missed first period before. Sure, sometimes he sneaks out later to do... stuff..." Ned glanced away distractedly, "But he always comes in the morning."

You wanted to tell Ned what you had seen, wanted to ask him if you were missing some crucial secret, some unknown fact to assuage your fear. But your throat felt too tight to speak. The muscles were constricting in anxiety. What was going on?

"I'm gonna shoot him a text. Maybe he just slept in." Ned suggested doubtfully.

There was no change after another two class periods. You had glimpsed MJ in a classroom once, but nothing in her presence had given you anything more to work with. She was cool and calculated as always.

You found Ned standing next to your regular lunch table.

"He's not answering my texts." Ned said as soon as you reached him.

You swallowed, attempting to calm down. "Maybe... maybe..." you swallowed again. Maybe what? You were grasping at straws.

"Maybe he's at the dentist? And he forgot to tell you?"

Ned frowned. "I... guess.... But it wouldn't take all morning."

After a few seconds, both of you sat down, though you could tell neither of you felt like eating.

Lunch crawled by. Yes, Peter being absent from school would be suspicious in any case, but him missing school the day after you'd seen MJ at that rally felt extremely interlinked to you.

But what could you do?

"I think you should contact May." You finally spoke up during the last five minutes of the hour. Both of you had taken out your sandwiches but neither of you had taken more than a few bites.

Ned's eyes widened. "Contact May directly?"

You raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Why not?"

Ned hesitated for a moment, then attempted a rueful smile. Under the strain of the circumstance, it looked more like a grimace. "I just didn't think about it."

He took out his phone and typed out a message. "There," he pushed send. "I'll let you know what she says."

The bell rang and the two of you gathered your things for class again.

~~~

You passed Ned in the hall twice that afternoon. Both times he gave you a small head shake. Nothing from May yet.

Not until the end of the school day did anything happen.

Having stewed anxiously over the issue all afternoon, Ned's text during last period nearly made you drop your phone.

'I think we should go see if he's home'

You immediately responded in support of that idea. 'Meet at the flagpole after class'

But something else happened before you could get there.

As you were racing down the hall, numb from unfathomable worry, your eyes began to play tricks on you.

Peter was standing at the end of the hall.

You nearly tripped as you skidded to a stop. Still fifty feet away, you blinked hard, completely taken aback. It was him!

But something was wrong. He was upset.

The impulse to run towards him died as you watched him shake his head and turn away, his hand pulling at his dark hair. Another figure walked into view, her wavy hair over her shoulder, her hand stretched out to touch him, to comfort him.

"No," you heard him say, and he shook MJ off. "You lied to me."

You stifled a gasp, your hand jumping to your mouth.

"Peter... I'm sorry..."

Your heart breaking, you glimpsed Peter wipe his eyes as he turned away.

MJ didn't follow him as he left through the open door.

Students began to flood the hallway as you stood there. You were jostled and pushed but all you could do was stand there.

"___!"

You turned as Ned appeared behind you. "___, May texted me back," he said breathlessly. "Peter's just sick, he stayed home from school–"

"He was here." You said mechanically.

Ned stopped talking. "What?"

"He was here, Ned." You gestured down the hall. "I just saw him. He and MJ..." you glanced towards where you had seen them both. MJ was gone.

"He was with MJ?" Ned asked, confused.

You nodded, relief and sorrow welling up inside of you. "I think he and MJ broke up."