Love Song | p. parker (BEING EDITED)

5 | It Hurts (not edited)

Since you weren't completing Michelle's homework anymore, you had much more free time. The good thing about this was you got to spend more time with Peter. The bad thing was also that you got to spend more time with Peter.

Lately, Peter was able to read you like the back of his science textbook. And he definitely knew something was up now.

You had been trying to avoid him after you had discovered he and Michelle had used the strictly soulmate privilege, which gave Peter even more reason to suspect something was up. Meaning, he was trying on every occasion to be alone with you, plan homework sessions with just you, and stall you in the lunch line just to check up and see if you were okay. He was even canceling his internship slots to be with you.

You were feeling worse and worse about the whole thing with every day that crawled by. Because you couldn't tell Peter. Telling Peter would potentially mean letting him in on your biggest secret; that you had feelings, strong ones, for him. And that was a huge no-no because he didn't have a soulmate anymore. He went too far with Michelle and that meant all other relationships were eliminated for his future. If only he had known that they hadn't been soulmates, then they would have never crossed that line, and Peter might have been your soulmate.

But you knew you wouldn't be able to hold your secret in for much longer. Peter was your best friend, he would eventually pry it from your shaking hands and read it cover to cover.

Then he would never talk to you again because he would hate you and your stupid guts and-

You took a deep breath. There were people everywhere and you were, once again, trying to avoid panicking. The subway home was always crowded, but with the three-day weekend, people were leaving town for the break.

You finally reached your stop and exited the train. It sped on behind you.

Walking up to your apartment was a complicated ordeal, which was probably why Peter and Ned never wanted to go to your place to hang out.

You first had to walk all the way around a sketchy cluster of buildings, then you needed to unlock a gate to get into the complex. Then you had to show proof of your residency, and finally find your room and unlock the door with four different keys.

And today would be no exception. You would go home and do your homework, then watch TV, and try not to think about Peter until your mom came home and demanded why dinner wasn't ready. Then she would order take-out and the two of you would watch a movie.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, it began to rain.

You groaned. Your backpack and clothes would be soaked by the time you made it to the entrance of the apartment complex. And you did not want to have wet shoes for the weekend.

You glanced at the entrance to the shady pawnshop. If you cut through it, you would save yourself a fifteen minute walk under a waterfall of rain. But... you had only been through once before. You didn't really know what to expect.

Thunder boomed above you and the wind began to pick up.

"That's it." You mumbled. "Decision made." You turned towards the pawnshop and entered the building.

Your memory had failed you. It had been much nicer the way you remembered it.

Ducking your head, trying (And failing) to look like you belonged in a sketchy trading post, you made your way through the many stores.