Optical Illusion ₪ Peter Parker [DISCONTINUED]

F I V E

Concern

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Peter sat in science class waiting for Leo to run in just a second before the tardy bell, like always, his finger tapping on the desk anxiously. He didn't see her walking in the hallway with Elena and Elijah like she usually did. He didn't see her struggle to fit her backpack in her locker like she did every morning. He didn't see her at all.

The tardy bell rang and the last couple students rushed into the class, Leo not being any of them. He saw Elena step in and her eyes landed on the empty seat next to Peter. Her eyes then locked with his and he saw that they were red and puffy, as if she had been crying. Elena quickly pulled her gaze out of his and dragged her feet over to her seat next to Ned, instantly wrapping her arms around her head and closing them as if she was sleeping.

Elena was in a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, her short dark hair pulled into two small buns on the back of her head and other random small strands sticking out. Her eyes were puffy and red and had dark circles beneath them. Her lips were chapped and her skin looked sickly.

"Um, do you want me to just take all the notes and I'll give them to you later?" Ned offered the sulking girl, who opened on eye and looked up at him before nodding. Peter saw a tear welled up in her eye the small moment it was open and instantly knew something was wrong. Ned turned to Peter and sent him a worried look.

"Where's Leotie?" Ned asked Peter, who just shrugged and looked back towards the chalkboard where the teacher already began taking notes.

Peter tuned out the teacher and just copied any notes he saw on the board. He had already read the entire five chapters they needed for their project so he didn't see a need to listen to the teacher go over the chapters. sure, he could just tell Leo that he read all the chapters and they wouldn't have had to meet up to read them together, but he liked spending time with her so whenever they met up he'd reread the chapter.

Peter had grown fond of Leo's absentmindedness in class. Her drawing in her notebook instead of actually listening. Peter actually liked watching her drawing process. The way she frowned and bit her bottom lip as she focused on shading whatever drawing she was working on. Her everchanging style was always interesting to Peter. He never knew if she was going to show up to class in a dress, jeans, or sweatpants. It was always a surprise what she was wearing. He also missed Leo's sarcastic comments she made about the teacher or the stupid jokes she's whisper to him that would leave him biting his lips shut to make sure he didn't burst out laughing.

Leo made his school day better and now that she wasn't there, Peter felt like there was an emptiness in his chest and not just in the chair next to him.

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Later that day, Peter came home to hearing May talk to someone in the kitchen he frowned and walked around the corner to see Leo sitting in his dining room across from his aunt with her hands wrapped around a mug. Her hands had bandages wrapped around them, much to Peter's surprise, and she looked like she had been crying.