A Beautiful Thing (Spideychelle) UNDER EDITING

Crack phone screens and broken hearts

Michelle POV
I awoke from the nightmare in a cold sweat, gasping for air. I sit up to find it is 8 am and on the alarm clock I spot a blue sticky note. I picked it up hesitantly. It was crumpled and barely readable in a thin back ink. It read:

"Nightmares can never hurt you, I'm sorry I can't help... just stay strong for me"

I read it in shock as I called down the stairs for my mother. She came up at once and asked if everything was ok?

"Was this you? This note"

She snatches it from my grip and reads it over.

"Yes, sweetie," she says hesitantly, "I thought you would know from my handwriting"

"Uh yeah, I kinda looks like a friend's handwriting as well" I chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah well I" she stammers "I didn't know how to react to it... I'm not very good at this you see. So I just thought I'd make it when you woke up"

Her eyes darted around the room but I believed her, and so we talked for a while. She told me how she used to have nightmares and it was kind of nice to know we had something in common and besides it was a weight off my chest.. these people cared about me. Still, no call from Peter... or Ned.

The next two days were pure fun mixed in with a few questions about whether I was SpiderGirl. A lot of questions in fact. Why did they care? It was easy to push it away in the fact that we were making so many memories but they really did know how to rain on a good moment.

On Thursday, Denver stood over me, large and dominating - asking me all sorts of questions about Tony, of which I had no desire to answer. He circled me menacingly and made me feel so tiny that I could just about sink into the ground below. In the night I managed to convince myself that the screams were normal and that I was just overreacting because that what I always did and that normal families fought it was just his way of discipline I guess.

Before I knew it; it was time to go back. The drive was long but the ever-changing scenery made it passable.

"So how do you feel about moving here?" Denver asks me as we fly through motorways, lined with beaches,"

"I'm not sure." I mutter "It's a big change. Like I have to leave all my friends"

"What? Your friends who haven't text you in a week. Yeah, I can see why that would be hard" he smirks.

"I'm sure they had their reasons" I reply, not entirely sure of that fact at the moment.

"Its just we'd really like you here" Eve smiles. "We could be the family we were always meant to be. The boys here are really nice as well" she jokes

"Yeah, family" Denver breathes slowly

"Just imagine it" Eve muses, waving her hand in front of the window as she laughs at that prospect of finally what shes always desired and that just filled me with joy. Suddenly I wasn't SpiderGirl or 'Peter's friend' I was Michelle - just Michelle.

As we got back home I jumped out to see Pepper waiting for me, still in work clothes as it was. I run up the stairs to greet her.

"Hey, hey hey" she grins "How was it?"

"Great" I beam "sorry I took your braid out"

"Hey baby," Denver says, coming up behind me "Can we talk for a second?"

He pulls me away by the wrist to behind the car.

"We're not saying you have to make a decision right now. But, we found a fast track way that means we only need one signature from you. It's here on this bit of paper. Then your ours, away from that crappy care home"

After that, I go inside. Pepper had to make an urgent phone call but was very eager to hear what I had to say about my parents.

I go to Peter who is understandably still in the hospital room however, he could now walk a short distance due to his super strength. I rush in to hug him as he shares my joy immensely. I am hesitant to show it at first but I figured there must be a reason so I let it slide for this moment.

Then, I broke from the embrace to find his phone on the bedside table, to see his phone working and unlocked on my messages.

"Peter, why didn't you call me?" I say sternly as my smile drops

"I- oh MJ, I" he stammers

"Why?" I demand

"I can explain," he says scrambling to take the phone off me

"But oh you can text Ned and your Aunt and even Liz! You text her instead of me" I spat disgustedly with a hint of jealously slipping in"

"I- o- I um- oh MJ just listen to me" he stutters some more.

"Shit Peter" I retort, "I thought we had something special, but as soon as I go you forget about me and go back to Liz. You didn't text me for a week. Neither did Ned. I thought you guys were supposed to be my friends. This isn't what friends do.

"MJ, Your parents" he whispers

"My parents, what? What Peter?" I yell to no response as he stumbles over his words "Great. You know what? My parents, we're right about you! I'm going to sign the documents. They may have left me but at least they didn't lie about it. At least with them, I won't be put on the back burner when you feel like texting another girl. Tell Ned I never wanna speak to him again either"

I wasn't thinking straight. How could I? I thought I was something to him. I thought he would risk his life for me but now a phone call is too much to ask for. I slam his phone on the ground before going to sign the record. I wanted out of all this - now. I felt sick. I didn't even wanna see Pepper. She was never a mother, she was just doing her job as Tony's assistant.

It was all a haze. I was never wanted, never loved by anyone but these people. So I scribble my name down, without reading a single thing. I ring my mother and leave a voicemail.

"Meet me at the train station at 12 tomorrow. I'm your daughter now."

I go into my room and sob, how could he do this? Everything was going way too fast. I had walked in less than 15 minutes ago and was already ready to leave. It was like I had been manipulated. For all, I knew Peter could have 12 girlfriends. I wouldn't even be surprised. About an hour later, I get a knock at the door. I open it to find Ned, who bursts in before I had the time to close it.

"How can you be so dumb?" he spits, defying the normal happy go lucky Ned I had always seen before

"Ned I don't wanna talk to you" I said, trying to push him out of the room

"He loved you, so much and you think he's gone back to Liz just because he doesn't text you?" he shouts

"I'm going back to my parents either way. He can have snobby Liz all he wants then!" I retaliate

"You love them?!" Ned asks angrily "MJ wake up. Look at this!"'

He shows me his phone screen, they were screenshots from both his and Peters' phones. I read the messages in shock.

Hey, I don't think we've met, I'm Denver. Michelle's dad. I know you care about her but if you could please maybe not phone her as much. I mean we just want her to settle in for the moment. Is that ok?"

"Oh and there's more" Ned tells me as I have back against the wall.

I read them all in shock just pure shock. How could they? How could they stoop so low?

"You can't go live with these people. I bet they tried to claim the sticky note as there own as well. Peter went to your window and made sure to where ok one night. He went to Rhode Island MJ just to see if you were ok."

"Ned I'm so sorry I"

"Stay with us. We can work stuff out together" he assures me. That's when the tears meld into a sob. I can't believe what I have done.

"Ned, I've already signed the documents. I have no choice