TELEKINETIC │ p.p

Chapter Thirty Three

She strode through the halls with her head hung low. Her phone was held in her hand with little to no grip, seeming to be on the edge of slipping from her fingertips. Peter wouldn't respond to her texts or calls. So, thinking her number was disconnected, she tried Ned. He picked up on the second ring.

"Peter isn't in school today - would you know anything about that?" Ned questioned, confused. Vanessa sighed, hanging up immediately. She wasn't in the mood to explain her grounding situation.

School was a struggle to keep up with now that there was no place to escape to for a quick break. She thought about Peter every second of the day, which happened to be more than double the number of times she'd daydream about her boyfriend during lectures beforehand.

Her phone vibrated finally at the end of the day, but it wasn't Peter. It was Ned. Nausea hit Vanessa like a ton of bricks. Her and Ned rarely talked - usually he texted when he saw Spider-man swinging about, which typically was unknown to Vanessa until his message.

"Guess who lied about being sick," Ned huffed through the phone. Vanessa regretted offering a phone call to explain his text. "Again."

"Look, Ned-"

"He was out Spidering all weekend with you, why does he need to-"

"Ned, I'm grounded," she interjected.

"Cool," Ned responded with annoyance.

"No, it's not," Vanessa sighed. "Tony got upset with me sneaking off to help Peter. He grounded me and basically forbid me from seeing or talking to Peter."

"Shit," Ned whispered.

"And Peter isn't answering my texts or returning my calls, so Tony must've had a private conversation with him sometime after my lecture," she huffed. "Please check on him for me. I'm worried."

"Well since I have you here, how are you?" he questions.

"Ned, don't worry about me," Vanessa replies.

"Okay, yes, I'm asking as a friend, but I'm also asking because I know Peter will ask if I talk to him and I want to know the right response to tell him," he explains.

"Oh, well in that case, I'm horrible," she responds softly. "I feel guilty saying that because I know that will only hurt him more, but it will hurt him a lot less than me saying I'm good. Even if it is a lie."

"I'll tell him," Ned responds. "I'll also keep him grounded until Tony realizes how overprotective and unnecessary this is."

"Thank you, Ned," Vanessa whispers, a ghost of a smile presenting itself on her face. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah, no problem. I miss my best friend." Vanessa apologized for unintentionally stealing Peter from him, in which Ned simply and quickly denied her. "We both have our own lives; he's Spider-man and has a girlfriend while I'm an active high school student with a girlfriend."

"I'm really happy for you, Ned," Vanessa informs. "And I'm proud of you. You're living your best life."

"I might have to send Kate your way by the way," Ned declares.

"Not that I don't love and miss her, because I do - immensely - but why?" Vanessa questions.

"Because Peter will ask me to come hang out with you, but I already promised you I'd look after him until you two can be together again," he answers. "Love you, Vanessa. Text me if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you so much, Ned. Love you too," Vanessa responds, hanging up momentarily after. Her eyes well up at the thought of Peter out and about town, swinging through streets and trees, trying to block his pain. She shook her head, wiped her spilled tears, and headed for her car. At least Tony let her drive to and from school; she couldn't imagine taking the bus or train without Peter.