mended 🕷️ peter parker [3]

11

Jessica had to recompose herself. She explained to MJ what the recording had said. She also told her about the nightmares and how pressured she had been feeling lately. She didn't mention the mission in Prague. The last thing she wanted was to compromise any of her friends or put them in danger. 

"I knew you weren't having a good dream last night." MJ commented after Jessica had told her everything. She wasn't crying anymore. She was wiping the tears off her face with the end of her sleeve. "If there's anything I can do to help..."

"I don't think so, but thanks, though." Jessica stood up straight and took a big breath. "I gotta get through this on my own."

"No, you don't." Jessica frowned at her friend's reply. "You know, my parents survived the blip. When I came back, they couldn't believe it. They were ecstatic to have me back, but they had changed. Just like everything else. Just like me." MJ explained herself. "Now I find that having someone to lean on isn't as bad as I thought. I know there are things you can't tell me about your 'Avenger' life... but you can count on me still."

Jessica stood still. After a few seconds, she pulled MJ into an embrace. She knew her friend wasn't the hugging type. They had only hugged once before that, when they all reunited after coming back from the blip. MJ was growing more and more comfortable around her and seemed to be okay with showing a little affection. In fact, MJ was becoming one of the closest people to Jessica besides Peter and her new family. "Thank you." She almost whispered.

They made their way back to the group. As they waited for everyone to arrive before getting on the bus, Brad approached them in a rather fast pace. "Hey, Jessica!" He tilted his head to the side when he saw Jessica's expression. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Oh, I didn't see it. I heard it." She laughed quietly at her own joke. It was better if she addressed the situation light-heartedly.

"What?"

"Never mind. I just don't feel so good right now." She gave him a weak smile. "You came running. Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

He looked like he was about to say something but changed his mind at the last second. "Maybe I'll tell you later when you're feeling better."

"Come on! Everybody on the bus!" Mr. Dell urged the students. They all did as they were told. Brad waited for MJ to get in before he did and when Jessica was about to hop in the bus, Peter hurried to catch up to her.

"Hey! Jess! My love!" He took her hand and dragged her inside the vehicle, looking for two empty seats. "Come sit with me."

Jessica stopped him and looked a few rows back. "I was thinking about sitting with MJ for a while-" As she said that, she pointed at vacant seat next to the girl. It would have been taken if Brad had sat next to her, but unlike before, he had decided to install himself on the spot behind her.

Peter's eyes widened. "But there's something really important that I have to tell you."

Her eyes imitated his. Maybe he had received new information about the mission. Or maybe it was something about Mysterio. "Is it related to..." She didn't dare to finish the sentence while they were surrounded by their classmates.

"Yes! Hell yes, it is. It's very important so let's sit away from everybody." He said, tugging her once again to the back of the bus. Just before they could sit down, Jessica's phone vibrated as she had received a new message. When she took it out to check it, Peter stole it from her hands. "You won't need your phone. Here, give it to me."

More confused than ever, Jessica questioned him. "What is it?" 

He looked like he was struggling to find the words. "Uh- I just wanted to talk about..." He paused. "talk about our feelings. Our feelings for each other. I feel that I love you - I love you very much and I trust you because we've been through a lot together and even if someone tried to come between us I would still believe your side of the story."

Jessica blinked twice, trying to digest everything her boyfriend had just said. She came up with a conclusion. "Peter, are you intoxicated?" She asked as she placed her hand on his forehead, checking if he was burning up. "Maybe you gave food poisoning? Did you eat seafood while we were in Venice?"

"What? No!" He quickly exclaimed. "It's not that."

"What you just said makes no sense." He didn't reply back. Jessica bit her lip to prevent a smile from escaping. "Look, I'm feeling a bit down right now. I was hoping I'd catch some sleep."

"Jess!" Jessica turned her head towards the voice that had called her. MJ waved her hand at her, asking her to go with her. 

Peter seemed to be against that. "Okay! So sleep. Sleeping is good. It's good for you if you're feeling down." When he saw her standing up, he did the same. "Where are you going?"

"MJ is calling me. I'm going to see what she wants." She said and then reached for her pocket. "Oh, here you have the glasses." As she handed him the box, she tried to sound as collected as possible. Peter didn't take the box and they stood in the same position for a moment before Jessica left the box on the seat next to his. The bus was already moving and if they stood up for too long they would lose their balance and fall due to the curves of the road. She stood on her tippy toes and placed her lips on his forehead, checking again that he didn't have a fever. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep." The boy nodded at her suggestion, finally accepting his defeat. "I love you."

Peter gulped and let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, love you too."

Jessica made her way towards the empty seat next to MJ's. But right before she could reach it, Brad adressed her.

"He didn't seem to want to let you go." He said.

"Yeah, I don't know what has gotten into him." Jessica sighed. She then remembered that Brad intended to tell her something. "Do you mind telling me what you wanted to say earlier? I'm afraid I'm going to forget to ask you later."

"Trust me, I wouldn't forget." The bus turning forced Jessica to sit down next to Brad in order to talk to him without falling. "You see, I'm just telling you this because I think you're a great girl. I know we weren't really close before this trip but, after getting to know you, I would hate to see you hurt."

Jessica's eyes narrowed in bafflement. "What's going on?"

"Listen, I'm not trying to ruin your relationship with Peter, but-"

He was cut off by an unexpected turn that almost threw Jessica out off her seat. She had to reassemble herself before she could look around to see what had happened. She found Peter, now in the front of the bus, wearing the EDITH glasses and standing next to Dimitri, who tried to prevent the bus from falling off the road.

"Peter sit down and buckle up your seatbelt."

He didn't listen to Mr. Harrington. Instead, he pointed out of the window, trying to take the spotlight off him. "Look, there are baby mountain goats!"

Everyone looked out the window. Everyone except Jessica. She had noticed he kept looking at the back of the bus and when she did too, she finally spotted the menace. There was a drone following them and it appeared to be on the point of attacking them. Just when it was about to engage, it was destroyed. She turned around to see a breathless Peter. His hair was pulled back and he looked like he had just made a great effort.

"There weren't any mountain goats..."

"You missed them." He said in a high pitched voice. Jessica knew he was hiding something.

"I know you think none of us have noticed, Peter." Betty said. "But your new look, I love it. Right babe?"

"Yeah, sophisticated and classy, very European."

Jessica wanted to know what the heck had just happened. She kept staring at Peter, who was avoiding eye contact with her. Eventually, she turned back to Brad. He had just taken out his phone to show her something.

"Look, I'm just gonna show you." He said, still talking about what he wanted to tell her. He found nothing on his phone. "This is so weird... It was here, on my phone."

Jessica glanced at Peter one last time. This time, she caught him looking at them. When she did he immediately looked the other way. He was certainly keeping something from her. "Yeah, weird..."