~Love, Voices & Chocolate~

You Deserve Better

MJ zoomed past a magazine stand as she glanced at her watch, barely noticing the headlines as she went. What made her turn back, however, was the word Osborne in big white letters. She didn't exactly know Harry but she knew that he was one of the few populars who was actually nice, kind of like Gwen. Plus, his father neglected him like Flash's parents did to him so she did find him somewhat intriguing. She did a moonwalk and picked up a paper, her mouth hanging open when she read the headline.

The one she picked up read 'Oscorp CEO Norman Osborne Revealed as the Goblin Found Dead, Son Unconscious'. The same headline was on every other front page, written in different ways but bearing the same meaning. The message was crystal clear but she just couldn't wrap her head around it. It had only been the week before that she had been trying to guess who the Goblin was but she never would have imagined the villain being Harry's father. She dropped the magazine and shook her head sadly, suddenly recalling the fact that she had been rushing to school because she was late.

She checked her watch and sighed. She was already late so she decided to take her sweet time as she walked to school, hands in her pockets. She considered texting Peter about what happened since she had deduced from observing him that Harry and Gwen were the only people in the popular squad he ever really talked to but she stopped herself. Flash was waiting for her by the front doors, leaning against a wall as he spoke to followers or as he liked to call them, his 'flashmob', online.

"... Sorry fam but I've gotta go. My tardy girlfriend just arrived looking beautiful as ever- say hello to our fans, babe!" He turned the phone to her and she covered her face, raising a middle finger in the air. He snickered and turned the camera back to himself, rolling his eyes. "Sorry guys, MJ doesn't feel like sharing her gorgeous face but I promise to get you guys a pic so you can fawn over her like I do. Flash out!"

MJ rolled her eyes when Flash switched off his phone and held out a hand to her. She walked straight past him, freezing in her tracks when he mentioned the fact that they had to look like a couple. She grunted and placed her hand in his, feeling violated when he pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her lower back. Through gritted teeth, she seethed, "be thankful this worked last week. Believe me, I wouldn't be here with you if it hadn't."

"Trust me, I'm thankful." She swallowed when he pushed the door open, already feeling the eyes on her and hearing muffled whispering as their classmates gazed at both of them. She kept her eyes on the floor, feeling pure irritation rushing through her but she relaxed slightly when Flash nudged her and she noticed the encouraging smile on his face. It was when she realised that they had separate classes that she began to panic.

It wasn't that she was so in love with Flash that she didn't want to be apart from him; the opposite was definitely the case. The issue was that if he left, she would be alone again and that terrified her. She could handle her loneliness on a normal day but this was no normal day; she had walked into the school like she owned the place with the Flash Thompson on her arm and if he left, she would only have unwanted attention directed at her.

She felt angry with herself for ever agreeing to the plan in the first place and angrier at Flash who was completely comfortable with all the scrutiny. Her anger, however, was mostly directed at Peter. She had given up her invisibility just to get him back to himself but he was late, unsurprisingly and their foolproof plan felt like it was falling at the seams. She squeezed Flash's hand when he began to let go and he turned to her, his eyebrows furrowed. He cupped her cheek and leaned closer, whispering 'you'll be fine, babe' into her ear. She scoffed at the babe part and shoved her hands in her pockets, shaking her head when he remained rooted to the spot.

"Go to class, dumbass. We're both late." He rose his hands in surrender and blew her a kiss that made her smile slightly before he disappeared behind a door. She placed a hand on her head, cursing Mother Nature for sending her period that day. It was always the most painful, emotional time of the month for her and felt a lot worse than she thought it was supposed to feel.