The Beginning and Ending of Everything

Chapter Five

Dedicated to @WesperSolangeloBriah for adding this story to their reading list. Thank you!

Peter POV-October 4, 2023-7:31 AM

"Peter? Peter, honey, are you okay?" Aunt May asked me worriedly, putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her from where I was sitting down at the tiny kitchen table in our apartment.

"Huh?" I asked her. I had been zoning out, staring out into space. She sighed. "Are you okay, Peter? You've been zoning out and distancing yourself from me. From everyone. I- I know it's been hard, what with Tony-"

I jumped up from my seat, shaking her hand off my shoulder, turned to face her, and glared. "No! You don't know, May! Do you know how hard it's been for me to-" I shouted before cutting myself off. I looked at the ground, trying not to admit to myself what I was about to yell.

"Never mind. I have to get to school." I said, grabbing my backpack from my chair and shouldering past her. I walked to the front door and put my hand on the door handle.

"I larb you, Peter." I hear from behind me. I try to ignore the feeling of regret and guilt that pierced my heart, and instead, I focus on the anger I was feeling.

I turned the handle of the door and walked out of the apartment. I didn't reply or look back.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"So, do you want to come over today? I got a new Star Wars Lego set that we haven't done yet." Ned asks me.

I looked up from the floor. "What? Oh, sure. I'll come over after patrol." I tell him. I had been zoning out again. Before, my mind used to never stop buzzing. Always thinking about this or that, new formulas for my web fluid to try out, I rarely zoned anyone out. Now, I felt hollowed out, empty. Like a ghost or something. Never there, and never here.

We were walking to our next period between classes, and Ned was chattering, just like normal. "So, you know our math assignment? I was hoping we could finish it this weekend. Maybe tomorrow? Ooh, have you ever stopped anyone from trying to break into a store? Like, to return something they stole? I bet that doesn't happen often. What about-" he stopped abruptly.

I looked up, the silence pulling me out of my haze. I looked at Ned. His mouth was closed for once, and he was looking up ahead, on the other side of the hall. I followed his gaze, and saw that he was looking at Betty, a girl in our grade.

I grinned, nudging Ned in the arm. "When are you going to talk to her?" I asked him teasingly. His eyes snapped to mine, and he asked, "What? Who?"

My grin turned wider. I wiggled my eyebrows at him. "Betty."

Ned blushed and looked back at Betty. She was a shorter girl, with blonde hair, and she carried her books clutched tight to her chest. She was on the student... something, that is always telling you about announcements and stuff. She looked a little shy.

"What are you talking about?" Ned asked.

"I can tell that you like her." I tell him, shaking my head. Ned looked at me, then back at her. "Yeah." he said quietly, "I do."

I grinned at him. "You like MJ right?" he asks me. I stopped smiling. I found it uncanny how quickly he can turn a conversation around.

"I don't know." I said frustrated, "She's our friend. Even if I did that would just be weird."

Ned grinned at me this time. "I can tell you like her." he said quoting what I said earlier.