Over the next few weeks Peter and I work on the decay rate algorithm, sometimes together in the library and sometimes apart. He claimed that it was important to him and that he felt like it will help him find some answers. To what? I wasn't yet sure. But who was I to deny a good old unsolvable puzzle? During this time, I couldn't help but notice the change in Peter. Not that it wasn't obvious, because it was, extremely. Even aunt May asked me the one day after school if I knew if Peter was doing drugs or something because of his strange behavior. I, obviously assured her that he was in fact not, however, I wasn't entirely sure what else to connect his behavior to.

The fact that his appetite has increased immensely has been one of the reasons why I think adding to the fact that he asked, no begged if I could make him something to eat the one day we were working on an assignment, seemed like a cry for help. Anyone that knew me, knows my food sucks. He's also been extremely... jittery, like he can't seem to sit still for more than a second and he's so in tune about everything recently, unlike before, when Peter never knew what period it was. I'm starting to get extremely worried about him and planned on confronting him about it this afternoon after class.

It was the last period of the day and I was hardly paying any attention to what was happening in class, all my concentration focused onto the one problem that I haven't been able to crack, the decay rate algorithm. When I finally, figured it out. "Oh my god." I exclaim loudly, forgetting that I was in a class full of students and a teacher droning on about something a famous poet once said.

"Can we help you miss Stacy?" Mr. Beckley, my English teacher asked with a raised eyebrow and amused classmates glancing my way.

I chuckle uncomfortably, "I just realized, sir, that I have a prior engagement with the principle now." I smile, confidently that Mr. Beckley will believe me and let me leave 15 minutes earlier.

"Well, I suppose you may leave Miss Stacy," Mr. Beckley knew that my dad was on the force and because of his one too many speeding tickets, he usually went easy on Gwen and I. And the fact that I was first in almost all of classes helped.

"Thanks sir," I jump up grabbing my books and backpack and shoot a wink at Gwen's confused face and run off to find Peter. He told me that he'll in the library an hour ago so its most likely that he's still there working on an assignment or something. I immediately spot him sitting by the windowsill by our spot at the back of the library, fully immersed into whatever he's doing. I walk closer to find that he's working on the very same problem that I just solved. I softly place the messy page, full of different calculations and the solution onto the book he was pondering over. He grabs the page, not even so much as a glance at me and I watch as he realizes the solution at the bottom of the page. I'm immediately pulled into a tight hug, my senses overloaded with all that is Peter and he pulls away, looks at the page again and hugs me again.

"You just.... oh my gosh...you..." He pulls away and grabs my face in both his hands, staring at me with a look of amazement on his face. I'm momentarily frozen by his actions and blink back at him. "How did you figure it out??" He asks, I shrug and smile cheekily, trying to avoid the rapid beating of my heart at his close proximity. "Oh my gosh," he whispers again, pulling away and looks back at the page with a deeper concentration. I gulp and blink rapidly, breaking myself out of whatever spell I was under.

"So, I was thinking, you should go and see Doctor Connors tomorrow after school, you know... as Peter Parker." I tell him creating some distance between us and stepping back to lean on the bookshelf, opposite the window sill from where he was sitting.

"Yeah, I thought we should go too, I wanna speak to him as Peter Parker, you know?" He sits back on the windowsill and studies the paper in his hands, mumbling to himself. 

I lean back against the bookshelves and smile, completely enchanted by him. 

~~

The next day, after school I make an excuse about not being able to go with Peter to see Dr. Connors, feeling like its something that he should do by himself.

Instead, I'm dragged by Gwen to attend boxing lessons with her at Flash's fathers boxing gym. I've been sensing a bit of a crush of both Gwen and Flash towards one another and it seemed like I was right. The fact that we were here proved that. Every time after Gwen would tutor Flash, she would either complain to me about him or compliment how he's improving or making comments about how he's 'actually not such a bad guy'. I thought of asking her about her crush but decided against it and just watch how it unfolds. Its quite exciting, watching love bloom right before your eyes. But not when I'm forced on my day off to exercise. But either way I decided to give Flash the benefit of the doubt, for Gwen's sake.

As we set up, I watch Gwen look around the gym. "What'cha looking for?" I ask in a teasing voice.

"Nothing, nothing at all, just taking in my surroundings." She laughs loudly, waving an arm around the gym. I give her an amused look and nod my head mockingly. "Oh, shut it." She glares at me.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Hey Gwen!" I turn around to see Flash, who's solely focused on Gwen, with a small smile on his face. "Glad you could make it."

She laughs unattractively, at what? I have no idea. "We were in the area and decided to check out the gym." She nods. Yes, in gym clothes. I shake my head. Zero game whatsoever.

Though it seems to be working for Flash as he nods and grins, "Well since you're here, let me teach you for a change."

"Awwww." I clap my hands together as I watch Gwen nodding with a blush on her face. She turns to glare at me and follows after Flash, leaving me standing alone. "Okay then, I guess I should punch one of these things." I watch Gwen and Flash together and grin to myself. How bloody adorable.

~~

I was trying to shove the last of my textbooks into my bookbag when I heard my name being called out. I turned around to find uncle Ben at the end of the hall waving at me with a big smile on his face. I slammed my locker closed and waved back at him, jogging towards him.

"Uncle Ben!" I give him a big hug, "What are you doing here?" uncle Ben and I are really close. We've bonded since the first day I went over to their house with Peter and we've just got on like a house on fire. Our favorite thing to do was tease Peter, about nothing specific, usually everything, and it drove aunt May insane. During game nights, uncle Ben and I would team up against aunt May and Peter and we're so far ahead of them by three points.

"Peter's apparently gotten himself into some trouble." Uncle Ben tells me, pulling away from the hug with a tired look on his face.

I look at him confused. "What trouble?"

"Thats what I'm here to find out." He teases. I giggle and shake my head.

"I'm sure it wasn't all his fault." I lightly defend my friend.

"Only cause you weren't near to keep him away from trouble." He teases again. His face then turns serious. "Look MJ, I've been meaning to tell you. I'm sure you know Pete's going through a tough time at the moment. But he needs you. You keep him grounded in a way that no one else ever could, and I know that he may be a bit blind to your feelings at the moment but give him time. He's a smart boy, he'll figure it out eventually."

Uncle Ben knew about how I felt about Peter for a while now but has never said anything. I look down trying to blink away the tears that come up unannounced.
He gives me another hug and announces that he needs to go and I nod and wave, watching as he goes into the principles office.

I sigh and walk towards the library, tired from the events of the day, take out the algebra homework and set on getting it done before the bell rings.

~~

Later that night, after supper, I'm watching criminal minds with my father, when I get a call from aunt May. I glance at my dad to see him fast asleep and quietly get up to answer my phone in the kitchen. I answer the phone only to hear sobbing on the other end. 

"Aunt May? Are you okay? What's going on?" I answer in a rush. I see my mum rounding the counter with a worried look on her face. 

 Aunt May doesn't answer for a few minutes and when she does all she says is "Its Ben," before she sobs again over the phone.  

"I'm on my way," I rush out, panic overriding my senses as I rush to grab my coat and shove my feet into sneakers. I look up to see my mum already calling over a cab and I rush to hug her. 

"I'll wake up your father and ask if he can find out what happened tonight," She tells me, hugging me back. I break away with a small nod and assure her that I'll let her know when I've reached the Parkers before rushing downstairs to find a cab already waiting for me. 

During the cab ride, my father calls me and informs me about what happened to uncle Ben. I don't have time to process my own emotions as we've just reached Peters house and I'm too worried about him and aunt May. I pay the cab driver and jog up the steps of the house only to find the front door covered with cardboard and glass covering the floor. I unlock the door with the spare key that's kept under the flowerpot and enter the eerily quiet house. 

I walk further in to find aunt May asleep on the couch with tears smeared on her face and tissues littered on the floor. My heart clenches and I wipe the few tears that escape my eyes and cover her with a blanket, throw away the tissues and clear up the kitchen as well as the glass on the front porch. 

After, I take a deep breath and walk upstairs to Peters room. I knock softly on the closed door before letting myself in, only to find him crouched behind the door with his head in his hands. He looks up slowly and watches as I close the door behind me. I sit next to him and immediately pull him into a hug.  His hand, which I noticed were strained with blood, immediately wrapped around my waist and his head fell into the crook of my neck as he started sobbing once again. Tears well up in my eyes as I hug him tighter, my one arm around his back and the other one brushing his hair softly. I hold him until he falls asleep from exhaustion and lean back against the wall behind me, allowing him to sleep in my lap, his arms still tightly around around my waist. I brush his hair from his eyes and reach for my phone updating my mum that I'll probably stay with over tonight and sleep overtakes me.