at some point in this chapter, I'm going to recommend you start playing 'never be the same' by camila cabello. i really hope the timing works out. enjoy the chapter ;)

*

When Wendy got home, she cracked the window in her room first, then got a snack and started her homework.

She was splayed out on her bed, halfway through her algebra II homework. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, a spare pencil stuck behind her ear. Her notes were open to her left and her snack, apple slices, bread, and cheese, was sitting on her right. She had one earbud in. She was listening to some k-pop girl group Angie had recommended. She looked serene save for her puckered lips and furrowed brow.

By the time she was done with algebra II, her elbows were sore from propping her up. She moved on, glancing at the window. What time was it? Was it time for Spider-Man to come around? Would he come around? What if he avoided her because of everything that was happening? She didn't want to think about that.

Finally, all she had left to do was her essay, tentatively titled Introducing Me. She cleaned up her snack and put away her folders. She was maybe sort of totally putting off writing the essay. She didn't want to write about herself. She didn't want to think about the things she'd been through.

She checked the time. Spider-Man usually came around by now. Was he mad at her? Was he mad at himself? She was nibbling away at the dead cells and lipstick on her bottom lip when he showed up at her window. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. Not everything was a complete disaster.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, limbo-ing into her room with a churro in each hand. "I thought I'd grab us a snack."

"Come on, sit," she beckoned, patting the spot right beside her. He plopped down, nearly knocking her laptop off the bed. He managed to stop its fall with his foot. She let herself laugh and relax. She was safe now. She was with her Peter Pan.

He passed her her churro and tugged his mask up over his mouth so he could eat. She froze for a moment. She could see his jaw, the milkiness of his skin, a tiny scar on his chin. She could see his lips. They were fairly thin. She couldn't stop looking at them. She'd felt them before, over his mask, but now his lips were out for the world to see. For her to see. He trusted her.

"I have kind of a weird question to ask," she blurted, scooting closer to him so their knees touched.

"Ask away, darling," he replied around a mouthful of his churro. She took a bite of her own - it was surprisingly warm.

She chewed, then swallowed, then looked directly into his eyes. "Did you write the poem Peter read at lunch today?" He smiled. She could see his smile. It was adorable.

"How could you tell?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well, you said you could write it for me and I know Peter hates me as much as I hate him so there's no way in hell he could've written it." Spidey finished his churro but left his mouth uncovered. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Why do you two hate each other anyway?" he questioned, raising his hand to wipe a crumb from the corner of her lips. Wendy bit her lip. His mouth was so close to hers. Why was it so close? Why didn't she mind it being in such close proximity? She cleared her throat.

"Uh, well there was this talent show in 6th grade and I totally deserved the win and then Peter showed me up," she explained hastily. "Ever since then, I've come second to him. He like, deliberately gets into the stuff I'm into so he can beat me."

Spidey's jaw dropped slightly. "B-But he's such a nice guy."

"That's what he wants you to think," she said. "He wants you to think he's nice and innocent to lure you into a false sense of security so he can ruin your life. Like, for instance, in freshmen year, before we took the tests for the decathlon team, he came up to me and said I was definitely going to beat him out for a spot and then I was below him by a fraction of a point. A fraction!"

Spidey frowned. "Is that why you're not on the decathlon team?"

Wendy's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?" His lips puckered into an 'o.' God, his lips were so distracting.

"Well, it's definitely not because I was asking Peter about you," he laughed forcefully. Her eyes lit up. He was asking about her. He wanted to know more about her. Her heart swelled. She could lean right in and kiss him if she wanted to.

Instead, she inquired, "Wait, what did Peter say about me?"

"He was a lot nicer than you were," Spidey scoffed.

She scowled. "Of course he was, that little shit." Spidey sucked in his bottom lip and she thought she might scream. He had to know what he was doing to her, right?

He leaned across the bed and pulled her laptop onto his lap. "What's this?"

"My homework for English," she replied with a little groan. "I have to write an essay all about me, which should be easy save for the fact that my life is horribly depressing and I don't want to think about it."

"We'll write it together," Spidey said affirmatively. "Let's see. 'My name is Wendy Margaret Carter-Greene. I am sixteen-years-old.' Good start. Okay, so, 'I am an exceptionally beautiful cheerleader with stunning eyes and nice legs.'"

"What was that?" she interrupted, trying to suppress a giggle. "Have you been looking at my legs, Pan?"

He squinted at her. "I have no idea what gave you that impression." The corners of his lips twitched. She shook her head playfully.

"Keep going," she pressed. "This has to be two pages."

He clicked his tongue. "Right, so 'I live in New York City. My best friend is Spider-Man.'"

"I think you're overestimating your importance to me," she interjected. He shot her as dirty a look as he could manage with his mask half-on.

- start the song now -

"Rude," he admonished. She laughed and leaned into him. "'My best friend is Spider-Man. I spend my days being gorgeous and talking to Spider-Man. My talents include cheer and having a very nice face.'"

She playfully shoved him. "This is an essay, not my Tindr bio."

"Good," he retorted. "You don't need Tindr. In fact, 'I'm in love with Spider-Man. He is so handsome and kind and brave. One day we will get married and have lots of Spider-Babies.'"

She shrieked and yanked the laptop away from him, all the while exclaiming, "You are so full of yourself!" She tried to set the laptop back on the foot of her bed, but he made an attempt to grab it back. They ended up wrestling for control of the computer. His suit made him somewhat slippery and so it was a difficult endeavor to keep the laptop away from him. She managed to drop it onto the floor before rolling them over so she was on top.

They were laughing. Their bodies were intertwined. When had her legs started to straddle him? At what point during the struggle had her shirt rode up and the tip of his nose escaped his mask? Since when were their faces so close?

She decided not to question it.

She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. They were kissing. She was kissing Spider-Man. All of a sudden his hands were on her waist and their foreheads were touching. He tasted like churro and she guessed whatever fabric made up his mask. Her hands cupped his face, their lips moving in sync.

It was like the world melted away. The tightness in Wendy's chest dissolved. This was perfect. This made everything worth it. She'd thought she'd never find a high better than beating Peter Parker, but she was oh so wrong. One kiss and she was addicted. She wanted more. She wanted to never stop kissing him. She wanted his hands to move up-

When they finally broke apart, they were left gasping for air. Wendy's body was buzzing in a way she'd never experienced before. Her senses were overloaded with nothing but him. She could only taste his lips and feel his hands and his body beneath hers. She could only hear his heavy breathing and smell his suit. She could only see him, lying on her bed, trying to recover his breath. 

They locked eyes and the world paused. Was this one of those moments Erin went on and on about? She wanted it to last forever, this moment of understanding between them that this friendship was not a friendship, not anymore. This moment of realization that they'd kissed, passionately, and they'd enjoyed it. They did enjoy it, didn't they? Wendy knew she enjoyed it, probably a bit too much for her own good. But did he enjoy it?

The moment was shattered when he slipped out from underneath and made a break for the window. He tossed a breathless, "I should get going," over his shoulder before leaving in a blur of red and blue. Wendy was left alone, abandoned in the world that moment had created for just the two of them. The momentary overwhelming warmth had gone and left her cold. Her eyes welled with tears.

He didn't enjoy the kiss.

He didn't just leave. He ran. He ran away as fast as he could from the small broken blonde who'd mistaken his polite kindness and jokes for genuine affection. She flopped down on her back, staring up at the ugly stained ceiling. He didn't like her. Certainly not like she liked him. She'd ruined everything yet again.

There was a knock at her door. Her dad's voice sounded, "Hey sweetheart, I just got home. What're you up to in there?"

She rubbed her face tiredly. "Homework. I'm just finishing up some homework."

"Well, when you're done, why don't you come out and tell me about your day, maybe help me with dinner?" he asked. She cringed. She just wanted to be left alone. She wanted to sit in this world built for two all by herself and cry. She never thought this would happen to her. Crying, over a boy? It was ludicrous. And yet tears slipped down her cheeks and her shoulders shook.

"Yeah, sounds good," she replied half-heartedly. Homework. She was finishing up some homework. She grabbed her laptop from its place on the floor, deleted everything Spider-Man had typed, and, with a heavy heart, began to write.

*

TRUST ME THIS HURTS ME JUST AS MUCH AS IT HURTS YOU

anyway next chapter is gonna be a bit different bc...well, you'll see

edit: rushed to post this earlier so i forgot to say this

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM HOLLAND!!!!!!!! OUR LOVELY BABY BOY, OUR LATEST AND GREATEST PETER PARKER, TURNED 22 YEARS OLD TODAY!!!!! IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SEND HIM SOME LOVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!!!