Hey yalls! You ready for another chapter?
Ready to get hit in the feels?
Warning: There is minor cursing and mention of blood in this chapter.

Peter didn't go to school for almost a week after that.

The doctors tried everything they could, but his uncle Ben was already gone by the time they got him to the hospital.

He and his aunt May had barely left the house all week. They steered clear of the kitchen, since neither of them could handle the memories and peter could still smell the blood no matter how much bleach or cleaner they used. It was stuck in his nose and in his lungs.

They stayed together, curled around each other most of the time as they both sought out comfort from one another. His aunt told him how his uncle had gone to check on him that night and found out that he wasn't home, and how they both came to the conclusion that he was upset and had left to cool down somewhere. She said they'd finally heard some noise downstairs around 4am and thought it had been peter, so Ben had gone down to check and to talk to him.

Peter couldn't help the guilt that engulfed him when his aunt told him that. It had already been eating away at him, but it was just to much.

He sobbed as he told her everything, about his fight with Harry and how he had been upset, but that the real reason he was gone was because of his job. He told her he'd gotten a job to try and help them with money and that he'd gotten home two hours earlier than when the crook had broken in. He cried and told her how sorry he was, begged her to forgive him for being so stupid and not doing anything when Ben needed him.

She had hugged him tighter, practically pulling him into her lap even though he wasn't a kid anymore. She told him that it wasn't his fault, that he wouldn't have been able to do anything. She told him that yes she was upset he'd gotten a job, but that she wasn't angry. She made him promise to quit his job though, saying she wanted him home and not out at night.

Peter only half listened to her. He quit his job, like she'd asked, but he couldn't stop thinking about how he could have helped. Peter was fast. Peter was strong. He had abilities neither his aunt or uncle or the crook had. He could have tackled the guy, webbed the gun, jumped in the way, taken the shot, push his uncle out of the way, attack the man. Heck, peter even knew self defense and a bit of martial arts, he could have done something.

It wasn't until after a few days that peter was able to connect the dots. The sirens he'd heard that night, on his way home. They'd been chasing a thief near his neighborhood. Said thief had broken into his house to hide. His uncle had gone down stairs thinking it was him. He'd shot Peters uncle when he'd reached for his phone or for a weapon, peter didn't know.

Peter could have stopped the guy before he'd even entered his house. He could have saved his uncles life without it having been in danger. He had abilities that allowed him to help people. He'd been selfish and stupid that night. He couldn't anymore. He owed it to his uncle. He owed it to anyone else who had been hurt when he could have helped.

He couldn't just sit by anymore. He had great power, and great power comes with great responsibility.

-

Everything was awkward when he went back to school. Teachers gave him pitying looks in the hallway, and insensitive classmates asked questions that made Peters blood boil but also made him want to break down and cry.
Was there a lot of blood? Did he get shot in the head? Could you seen his brains? Was it gross? Did you puke? Did you see it? What was it like? Do you remember it or have you blocked out the memories? Did he say anything before he died? Was he killed instantly? Did you see the body?

Peter ignored every single question as he walked to the counseling office. It was already halfway though the day and he'd just gotten to school only to be immediately sent to talk to a counselor.
He met with one of the school counselors, who tried to talk to him about it and how he was feeling, but peter wasn't really ready to talk about it yet so their meeting ended early.

He ran into Harry in the hallway on his way to class after he'd been given a note and was dismissed, but his friend didn't even look it him, just kept walking.

Peter went and curled up in the bathroom instead of going to class.

Harry had always been there for him. When he was bullied, when he fell asleep in class, when he got sick and needed to stay home, when he forgot his lunch.
And peter had been there for him. When his dad was being an ass, when his mom had died, when he needed help asking MJ out, when he forgot to do his homework, when he needed time away from home. They were there for each other.

But Harry hadn't called or texted him at all while peter hadn't been at school. No 'hello', no 'how are you?', no 'why aren't you at school?', no 'are you okay?', no 'do you want to talk?', no 'I'm sorry for snapping at you', no nothing.

It pissed him off and made him want to cry even more than he already was. Sure they'd argued, but couldn't Harry move past that? Peter was ready and willing to forgive him for blowing up if Harry could just put on his big-boy pants and apologize for being a dick. He really wanted a hug. He really wanted to be able to talk to him. But Harry was ignoring him. Peter had even caught his eye at one point, but Harry had quickly glared and looked away.

There was one thing that didn't add to his stress though.
Well, four things.

Sam, Danny, Luke and Ava.

They practically swarmed him at lunch when he showed up, and he offered them a watery smile before they sent a hornets nest of questions at him.

Where had he been? Was he okay? Did he need to talk? His eyes were red, had he been crying? Had he been sick? What was wrong? Did he need anything? Did he have a fever? Had someone done something to him? Was it bullies? Did they -or more so Ava- need to go beat the shit out of someone? Did he need to sit down?

It was mostly Ava and Sam asking the questions, while Luke and Danny offered more silent support, sitting on either side of him and comfortingly touching him in some way. Luke had a hand on his knee and Danny one gently holding his bicep.

He managed to not cry at first and he did his best to answer their questions, but only managed to stutter out a few choked sentences before one of them was hugging him and gosh it felt nice. Sure his aunt may had hugged him, but he couldn't help feeling even more guilty when she did. So a hug from someone else felt like a shining beam of relief amongst the dark raging storm his life had become.

He practically melted into the hug, and didn't realize he was crying until he managed to pull away and someone -Luke- offered him a napkin to dry his face.

They then practically stole his phone and put their numbers in it, demanding that he text them when he got home so they knew he got there safely and to text them if he needed anything at any time. One of them would listen and be there for him.

They stayed close to him for the rest of lunch, sitting as near as they could while staying comfortable, and Peter found their presence grounding. They forced him to drink at least half of his smoothie, even when he said he wasn't hungry.

Danny managed to sit even closer to peter in their fourth period then he usually did, and the same for Ava in their fifth.

He had tried to talk to Harry again on his way to the bathroom, having spotted him in the hall, but was thoroughly ignored. It hurt, but the more Harry ignored him the more angry peter got and he was just about ready to give up and stop trying. If this is what Harry wanted them he'd give it to him.

At the end of the day Sam walked him home, since apparently they lived in the same general direction, and told him again that he could text them if he needed anything, even if it was only for someone to listen or to even just be a shoulder to lean on. He thanked him and offered him to come inside, but Sam denied, saying he needed to go home now or his dad would freak.

His aunt wasn't home, since she was now frantically looking for a decent job while making arrangements for the funeral. Peter understood, but it still felt weird to come home and find it empty. He tried to bring up him getting a job again to help, but she shot the idea down instantly, not even giving him the chance to argue.

He texted Ava, Danny and Luke to tell them he'd gotten home, and thanked Sam again for walking him, before getting started on the little homework he had been assigned. The assignments that he had missed had been waved off as unnecessary for him to complete, and he had only been given today's homework to do. It was Friday, so thankfully he wouldn't need to deal with school again for another two days. He felt drained and tired from the day, but not as hurt as he had that morning. It probably had something to do with his friends, and he felt the urge to thank them again but refrained since he didn't want to seem annoying.

He eventually decided to take a nap, hoping that May would be back by the time he woke up.

She was, but it seemed like she'd only just gotten home when petter trudged his way down the stairs.

"Oh, Peter," she said, offering him a tired smile, "how was school?" She asked as she set her bag down on the coffee table before plopping herself down onto their old, overstuffed armchair.

"It was fine." He said as he moved to sit on the arm of the couch, perched with his knees tucked up to his chest comfortably.

"That's good," May said, "learn anything interesting?"

"Not really." Peter said with a shrug as he fiddled with his hands, eventually reaching to the spinneret glands on his inner wrists and pulling out a strand of his non-sticky webbing, tying it into a loop before starting to make some cats cradles.

His aunt hummed softly and the two of them sat in silence for a few moments.

"How are things with harry?" She asked, her tone cautious. She knew that Harry hadn't tried to text or call him all week.

Peter glared at the webbing in his hands. "Same as it has been all week." He said. "Blatantly ignoring me, just in person this time."

"Oh Peter," May said softly. She probably didn't mean to sound pitying, but that's what Peter got from her tone. "I'm sure it'll go back to normal soon."

"Somehow I doubt that." Peter muttered to himself.

He went back up to his room not long after that, and May said she was going to order stuff for dinner and that he had a smoothie in the fridge, but Peter wasn't hungry.

He didn't sleep well that night, or more so he didn't really sleep. He hadn't been sleeping very well at all that week, his mind plagued with nightmares about not only Ben but also his parents for some reason.

It was around 2am when he got a text from Luke asking if he was still awake. When Peter replied that he was Luke asked if he wanted to talk about anything.

When Peter said no Luke instead sent a video from YouTube that was supposed to help you sleep. It made Peter smile, and he thanked Luke before trying the video.

It eventually worked, lulling him to sleep around 3am. He didn't need to do anything the next day, so he would be able to just lounge in his hammock for as long as May allowed.

-

Monday was just as tiring as Friday had been. Of course, he didn't need to go to the counselor today, but apparently he had to meet with them every Wednesday from now on during second or third period, which kinda sucked but he would just have to deal with it.
Students weren't as nosy this time round, keeping their questions and comments to themselves or as whispers in the halls and glances between classes, and if peters usual bullies seemed to leave him alone for now he wasn't going to point it out to them.

At least one of his friends was glued to his side at all times as well. Which lead to peters current problem.

He'd been standing next to Sam as the other teen dug around on his locker, when something caught his eye.

Sitting on the top shelf of the locker, tucked behind a hoodie and what looked like a textbook that had never been touched, was a familiar golden helmet with a red star-like cross on the front. The helmet that belonged to the rookie hero Nova.

And huzzah, another chapter!!

Hopefully yalls liked it!!
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The next chapter will be out soon!

Bye!!