TW : spiders (I guess ?)

They stare at each other in shock, mouth open, before grabbing their stuff and following her, trying not to question the fact that she waited for them - already an other book open in front of her eyes. They do not speak about it again, and walk with the group of students, heading to the second part of the visit - the most interesting one. It doesn’t take long before both boys start being all excited again, almost forgetting their last conversation despite the girl’s presence by their side. She doesn’t take part of their discussion again, but stands there, walking with them, not seeming annoyed by their joy. Peter can’t help but think for a little moment, that this trio could actually be a real thing, and that he feels strangely safe with those two by his sides, he feels… happy and himself.

“Now,” Roman’s voice stops everyone’s chatting, “we are going to see the Osborn industry’s exposition. Before actually going in, I just want to make sure about something : is anyone really afraid of spiders ? And by that i mean suffers from arachnophobia.”

The guide lets his eyes travel from student to student, waiting a long instant before talking again. He is well aware that some teenagers are sometimes too afraid to admit their fears to actually do it, so he lets them time, before clapping his hands together when no positive answer is received.

“Okay ! So now that we are good, it would be really appreciated if you could be really careful to not touch anything or approach too much in this exposition - this is a special one that could potentially be dangerous, so please be extra careful.” With those words said, the man lead the group in the next room.

In a matter of seconds, Peter, Ned and Mj find themselves at the end of the group, and it seems like not a single one of their classmates actually listened to the guide. They all rush to the adults, their excitement expressed with loud noises and students bumping into each other. They look like an actual mess, and the trio just sigh at this sight.

“Five bucks that they created some huge ass spider,” Ned exclames, his head turned towards his best friend, earning a surprised glance.

“You’re lacking of imagination dude,” sasses back Peter, “a giant spider ? Really ? That’s way too commune, but okay, as you wish. Though i’m pretty sure they will have like… made radioactive spiders or something like that…” The teen continues his theory as they follow their class, not quite interested by being the first one to see the exposition.

“Losers,” MJ quietly mumbles, without stopping to read, both boys glancing at her with a fake offenced look on their face - but they are quick to go back to their bet, as it’s no fun to glare at someone who doesn’t look at ou back.

They continue to argue until they finally  reach the group, who stopped just after the entrance of the room. Around them, their classmates won’t stop chatting and exchanging chuckles and theories about the exposition, and the two boys are quick to end their own discussion, catching the annoyed glances of their teachers. Peter actually feels sorry for them. They should have known that taking a class of high school students specialized in science to a visit of an Osborn industry exposition wasn’t a good idea. And they are now seeing the consequences of their desire to please their kids. They will probably never try that again. It isn’t that the group is particularly misbehaving - it isn’t at all - but much more that their joy and excitement are showing way too much.

“Guys please,” Roman finally begs, visibly trying not to seem too annoyed, “I know everything is really exciting but if you aren’t cooperative here, we are not going to see the rest of the museum. I just need you to be quiet and calm for this exposition, as soon as we left it you will be able to do as much noise as you want, okay ?” His eyes are pleading the students, and it takes some entire seconds for the chuckles to stop completely. The guide sighs of relief, glancing at the teachers as he does, as if to ask to have some help next time. “So, we will start from the left side and go to the right side. Now, I will just lead you to the first side and let you read the signs, as there are not much things I can tell about this side of the exposition. It’s pretty much just the explanation of their researches, something that you will probably understand way more than me.” He stops once again, smiling as he sees how calm the group is now, “Then, I will take you to the other side. Once again, I won’t be able to say much things there, but I will present you the centerpiece of the exposition. Questions ?”

The class stays silent, and Roman nods his head to himself before actually leading all of them.

Going through an exposition freely but still in a group of around thirty isn’t easy. It looks like a silent battle between the students, every single one of them trying to get to the front to be able to read the signs and the documents. But it doesn’t bother Peter, he is quite patient. Plus, his ribs are still so bruised that one little punch of an elbow would make him bend in half of pain. Painkillers help a lot, of course, but he isn’t eager to receive any more touch on his body for an eternity. So he just waits patiently, arm cross over his chest, exchanging quiet exasperated looks with Ned, who can’t help but tap his foot to contain the urge of tring to get to the front. Of course, the brown haired boy knows that his best friend isn’t one of the patient kind, but he also knows that he will never let him alone after what happened yesterday. And he is grateful for that. Because he wouldn’t feel safe without the black haired boy by his side, he wouldn’t feel confident - maybe he wouldn’t even have come if Ned couldn’t have make it today.

It may seems weird, but Ned means safety, though he isn’t that strong. Ned means home in a way to Peter, because he is someone on whom he well always be able to rely on, because he always accepts him or defends him. Maybe it is quite simply because Ned is his friend, still he means way more than that.

Slowly, both teens make their way to the signs once the other actually finished to read them, glancing at an annoyed MJ who finally looks away from her book and interests herself to the documents in front of them. They aren’t that complicated, and Peter contains a chuckle when he realizes it took him less than five minutes to read and understand all of them. He knows he has some facilities with science, but sometimes he comes to find himself in moments like this one, where everything seems to be hard for everyone except him - and Ned, who isn’t long to turn his attention away from the signs after him. Quietly and careful not to bother MJ, they take a step back, and glare around them. A smirk appears simultaneously on their face when they meet the shocked look on Roman’s face. 

It takes an instant to the girl to join them, going back into her book - the trio still being under the gaze of the guide, who quickly shakes his head. In a strong voice, he calls back the group and lead them to the other side of the room. As they approach what seems to be some kind of aquarium or vivarium, it gets harder and harder for Peter to contain himself. It’s been years that the Obstorn Industry started to talk about those researches, and being able to finally see the final product is an experience he will never forget about.

“Now it’s time for what you were are waiting for I presume,” Roman explains as he stops in front what actually is a terrarium. “ I present to you the fifteen spiders that has been modificated genetically. Now, I have to actually say that those spiders weren’t modified after their birth even though you already read the whole processus just before. They are what you could call radioactive spiders, and their bite could be really dangerous for the human kind - not that we know because someone experienced it, it’s just some speculation we can make regarding their genetic modifications.” He marks a pause but is quick to keep on going when he sees MJ’s hand up in the air. “Before you ask the question, yes you can take pictur-”

“There are only fourteen spiders sir,” the girl's voice interrupts him in the middle of his sentence, her words making everyone’s eyes open wide. 

“What…?” the man mumbles, looking like he doesn’t want to believe her or to have to deal with this kind of problem.

“You’re wrong,” MJ states again under the disapproving glares of her teachers, “There are only fourteen spiders in there.” She crosses her arms when she finishes her sentence, holding her book close to her chest.

Everyone is staring at her now, and for a second Peter admires her - he would never have had the courage to actually intervene like she did.

Slowly, Roman turns his body in order to face the terrarium, and Peter can hear him quietly counting the spiders, panic filling his voice. Once he finishes - after counting two or three times to be sure - he swears and give an apologetic look to the teachers, and takes a phone out of his pocket before dialing a number. The boy can’t hear how he call goes, but judging from the adult’s face, it isn’t good. 

“I’m sorry to announce this,” Roman finally says after the call’s end, “but we are going to have to shorten the visit. Please, follow me while I bring you back to the reception of the museum, and don’t lose time taking picture. If one of the spider actually escaped, we have to get you out of here fast. However, stay calm please, there is no need to panic.” At the end of his sentence, he quickly walk back to the corridor, seeming to be extra careful about where he puts his foot.

Peter and his friends quietly follows the group, though the boy rolls his eyes at the last words. Telling someone not to panic right after explaining that a potentialy dangerous spider has escaped her terrarium and is out there in the museum doesn’t make much sense.

Without being able to anticipate it, Peter finds himself gasping as a violent pain takes him after Ned elbowed him to catch his attention.

“Dude what the fuck ?!” the brown haired boy groaned, anger filling his voice as his hands gris his ribs in order to reduce the pain he feel.

“Sorry dude, I forgot,” Ned explain with an apologetic look on his face, before handing him a five dollars bill. “You won,” he mumbles as his best friends rolls his eyes and accept it.

“Didn’t really think you were being serious about that,” Peter sasses, a frown on his face as they continue to walk.

“Not serious about bets ?” the other boy exclaims, fakely hurt, “Do you even know me ?”

The both of them chuckle quietly before giving each other a check.

“Hey Peter,” MJ’s voice interrupts them, “What’s that on your head ?”

The teen just looks at her in confusion, before putting his hand to his hair.

“Oh you son of a bitch !” he screams as a violent pain takes him on his wrist, hysterically rubbing his hair in order to force the whatever hurt him to fall. 

“Hey loser, you’re okay ?” the girl asks him with concern in her voice as he freezes when he hears the sound of something touching the ground. But before he is able to identify the actual thing, it disappears somewhere in the corridors.

They have stopped walking now, and both of his friends seems worried as they watch him rub his wrist. They look at each other in wonder, not quite sure about what happened.

“Mate,” Ned tries again putting a hand on his best friend’s shoulder, “you okay ?”

Peter head snaps when he hears him, and it takes him a few seconds to understand who is talking to him. He looks quickly back at his hand before starting to walk again.

“Yeah,” he mumbles, leaving behind him two confused teenagers.

The three of them make their best to catch up the group, almost running behind them. It doesn’t seem complicated at first, but when Peter almost fall after two steps, his friends know something is wrong. Without a word, they both throw one of his arm on their shoulders and make their way like that, practically carrying him. It isn’t that Peter doesn’t want to walk. He does feel like he is walking, but it seems that his body isn’t answering to his commands anymore. His mind is dizzy, and he is sweating like he never did before.

“Here you are !” Their teacher’s voice greats them with disappointment, “Where were you ? We specifically told you to -” She stops as she seems to notice Peter’s state, “Is he okay ?”

Ned and MJ quickly glance at each other, before looking back at the adult.

“Oh yeah,” the boy starts, “We’re sorry miss, it’s just that Peter fell and we think that he maybe twisted his ankle so it took us a little bit of time to follow you…” he avoids her glare as speaks, pretty sure that his lie is horrible, but she just makes a muffled noise before pointing them the rest of the group already in front of their bus.

They hurry there as soon as she tells them, Peter still unable to move by himself. Still he is aware of what is happening around me - for now. The boy isn’t really worried, more preoccupied by how he is going to explain his behavior to aunt May and by how he will be able to go back home. He can’t walk like he is supposed too.

Without noticing it, and before he could say anything - not that he actually can - his friends helps him to get in the bus and sit him on one of the first free seats they find, careful not to let his head tap violently against the window. Peter can hear them discuss, but it seems like he has no energy left, his body aching for some rest. Slowly, his vision gets more and more blurry and he finally finds himself in the dark, half asleep.

He doesn’t dream. He doesn’t think. He is surrounded by darkness, like when he was in hospital a week ago. However the situation isn’t the same at all, but it feels oddly similar to him. He can feel himself being moved from one side another, and he is almost sure that he is carried out of the bus at some point - but he doesn’t know when nor if it’s real. His whole body feels heavy, dizzy, and each times he opens his eyes the light agresses him. So he doesn’t do anything. He lets people touching him and taking him from place to place - though he is pretty sure it is only Ned trying to help him.

“Peter !” he hears in the distance. The voice is so familiar, yet so unknown. “Is he okay ?” He doesn’t understand anything else.

Next thing he knows, his body touches a comfortable surface after what felt like hours of struggle, finally laid down, and heat surrounds him, such as complete darkness again.

So, what did you think about it ? I know it doesn't really happen this way in the movies, but I kinda liked imagining like that so...
Stay safe and hydrate,
H.