[a/n: i'm sorry it's been over a week since i updated, but i've been busy, as it's the last two weeks of summer vacation, and i've found very little time to update...:( but here's a little meatier chapter, at least in terms of description. hope you enjoy!]

peter gulped. oh, crap.

"peter, i'm not going to just stand here and have a staring contest with you," his aunt said, the words rolling off her tongue sternly. "cut the bullshit. i know you've been talking to someone on that phone at ungodly hours of the night, and i need to know who it is." her shoulders slumped, revealing her exhaustion. "if we're going to be a family, we need to trust each other."

"i do trust you, may," peter insisted. 

"then give me a reason to trust you. who have you been talking to?" when he didn't answer, she raised an eyebrow. "it isn't that liz, is it? the girl you really like?"

his cheeks went red as he remembered the girl he'd been known to have a crush on, the girl that was best friends with lucy, the girl he couldn't stop talking to or thinking about. but what was the harm in may thinking he'd finally built up the courage to talk to liz allan? "uh...yeah," he lied softly.

may's lips curled up in a delighted smile. "petey!" she exclaimed, "why didn't you tell me before? i can't believe you finally did it! oh, i'm so proud of you!" she said, and practically leaped onto him, enveloping him in her arms. 

he was used to this, the overly affectionate part of his aunt, as it was something she'd always done and something she'd probably never break the habit of. so he simply hugged her back, smiling softly into her shoulder and trying to ignore the slight pang of guilt that shot through his stomach. 

"you have to tell me all about it," she continued, but then looked at the clock hanging on the wall, her mouth dropping open. "it's been a half hour since i put the cookies in, they're going to be burnt!" in a rush, she dashed out of peter's bedroom, shouting indecipherable strings of words - whether they were curses or not, he couldn't tell - and for now, forgetting about peter and his late-night conversations with "liz."

sighing, he collapsed back onto his bed, relieved that the exchange was over. he picked up his phone, looking at the text message that had popped up on the screen.

hey, can we talk?

it was from lucy. 

[a/n: i really have no idea where this story is even going anymore i've lost all hope]