Chapter 3: Friends

There she was standing before Peter, utterly beautiful—her gracious visage, her delicate body yet harbouring hidden strength, sheer will, and dedication.

And with those mesmerising ocean eyes, Peter always found himself lost in her gentle gaze, though he did try his best to stay focused so as not to make a fool of himself in front of her.

"My gosh! Look who's late for class, our genius nerd Peter Parker?" Gwen's voice was full of friendly sarcasm.

With a sneaky grin, she clasped at the back of Peter, who was hiding his vigorous blush under her hearty laugh.

Seemingly composed himself, Peter made a quick remark.

"Still after you, who now, let's see, you have been absent and late for classes on numerous occasions over the past few months." Peter said it as cheeky as possible with a chinned-up grin.

Gwen threw a small punch as she shot him a glare. "Touché, Pete, touché."

With such an unexpected yet more than welcome meet-up, the two began chatting about what's been going on with their lives along the deserted hallway, seemingly forgetting that they had already reached the class's front door, under the gaze of everyone.

"Told ya! Look who decided to show up, Pathetic Parker and his moody hoodie blond!" Shouted vigorously was none other than the narrow-minded fat Ned, the big, notorious bully.

Peter snapped back to his hash reality; his face darkened as Ned words got hashers as well as the follow-up laughers. Even the teacher, Mr. Thompson, showed a sign of disapproval towards Peter, as if he had always expected Peter to be better, especially with his superior IQ; this only drowned Peter's mind further down the mud.

Gwen was furious at such a parade and disappointed in her so-called teacher. Her face contorted into a piercing glare, sending chills down the bullies spines as she clenched her fist. This could only shup up those wimps except for Ned, and the big fat bully scoffed at her intimidation.

Had it not been for Peter holding her shoulder back and they were in a classroom, Gwen would gladly send him some hearty uppercuts.

"Still gawking at the vulnerable like a stray dog, heh, Ned? How pathetic! all of you!" A hoarse voice full of sarcasm and cockiness resounded in the leftmost corner of the class.

"Harry?" Peter and Gwen's eyes widened at their long-time friend, who had been overseas for three years and shouldn't have been back this soon.

Harold Osborn, the golden child of the Oscorp. He is now sitting comfortably here at Midtown High School, defending his friends.

Ned grumped in his breath as the big bully backed down at such a figure, rendering the entire classroom stiffly silent.

"Ahem, Mr. Parker, Ms. Stace, take your seat and don't forget to meet me after school."

Peter's face had indeed lit up seeing another of his best friends here as the three exchanged a quick hello. Those Peter's hazel eyes betrayed his feeling as a hidden tinge of sadness flashed behind the thick glasses, seeing how Harry looked at Gwen tenderly while Gwen was smiling at his jokes.

Peter's mind drifted back to the serum sitting firmly in his hoodie's inner pocket the whole time, along with the owl's feather. Determination to end his pathetic life began to pile up slowly; maybe with this perfected serum, he could have a chance to show her...

The rest of the day goes by with not much change, still the same bullies tricks of Ned's gang, lame old lessons that equaled two plus two for Peter; the only difference was that he had a detention today with Gwen, which counted as something rather lucky for the genius nerd.

It was late after school for Peter, Gwen, and Harry, who stayed behind to catch up with his two best friends. They chat joyfully, like when they were in elementary school, while tagging along with Gwen to her rehearsal with the Mary Janes.

"Such a band name." Peter lampooned inwardly at such... overly confident? pride? Maybe just outright narcissism. Anyway, if they were cool with Gwen and satisfied her burning desire to play drums, then Peter had no problem with it.

In a used-to-be-classroom bathe in the afterglow, reserved for the band, stood three distinguished teenagers, the most prominent being a red-haired girl with an astounding contour highlighting her alluring posture and fair complexion. She was Mary Jane Watson

She and the other two welcomed them gladly.

Still, her charms were rendered useless before a woodblock called Peter Benjamin Parker, and most importantly, what else could you see inside the eye of an amorist?

"There you are, Gwen! Oh, who are you luring here today..." MJ said, tucking Gwen in her waist; her eyes curled up slyly.

"Knock it off, MJ." Gwen rolled her eyes, giving MJ a quick hug before turning back to introduce the rest.

"This is Peter Parker and Harry-"

"Osborn!" MJ and Harry exchanged a look of surprise, as if...

"Yes, the infamous Harry Osborn, long time no see." MJ exclaimed with a smirk under the confused look of Gwen, Peter, and her other two bandmates.

"Still got that sharp tongue, heh, Watson." Harry quickly remarked with a smirk of his own before the two burst into a small laugh as they shook hands.

"Such a small world, isn't it, though you were supposed to be in the UK? Anyway, welcome back."

It turned out that the two had gotten to know each other through a few meetings with their parents. Being the two rebellious children among the bunch of boring adults, friendship was seemingly inevitable.

The group of six were getting to know each other, and before MJ slipped up, something shouldn't have.

"Oh, and you must be Pathe-, Peter Parker... I heard a lot about you...aha.." It was awkward silence that followed, but Peter swept it away as soon as possible.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too; we should, ah, we her to listen to the rehearsal; bet it will be great!"

"Right, of course it will! Come on, Gwen, don't want to let our passionate fans wait any longer, do ya."

Peter couldn't focus wholeheartedly on the rest of the rehearsal as Ned's words would randomly show up along with those uncomfortable memories.

Well, if anything, seeing Gwen playing drums happily like that did put a smile on the amorist.

However, as soon as the rehearsal ended, Peter quickly congratulated the band before he excused himself to leave first, under everyone's worried gazes.

Hopping on his trusty bike, Peter dashed forward home on the same old route whilst enjoying the breathtaking view of New York City bathed in the glamour twilight, reflected in the skyscraper's windows. The whole scene was painted with dots of light appearing simultaneously as the burning red sun slowly sank into the ocean.

Peter found his mind at ease as he marvelled at it, forgetting all those negative thoughts piling up 

He reached a crossroads with a red light. Peter stopped to refill his stamina, while waiting the red light turned green like everyone else.

It was then that Peter's eye widened, as he was wholly taken aback as the memories of the nightmare surfaced in his mind.

There, standing across the road, was a petite figure resembling the mysterious girl in a dark brown robe.

Her visage was veiled under the shade of her hood, but Peter could still perceive that indescribable and inexplicable look in those dark amber eyes.

With his glasses on, coupled with a closer distance, he could make out a delicate contour as well as the few loose strands of chestnut hair of the mysterious owl girl.

This time she was sending gentle smile towards Peter, which to him began to get creepier as his back broken in sweat

Who could have thought a person in your nightmare appeared in the last moment of twilight? This was incomprehensible for Peter at the moment, as the possibility was close to nonexistent.

The green light struck, but Peter dared not make a move, still staring at the girl, standing firmly among the moving crowd, unweaving, untouched by anyone, as if those people discarded her existence as something so ordinary.

As soon as the sun set, the girl was gone in a blink of an eye. Peter quickly shook his head and shook off this bizarre experience as a product of his stressed mind.

"I really need to get more sleep, eat healthier, and maybe work out too." With that said, the confused boy continued his journey home.

Where he was greeted happily by his two dearest uncle and aunt.