This story is set roughly during the Spider-Man comics published int he mid-late 1970s. It's after the 1970s Clone Saga and Peter and Mary Jane are quite seriously dating.

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The sky was quite overcast, which Mary Jane Watson felt reflected her mood rather nicely. She headed to the Coffee Bean with noticeably less spring in her step than usual. It was then that she saw a certain Peter Parker walking up the stairs which led to the coffee house. She strolled up to him.

"Hey tiger. You won't believe the day I've had"

"Oh hi Mary Jane" said Peter, looking somewhat flustered. His greeting seemed rather automatic to MJ. This didn't improve her mood. Nor did her boyfriend's lack of follow up to her last remark.

Regardless, (and without asking where he was going) MJ walked beside Peter and decided to vent her frustrations.

"Rehearsals today were absolutely rotten. The director just doesn't know what he's doing. Not that it would help with a script that rotten."

"Uh-huh" It sounded to MJ that Peter clearly wasn't listening, but she pressed on anyway.

"And the egos in that room. Look I know I'm not exactly the most modest person in the world, but even I draw the line somewhere. Leopold is practically demanding the whole play change just to accommodate him."

"Man...that...sucks..." Peter was craning his head to the side to try to stare down the street. Faintly MJ could hear sirens in the distance.

But he wouldn't...not now? She thought. It's so far away. And we haven't seen each other properly in over a week. And even before that he ditched me on our last three dates. He's got to know he's on thin ice...

She simply continued as if she hadn't noticed anything.

"This whole thing. This whole job I have now, it just sucks. I know everyone who wants to break into this business has to start somewhere but it's just been so long since I've felt really excited about acting and everything. I'm beginning to not think it's worth it. Like I saw a casting call for a musical the other day but it's as if I don't have the energy to follow it up. It can't be worse than this but I just don't think I can go through the whole tension of auditioning just to face another rejection. I just feel the whole thing is pointless right now. It's just seems so impossible"

"Ohhhh noooo..." MJ scowled and looked at Peter, who was still craning his neck. She couldn't tell if he was addressing her or talking about the (now much louder) sirens. Sadly though, she had a pretty good idea.

He isn't...

"Er, look MJ..."

He is...

"I gotta go. I just realised I've got a work thing to take care of. You understand right?"

"...Yeah sure...I understand." More than you realise...

"Great. See you tomorrow" Peter ran off to chase the sirens.

So long as he has 'that job' I'm always going to be low on his priorities. At least before now he used try harder to act like he was listening to me. Maybe...maybe if I get out of acting...I should get out of something else as well.

The next day rehearsals had lasted exceptionally long so that it was after dark by the time Mary Jane got to her apartment building. She entered the building, sighed as she looked at the bills in her mail box and climbed the stairs.

Today's rehearsals had been even worse than the day's before. The director was now asking MJ for the impossible and screeching at her when she inevitably failed to deliver.

When MJ reached her door she rummaged in her bag for her keys and pulled them out. In doing so she also pulled out a piece of paper advertising the casting call for the musical she'd told Peter about. MJ stared at it for awhile then scrunched it up and put her key in the door.

Acting. Now there was a nice dream.

She turned the key and opened the door. Seconds after she entered she was surprised to find someone waiting for her.

"Hey there."

"Petey?"

Peter was indeed sitting on MJ's sofa and had his head turned to face her in the doorway. He got up and walked towards her. He was holding a rectangular box in his hand.

"I've been waiting for awhile. Did rehearsals overrun or something?"

"I, yeah, yeah they did. Leopold and the director again."

"They sound like a bundle of laughs."

The corners of MJ's mouth twitched as a small smile flashed across her face.

"Only if you're in the audience...Sorry if this sounds rude tiger but...what are you doing here?"

"Well...after yesterday I thought maybe, if you wanted, we could get some take out and watch this."

Peter handed MJ the box. As took it and looked down to examine it, she saw it was a movie.

"'Bye Bye Birdie'..."

Peter nodded.

"You're favourite movie"

"I, yeah!"

MJ smiled nostalgically as she continued to look t the box.

"I used to watch this all the time as a kid."

The smile widened as she looked up to address Peter.

"I always wanted to be like Anne-Margaret. Heh...I guess you could say she 'inspired' me."

"I know. I remember you telling me that once in Freshman year."

MJ's expression changed to one of mild disbelief.

"You...you remember me saying that?"

Peter for his part shrugged as if this was all obvious.

"Sure...why wouldn't I?"

"Well I thou-...Never mind Petey-pie."

MJ handed him back the box and flashed him a smile.

" Just play the movie."

The next day MJ headed out to the casting call.

Author's Note: For those who don't know the actress Anne-Margaret rose to stardom in the early- 1960s and was (allegedly) a source of inspiration for the character of Mary Jane Watson.