Hey! So, I'm really excited about this story. It's been really fun to write so far. But you should know a few things going into it. First, my idea was basically to write something that could be an arc in the comics. I pull stuff from all over the place, but my main inspiration is the comics, particularly Amazing Spider-Man (1999) and Spectacular Spider-Man. It doesn't follow any one thing, though. So here, Peter is working as a teacher and Mary Jane is an actress. This thing is gonna be a long ride, so don't expect too much action right away. Please let me know what you think! More updates soon!


MIDTOWN HIGH, 2:50 PM:

"So, a solution is when the particles of a solute are dissolved in the particles of a solvent." Peter Parker looked out onto the group of twenty or so fourteen year olds and paced slowly in front of the white board. "We talked about this the other day - often it's something obvious, like salt water. If you have a cup of ocean water, the water would be the solvent and the salt the solute." Blank faces stared back at him. "Okay, anyone know how to do a German accent?"

Silence for a moment, then a hand raised. Peter pointed and a boy said, "I think like Chekov on Star Trek?"

Peter shrugged and nodded. "Close, Arthur, but not quite. Chekov's Russian, so he says 'v's kind of like 'w's, but a German accent has 'w's sounding like 'v's. Like instead of saying watch, it would be vatch. So instead of saying water, they would say... ?"

"Vater!" A girl in the front said.

Peter clapped. "Nice! So when you're thinking about solvents versus solutes, remember 'v' is for the vater! And the solute dissolves into the water. Make sense?"

There are at least a few nods this time.

"Of course, the solvent of a solution doesn't have to be water, or even liquid at all. Air is actually a solution." He looked around. "We need oxygen to breathe, right? But if air were all oxygen, you would die. Oxygen in air would be the solute, dissolved into the solvent, which would be nitrogen, since that's the most -"

brrRIINNGGG!

The kids all started moving at once, the sounds of zipping backpacks and crinkling paper filling the room. "Alright, well I'll see all of you on Monday. And don't forget - we have a quiz! Okay, have a good weekend!"

"Bye!"

"Are you guys going to Martha's tomorrow?"

"George, wait up!"

"Thanks, Mr. Parker."

Peter grabbed an eraser and wiped down the white board of the day's chemistry notes. He wanted to clean up quick and get out of there. It was still strange being back at Midtown High, but he was slowly getting used to it. These first few weeks had been a steep learning curve. At first he had often stayed late on Fridays to plan out the next week, but he had learned to get things done way ahead of time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of football players rounding on a lanky, frightened boy. They pushed him up against the lockers and he hit them with a clang.

Oh come on. Really?

Peter put down the eraser and walked out into the hall. "Hey, why don't you kids get a move on? It's Friday - surely you should be headed out."

The jocks stepped back quickly, and the boy fell to the ground.

One of them, a blonde guy who reminded Peter of Flash when he was in high school, was the first to move away, his friends following after him. "Sure thing, Mr. Parker. No problem." He turned to look at the boy they had been surrounding and raised an eyebrow. "See you on Monday, Rat." They chuckled and walked off.

Peter stepped forward and helped the kid up. "You okay?"

He nodded and quickly backed away, looking down at the ground. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good."

"What's your name? Is it really 'Rat'? 'Cause I'm guessing it's not."

"Oh, no, no. My name's Stratton, and I guess … yeah - my name's Shawn Stratton."

The kid shifted on his feet and readjusted his backpack. Peter looked at him for a moment. Stratton kind of reminds me of myself, before Spider-Man. Awkward, skinny, harassed by the school jocks … glasses.

"Those kids been messing with you?"

Stratton coughed. "No, uh - I … they're just - annoying. But I'm working on it."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. Well, have a good weekend, Shawn. See you back on Monday."

The kid nodded nervously. "Sure, yeah. You too, Mr. Parker." He moved his glasses up on his face and walked off towards the double doors.

Things never really change in here, do they? Just a cast of characters with new people to fill the roles each year.

He turned to walk back into his classroom when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hey, Peter!"

Peter turned around. "Oh, hey Dr. Rinehart."

The older man chuckled, "Really, Peter. I've told you, call me Louis."

"That's right, sorry." Dr. Rinehart was the school counselor. He was kind of an eccentric man, but he had taken up an interest in Peter, and checked up on him once in a while to make sure he was adjusting to the job. Not really needed, Peter thought, but he appreciated the sentiment.

"How was chemistry today?" Peter smiled. "Not bad. I think I'm actually getting through to a few of them. And the energy should pick up next week - we're starting with some real experiments."

"Sounds about right. Break out the burners and suddenly you've got everyone's attention."

"Exactly."

Louis smiled for a moment before his face fell. "I actually wanted to ask you how you're doing with the cutbacks. As you know, Midtown's pretty short on funds these days. I've heard they were cutting salaries. Did you get hit?"

Peter sighed. "Yeah, sure did. They probably went to parce mine down first." He shrugged. "I mean, I'm the newest teacher here. I'm not surprised."

Dr. Rinehart shook his head in annoyance. "Well, it's not a great strategy to entice anyone to work here for very long, is it? Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, I should be fine. I'm used to stretching the budget."

The counselor nodded. "Alright, well I'll let you go. Let me know if you need me to pressure anyone in the administration for you."

"Thanks, Louis. I'll be alright." Peter backed into his classroom with a wave. "I'll see you next week."

"Right - have a good one." Dr. Rinehart started to turn away.

Suddenly Peter stopped. "Wait, actually - Dr. - I mean, Louis?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure this is something you deal with, but I just saw this kid here being harassed by a group of boys. His name's Shawn Stratton. Maybe you could keep an eye on him?" Peter asked hopefully.

Dr. Rinehart turned back around, "Yes, Stratton. I have seen him in my office a few times. He's a little troubled, but he's got some real potential."

"Okay - that's good. He could probably use the support."

Louis nodded. "See you soon, Peter."

"Yeah, see you."

After stacking the chairs and grabbing a granola bar from his desk drawer, he shoved his papers in his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

God, it's been a long day. Alright, one last stop and then I can get the hell out of here!

That last stop was one of his least favorite offices in the building. Room 2B. Administration. Home of his favorite uptight -

He pushed the door open with a well meaning smile, "Afternoon, Julie! Your pant suit looks as crisp as ever. Have you been using dryer sheets? They're a recent discovery of mine -"

"What do you need, Mr. Parker?" Julie barked. She stared up at him from her desk, her short gray bob swishing and her glasses glinting in the fluorescent light as she spun to look him dead in the eye.

Peter stuck his hands in his pockets. "Just following up on those lab supplies I requested. Goggles, gloves, droppers, lab coats … have they been ordered?"

"No they have not."

Peter blinked. "No they have not?"

Julie's hands folded on her lap. "The school does not have a budget set aside for silly science supplies. Maybe if you had planned out the semester more carefully we could have helped you, but as it is…"

"But - I was hired on short notice! I didn't have the time to plan every detail!"

"As it is, if you want these things, you'll have to pay out of pocket."

He scowled. "Really? This stuff isn't 'silly.' It's safety equipment. We can't do any of our experiments without them. Surely -"

The administrative assistant remained unmoved. "As I said, if you want these supplies you will need to provide the money."

Peter sighed. "Okay, well it's necessary, so I guess I will. How much do you need from me?"

"Six hundred dollars."

Holy - "Six hundred dollars?"

Julie just stared levelly at him.

He clenched his jaw. "Right. Okay, if you order this stuff today, I'll have the money for you on Monday. Does that work?"

She started tapping away at her keyboard. "That's fine."

"Okay, great. Thank you so much, Julie, you know I love our talks. And really, if you don't - dryer sheets -"

"Goodbye, Mr. Parker."

Peter closed the door of 2B behind him. Six hundred dollars? Where is that going to come from? My lucrative salary? I guess it's time to break out the camera again…


The air whistled in his ears as he swung from building to building, the streets a blur far below his feet.

I'm like the metropolitan Tarzan. Except instead of having gorilla friends, I have money problems!

He swooped down to land in front of a mugger.

"aAUGH!"

One web blast and the guy was strung up on the brick wall of the next building.

Alright, so money's a little tight right now. It doesn't help that all this webbing is another expense! Wouldn't it be nice if it just came out of me …

Cars honked and swerved in the streets. A siren wailed in the distance, and he headed towards it.

But at least my love life is in order! Oh, wait… MJ's not speaking to me, and I have no idea how to fix it.

He swung past a window washer. "... Spider-Man! Woah, I…" the voice faded with distance.

But hey, I've always got this.

Spider-Man paused on top of a building and looked for a moment across the city skyline, the sun just beginning to set in the distance.

Okay, enough wallowing. Let's figure out what this siren is heading for. Maybe -

"Whoa!" The spidey sense buzzed in his head, and he dove to the side just in time to dodge a shock of energy that blasted a crater in the building behind him. Stuck to the wall, he turned to see - "Electro!"

The criminal was running down the street, several duffle bags slung over his shoulder, leaking cash.

Peter took a second to web up his camera before he landed in front of Electro, cutting off his path. "Hey buddy, that wouldn't be stolen money, now would it? We've had this talk before - stealing is bad."

"Out of my way, bug!" Electro slammed his chest, and he shot backwards, electricity buzzing through his body.

"Ayee!" He shook out his limbs and webbed the nearest lamppost. "Careful, you could've hurt me!" Spider-Man swung through the air and smashed his feet into Electro's face. The burglar tumbled to the ground, but electricity shocked through him again. His teeth buzzed as he shook the shock away. "Ugh, okay, not my smartest move there."

Electro clambered to his feet and smiled. "Like the new buzz? I gave my suit a bit of an upgrade. Now I'm unstoppable!"

"Yeah, don't speak too soon, you'll just embarrass yourself." He webbed up his fists and popped one in Electro's face. The criminal flew backwards into a mailbox, denting the metal. One of the duffle bags came off of his shoulder and cash flew everywhere.

The resulting shock sent Spider-Man flying back just as far. He smacked into the lampost, his head ringing. People were screaming, and police cars were gathering down the street, their lights flashing.

"Come on, get out of here!" He yelled at pedestrians nearby.

Electro got up again, chucking. "My electricity will travel through your webs! You can't touch me!" Energy crackled around him, and he glowed in the darkening shadows. "You're not sending me back to prison this time, Spider-Man!"

"Are you saying you never wanted to be in prison? It always seems like you're asking for it!" I've got to come up with something! I really can't touch him without shocking myself, and I'm not sure how much more I can take!

Kazzak! Electro sent a blast of electricity his way and he dove to the side just in time.

Suddenly he spotted a fire hydrant down the street. Of course! The water should redirect the electricity back towards him. I just need to get him close enough!

He ran forwards, dodging another bolt, and grabbed the duffle bag lying on the ground. "Electro, fetch!" He threw the bag down the street.

"Aagh!" Electro yelled in anger and electricity hit Spider-Man in the chest, hurling him into the concrete wall of the building behind him. "You interfering little -"

"Now, now. There could be kids listening!" Peter watched as Electro turned and ran to get the bag of money. Spider-man cocked his head. "What do you know, it worked."

"Ugh," his head spun as he stood up. He quickly webbed the building and swung after the green and yellow suited villain. His feet knocked into the fire hydrant and water sprung free.

"Missed me!" said Electro with a smile. His hands rose. "Now, watch me - aAGH!" Electro started shaking and screaming.

Just like I thought! The water's making him electrocute himself!

"What's - happening?" Electro screamed. Spidey dropped down at a safe distance.

"Unstoppable? Was that what you just said about yourself?"

"No! You're not - AHH!" The water began to slow, and Electro collapsed to the sidewalk. Peter shot a web to keep him stuck down until the cops could grab him, and pulled himself back up into the sky to swing away.

Electro was furious, and called after him, "Spider-man! This isn't over! I'll be back, and you'll never see me coming!"

"Have fun in prison! I know how much you love it!"


Peter grabbed his camera from where he had webbed it up and sat down on the edge of a building a few blocks over, his legs dangling over the side. His ribs were aching, and he could still hear Electro cursing his name, but he tuned it out to look at what shots he had gotten.

"Alright, not bad," he shrugged, flipping through the pictures. "Not my best work, but I think good enough for Jolly Jonah. Now, which direction is the Bugle from here…"

He swung towards the Daily Bugle building, the sun setting orange and red behind him, and his mood improving with every thwip. Electro was taken care of, and he was about to get paid. And now that I think about it, I know I can fix things with MJ! Things are looking up!

"Woo-HOO!" he yelled, his voice caught up in the wind. Truly, there was nothing better. In moments like this, he felt like he could take on the world.

Fortunately there was always reality to bring him slamming back down to the hard, dirty New York City sidewalks.

Back in street clothes, Peter strolled into the Daily Bugle offices. It might have been late on a Friday, but the building was still busy, people milling about and keyboards clacking. And surely - yes, there she was.

"Betty!" he called out with a wave.

Betty Brandt, Jameson's ever-present secretary, turned and smiled when she saw who it was. "Peter, hey! Wow, it's been a while!"

"Oh, come on. Only a few months! Have you already written me off?"

Her head tilted up as he walked closer to her desk. "Life moves fast in the paper business, Pete."

He nodded. "Don't I know it. That's why I'm here so late, actually. I've got some shots here of Spider-man that could go in tomorrow's issue. Is Jonah still in?"

"Yeah. He's still here." Betty picked up the phone. "Not in a great mood, I'll warn you." - When is he ever? Peter thought - "But I'll let him know you're here, I'm sure he'd see you." She called his line. "Mr. Jameson? Peter Parker's here to see you, he says -"

Jameson's voice was audible even with the phone to Betty's ear. "Parker? What does he want!"

"He's here with pictures of Spider-man, sir. He -"

"Spider-man! Well for God's sakes send him in! I don't have all night!"

"Yes, sir." She gave Peter a small smile. "Go on in, then."

Peter smiled back before he stepped into the familiar office.

Jameson sat behind his desk, cigar in hand. The two stared at each other for a moment before Jameson bellowed, "Well? Are you gonna show me what you got, or are we gonna just make eyes at each other all night? Don't waste my time, Parker!"

"Oh, right." Peter walked quickly up to the desk and passed Jonah the pictures.

He considered them for a moment before exclaiming, "Wait, when did this happen? Was this just now?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, it -"

"This is great! Parker, you've just saved the day! This is going on the front page!" His mustache twitched as he scowled. "Honestly, that new photographer we have never gets close enough."

"Great! Here I was thinking you'd be mad that I hadn't been in in a while!"

Jonah pounded on the phone. "Get Robbie in here!"

"On it, sir!" Betty called from outside the office.

The bugle publisher shook his head. "Finally this menace will get what he deserves! This is proof right here!"

"Yeah, it's great - I'm sure Electro's already on his way back to Ryker's."

Jameson's eyes snapped to his. "Electro? Is that this other costumed fool? No, I mean Spider-Man! Look at the damage to this building! He's destroying the city!"

Peter frowned. "Wait, no -"

"Robbie, good, you're here." Peter turned to see the Bugle editor Robbie Robertson strolling into the office.

"Oh, hello Peter. Good to see you back."

"Hey, Robbie, it's -"

"Yes, yes," Jameson growled as he shoved the pictures towards Robertson, cigar in his teeth. "Now look at these. I can see the headline now: MASKED MENACE SPIDER-MAN RAMPAGES CITY!"

Robbie examined the photos for a moment. "It looks to me like he's stopping a bank robbery."

Peter nodded, "He was."

"Agh, you people can't see what's in front of your face!"

"Jonah, you never see the good that Spider-man does. He just stopped a dangerous thief!" Robbie reasoned.

Jameson scowled. "I'm not saying he never does anything good, I'm saying he causes more problems than he solves! And this is one of them. If he had left this problem to the police, there would have been no property damage!"

"Now, you can't know that for sure."

"Do you want me to list other examples? I'm happy to, there's plenty! Now then, how about this: SPIDEY FIGHT WRECKS CITY BLOCK!"

Robbie raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's better."

"Better? It's great! Run it!"

The bugle editor sighed and shot Peter a knowing look. "Yes, sir. I'll show you when it's done." He turned and left the room.

Peter nodded his head. "Right, uh, so… I'd like to be paid for those."

Jameson scowled. "God, it's always about the money." He shifted back in his chair. "The shots are alright. I'll give you 200 bucks."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "200? Really? How long do I have to work here before you stop stiffing me?"

"Stiff you! I would never! Alright, Parker, you get 300."

These should be worth at least 1,000! He clenched his teeth. "Fine."

"Great! Get out." Smoke curled towards the ceiling from the cigar.

"Good to see you too, Mr. Jameson."

Betty was wearing a long-suffering smile as Peter approached her again. "300, is it?"

Peter nodded. "Good old generous Jonah. Good to know nothing's changed around here, I suppose."

The secretary smiled. "This place is special that way, isn't it?"

He chuckled, "Truly," then added, "By the way, who have you had taking superhero photos while I've been gone?"

Betty handed him his check. "Do you remember Ned Leeds? He started working here at the beginning of the summer."

"I don't - Oh! He's blonde, right? Kind of preppy looking?" He wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, either, if I remember right.

"That's right," she nodded. Peter jerked his thumb towards Jameson's door. "Jonah was saying he never gets good shots of Spidey. Does that mean I don't have anything to worry about?" he joked.

"Oh, no, he's a great photographer, really." Betty rushed to say. "He doesn't get quite the shots you used to of crime around town, but that's probably my fault."

"Your fault?"

The brunette looked momentarily confused, and then smiled suddenly. "Oh, right! You don't know! Ned and I are engaged!" She showed him the ring.

Wow! Alright, then. And what a ring! I would marry Ned for that rock! "That's - wow, congrats, Betty! That's great! I didn't know, I would've said something when I came in!"

She blushed. "No, it's fine. Thanks, Peter. But since we're together I don't like him to be too close to the action. Thankfully, he understands. It's dangerous stuff, I'm sure you know!"

"Ha, yeah, it is," he replied. More dangerous than you'll ever know!

There was an awkward pause.

And then, from Jameson's office - "Brant! Get Parker back in here!"

Peter looked at Betty, who shrugged.

When he got back into the office, Jonah was standing behind his desk, pushing papers to the side. "Good! You're still here!"

"What -"

Jameson cut him off. "What do you know about high society?"

"I - well … uh -"

"Ah, don't answer that. Just heard my high society photographer got hit in the head with a polo ball! You're all I got. Tomorrow there's a big party for an American hero!" he smiled. "My son, the astronaut."

Alright, well I shouldn't pass up another paycheck. "Uh, yeah, I can be there. No problem! Where is it?"

"The planetarium. Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock." And with a wave of his hand, "There's the door!"


It was dark by the time Peter was back down on the street in front of the Bugle, the check for $300 in his back pocket. Cars honked in the distance.

A quick change in the closest alley, with his stuff in the bag on his shoulder, and he was swinging off again.

300 dollars! God, Jameson gets on my nerves. That doesn't even cover what I need for the supplies - and rent! God damn it I forgot about rent.

He ran along the side of a building before jumping off and pulling himself forwards.

It's nice to see everyone from the Bugle again, though. I didn't even realize I missed them - even Jolly Jonah.

He spun to grab onto a flag pole and swung himself around a corner.

Things are just so different now that I'm teaching at Midtown. Is it juvenile to say that I'd just like some friends there?

He approached the Queensboro bridge, the lights of the city reflected in the water of the east river.

Besides Dr. Rinehart, none of the teachers seem to think I'm worth the time. They probably think I'll be gone when the semester's up. And honestly, they might be right. I -

A loud crash interrupted his thoughts.

"Really? Right in the middle of my soliloquy?"

Peter landed on the arch of the bridge and looked down to see what the cause of the noise was. "What was that?"

What he saw was an 18 wheeler that had crashed through the barrier and currently had nine wheels over the edge of the bridge.

"Okay, not good!" Thwipp! He shot a string of web onto the cab of the truck and gripped his feet fast to the metal of the arch. "This had better work!"

He could hear the screams of the truck driver. The truck groaned and screeched, the metal bending over the side.

"Agh!" He groaned, his limbs straining. This thing is heavier than it looks! Come on, Pete, PULL!

He heaved with all his might, his back wrenching with the effort. "Come ON!"

Slowly, the front wheels made their way back onto the bridge.

It's not over yet, looks like this thing could still fall at any second. I gotta get the driver out!

He dropped down quickly in front of the truck.

"HELP!" a voice came from the cab.

"Just stay calm in there, buddy!" Peter yelled as he strung webs all around the truck, securing it to the bridge. Alright, spider sense is calming down a bit. Should be stable. Now, to get this man out.

He yanked the door off the truck and flung it down towards the river. "You all right, sir?" He didn't wait for more than a nod before he grabbed the man under his arms and pulled him out.

One short swing and they were standing on solid bridge. "Here's your stop!" he released the driver.

"Oh my god, thank you!" The man took a fumbling step in relief.

Spider-Man put out his arm to steady him. "Careful now, don't want to have to catch you again!"

"Ha - holy shit - thanks, Spider-man."

He turned away and webbed the bridge support. "Drive safe!"

God, I'm beat! I need to eat something.


The rest of the trip home was thankfully uneventful, only resulting in the appearance of a few more stars.

Peter stuck to the brick of his building and pulled his window open. He crawled inside and landed on his rug before he pulled off the mask.

His empty apartment stared back at him.

The place was a mess. Bed sheets off the mattress, cans on the floor, and papers and pictures strewn everywhere.

God, he missed MJ.

She said she wanted time to think. Surely I've given her enough? He collapsed onto his couch, his aching muscles relaxing. But what has she been thinking? That we're worth it? Or that… we're not.

He rubbed his hand over his face and looked over at a painting of a fish on the wall. "I should call her. Right?"

The fish didn't reply.

"Right? Yeah, I should call her." He pulled out his phone. "I'm calling her. I'm -"

"You've reached Mary-Jane Watson. I can't come to the -"

"Shit!" he leaned forwards.

"Phone right now. Leave me a message and I'll call back!"

Beep!

"Oh, I - hi MJ! It's me. Peter! … Parker, of course. Do you know any other Peters?" Shut up! "Sorry. I - I hope you're okay. I mean, the apartment's messy without you. No, that's not - MJ, I miss you. I'd love to talk, if you can. Please call me back? … Bye." He hung up.

"AGH!" he almost threw his phone at the wall, then suddenly realized the last thing he needed was a shattered phone. "Why am I like this!?"

He tossed his phone down on the couch next to him and went to go put on a pair of sweats.

"I'm so stupid," he muttered as he pulled off his shirt. "'The apartment's messy without you'? God, what is wrong with me? She's probably hanging out with friends, or at a party, or - or anywhere else, doing normal things, with normal people, instead of people who can lift giant trucks, and put her in constant danger!"

Peter padded over to the kitchen. "If I could just talk to her..." He shook his head as he pulled out a beer and a takeout box of Thai food from the fridge. He considered heating it up, but when his stomach growled he shrugged, plopped back down on the couch, and started eating it cold. The remote was nowhere to be found, but a blast of webbing turned on the tv just as well.

Twenty minutes later the takeout box was empty and his cell phone was ringing.

He picked it up quickly. MJ? No. Aunt May. "Hi, Aunt May!"

His aunt's cheerful voice filled his ear. "Hello, Peter. How are you, dear? How was your day?"

He picked at a thread on his sweatpants. "Uh, it was fine. Nothing too exciting to report."

"How was your class?" he heard clanging in the background of her voice, like pots banging together.

"Well, pretty good, really. I got some kids participating." He ran his hand through his hair. "You know what, though - there's this whole deal with the supplies I'll need for labs. Administration is making me cover the cost! For necessary supplies!"

"Really? That doesn't sound fair. Shouldn't the school have a budget for that?"

"Uh, well -" how do I put this without worrying her? God, I shouldn't have brought this up. "I think it's only because I signed on so late. I didn't have a chance to give them my entire syllabus upfront. It's annoying, but it should be alright."

He saw something white get shoved under his door, and stood up to check it out. "Anyway, how're you doing?"

"I had a great day. I went over to Anna Watson's house and played bridge, which was nice. Anna has some fun friends, they …"

It was an envelope. He picked it up. The words "PAST DUE" were stamped in red on one side. Shit.

"... and then I came back home and made some pumpkin bread."

There was a pause, like May was waiting for a response, and he jumped in. "Oh, that sounds fun. And I love it when you make pumpkin bread, that stuff is delicious." He took another look at the envelope before dropping onto the kitchen counter with a small sigh.

"Is everything okay, Peter?"

He started pacing around the apartment as he spoke. "What? Yeah, everything's fine, Aunt May. Don't worry. It's just been a long day."

"Alright. You know it's my job to worry about you, though."

"Really, I'm fine."

There was a pause. "Why don't you come by for dinner tomorrow?"

He scratched his nose. "Uh, sorry. I can't do tomorrow night, I'm" - probably shouldn't say it's work - "going to a party."

"Okay, how about Sunday?"

"Yeah, Sunday night dinner. Sounds great! I'll be there."

"Will you bring Mary Jane?"

Oh, geez. "Er - I don't know. She's - she's been really busy. But I'll let you know, okay?"

"Sounds good, dear."

"Okay, 'night, May. See you on Sunday!"

"Good night, Peter."

He hung up the phone and put it down on the counter next to the envelope.

"Well, this is fun, isn't it. Everything is totally under control." He groaned, and pulled at his hair. "Okay, I need to make a list." he clapped his hands together. "Lists help people, don't they?"

Peter grabbed a notepad from under the couch and a pen from the floor next to the TV. He paced around the room, writing on the pad. "Okay. Item number one: Pay Rent! And number two: PAY RENT YOU DUMB ASS!" he started walking up the wall. "Next: Jameson Ball at Planetarium, 8 PM. Uh, what else. Oh - Pay for school supplies ($600). And: Dinner at May's on Sunday."

Now he was standing on the ceiling. He sighed, and wrote: "Call MJ again. And stop being such as mess."

He jumped back down to the floor. The pen he threw back down next to the TV, while he pulled the page out from the notepad.

He grabbed a thumbtack and stuck it to his front door. Then he stuck the envelope up there too.

"Nice. Now I just have to actually do the things. That's the easy part, right?"

Yeah, right.


Bonus points if you can catch all the references in here. I'm pulling lines and moments from all over the place.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, I'd love any kind of feedback!
Also, how is the length of this chapter? Too Long? Good?
Okay bye see you soon