I wake up the next morning with a smile plastered on my face to the sound of my alarm clock beeping. I turn it off and sit up, stretching. I hop quickly out of bed before I give in to my temptation to just lie back down and continue my peaceful slumber. I walk over to my closet and pick out a baggy beige crotchet top that falls of the shoulder, a brown skirt, and pair it with a pair of brown knee high socks and brown knee high crocodile boots.

I pick up my shoulder bag and take my phone off the charger, checking it as I walk into the kitchen. I smile as I reply to Peter's Good Morning text and grab an apple on my way out of the house. I get into the elevator and put my phone away, and start humming to the elevator music as I take a bite from my juicy apple. I get to school ten minutes early and head to my locker to collect my things and put my bag away. I hum that annoying elevator tune and shut my locker to see Philip standing behind it. I jump back in fright and then let out a shaky laugh.

"Philip! What brings you to my locker?"

"I just wanted to wish you a Good Morning, Gwendolyn! And I'm also here to assure you that I'm going to do perfectly on this quiz thanks to your amazing help." Since when does this kid call me Gwendolyn?

"It's just Gwen, Philip. And, umm, good luck?"

"Thanks you!" He says excitedly and grabs my hand. I pull it out of his as he flashes me another big smile and hurries off. That was odd.

I walk to my first class of the day, English, as I try to fathom that awkward little conversation I just had with Philip. I take my usual seat in the middle of class and look to Peter's seat, which is still empty, so I take out the book I started about biogenetic mutation and read it until the second warning bell rings and our English teacher comes into the room. I watch the door and wait for Peter to come running into class in the nick of time as usual, but the final late bell rings and Peter still hasn't shown up. I start to worry as the teacher begins to take role and calls out Peter's name, crossing out his name when not finding him in between the faces of her students.

I worry about Peter in the back of my mind all throughout the lesson while I take notes and raise my hand to answer every question asked. But as soon as the bell rings, I walk quickly out of the room and towards my next class, taking the route where I would pass by Peter's locker to see if I could catch a glimpse of him, but I have no such luck. A few lessons pass by and I soon go to lunch and buy myself a fruit salad and take a seat at a table with my debate team buddies. We make small talk and discuss our upcoming debate, but I can't help but glance at the door every few minutes hoping to see Peter's lanky frame entering the cafeteria.

After lunch, I start considering calling him as I walk off to my next class, but as soon as I see him at his locker, my heart fills with relief as I go over to him.

"Peter! Where've you been?" I say in a whisper, trying not to attract anyone's attention. He turns around and gives me a big smile and says, "Hey Gwen! Well I kinda got held up at a bank robbery, and-"

"What is wrong with your arm?" I exclaim, examining a soiled white bandage wrapped around the top of his arm and keeping his hoodie's sleeve rolled up high on his arm.

"What, that? Noth-Ow!" He says, as I gently touch the bandage. I look up at him, my eyes full of worry, but he just looks at me says "I'm fine, promise." Well we all know how good he is at keeping promises.

I shake that mean thought out of my head and feel a wave of shame wash over me for even thinking that. I take him gently by the wrist and lead him to an empty biology classroom. I shut the door behind us and make him sit down on a one of the stools. I head over to the little overhead First Aid kit that hangs over the teacher's desk and say to him, "I don't think they'd mind if we borrowed some of this stuff."

I take out a clean roll of bandages and some disinfectant that I learned to use in some summer camp a long time ago and head over to him, and he winces as I open up the used bandage. "Am I hurting you?" I whisper to him, and he lightly shakes his head but keeps his eyes firmly shut. I finally reach the end of the bandage and see what looks like a healing deep gash surrounded by blood. I make a face as I wipe away the dry blood with some disinfectant covered-cotton swab, but quickly realize that the nasty cut was healing up fine at a super human pace. I start to firmly yet tenderly wrap his cut with some fresh bandage, and by the time I'm done, Peter seems to relax a bit.

"So, what happened this time?" I ask, pulling up a stool of my own and prop my head in my hands and lean forward.

"Bank robbery. Those where the stubbornest crooks ever! They just wouldn't give up."

"What is that from?" I say, pointing at his arm.

"One of the guys got too excited with his knife and almost stabbed this kid, but luckily my arm got in the way." Sometimes, he takes this super hero stuff too lightly. I look away from him and out the window, a bit too lost for words. You'd think that I'd be used to worrying constantly about someone with how my dad used to be NYPD's Chief of Police, but look where that got him. And Peter does his crime fighting in a bit more of an unorthodox way.

The bell that signals the start of class rings, and I sigh as I get up and get my books. "Where you going?" Peter asks, hopping off his stool and hurrying in front of me, blocking my path to the door.

"I'm getting to class. You know, most people don't usually skip half their day." I say snarkily, I really don't like being late for class.

"Oh really? Well I happen to know that you have study hall right now, and they don't take role call."

"Doesn't mean I can skip that!" He raises his eyebrow at me and pulls me closer to him.

"Relax Gwen." He says as I back away from him.

"I really don't like missing class, Peter." I say, backing away and trying to figure out how I can escape this classroom and get to the library. I try to sidestep him, but he steps in the direction I wanted to go in before I do. Damn his Spidey senses. I try to push him to the side, but he just lets out a small laugh and doesn't even budge. I let out a groan and go, "Seriously Peter let me get to the library! Don't you have a class to get to?"

"I already missed half of today, I don't see how one more lesson would hurt." He says, grabbing me by the waist and leaning down.

"I am not going to sit in this room and make out with you while I should be in the library getting some of my homework done!" I declare, and as he keeps leaning in anyway, the sound of the door screeching open forces him to look up.

"What are you two doing in an empty class- Gwendolyn?"