Hey Guys! :)

Wow-thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I love them! (and they're definitely appreciated).

Here ya go. Hope you like it.

-Homey :D

Disclaimer: Peter Parker, MJ, Gwen, all those folks-none of them belong to me. They belong to Stan Lee. (THAT RHYMED!)

©HomeschoolGirl 2012, or at least this actual post is. The characters, not so much. But anyway, please don't use this as your own. Thanks!

"Aunt Anna!"

"Mary Jane-I haven't seen you in so long."

Gwen stood back as her friend rushed to embrace a friendly-looking, slightly wrinkled woman with curly brown hair. She pulled her close, breathing deeply, and exhaled after a long moment. "Oh, you smell like Madeline!"

Mary Jane laughed, stepping back. "How do I smell like mom?"

"What deodorant do you use? I think it must be that." Anna turned slightly and caught sight of Gwen. She smiled. "Oh! You bought a friend."

"Yeah." Mary Jane waved Gwen forward. "This is Gwen Stacy. Daughter to Captain Stacy of New York City."

"Oh, he's such a good man!" Anna looked giddy. "I read his articles in the newspaper all the time. So intelligent. Come on in, girls. I was just doing a crossword puzzle…" She trailed off, heading into the house. Gwen studied her. Aunt Anna was probably in her late forties, slender and tall, a lot like MJ. She was wearing Capri pants with fuzzy socks, and her shirt was a couple sizes too large. Judging from the homemade artwork hanging on her plain white walls, she was eccentric.

Mary Jane had explained that she was a painter and a sculptor, but never sold her work. Gwen wondered why.

"Hey," she said suddenly, stopping. She pointed to a picture. "Is that you?"

Mary Jane stopped and spun around. She studied the painting, tilting her head to the side. "I don't…I don't know. Anna?"

Her Aunt stopped walking and followed the girls' eyes to the painting. It was of a lone redhead, standing by a stop sign that matched her hair. It was raining. The girl's actual body was gray. Beneath her feet, a puddle of pinks and blues and greens mixed. It was heartbreakingly beautiful.

"Um…not exactly," Anna said after a moment. She scratched her neck. "It was…I mean…um…" She shrugged. "You were the inspiration, sweetie."

Mary Jane blinked back a tear. "Okay. Fine. Fine." She turned away. "What were you going to show me, again?"

The two walked off but Gwen stayed, studying the painting some more. The girl was Mary Jane, no doubt about it. She had her features-soft, round face, high cheekbones, small, petite nose. She just couldn't shake that sad expression on her face. MJ was always happy. But then again, hadn't she just finished saying she had her secrets? Maybe sadness was one of them.

She turned around to head into the kitchen, where she could hear Anna and Mary Jane talking, but another sight stopped her.

There, through the large hall window, Gwen could see Peter Parker. His back was to her, but it was definitely him. Right down to the scuffed shoes and baggy pants. He was crouched on the concrete, dabbing at his leg with something. It took Gwen a moment to register the red pooling on the concrete was blood.

A moment later she found herself outside, standing in Anna's front yard. Mary Jane joined her. Together, they watched Peter nurse his wound.

"Well, go," MJ said, prodding Gwen in the back. "Go talk to him."

"What? I can't! He'll know I've been staring."

"So?" She hissed. "Go. Right now. G-"

Peter chose that moment to look up. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand in a wave.

Mary Jane groaned. "Great. Now I have to talk to him, too."

Gwen frowned as she pushed her forward. "What? I thought you liked him."

"I said he was cute, not that I liked him."

"Why not?"

Mary Jane narrowed her eyes. "Peter Parker has some secrets of his own."

"Okay." Why was she being so cryptic?

They approached Peter until they were standing just a few feet from him.

"Hi," He said with a smile.

Mary Jane nodded coldly. Gwen beamed.

"Hi, Pete. Are you okay?"

"Um…yeah." He stood, tugging down the leg of his pants. "Just a scrape." He looked between them. "So, you're visiting Anna?"

"Yeah." Mary Jane studied her manicured fingernails. "Until tomorrow."

"Are you staying too, Gwen?"

"Yeah."

The door to Peter's house suddenly creaked open. A woman with graying hair stuck her head out and smiled at the girls.

"Oh, hello, Mary Jane! And Mary Jane's friend." She turned to her Peter. "You, son, need to come inside and clean your room."

Peter lowered his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. It was easy to tell, though, from the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth and the twinkle in her eyes that she was fond of him. "All right. You may have a few minutes with your friends. Then come on, okay?"

She ducked back inside. Peter turned to them, looking sheepish.

"That's my Aunt May," he said with a sigh. "She's prone to overprotection."

Gwen smiled. "She seems nice."

"She is," Mary Jane agreed. "And that's why we want to have you guys over to dinner later tonight. That is, after Anna says yes."

Peter shrugged, looking at the ground. "I have to clean my room."

Mary Jane huffed. "Surely you can get that done fairly quickly."

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. Why was MJ being so rude?

"I-I don't know," Peter said at last.

"Gwen really wants you there."

She elbowed MJ. She didn't need to give her away!

Peter brightened. "Well, um, maybe."

"Good. We'll see you. Say bye, Gwen!"

"Bye, Pete-"

But Aunt May was back out again. "Peter! Your Uncle wants to speak to you."

He lifted his hand in a halfhearted wave. "Bye."

Mary Jane turned and tugged Gwen back toward the house. "Well, there you are. You have a dinner date with America's Next Bachelor."

Gwen sighed. "He didn't say yes for sure."

Mary Jane shrugged. "But he didn't say no. Now, let's get you dolled up!"

Several minutes later, in the confines of her room, MJ looked out the window.

"Ooh. It looks like it's gonna rain."

And Gwen wondered: if her friend stepped outside, would she loose all her color, too?