Hi Friends! Thank you all for the lovely comments and for sticking with the story. I really appreciate it. Here is the next part!

Peter's face was lit up by the screen lying in front of him. His eyes stared unseeing at the wall in front of him. The words he received continuously cycling through his mind. The light went dark again and without blinking Peter pressed one of the arrow buttons, casting the glow back onto his face.

What should he do?

There was the obvious answer of ghosting Ned. It would be the easiest and least messy way to get through this whole situation. All he had to do was ignore the message and get on with his life. Maybe avoid the classroom, the library, and any other places Ned might show up. Which could be anywhere. At any time. Ned had a way of showing up exactly when Peter was trying to hide. He sighed and tugged at the ends of his hair. That plan was a lot of work.

The less obvious answer and the one that Peter's heart pounding thinking about was to say yes. It was such a simple word. Made up of three small letters and yet conveying so much meaning. Saying yes in this case wasn't just assenting to sitting at a lunch table. No, telling Ned yes was swinging the door open wide to their friendship. Peter was giving acknowledgement that he would be available, vulnerable, and present in the relationship. One that was someone outside of his family and that was scary. It was… too long since Peter had a friend. Someone other than May who was going to be there through thick and thin.

The phone went dark again but this time he didn't press any of the buttons. He let the light fade from his face and closed his eyes. His chest shuddered as air was trapped in his lungs. He could feel his ribs expanding and the pressure building until with a grunt he exhaled. Peter lifted his legs, feeling the strain in his lower stomach, and tucked the covers underneath him before turning over. He buried the side of his face into the corner of his pillow and stayed there, flipping from side-to-side, until sleep overtook him.

"Peter!"

Peter heard his name and ducked around the corner. The brick tugged lightly on the loose threads of his sweater but he stayed where he was.

"Pet - " He heard a wheezing noise from around the corner as footsteps echoed in the hall. "Peter."

Peter shrunk back into the wall as Ned rounded the corner. The boy in question stood there for a moment with his hands in his pockets, trying to catch his breath. Peter took the moment to observe him. Everything looked alright. Ned wasn't avoiding eye contact and his face wasn't pinched with anger. A knot in his chest loosened a bit with this knowledge.

Lunch had came and went with Peter avoiding the cafeteria and library. In reality he couldn't decide where to go and walked around the loop of the school. He was absolutely not hiding though. Thoughts of seeing Ned and then thoughts of avoiding him swirled around his mind and continued to make his stomach queasy.

"Dude, I'm glad I caught up with you. We missed you at lunch." He looked up searching Peter's face and Peter quickly glanced away.

"I'm sorry." He said with a low voice. His fingers played with the hem of his sweater. "I was working on some homework."

"Don't worry about it, but we will save you a seat tomorrow. We can meet up in C-hall if that's easier."

The words were spoken lightly but Peter slowly lifted his head to look up. Ned's face, like always, was open and earnest, but there was something changed in his expression right then. There was a steel to his eyes. A slight narrowing that sent Peter's eyes wide. He could tell that Ned wasn't really asking this time.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll be there."

The expression was gone before he blinked. For a moment Peter thought he made it up. That his eyes were mistaken, but the churning said something different. Ned smiled and started talking about the latest D and D booklet he got over the weekend. Peter nodded and asked questions about it but his heart wasn't in it. Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to pretend anymore Ned started waving and walked to class.

Ned wasn't going to take no for an answer and Peter wasn't sure how he felt about it. A blush rose from his chest to neck at the thought, but he could feel some of the headache of indecision that had been plaguing him all week go away.

Truth be told it was probably for the best. Peter always tried to be honest with himself and self-reflect. He knew there was no way he would have accepted Ned's offer. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was just everything Peter couldn't do. He couldn't imagine himself sitting there at lunch, laughing and chatting with the people at school. In middle school he sat at the end of a sparsely populated table and read a book. He avoided eye contact whenever possible and never held a conversation with the people at the other end of the table so this was something he'd never done before. It was only in Peter's dreams that an offer was made, let alone real life.

And though his stomach was still raw and his hands sweaty, Peter was grateful to Ned. The boy knew how Peter worked and how to work with it. He hadn't been mean or rude, he just evolved his question to a statement. Which was the key. If there was no question. If there was nothing for him to decide or worry about, everything was already that much easier. Now, Peter hoped he wouldn't embarrass Ned in front of everyone.

Peter shifted back onto the balls of his feet, readying to walk away. There was still time. He could call in sick or, better yet, get detention somehow for the lunch period. It would be easy. Well, easier than facing the cafeteria. The memory of Ned's expression stopped him. It was painted with hope and an honest want for Peter to join him that it stopped Peter from outright walking away. He took a step forward and then another… before swiveling around so the closed door wouldn't mock him.

Ned expected him to be there. He said he would be there but Peter couldn't make himself move. He turned around again and then leaned against the lockers. How was he supposed to act when it was difficult enough trying to keep up in a conversation with one other person. Peter's hair twisted around his fingers and he knew his face looked like a tomato. He was such a freak. Why was something like this so hard? Why did it feel like he was going into battle instead of eating a sandwich? If only he… A hand clamped down around his shoulder and Peter flinched back, hitting his head against the locker.

"Peter, sorry, dude. I thought you knew I was there. I said your name like two times"

He tried to smile but the muscles in his cheeks rebelled. He looked up under his lashes and saw another Star Wars shirt. Ned smiled but his eyes were narrowed. Peter mumbled something about being fine. He wasn't sure Ned believed him but he squeezed Peter's shoulder again and nodded.

"Alright, want go into lunch? I'm starving."

Peter swallowed but a lump blocked his throat. He looked up and down the hall before concentrating on the hand still resting on his shoulder. It was warm and heavy. Not restricting his movements but a reminder that Ned was with him. He nodded and the two walked forward. This time Peter felt less like he was going to the gallows.

The pulled the doors open and looked in. Peter forget how loud lunchrooms were. People talked over each other. They yelled to others across the room and switched tables depending on who had the best lunch. It reminded him of the markets him and Ben used meander through on Saturday mornings.

Ned cleared his throat and Peter realized they stopped. He could see Ned's face from the corner of his eye and the boy cleared his throat again.

"It's okay," He said. "If it's too much we can just…" He stopped and shrugged.

Shame welled hot and strong in Peter. The invasion in his eyes began again. Peter blinked back the pricks and coughed. Ned was giving him this hopeful look. His shoulders are still raised upwards but his head tipped crooked to the side, watching Peter.

"It's okay. Let's do this." Peter noted how wobbly his voice sounded to his own ears and wondered if Ned could hear it too.

"Let's." Ned repeated. He stepped in front of Peter and led the way keeping to the outskirts of the room. They wound through the people waiting in the food lines and stopped at a table along the back wall of the cafeteria. Ned sat down at one end and then scooted down so Peter could sit on his far side.

"Hey guys. This is Peter." He climbed over the bench to sit down and waved quickly. There were five people already at the table. Brian, Mike, Midge, and Jaimik sat huddled together. The small group had papers spread out on the table between them and they were debating something about the biology homework. Now and then Ned chimed in to add something but they mostly kept to themselves. Peter couldn't help but notice another girl, Ned said her name was MJ, sitting at the end by herself.

Ned occasionally muttered a side comment to him about what Midge or Brian were saying but otherwise the two sat quietly, listening. Peter glanced up from under his eyelashes at MJ. She sat with a book in front of her, separated from the group. She didn't talk to anyone and kept her head down. From Peter's view, looking over everyone at the table, it reminded him of what he would do in middle school. In fact, that was what he longed to be doing at the moment. Forget the world and read.

Ned asked Peter a question and he blushed when caught staring. He managed to get caught up in the debate and him and Midge explained their thoughts to Brian who was still adamant about Hydrogen was the best element. His hands never unclenched though and they were sore and sweaty by the end of the hour. It was nice, normal. Peter felt himself keenly throughout, held his back rigid, and thought before he spoke, but he endured. He endured and found that he didn't embarrass Ned. He could feel the drain from having spoken to everyone but there was no regret lodged in his chest.

The bell would ring any moment and Ned leaned over to bump shoulders with him.

"Alright?" he said and Peter nodded shortly. The others looked up when Ned stood up. Peter noticed even the girl reading the book looked up briefly.

"See you tomorrow guys. We need to go check something for English." Everyone waved and Peter stared at the ground at he followed Ned out.

They got to the hall and stopped where Peter and Ned stood only thirty minutes before. They stood shoulder to shoulder, backs resting on the lockers. Peter continued to stare at the tips of his shoes.

"Thank you." Ned said quietly. It lacked the normal exuberance he had and Peter looked up to see a small smile on his face. He nodded and felt a smile rise up in return. Something warmed in his chest and Peter rubbed his fingers on his sternum to quell it.

Ned was still there standing next to him. Ned was thanking him! He'd been so worried, so consumed with the possibility that he would do or say something that would be Ned's tipping point. He knew from experience that he wasn't worried for no reason.

Sam Carlson was the example Peter went by. They found each other their first month of sixth grade. Peter was at a new school and didn't know anyone yet. Instead of going to the lunch room he went to the library to read. She was also in the library that day and came up to him. They tentatively they started talking. Over the next month She would find Peter around the school and over time Peter started finding her. Their friendship was in its early stages but Peter remembered being so young and full of hope that someone wanted to be his friend.

Peter finally decided to brave the lunch room knowing that Sam ate their most days. He came up to the table and saw her sitting with a group of people. She looked up from across the table and smiled at him. The others turned their heads to see him there. Peter shifted back and forth, waiting to be asked to sit down or something. He saw Sam's mouth open but then a different boy spoke out, ridiculing Peter's glasses. Peter's eyes widened and red stained his cheeks. He looked over at Sam as others joined in, their words morphing into laughter as he continued to stand there. Sam looked away from him and shut her mouth.

Standing there with Ned, Peter remembered the utter terror that seized him when someone asked her what his deal was. He could remember the silence and how hard he gazed at her, pleading with his eyes for her to just look at him. He could take the taunts all day if she was still his friend, but she never looked up. Her eyes stayed down and she spoke the words he would never forget.

"Yeah, he's a real freak."

He ran, tears blurring down his cheeks and neck through the halls until he got to the bathroom. There he stayed until May came and found him.

Ned bumped his shoulder again and Peter shook his head trying to dislodge the thoughts of his middle school time. Nothing liked that happened today. It turned out fine. He was fine.

"So…" Peter looked back at Ned and blushed when he realized he'd been thinking for too long. "I was thinking that tomorrow we could just eat in the classroom again. Jaimik and Brian said they were going to be bringing their D and D booklets to school to go over for a tournament they're in and I do not want to get in the middle of whatever may happen. That okay with you?"

The tension in his chest drained some and his shoulders stooped down as he exhaled.

"Yeah, yeah. That sounds good."

It sounded more than good to Peter. As much as he was happy that today went well, as much as it felt nice sitting there, he didn't think he could do it again. Ned raised his arm and Peter flinched back, blushing. The boy lowered his arm around Peter's shoulders and squeezed them together. They smiled at each other and the warm feeling returned in his chest. Peter honestly didn't want to go into the jungle that was the lunch room. Maybe another time this week he would, but not tomorrow.

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