Mary Jane woke up on the day of Sarah's party, her stomach a mix of excitement and apprehension. Her feelings for Peter hadn't decreased, yet she never could get the words out to express what she felt for him. She knew Peter had noticed the difference. She would be willing to bet Peter was probably lying awake right now, a room over, scientifically balancing out the change of signs MJ had been sending. Later that night after she had held his hand at dinner, they had gone upstairs together again, yet the air was different. It was charged with romantic possibilities and they had even almost kissed. She closed her eyes as she remembered the events that had happened only two days earlier.
"Goodnight Mary Jane." He stood awkwardly in front of her bedroom door, his eyes on her face.
"Goodnight Peter…" As Peter was about to turn away to shuffle back to his own room she heard her own voice stop him.
He turned around, his eyes filled with a mix of desire and confusion. She couldn't blame him. Her mind was battling with the same two things.
"I… wanted to say… that… I'm…" Her mind was blank. What did she want to say???
Peter took a step closer, his face only inches from hers.
"I'm glad you can go to the party with me."
She nervously chewed her bottom lip as she stared up into Peter's eyes. They were so beautiful, bright blue with a few flecks of gray.
He gulped slightly and she knew that whatever she was going through was heightened at least three times as much for Peter.
She closed her eyes as she saw Peter's face coming down closer to hers and she raised her head, their lips almost meeting…
Then a voice had floated down from the hallway scaring them both so badly they knocked heads.
"Are you two still up? Go to bed!"
They nervously laughed and Peter gave her a shy smile.
"Better do what she says, you don't want to see Aunt May when she's on the warpath. It's not a pretty sight."
She laughed, the tension of the moment broken, replaced with a more comfortable feeling that their laughter brought.
"I'll see you tomorrow then Tiger." She awkwardly hugged him quickly then let go. He still seemed to be dazed from their almost kiss earlier. He gave her a lopsided smile and nodded.
"Night MJ."
"Goodnight Tiger." She said quietly as he left.
The feeling of giddiness had stayed with her the past few days and she could tell Peter was feeling a bit differently as well.
She got up to go to the bathroom to brush her teeth and smiled when she saw Peter at the sink. He was stubbornly combing and recombing his hair, trying to get it to stay flat, but each time it simply jumped right back up.
"Damn." He heard him mutter softly under her breath.
MJ giggled softly at his difficulties.
She watched him a moment more. He picked up a bottle on the counter and looked at it for a moment before shrugging and spraying it on.
MJ's smile widened as she realized it was cologne and she noted fondly that he had never worn it earlier or probably ever. He was doing it for her. The thought made her feel lightheaded all over again.
"Hey Peter." She came up next to him in front of the mirror.
"Mind if I brush my teeth?"
"Oh no of course not." He moved away to give her room at the sink. She was close to him, very close to him and she could smell the cologne he put on.
She turned and smiled at him.
"I like your cologne Tiger." She moved a step closer and put her face close to his neck and inhaled. She could smell a mix of smells, not just the cologne and all just as pleasant. It smelled like… well it smelled like Peter. Comforting and warm.
She noticed Peter's breath was coming quicker again and she gently brushed the side of his cheeks with her lips for one split second of bliss.
He grinned and left the room, putting his hand on his cheek.
Later that day MJ was busy getting ready for the party and discarding outfit after outfit. She finally decided on red, strapless top and a black and red skirt. She put on some lip gloss and said a final prayer for nothing to happen that night before walking downstairs where Peter was waiting.
He was dressed in khaki shorts and a blue and white striped tee shirt and he looked the best she had seen him. His hair was sticking down flat, although she didn't know for how long, and he was giving her an adoring stare.
"Hey MJ," He said softly when she reached him. "You look beautiful. You ready?"
Mary Jane smiled, he seemed to be in a good mood and he looked downright handsome.
"You look great Tiger, let's go."
They drove to the party and MJ could tell Peter was growing more anxious each second.
They finally reached Sarah's pretty house and pulled up behind an old Cadillac. Peter got out quickly and ran around to open MJ's door for her.
"Thanks Pete." She smiled in delight at his gesture. "Ready to go in?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," They walked up the steps and pushed open the door. Pounding rock music pulsed through the house and nobody seemed to notice their arrival.
Sarah ran up to them, looking slightly frazzled but otherwise happy to see them.
"Hey MJ! So glad you came! Hey Peter." Her voice had lost most of its bubbly tone from when she was talking to MJ, but it was civil enough and Peter was grateful.
"Hey Sarah, thanks for the invitation, you have a beautiful house."
Sarah actually smiled at that and gave Peter a friendly nod.
MJ smiled as well at Peter's awkward gentlemanly manners. His Aunt must have drilled him before he left. "You have a beautiful house," Wasn't the type of thing most high schoolers said to each other, but Peter's obvious sincerity had apparently won over Sarah.
"Wanna dance Pete?" MJ had to yell to be heard over the music.
"Oh I … I'm not the best dancer MJ."
"Oh come on Peter, please do it for me." She gave him a smile and her wheedling tone convinced Peter.
He laughed and shrugged. "Alright but if we're the laughingstock I can only say I gave you fair warning."
"Works for me, come on Tiger!" She pulled him on the dance floor.
She was a natural dancer and easily caught up with the rest of the crowd, but Peter was slow and awkward, turning redder with each misstep. MJ stepped closer to him and almost placed her lips on his ear.
"You're doing great." With that he stopped blushing so much and managed to keep up a little with the fast paced crowd.
It was only a few minutes later she heard drunken laughter and knew it had to be directed at them. She glanced at Peter, hoping he hadn't heard it, but he had stopped dancing and was staring at the floor, his face a deep crimson.
"Let's sit this next few out Peter." He gratefully followed her.
They sat out the next few songs until a slow song finally came up.
"What do you say Pete? Got enough of a break?" Peter nodded.
She grabbed his hand and gently pulled him back on the dance floor. He looked at her a moment and she knew in an instant he had never done anything like this before. She directed his arms around her waist and she reached up to put her arms on his shoulders. Within a few moments they both grew more comfortable and MJ shifted, resting her head against Peter's soft shirt. She inhaled the now familiar scent of his cologne and she felt strangely safe in Peter's arms, although she knew that Peter could barely protect her from anything, she was almost as strong as he was.
The song ended too soon and they still had their arms around each other before a hand roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from Peter.
"What do you think you're doing with him?!"
She stared up into Flash Thompson's face and wondered for an instant how she ever had thought he was attractive.
"When I talk answer me!" He lifted up a hand to strike her and she closed her eyes, cringing as she expected the blow.
She heard the crack of skin on skin and she kept her eyes tightly closed. It… oddly didn't hurt. She opened her eyes and they widened in disbelief at what she saw. Peter was standing in front of her, a dark bruise already forming on his cheek where he had taken her blow.
"Why you!" With an angry string of curse words he raised his fist and it connected solidly with Peter's jaw, sending him flying backwards and then landing on the floor, bruised and bloodied.
Mary Jane screamed and stood in horror as the scene unfolded. Flash and his buddies started laughing and were stumbling away and nobody else seemed to care about Peter, lying on the floor.
With tears in her eyes Mary Jane knelt next to Peter, and the tears came harder as she realized he was barely conscious.
"MJ," He said weakly. "You ok?"
"Yes, I am! I am! Thanks to you Peter." She started crying harder, oblivious to the party still around her.
"Don't cry MJ, please don't cry."
With that his eyes closed and he passed into unconsciousness.
Wow... I NEVER expected so many great reviews! Thanks so much! I just got back, posting this for your viewing and hopefully reviewing pleasure. I'd like to thank you guys again, go post this, steal a nap, then hopefully start working on chapter 4! By the way, I always liked reading author's review responses on stories I review on, but I know that could probably get annoying having half the page covered by review responses so if you guys want me to, I'll dedicate a chapter at the end of the story to reviewer responses, but only if you'd like me too, so please tell in a review, but heh I'd enjoy some other stuff in the review other then "yes. Reviewer responses" but I guess I can't be choosy!
Til we meet again! (Hopefully pretty soon, I have to rest for a while, I'm TIRED! ;) )
-LLL