A/N: First off I just want to thank everyone that have been reading this
and reviewing. Thank you for having such patience for me in my updating
and thank you for those that have given me constructive criticism and
wonderful reviews. Sadistic Shadow thank you for the wonderful amount of
reviews you've given me on both my stories, that is very kind and inspiring
of you I will use a saying that I saw someone use for their comments:
"Comments is like crack, please sat my addiction", ;) and thank you to the
other writer's that have commented on my story as well i.e.- Chocolate
Starfish, Nathoron Ehud Nertrender, Penniless.Spidey.Poet, LordLanceahlot
and jjonahjameson. There are more writers that have commented but it'll be
a long list. Just know that I do appreciate each and everyone of you. I
give each thought (- one of the reviews where the person decided not to
place their name however said that I am a disgrace to the comics, movies
and more will merely get a laugh out of me. I will not change my writing
just because of your review, simply if you don't like it then don't read
it. That's all I have to say. I want to try something a little different
and a little fun; you don't like it ok that's fine. "Just don't look" :
P
Reversal Roles: Mary Jane's story
CH 9
It was another one of those mornings-no one could stop their tirade. Their get away car was only a few feet away. No one would suspect a small convenience store to get robbed. The two figures sneered as they robbed the couple behind the counter. The beanie-capped thug waved his gun in the woman's face taunting her, and shoved a packaged muffin into his pocket.
"Stealing this too," he growled bolting out of the door after his companion. He saw something flash by in red and blue picking up his accomplice in a white flash. Startled he tried running the other direction but then he felt something grab his ankle and yank him several feet into the air; dropping him head first into a crate of fruit, causing darkness to envelop him.
"Masked figure foils robbery" newspapers read. People would see the masked wonder soaring through the square saving lives. Rumors of the figure's gender were thrown about.
"It could be a man, it could even be a woman." One said on the news as she stroked her dog's coat reminiscing about seeing the costumed figure.
"Man or woman, doesn't matter but having eight hands... sounds kind of hot." A woman dressed in pure Goth said as she held a cigarette in hand.
However the gender of the hero was soon solved, as some of the witnesses saved would receive notes reading: "Courtesy your friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman". The masked figure now had a gender and a name. Spider- Woman.
"That is no woman! My brother saw her building a nest in the middle of Times Square!" One witness claimed.
"She stinks and I don't like her!" A trucker complained over the broadcasted news while interviewed about what he thought of the costumed individual.
"She raises her hands to the sky and ropes shoot out while she climbs up them." A construction worker stated.
"Everywhere the public seems to be discussing right now is who or what is this Spider-Woman? She's seemed to come from nowhere rescuing people left and right keeping our streets safe. No one has been able to photograph this masked mystery and the witnesses involved have seen only mere glimpses. New York wants to know "Who is Spider-Woman!"
J. Jonah Jameson growled tossing down a tabloid and yelling at one of his employees to turn off the news. "She's a criminal, that's what she is! A vigilante, a public menace! What is she doing on my front page?!" He exclaimed pounding his fist on his desk and yanking up a copy of The Daily Bugle's morning paper. A large cigar hung from his half-open mouth and his bright blue eyes were furrowed in annoyance. He sported an old fashioned flat-top that looked like it resembled something from the forties with a mixed color of black and gray with white creeping ever so slightly in. Sneaky white hairs. The Daily Bugle's editor, Robbie Robertson, stood in front of Jameson's desk frowning not liking Jameson's complaint of the choice for the front page. Hoffman, the advertising manager poked into the office quickly. The whole staff was buzzing around quickly trying to get their work done before the deadline and like the rest of them Hoffman didn't want to deal with Jameson; he'd rather have his teeth pulled without the Novocain than to approach Jonah for a middle ground.
"Mr. Jameson, we have a page six problem," he began, shaking lightly. Jameson jerked his chin up and glared at Hoffman not really caring. "We have a page one problem, shut up!" he snapped. The advertising manager blinked from behind his glasses slightly trying to think of something to say. Robbie found it his time to interject a reply to Jonah's earlier demand.
"She's news, Jonah." He said in his confident and deep voice.
"It's a major account, sir. They can't wait." He said trying to gather confidence for himself.
"They're about to." Jameson said narrowing his eyes, his voice sending a warning of how irritated he was getting.
"She saved six people from a burning building-" Robbie began trying to convince Jonah of the heroic Spider-woman.
"-In a fire she probably started!" He snapped interrupting Robbie. "Something goes wrong and this creepy-crawler always happens to be there. What does that tell you?" He snorted, puffing on his cigar.
"Jonah, she's a hero!" Robbie growled as he reached for the paper and pointed. Jameson didn't bother getting up from his desk and crossed his legs over the wood keeping good eye contact with Robbie. His expression was serious as well as his voice.
"Then why does she wear a mask? What does she have to hide?" Hoffman tried to interject his voice again, wanting to be heard as much as the next man. "We double sold page six. Both Conway and Macy's bought three-quarters of it." He said, hoping that that would impress his superior.
"We sold out all four printings." Robbie said flatly, dropping the paper onto Jameson's desk. That froze Jameson in his spot. His attention went solely to Robbie at that and he took the cigar from his mouth holding it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Sold out?" Hook, line, sinker; Robbie snagged himself a big one. Robbie watched Jameson sitting in his seat, the cogs turning in his mind coming up with ploys, ideas and schemes. All probably including large dollar signs. He placed the cigar back in his mouth and placed his hands out in front of him as if there was a sheet of paper in front of him.
"Spider-Woman, page one, tomorrow!" Caching! "With a decent picture this time, dammit!" He looked over to Hoffman wanting to get the little man out of his office. "Move Conway to page seven."
"There's a problem with page seven."
"Then move them to page eight and tell them we'll give them an extra column inch." He said growling in annoyance.
"We can't do that-" Hoffman said holding up a finger to object.
"Get out of here!" Jameson yelled ready to start throwing objects at Hoffman. Immediately Hoffman nodded and bolted out of the office before Jameson began to make threats of removing Hoffman personally from the office.
"That's the problem, Jonah. We can't get a problem of her. We've had Eddie Brock on the assignment for weeks and no one can even catch a glimpse of her." He said frustrated. Again, Jonah snorted and sarcasm set in thickly.
"Aww...what is she, shy?"
"I don't know, maybe she isn't out for the glory of it. Maybe she feels safer that way, if her photo isn't plastered all over a few dozen newspapers." He said trying to reason with him.
Jonah got out of his chair and began to pace. "If we can get a picture of Julia Roberts in a thong we should certainly be able to get a picture of this nut," he said tossing the paper at Robbie. "Put an ad on the front page: "Cash money for a picture of Spider-Woman". She doesn't want to be famous? Then I'll make her infamous!" He exclaimed with a cruel smile. Robbie was only able to shake his head before he turned his back and left Jameson's office to start on the ad.
Gwen slipped her hand in the figure beside her and rested her head on his shoulder. A bright light flashed as a camera went off, capturing the two on film. A Polaroid of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey was handed to and she slipped the photographer money as she held up the Polaroid. "Peter!" She laughed as she socked him in the arm. In the picture Peter had crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out trying to look as goofy as he possibly could. "You ruined the picture, you brat!" She said glaring at him. He only smiled at her in response with another goofy expression.
"I hate getting my picture taken. Its more trouble than it's worth and it's not like it's actually capturing how I really am. I fear that they are out to steal my soul. Or are you out to steal my soul, Gwen?" He said widening his bright blue eyes with a bit of play.
"No...just your heart." She said as she slipped a couple pale, slender fingers along his cheek. His eyes moved and watched those slender fingers trail along the side of his face. He seemed a little uneasy as she became serious.
"You're not a witch doctor are you?" He asked turning his head to the side trying to lighten the seriousness. He hadn't been seeing Gwen even two weeks and she was already very serious with him.
"Peter!"
"I kid, I kid. You girls nowadays." He grinned. "So," He began, changing the subject. "How goes your new apartment?" I haven't seen it since I went to go visit you and Mary Jane while she was out visiting her aunt. It looked kind of messy the last time I was there. Have you two blown anything up while trying to hook up your speakers, or managed to get by fine?" He smiled as they walked down the sidewalk arm in arm.
"Jerk." She laughed. "Naw, we managed just fine. We've got everything moved in. Mary Jane is hardly home though. I'm beginning to wonder if she's out seeing some bad boy that she's afraid to bring to the apartment or if she's out getting into trouble." She smirked.
"Mary Jane? Getting into trouble? A bad boy? That's not her, she's too shy for that sort of thing." Peter said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, as if you'd know." Gwen said narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Oh come on, she's too responsible for that sort of thing, Gwen."
"Ok, point taken. Sorry." She said pulling herself closer to him wanting to change this subject. "So how did your search for an apartment go, did you find anything good?"
"Well it's more like I found what was affordable for my income." He said truthfully, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed. He felt inadequate that his girlfriend was pretty well off with the help of her uncle and he was floundering by with dead end jobs and a pitiful excuse of an apartment.
"Well you know that you can stay with me as long as you want. You know, get some money together so you don't have to worry about it. I can take care of the rent..." she started looking to him hopefully. Peter frowned and shook his head no.
"Gwen, I can't do that and you know it. You know how I want to make it on my own without asking for a handout. With hard work it'll be worth it. I appreciate the offer though. Besides, I don't think Mary Jane would appreciate me sleeping on your guys' couch." He laughed. Gwen stopped for a moment and almost blurted out 'Who said you'd be sleeping on the couch,' but kept the comment to herself. Instead her managed to say quietly that Mary Jane probably wouldn't mind in the least.
Fired. Again, fired. Mary Jane Watson had just lost another job. This time it was the job working in the lab for Doctor Connors, because she was late for the last time. Connor's didn't want to see her go because he found her a brilliant mind but she was always missing work and he couldn't afford that. Her head pounded as she walked the streets heading home, she wasn't going to cry but boy did she feel like she wanted to. She looked left and right, up and down, expecting something to happen out of nowhere. Bank robbers to emerge with guns, any form of danger ready to take place but nothing happened. That both relieved Mary Jane as well as set her on edge. Continuing on her way she almost missed a familiar person walk past her.
"Hey!" She called out, turning around immediately. It was Peter Parker moving quickly through the area of pedestrians. He had a sports coat on, zipped up to his chin and he seemed a little irritated.
"Buzz off!" He growled not bothering to look back at whoever it was that was calling for him.
"Peter!" She laughed jogging up to him quickly. Peter jerked his head back for a moment and caught sight of Mary Jane running towards him. He stopped and a confused but relieved smile appeared on his face.
"MJ. It's been awhile since I've seen you." He smiled. "What are you doing in this area?" He asked.
The happy smile on her face dissipated for a moment and was replaced with a weak smile. "Begging for a job. What about you, Pete?"
"I'm uh." He ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably for a moment. "Headed for an audition for this new TV show." He said slowly, almost reluctantly. Mary Jane grinned impressed and did a little hop on her toes.
"That's awesome, Peter! You're doing it! Living your dream. I'll bet you'll get it, and then anytime I turn on the television, look there's Peter Parker!" She said getting ahead of herself. Peter paled slightly, the sparkle not in his eyes and he just nodded solemnly. Mary Jane felt confused, thinking that Peter would have been happy right than solemn about such an opportunity. "Hey, what's-" she started saying but the door to the Moondance Café swung open and a sour, bulbous man with dreads walked out angrily gripping a fistful of restaurant checks in his hand.
"Hey, Bruce Willis wannabe! Your drawer is off by six bucks! Next time I'll take it out of your pay, do you get me?" He yelled waving the checks at Peter's back. Peter didn't turn around, acting as if he had no idea who the man was talking to. He merely sucked in his bottom lip and nodded to Mary Jane saying "yep" a lot. "Excuse me! Parker! I'm talking to you! You get me!" He yelled. Peter groaned rolling his eyes and looked over his shoulder for a brief moment.
"Yeah, yeah, Enrique. I get you!" He yelled loud enough for Enrique to hear. Mary Jane frowned as she studied Enrique. 'What a jerk.' She thought. If he continued to badger Peter, she'd be almost overly tempted to rearrange his face, or hang him upside down from the café's roof before the restaurant would be closed that night. 'Keep talking, ya ass, see where it gets you.' She thought again.
"And don't roll your eyes at me," he said before turning away and going back inside the restaurant. 'Ok, that's it.' Mary Jane thought and almost stepped off the curb to walk after him but Peter keeping his head down in humiliation was enough to keep her from chasing after the owner. She reached forward feeling somewhat brave and tilted his chin up for his eyes to meet hers. He gave a bitter smile that could only be seen at the corners of his mouth. He unzipped his sports coat and revealed an ugly reddish-orange café uniform.
"Looks ridiculous doesn't it?" He said softly. "It's just temporary, until I can find something worthwhile, get my acting up in the air." He said trying to avoid her eyes. He couldn't help but keep contact with hers. Staring at her he began wondering when Mary Jane had become so attractive.
"Don't be embarrassed about it, Peter. A job is a job. You have to make ends meat somehow, right? I mean, at least you aren't selling drugs on the street. Then I'd worry."
He smirked at her comment. "Don't tell Gwen, ok?"
"Huh?" She looked puzzled, the color draining from her face. "Don't tell Gwen? What do you mean?"
"She and I are going out, well have been for about a week or two. Hadn't she told you by now? I thought you two lived together." He said looking a little confused himself. Why would Gwen not tell Mary Jane that they were dating?
"Oooh yeah...I can't believe I had forgotten that. I've just been so busy lately that it must have slipped my mind. I forget things so often." She chuckled. However, inside she felt like she had just been backhanded with a brick.
"It's just if she found out I was working here she would think it was kind of low and would probably get some big fancy place to hire me or refuse to let me work here. I mean, she thought my apartment was bad enough, I'd hate to see her reaction to this." He laughed.
Mary Jane half-smiled, she felt betrayed by her best friend but having to be in front of the boy she had loved since she was a child well she had to fake her own acting here. "You do what you can, a job is a job and money is money. Gwen isn't really with reality, she has it a little easier so I don't really think she understands."
Peter smiled and placed a hand down on her shoulder. His fingers absently played with the ends of her hair as his eyes focused on the corners of her mouth suddenly feeling a little self-conscious and couldn't look her in the eyes. "You're good at cheering me up, MJ. Thanks." He spoke to her as softly as he could.
"I'm glad I'm somewhat of a help." She replied. She felt like she was floating away as she stood there with him. 'I wish he'd kiss me...' She began to think. 'Bad, MJ! Bad MJ! He is now Gwen's boyfriend!' Her thoughts stopped her from moving forward to chance it. 'Yeah, but Gwen was a sneaky little bitch when she knew that you liked- no loved Peter.' Mary Jane laughed inwardly at her offensive thoughts, and the calling of Gwen as a 'sneaky little bitch'. 'Friends should come first, Peter chose whether he wanted to date her or not and he chose yes.' That ended her thoughts.
"Well hey I gotta get home, I feel wrecked today. It was great seeing you though, Mary Jane." He smiled and began to walk away.
"Well hey, we should hang out sometime. I'll stop by and have a cup of your 'MoonDance' coffee or something. I won't tell Gwen." She said as she began to walk backwards.
"Yeah, no telling Gwen! For both our nagging sakes!" He laughed and then was gone.
Yeah...hanging Enrique upside down from the roof was looking mighty fine right then. Mary Jane turned around and faced the café. 'Hmm...maybe I can do it just this once.' She thought to herself before she jutted to the alley across the way. 'Fun times ahead, fun times.'
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm beat, turned out longer than I expected.
Reversal Roles: Mary Jane's story
CH 9
It was another one of those mornings-no one could stop their tirade. Their get away car was only a few feet away. No one would suspect a small convenience store to get robbed. The two figures sneered as they robbed the couple behind the counter. The beanie-capped thug waved his gun in the woman's face taunting her, and shoved a packaged muffin into his pocket.
"Stealing this too," he growled bolting out of the door after his companion. He saw something flash by in red and blue picking up his accomplice in a white flash. Startled he tried running the other direction but then he felt something grab his ankle and yank him several feet into the air; dropping him head first into a crate of fruit, causing darkness to envelop him.
"Masked figure foils robbery" newspapers read. People would see the masked wonder soaring through the square saving lives. Rumors of the figure's gender were thrown about.
"It could be a man, it could even be a woman." One said on the news as she stroked her dog's coat reminiscing about seeing the costumed figure.
"Man or woman, doesn't matter but having eight hands... sounds kind of hot." A woman dressed in pure Goth said as she held a cigarette in hand.
However the gender of the hero was soon solved, as some of the witnesses saved would receive notes reading: "Courtesy your friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman". The masked figure now had a gender and a name. Spider- Woman.
"That is no woman! My brother saw her building a nest in the middle of Times Square!" One witness claimed.
"She stinks and I don't like her!" A trucker complained over the broadcasted news while interviewed about what he thought of the costumed individual.
"She raises her hands to the sky and ropes shoot out while she climbs up them." A construction worker stated.
"Everywhere the public seems to be discussing right now is who or what is this Spider-Woman? She's seemed to come from nowhere rescuing people left and right keeping our streets safe. No one has been able to photograph this masked mystery and the witnesses involved have seen only mere glimpses. New York wants to know "Who is Spider-Woman!"
J. Jonah Jameson growled tossing down a tabloid and yelling at one of his employees to turn off the news. "She's a criminal, that's what she is! A vigilante, a public menace! What is she doing on my front page?!" He exclaimed pounding his fist on his desk and yanking up a copy of The Daily Bugle's morning paper. A large cigar hung from his half-open mouth and his bright blue eyes were furrowed in annoyance. He sported an old fashioned flat-top that looked like it resembled something from the forties with a mixed color of black and gray with white creeping ever so slightly in. Sneaky white hairs. The Daily Bugle's editor, Robbie Robertson, stood in front of Jameson's desk frowning not liking Jameson's complaint of the choice for the front page. Hoffman, the advertising manager poked into the office quickly. The whole staff was buzzing around quickly trying to get their work done before the deadline and like the rest of them Hoffman didn't want to deal with Jameson; he'd rather have his teeth pulled without the Novocain than to approach Jonah for a middle ground.
"Mr. Jameson, we have a page six problem," he began, shaking lightly. Jameson jerked his chin up and glared at Hoffman not really caring. "We have a page one problem, shut up!" he snapped. The advertising manager blinked from behind his glasses slightly trying to think of something to say. Robbie found it his time to interject a reply to Jonah's earlier demand.
"She's news, Jonah." He said in his confident and deep voice.
"It's a major account, sir. They can't wait." He said trying to gather confidence for himself.
"They're about to." Jameson said narrowing his eyes, his voice sending a warning of how irritated he was getting.
"She saved six people from a burning building-" Robbie began trying to convince Jonah of the heroic Spider-woman.
"-In a fire she probably started!" He snapped interrupting Robbie. "Something goes wrong and this creepy-crawler always happens to be there. What does that tell you?" He snorted, puffing on his cigar.
"Jonah, she's a hero!" Robbie growled as he reached for the paper and pointed. Jameson didn't bother getting up from his desk and crossed his legs over the wood keeping good eye contact with Robbie. His expression was serious as well as his voice.
"Then why does she wear a mask? What does she have to hide?" Hoffman tried to interject his voice again, wanting to be heard as much as the next man. "We double sold page six. Both Conway and Macy's bought three-quarters of it." He said, hoping that that would impress his superior.
"We sold out all four printings." Robbie said flatly, dropping the paper onto Jameson's desk. That froze Jameson in his spot. His attention went solely to Robbie at that and he took the cigar from his mouth holding it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Sold out?" Hook, line, sinker; Robbie snagged himself a big one. Robbie watched Jameson sitting in his seat, the cogs turning in his mind coming up with ploys, ideas and schemes. All probably including large dollar signs. He placed the cigar back in his mouth and placed his hands out in front of him as if there was a sheet of paper in front of him.
"Spider-Woman, page one, tomorrow!" Caching! "With a decent picture this time, dammit!" He looked over to Hoffman wanting to get the little man out of his office. "Move Conway to page seven."
"There's a problem with page seven."
"Then move them to page eight and tell them we'll give them an extra column inch." He said growling in annoyance.
"We can't do that-" Hoffman said holding up a finger to object.
"Get out of here!" Jameson yelled ready to start throwing objects at Hoffman. Immediately Hoffman nodded and bolted out of the office before Jameson began to make threats of removing Hoffman personally from the office.
"That's the problem, Jonah. We can't get a problem of her. We've had Eddie Brock on the assignment for weeks and no one can even catch a glimpse of her." He said frustrated. Again, Jonah snorted and sarcasm set in thickly.
"Aww...what is she, shy?"
"I don't know, maybe she isn't out for the glory of it. Maybe she feels safer that way, if her photo isn't plastered all over a few dozen newspapers." He said trying to reason with him.
Jonah got out of his chair and began to pace. "If we can get a picture of Julia Roberts in a thong we should certainly be able to get a picture of this nut," he said tossing the paper at Robbie. "Put an ad on the front page: "Cash money for a picture of Spider-Woman". She doesn't want to be famous? Then I'll make her infamous!" He exclaimed with a cruel smile. Robbie was only able to shake his head before he turned his back and left Jameson's office to start on the ad.
Gwen slipped her hand in the figure beside her and rested her head on his shoulder. A bright light flashed as a camera went off, capturing the two on film. A Polaroid of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey was handed to and she slipped the photographer money as she held up the Polaroid. "Peter!" She laughed as she socked him in the arm. In the picture Peter had crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out trying to look as goofy as he possibly could. "You ruined the picture, you brat!" She said glaring at him. He only smiled at her in response with another goofy expression.
"I hate getting my picture taken. Its more trouble than it's worth and it's not like it's actually capturing how I really am. I fear that they are out to steal my soul. Or are you out to steal my soul, Gwen?" He said widening his bright blue eyes with a bit of play.
"No...just your heart." She said as she slipped a couple pale, slender fingers along his cheek. His eyes moved and watched those slender fingers trail along the side of his face. He seemed a little uneasy as she became serious.
"You're not a witch doctor are you?" He asked turning his head to the side trying to lighten the seriousness. He hadn't been seeing Gwen even two weeks and she was already very serious with him.
"Peter!"
"I kid, I kid. You girls nowadays." He grinned. "So," He began, changing the subject. "How goes your new apartment?" I haven't seen it since I went to go visit you and Mary Jane while she was out visiting her aunt. It looked kind of messy the last time I was there. Have you two blown anything up while trying to hook up your speakers, or managed to get by fine?" He smiled as they walked down the sidewalk arm in arm.
"Jerk." She laughed. "Naw, we managed just fine. We've got everything moved in. Mary Jane is hardly home though. I'm beginning to wonder if she's out seeing some bad boy that she's afraid to bring to the apartment or if she's out getting into trouble." She smirked.
"Mary Jane? Getting into trouble? A bad boy? That's not her, she's too shy for that sort of thing." Peter said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, as if you'd know." Gwen said narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Oh come on, she's too responsible for that sort of thing, Gwen."
"Ok, point taken. Sorry." She said pulling herself closer to him wanting to change this subject. "So how did your search for an apartment go, did you find anything good?"
"Well it's more like I found what was affordable for my income." He said truthfully, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed. He felt inadequate that his girlfriend was pretty well off with the help of her uncle and he was floundering by with dead end jobs and a pitiful excuse of an apartment.
"Well you know that you can stay with me as long as you want. You know, get some money together so you don't have to worry about it. I can take care of the rent..." she started looking to him hopefully. Peter frowned and shook his head no.
"Gwen, I can't do that and you know it. You know how I want to make it on my own without asking for a handout. With hard work it'll be worth it. I appreciate the offer though. Besides, I don't think Mary Jane would appreciate me sleeping on your guys' couch." He laughed. Gwen stopped for a moment and almost blurted out 'Who said you'd be sleeping on the couch,' but kept the comment to herself. Instead her managed to say quietly that Mary Jane probably wouldn't mind in the least.
Fired. Again, fired. Mary Jane Watson had just lost another job. This time it was the job working in the lab for Doctor Connors, because she was late for the last time. Connor's didn't want to see her go because he found her a brilliant mind but she was always missing work and he couldn't afford that. Her head pounded as she walked the streets heading home, she wasn't going to cry but boy did she feel like she wanted to. She looked left and right, up and down, expecting something to happen out of nowhere. Bank robbers to emerge with guns, any form of danger ready to take place but nothing happened. That both relieved Mary Jane as well as set her on edge. Continuing on her way she almost missed a familiar person walk past her.
"Hey!" She called out, turning around immediately. It was Peter Parker moving quickly through the area of pedestrians. He had a sports coat on, zipped up to his chin and he seemed a little irritated.
"Buzz off!" He growled not bothering to look back at whoever it was that was calling for him.
"Peter!" She laughed jogging up to him quickly. Peter jerked his head back for a moment and caught sight of Mary Jane running towards him. He stopped and a confused but relieved smile appeared on his face.
"MJ. It's been awhile since I've seen you." He smiled. "What are you doing in this area?" He asked.
The happy smile on her face dissipated for a moment and was replaced with a weak smile. "Begging for a job. What about you, Pete?"
"I'm uh." He ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably for a moment. "Headed for an audition for this new TV show." He said slowly, almost reluctantly. Mary Jane grinned impressed and did a little hop on her toes.
"That's awesome, Peter! You're doing it! Living your dream. I'll bet you'll get it, and then anytime I turn on the television, look there's Peter Parker!" She said getting ahead of herself. Peter paled slightly, the sparkle not in his eyes and he just nodded solemnly. Mary Jane felt confused, thinking that Peter would have been happy right than solemn about such an opportunity. "Hey, what's-" she started saying but the door to the Moondance Café swung open and a sour, bulbous man with dreads walked out angrily gripping a fistful of restaurant checks in his hand.
"Hey, Bruce Willis wannabe! Your drawer is off by six bucks! Next time I'll take it out of your pay, do you get me?" He yelled waving the checks at Peter's back. Peter didn't turn around, acting as if he had no idea who the man was talking to. He merely sucked in his bottom lip and nodded to Mary Jane saying "yep" a lot. "Excuse me! Parker! I'm talking to you! You get me!" He yelled. Peter groaned rolling his eyes and looked over his shoulder for a brief moment.
"Yeah, yeah, Enrique. I get you!" He yelled loud enough for Enrique to hear. Mary Jane frowned as she studied Enrique. 'What a jerk.' She thought. If he continued to badger Peter, she'd be almost overly tempted to rearrange his face, or hang him upside down from the café's roof before the restaurant would be closed that night. 'Keep talking, ya ass, see where it gets you.' She thought again.
"And don't roll your eyes at me," he said before turning away and going back inside the restaurant. 'Ok, that's it.' Mary Jane thought and almost stepped off the curb to walk after him but Peter keeping his head down in humiliation was enough to keep her from chasing after the owner. She reached forward feeling somewhat brave and tilted his chin up for his eyes to meet hers. He gave a bitter smile that could only be seen at the corners of his mouth. He unzipped his sports coat and revealed an ugly reddish-orange café uniform.
"Looks ridiculous doesn't it?" He said softly. "It's just temporary, until I can find something worthwhile, get my acting up in the air." He said trying to avoid her eyes. He couldn't help but keep contact with hers. Staring at her he began wondering when Mary Jane had become so attractive.
"Don't be embarrassed about it, Peter. A job is a job. You have to make ends meat somehow, right? I mean, at least you aren't selling drugs on the street. Then I'd worry."
He smirked at her comment. "Don't tell Gwen, ok?"
"Huh?" She looked puzzled, the color draining from her face. "Don't tell Gwen? What do you mean?"
"She and I are going out, well have been for about a week or two. Hadn't she told you by now? I thought you two lived together." He said looking a little confused himself. Why would Gwen not tell Mary Jane that they were dating?
"Oooh yeah...I can't believe I had forgotten that. I've just been so busy lately that it must have slipped my mind. I forget things so often." She chuckled. However, inside she felt like she had just been backhanded with a brick.
"It's just if she found out I was working here she would think it was kind of low and would probably get some big fancy place to hire me or refuse to let me work here. I mean, she thought my apartment was bad enough, I'd hate to see her reaction to this." He laughed.
Mary Jane half-smiled, she felt betrayed by her best friend but having to be in front of the boy she had loved since she was a child well she had to fake her own acting here. "You do what you can, a job is a job and money is money. Gwen isn't really with reality, she has it a little easier so I don't really think she understands."
Peter smiled and placed a hand down on her shoulder. His fingers absently played with the ends of her hair as his eyes focused on the corners of her mouth suddenly feeling a little self-conscious and couldn't look her in the eyes. "You're good at cheering me up, MJ. Thanks." He spoke to her as softly as he could.
"I'm glad I'm somewhat of a help." She replied. She felt like she was floating away as she stood there with him. 'I wish he'd kiss me...' She began to think. 'Bad, MJ! Bad MJ! He is now Gwen's boyfriend!' Her thoughts stopped her from moving forward to chance it. 'Yeah, but Gwen was a sneaky little bitch when she knew that you liked- no loved Peter.' Mary Jane laughed inwardly at her offensive thoughts, and the calling of Gwen as a 'sneaky little bitch'. 'Friends should come first, Peter chose whether he wanted to date her or not and he chose yes.' That ended her thoughts.
"Well hey I gotta get home, I feel wrecked today. It was great seeing you though, Mary Jane." He smiled and began to walk away.
"Well hey, we should hang out sometime. I'll stop by and have a cup of your 'MoonDance' coffee or something. I won't tell Gwen." She said as she began to walk backwards.
"Yeah, no telling Gwen! For both our nagging sakes!" He laughed and then was gone.
Yeah...hanging Enrique upside down from the roof was looking mighty fine right then. Mary Jane turned around and faced the café. 'Hmm...maybe I can do it just this once.' She thought to herself before she jutted to the alley across the way. 'Fun times ahead, fun times.'
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm beat, turned out longer than I expected.