For the fist time in a very, very long time, Peter Parker felt safe. Though the truth was inevitable, he felt like an average school kid. He loved being surrounded by banners and lockers and jocks and hallways and cafeteria screams. It made him feel safe. Somehow, it made him feel safe.

Peter Parker ran right to Amanda when his study hall period started. He didn't care about study hall. No one did, really. Amanda was at her locker, packing in some textbooks she used for the period before. She loved English class. That was one of Peter's least favorite subjects.

"Amanda!"

"Peter! Hey, how are you?" She said, slamming her locker shut. The sound echoed in the almost-empty hallway,

"How's your mother?"

"Awake, thank God. I'm sorry I got a little crazy on the phone."

"No, no. I…uh…I talked with Spider-Man a day or so ago."

"Really?" she said in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah, I did. I told him…about…you know."

"What did that creep say?"

"He…uh…he told me to tell you he was sorry. He was really sorry. And that…uh…he'd go visit your mom in the hospital, but it'd be too weird for the staff there. He tired to send her flowers, but the store laughed at him when he signed the card 'from Spider-Man'."

Amanda smiled weakly. "He was gonna send flowers?"

"Yeah. So instead, he gave me this to give to you."

"Why'd he give it to you?" She asked, taking the folded piece of pink paper.

"He knows I like you."

She stopped. "Really? You…what?"

Peter patted her on the shoulder. "Yeah. Tell your mom I said I hope she feels a lot better. I'll try to come up and visit her."

Amanda clutched the note as Peter walked down the hallway. She opened it up frantically once he was out of sight. It was very wrinkled and the typed font had smudged in a few places. She held it out and read it.

"To Amanda Wells and her Mom,

I can't tell you how sorry I am. I should've helped you, Mrs. Wells, when you were being mugged. And, Amanda, I didn't mean to stalk you. It just happened. You live close to the Parker kid, so I mean, I was in the neighborhood. I'm sorry about that, too.

When I saw you, Mrs. Wells, I was already preoccupied with this serious bad guy named Venom. I' m sure you've heard of him. He was going to attack someone very close to me, or at least somewhat close to me, and I had to stop him. When I saw you…and then I saw Venom…I went after him. I keep forgetting that it's people like you that got me into this whole superhero thing, that I did this to help normal people like you.. It's not only supervillains I have to worry about, and I forget that sometimes. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know I'm really sorry. And, I'm not sure if Parker told you this, but I would visit you in the hospital if I could.

Sorry, again. Feel Better,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man"

Amanda held the note close. Maybe Spider-Man wasn't such a bad guy after all. He seems funny…

"Hey, Harry! What's up?"

Harry Osborn, the rich kid at Midtown High, waltzed over. Amanda, still being the new kid at Midtown High, wasn't aware that Harry was a zillionaire.

"Nothing, Amanda. Walking around."

"Cool."

"You?"

"Nothing either. Hey, what do you think about Spider-Man?" She asked him.

"Why?"

"I dunno." She sighed.

"He's weird. Mad weird. And I don't like him."

"I dunno…he is weird, though."

"Have you seen Peter Parker around?" He asked her, his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah. I think he has study hall." She responded.

"I wonder where he's been. I haven't seen him lately."

"He's busy with Spider-Man. The whole taking pictures thing."

"At the Bugle?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. You know, I've always wanted to be a reporter there."

"Cool." He shrugged. Harry Osborn wasn't used to long conversations.

"My mom's best friend, Betty Brant, works at that place. Wanna go? She can give us a tour or something. She always promised to."

"Why not. I'm bored as heck after school. Let's get Mary Jane to come, too. She loves to rant on Jameson."

"She knows him?"

Harry Osborn smiled. "We'll find out."