Author's Note: Hello, Fanfiction! I realize many of you have been waiting for another chapter, so I'm proud to say that here it is! Once again, I haven't been able to nail down the story and where I want it to go so I took a bit of a break to readjust some things before continuing. If anything, I'm happy I'm thinking ahead instead of being a pantser. Now that I'm back, I can say I'm both excited to share this chapter with you and very nostalgic for it! Seriously, the prospect of homecoming week takes me back to simpler times when nothing besides my school and friends mattered. I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy it, readers!
Peter spent much of homecoming week getting pumped up for the funnest activities the school had to offer. The theme days that consumed the week were just preparation for what was to come. With what the committee had already set in motion by that point, things were bound to consummate in a day full of fun by the end. Peter had all the time in the world to embrace being this young because he knew he could never get it back.
As much as he wished it were possible, he could no longer get Uncle Ben back. Even so, he learned his lesson the hard way.
On Wednesday - "Celebrity Day" - Peter in his Brad Pitt-inspired getup made way down the school hall through the sea of students dressed in celebrity styles. Having yet to find Gwen, he aimed for the locker of Liz Allan whose face was hidden well behind the door. Peering over his sunglasses, he cleared his throat and willed himself to do the best Brad Pitt impression he could.
"Hey there, Liz," he said in a deep, manly voice. "Meet me, I'm Brad!"
As if on queue, Liz peered around her locker door, revealing her pink hair accompanied by an overdone makeup combination. Distracted by her purple eyeshadow, cyan lipstick, and pink rouge on her cheeks, Peter barely noticed she said, "Hey, Brad! Call me Nicki!"
Peter blinked. "Whoa, hold up! You mean, you're the Nicki Minaj? Are you serious?" he asked in his normal voice.
"Yep, and proud of it!" she declared. "This look may draw a lot of attention, but it's nothing to worry about. Besides, you're just the person I needed to see."
"Alright then! What's up?"
"Well, the dance is only two days away and-"
"Gwen asked me and I accepted if you were wondering," he interrupted.
"Relax, I wasn't going to ask you, silly," she said, shutting her locker. "I'm already going with Flash. All I needed was your opinion on something for the dance."
"Alright, lay it on me!"
"Well, as far as budgeting, we have enough money for at least one more fancy addition to the dancefloor, but I'm torn on what to pick."
"What are the options?" Peter asked as Liz shut her locker.
"Well, there's a food table, something to pack refreshments, a disco ball to glamorize the place, and a game table in case we wanna play cards or something. You've been an excellent decision maker throughout this homecoming season. Care to help me choose?"
Peter mulled over the few choices she gave him and tried to imagine what would attract the best audience. The food table sounded refreshing - no pun intended - but the game table might have been a tad distracting. If that were the case, then maybe whatever he chose shouldn't detract from the dance, but add to it.
"I reckon that disco ball might add a bit of flare to the gym in the low light," Peter ultimately decided.
"If you say so, then I'll go ahead and buy that! And Petey…"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being such a noble sport!" she complimented. "It helps to have bright minds like you and Gwen on the committee."
"Don't mention it, Liz. I'll be happy to help, anytime!"
Liz smiled, her rosy cheeks blushing with immense redness. Judging by this alone, Peter could actually take her seriously in all the Nicki Minaj makeup. Still, even Spider Sense couldn't prepare him for the large footsteps marching toward Liz in that moment.
"Back off, Brad Pitt!" Flash exclaimed, snatching Liz. "You do realize that's my girl you're talking to?"
"Easy, Flash," Peter eased. "She just asked for my opinion on something. So what if I'm Brad Pitt today? It's not like all the ladies are after me."
"Even if you're Brad Pitt, you've still got no excuse to get your geek sweat all over her," Flash demanded, leading Liz away from the locker. Just as they were almost out of ear shot, Flash - who had worn nothing, but his Tigers hoodie and sweats - turned to make one final comment. "And don't even comment on how I'm not a celebrity today. The Flash is a celebrity in my eyes!"
And with that, Flash disappeared into the crowd, his blonde hair and sick looks out of Peter's sight. No bullying, no snide remarks… Perhaps homecoming week is turning Flash a little softer. Still, I can't count on that to define him the rest of the year.
As Peter went throughout the next few days, the excitement became stronger for him and the student body as they prepared for the culminating events. Acting as Marty McFly on Movie Day was a dream come true for him; much to everyone's amusement, he acted like he had traveled from the year nineteen eighty-five and was confused about where to go in the school. Though from a different universe, Gwen, dressed as Harry Potter's Hermione Granger, managed to maintain her excellent chemistry with Peter by acting like she was annoyed yet endeared by Peter's performance. For them it was a crossover no one asked for. To everyone else, it was a humorous roleplay that came to life.
Later that evening, the two of them attended the homecoming committee one final time to report to Liz and brush up on the remaining things they had left to do. Since the pep rally was the next day, they had to do some last minute tweaking to the scheduling and setup for the gym. Moreover, they helped the mysterious mascot person try on the costume so that they could determine it fit - Peter and Gwen didn't see his/her face, but they assumed they must have been having fun despite the warmness of the inside. Liz even brought in the cheer squad to choreograph their routine so that they could get a feel for what they were doing. However, Liz herself was not quite fully recovered and would have to remain on the ground for much of the act, her leg still in a brace. Regardless, Liz remained her cheery, somewhat stern self in hopes to get everything right for the next day.
Following their final committee meeting, Peter and Gwen walked outside the school together, Peter smiling at her with the intention of saying something kind.
"You know, Gwen, I'm really happy you decided to come along with me for committee business. You really gave it your all to make Liz proud. For once, a popular person actually appreciated us. Great job!" Peter complimented, holding up a high five.
With an exciting force, Gwen returned his high five. "It was no problem," Gwen stated humbly. "I know I was hesitant at first, but you really showed me a good time. If you hadn't convinced me, I probably would have just seen this week as another average homecoming. But you made it fun, so thanks!"
"Any time!" Peter returned. "Now what do you say we find out who the homecoming king and queen are this year? You know, come back for the coronation later?"
Gwen gave a disconcerted look. "I'm really not sure," she said, uncertain. "I have a lot of homework and would rather get that done than have to worry about it all weekend."
Peter, though taken slightly aback, decided maybe it was for the better. "Maybe you're right," he admitted. "Wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise before the game, I guess. Besides, if you wanted, I could join you to work on homework. Whatcha say?"
"Not sure about tonight. See, my mom's also going to help me pick out a dress for the homecoming dance and I feel maybe you shouldn't be there. Wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise, right?"
"Right," Peter submitted. "I'm guessing that'll be one hell of a surprise when I see that tomorrow, am I right?"
"Of course!"
"Awesome! And Gwen?"
They stopped at the sidewalk in front of the school, turning to face each other. "Yeah?" she inquired.
"I hope everything's okay and that you're not avoiding me tonight for any bad reasons. I really have been putting in the effort to be there… For you when I can and… I just hope you've been noticing."
"No worries, Pete," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You've been doing a great job being present and to that I must commend you. It's a step in the right direction!"
"Glad you noticed!" Peter exclaimed. "Now, if you don't mind, I think Aunt May's picking me up behind the school so I gotta run!"
"Alright then. See you tomorrow for sure!" she stated, patting him playfully.
The two smiled and exchanged farewells before Peter turned around, grinning happily to himself for how well this was going. "Yes!" he exclaimed under his breath, scooping up the air around him. For once in his life, things were going right now that Spider-Man escapades didn't have to be a priority.
The following day, Peter and his friends decked out in eighties fashion and hairstyles, reflecting the cast of eighties sitcoms as well as pop stars. While Peter and Harry wore generic eighties wardrobes and hairstyles, Gwen styled herself after Madonna while MJ reflected the looks of Mindy Cohn's character in The Facts of Life. Seeing the whole school step back an entire three decades was enough to give Peter and company a reflection of what high school life would have been like for most of their parents.
Parents. If only Peter still had his.
Choosing not to dwell too hard on the unresolved things of his childhood, Peter willed himself to remain in the present. He did not want anything to spoil these precious moments.
Later on, the Midtown Tigers indoor gym pep rally sought to pump the entire school up for the game and homecoming; for Peter nothing could have been more exciting. The cheering crowd got pumped as Peter watched the cheer squad perform their routine whilst the pep band played music and the mysterious mascot person danced with them. The cheerleaders were just as lovely and energetic - plus Liz was back in it in spite of her booted knee. And what's more is that Peter had a hand in putting it together. His time on the committee was paying off in more ways than one. Something about seeing Liz do simple, non-flexible dances and routines was rather humbling as it made him remember when he was around three years old and played tee-ball in spite of a broken collar bone. Thanks to spider powers, though, it seemed like broken bones were a thing of the past. At least for all he cared.
Once the female student council leader announced how great it was for the school to be present, Liz took the mic and gave her speech on her role in all of this.
"How's it going, Midtown High?!" she asked loudly into the mic.
The crowd cheered excitedly, Peter joining, hoping he could hear his friends across the way.
"Awesome! I would probably not be functioning today were it not for the miracles of modern medicine. If anything, I am proud to announce that everything you're seeing here and experiencing this week would not have been possible without me and my awesome homecoming committee members. We've put a lot of hard work into getting this off the ground and are glad a majority of you are coming to the game and dance tonight!"
Once more, the crowd went into an uproar.
"Before I get onto the important stuff, can I ask that all of my trusty committee members stand up and make yourselves known?" Liz continued.
Peter watched as the other committee members stood up across the bleachers and awkwardly did so himself. He listened as the abundance of cheers swarmed around him, taking in the applause, which reminded him of the time he appeared on TV as a wrestler in his early days of Spider-Man. Though the excitement of the moment still remained as fresh as it was then, he now dealt with the added trauma of what happened afterward.
He shook himself out of the past and attempted to distract himself, scanning for Gwen who was, no doubt, with her class standing up with at least one or two other members. Staring down the way, her and Peter's eyes met and they smiled at one another, winking their direction. It was a magical moment for both of them as they thought they'd never be able to find each other.
"Thank you to all you kind people for your excellent work!" Liz followed. "Be proud that you've contributed something to your school!"
Peter then sat down, proud to have received yet another standing ovation in his young life. He listened as Liz continued on in her speech about what she was hoping to let happen in the game and dance later on. As much as he wished he would receive that kind of recognition as Spider-Man, if and when he would continue, he was still glad to receive it as Peter Parker. Nothing could compare to the homecoming thrills he was experiencing.
Later on, the game took place at Midtown's home field against the Bronx Tech donkeys, returning everyone to the school. Unlike the eighties fashion earlier, this time everyone was decked out in enough spirit wear to fill a hundred used clothes bins in a homeless shelter. Naturally, Peter and his company knew they must attend whether or not Flash wanted them there or not - then again, Mr. Thompson would at least accept the presence of Harry and MJ regardless of if Peter and Gwen were there with them.
The first half of the game involved the away team scoring the first couple points, discouraging some people, but allowing the cheerleaders to pump everybody up to a point where they would be certain their team would not yield on the field. Like before, Peter's cheering volume came naturally, but only with Gwen and MJ's encouragement as he was still hesitant to make his voice known as himself. Regardless, the next few minutes were some of the most thrilling in high school football game history.
As if following the playbook to the tee, the team cooperated well to get the ball across the field, Rand tossing the ball to Flash whenever the latter was open. He once managed to get halfway across the field until they were in the endzone, Kong diving into home in order to score the point. The Midtown Tigers succeeded in the following kick, rendering the whole game tied.
In a spectacular series of maneuvers, Flash managed to snag an interference the following quarter, leaving the ball with Midtown once more as they wracked up their score before it ended. The cheerleaders were louder and more animated than ever - save for Liz - as they pumped the crowd up for the final few minutes of the first half. This ultimately gave Midtown the advantage with a fourteen point lead following the timer.
At halftime, the homecoming king and queen candidates took the field, at least one or two of them amongst the football players and cheerleaders respectively. As Flash predicted, his comrade/partner in crime, Kenny Kong, managed to score the title of homecoming king, the big guy throwing his helmet down in exchange for his crown as soon as it was announced. Though many saw it the previous night, Peter was pleasantly surprised that, of all the people to receive the title of homecoming queen, Kong's girlfriend, Glory Grant, obtained it just as Flash also supported. The couple stood amazed as they stood together on the field, Peter watching as they basked in the honor of having these titles prior to leaving high school. Although they wouldn't matter in the long run, it was still nice to have the recognition before their departure later that year.
As if the game couldn't have gotten any better, Midtown maintained the lead by a landslide the following half of the game and took the victory. Excitedly, the crowd of students took the field, running up to congratulate everyone including Flash who got a sports drink dumped onto him despite the chill of the night. Meanwhile, Peter, Gwen, MJ, and Harry hung back with other students who could have cared less, not bothering to bother Flash in his grand moment of pride for the year.
"Another victory in the books!" Harry noted.
"Couldn't have done it without your cheering, Harr-bear," MJ commented, patting him on the back.
"I suppose we should split and meet back at your place later?" Gwen asked Peter.
"Sure, I mean, Aunt May was planning on taking all of our pictures after all," Peter agreed before turning to Harry. "Harry, wanna go get ready for the dance at my place?"
"Sure thing, man!" he exclaimed before turning to the girls. "You girls take MJ's car back to Gwen's place. Sounds good?"
"That's the plan, Harry," Gwen affirmed.
And, with that, the pod split into two, girls in one car, guys in the other. Peter could not wait to see how his prospective girlfriend would look just as much as she probably couldn't wait to see how handsome he would turn out. Hopefully, they would have the time of their lives.
Upon arriving at the Stacy apartment, the girls strolled past Mrs. Stacy folding laundry while watching TV. MJ carried her dress in a bag as she and Gwen casually said hello and conversed briefly with Helen before they then disappeared into Gwen's room for a little "girl time". Exciting as tonight's affairs would be, Gwen had a lot to tell MJ given how busy the latter had been in her photojournalist pursuits the last few weeks. This limited time they had to talk and be girls together was much needed in Gwen's eyes.
"I meant to ask earlier, but how have things been going with your photojournalist pursuits lately?" Gwen prompted as they entered her room.
"It's been a lot of hard work, but I've been getting a lot more into the school paper recently," MJ recounted setting her purse down on Gwen's dresser. "I've had to set aside a lot of time to write articles for mine and others' pictures that I haven't had enough time to see friends besides Harry so I apologize for not getting back to you in a while."
"It's alright," Gwen affirmed. "I've been busy myself. Between looking for colleges and attending the homecoming committee with Peter, I've been a busy bee, but also a happy camper all at once."
"That's a lot of fun," MJ commented, taking a seat on Gwen's bed. "How do you feel about having done that?"
"It's really helped me push my boundaries more," Gwen continued as she sat down next to her. "Earlier this year, I was almost terrified of engaging in social situations like Flash's party and attempting to fit in with the 'in crowd'. But now, Peter and I have the approval of Liz Allan even though her boyfriend's still a total jerkass."
"Liz is cool, but Flash not so much."
"Tell me about it. We've only been putting up with his antics since the beginning of high school."
"Just another year of ignoring his ass ahead of us. Better strap yourselves in!"
Gwen giggled. "MJ, you're too funny sometimes!" she exclaimed, playfully nudging her.
"Thanks!" MJ said, pausing to look down. "So, sister, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well," Gwen started shyly. "You might not be surprised to know it's about Peter."
"Is he giving you the cold shoulder again?"
"Not at all! In fact, he's the opposite; he's been there for me completely these last few weeks so much that I asked him to homecoming and, well you know the rest. And I must say, it's been a blast!"
"That's great! I'm glad things are working out for you two."
"Me too! Still, what if something happens and he does it again? Would it be better for me to let him go or put my foot down?"
MJ scratched her smooth chin and took a moment to process her words. "I'd go with the latter if I were you."
"Huh?"
"That stuff he did at the party and the football game, I'm sure he didn't mean it personally. If he were to do it again, I'd just let him know why it bothers you and make him promise not to do it. I wouldn't break off with Harry for petty reasons and neither should you with Peter. I'd even love to see where this goes."
Gwen nodded and smiled, hopeful MJ knew what she was saying. Tempting as it was for her to break off with Peter, she had her reasons as to not end it immediately.
"I'm just as excited as you are," Gwen agreed. "And if we're gonna make it a good one tonight, first off we gotta dress to impress!"
"You said it, sister," MJ affirmed, giving her a fist bump. "Got your dress picked out and everything?"
"Sure do! One second."
She got up and strode to her closet, opening the double doors wide open. Picking through hangars, she made space for her to remove the specially marked dress she had picked out next to her high heels she borrowed from her mom. Once she turned around, she held up a short flared sky blue dress with a sweetheart bodice to her body, her shoes in her other hand. She presented them before MJ as a seal of approval.
"What do you think of this dress with these shoes?" she inquired.
MJ held a finger to her chin and gave a thumbs up. "I think you'll look perfect in that, sister," she approved. "You'll be turning heads no doubt!"
"Thank you! Can't wait to see what yours looks like on you. Did you hide it in the trunk for a reason?"
"Of course! Didn't wanna spoil my look for Harry. He likes being surprised."
"I see. Well, in that case, let's go try these on, do our makeup, and head over to Peter's place!"
MJ agreed with her "sister" as Gwen strolled out of her room, shutting the door behind her for MJ's privacy.
Upon entering the adjacent restroom, Gwen spent the next few minutes throwing off her clothes, putting on her dress, and strapping herself into her mom's flat bottomed heels. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, making kissy faces and peace signs while admiring her own beauty and figure. Shimmering like the bright blue sky, she knew she was going to get a "You're pretty" compliment from Peter no doubt. Dolling herself up further, she brushed her hair to straighten it, applied a decent amount of makeup to cover any blemishes, and put on some lip gloss in case the night got any more special than it already felt - that being, she would kiss Peter.
Above all else, she hoped that would come to pass.
She exited the restroom, knocking on her door to check on MJ who opened the door right away, revealing her curled hair and elegant dress. Without saying a word, MJ twirled about in her flared black dress with a red sash tied to her waist. While spinning, she held one side of her dress to present herself as girly as possible. Her black thin heels stood her taller, making her appear confident as ever.
"What do you think of me now, sister?" she asked playfully upon completing her twirl.
"You're so pretty, not even the cheerleaders could compete," Gwen affirmed.
"And so are you," MJ returned. "Now what do you say we go wow our dates before it gets too late?"
"I say, let's do it!" exclaimed Gwen, punching the air.
The girls grabbed their purses and strolled back into the living room where Gwen's mom couldn't help, but stare at the beauty of her daughter and her friend.
"My, you two look absolutely marvelous!" Helen exclaimed. "Harry and Peter will be so stunned they won't know what hit them!"
"Thanks, mom! You're too kind," said Gwen.
"Now don't let me keep you," said Mrs. Stacy. "You all go have fun!"
"Will do, Mrs. Stacy!" MJ affirmed.
And, with that, they walked out the door, down the hallway towards the stairs, down the stairs to the lobby, and out the door to where MJ's car was parked. The night breeze slowly cooled things down, threatening to freeze their bare legs, but hopefully nothing would get that bad tonight. In fact, Gwen remained confident this would be the most magical night of her young life.
Up next, we'll finally experience the most anticipated moment, Peter's homecoming dance! Until then, feel free to leave reviews/suggestions and I'll see you all in the next chapter!