'I'm slipping off the edge, I'm hanging by a thread, I wanna start this over again.'

How Could This Happen to Me by Simple Plan

It had been two weeks since the funeral. Peter had started going to school again, and it made May happy to see Peter going back into routine. He hasn't picked up Spider-Man again, but baby steps. He was taking baby steps.

That being said, when Peter came back that first Friday, depositing his report card on the counter, and grabbed a glass of water, she was more fixed on the dark circles under his eyes and the red around them then their conversation. He had definitely cried that day.

As soon as he went up the stairs, she opened his report card, and read off the the grades under her breath. History was a A+, English was a A+, Spanish was a A+. 'That was normal.' She smiled, but as she got down, she sighed. Of course his pre-calculus and chemistry were in the B's. The two subjects he had gotten help with at the compound.

She knew that she shouldn't push him. When Ben died, his grades completely plunged into the D's cause he was usually the one who helped him with his homework. She eventually was able to help him with some of it, and then Tony stepped in, and Peter started taking his homework with him there.

She really didn't want to have a talk of "honey, you need to work on this", after all, every kid gets B's...But not Peter. This wasn't Peter. She was gonna have to talk to him. This was not gonna go well.

••••••••••••••

She smiled as her nephew descend down the stairs while she was paying the Postmates for the Thai takeout.

When he left, she and Peter went to the couch, opening the boxes while she turned on a rerun of Parks and Recreation. Their normal Friday routine.

"How was school, kiddo?" May asked, trying to ease her way into the talk about the grades, hoping he would admit to the classes kicking his butt.

"It went well." Peter spoke, shoveling food into his mouth, and May couldn't help but sigh, which concerned her nephew. "Is something wrong?"

'Now or never.' May thought, taking a deep breath. "I know about the grades. You're getting B's in chemistry and pre calculus. Honey, you don't get B's."

"Do we have to talk about this?" He asked, the slightest sound of anger lacing his voice.

"Yes, Peter. We have to talk about this. You're my nephew, and I'm worried about you."

"Why? Cause it's been two weeks?" Peter replied bitterly, slamming the box on the table before standing up. "Cause you just want everything to go back to normal? It's not gonna go back to fucking normal! I'm overwhelmed, and tired of everyone asking if I'm okay! I'm not okay! Who the hell is gonna be okay?!"

"Peter, you need to calm down. We can talk about this without you yelling." May insisted, gently putting her hands around his wrists, seeing that his hands were already balled into fists. "You're gonna sit down, and you are not going to hit me, or anything in this room. Okay?"

Peter nodded, the anger disappearing from his face, and the tears starting to fill his eyes as he sat back down, unclenching his fists while she gently put her hand on his shoulder, wiping away the first few tears with her thumb.

"I-I just want everything to stop..."

"I know. I know." May offered, moving her hand from his cheek to run her fingers through his curly hair. "I know."