Hello! :D

Here you guys go. Another chapter. Thank you SO MUCH for your reviews! I so appreciate every one.

Thanks!

-Homey

Disclaimer: Peter Parker doesn't belong to me. I wish the Ultimate Spider-Man Peter Parker did, though...BECAUSE THEY KILLED HIM OFF.

©HomeschoolGirl 2012, or at least this actual post is. The characters, not so much. But anyway, please don't use this as your own. Thanks!

It took Peter two days to accept her friend request. Two days of awkward conversation, unyielding admiration, and stalking-all on Gwen's part. When she finally got that notification, Peter Parker has accept your friend request, well, she thought maybe she'd never been so relieved.

"MJ," she said, upon immediately dialing her friend. "He accepted. Peter Parker accepted my friend request."

"For a second there I thought you meant marriage proposal."

Gwen wrinkled her nose. "Marriage-that is a couple years off, my friend."

Mary Jane tittered. "Envisioning a white dress, are we?"

"You know it."

"Well, good luck, hon. Hey-I've got an idea."

Gwen plopped down onto her bed, letting her head hang off the end. It helped her think, sometimes. "Okay. Shoot."

"Peter lives right next to my Aunt Anna."

Gwen sat up so quickly her neck cracked. She rubbed it, wincing. "What…what do you mean he lives next to your aunt?"

"I thought you knew that? No?" Mary Jane laughed. "You've seen his house before. Gray. Nondescript. Cute front porch, though."

"You mean he lives with his grandmother?"

"No! That's his Aunt May."

"But she's too old to be his Aunt," Gwen said after a moment's thought.

"It's a long story."

"So he does know you."

"Um, yes. I've known him for a few years, now."

Gwen's hopes instantly deflated. Peter had a crush on Mary Jane! It figured. That's why he was talking to her-to get to her best friend.

"He likes you, MJ."

"What?" She snorted. "No he doesn't. He avoids me like the plague."

"Because he likes you, MJ."

"No he doesn't. Believe me, Gwendolyn; I know boys and how they act when they like a girl. His behavior: nada."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Well, that's too bad, because I am for sure. Now get your blonde little butt over to my place so we can go to Aunt Anna's."

Gwen shrieked with excitement. "MJ-I owe you!"

"Oh, hon," Mary Jane said with a laugh. "You always owe me."

Mary Jane lived in a tiny little apartment complex with her Uncle Frank and her mother, Madeline. Gwen knew better than to ask about Gayle, her sister. Mary Jane didn't like to talk about her.

Uncle Frank opened the door. His frowned when he saw her.

"I don't buy textbooks," he half-mumbled, half-growled. "I'm fifty-four years old!"

He started to shut the door. Gwen surprised herself by sticking her foot out. "No-wait. I'm…MJ's friend."

He gave her the once-over with narrowed eyes. "She's busy."

"She called. She said for me to meet her here." Gwen stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see past Frank's beefy frame. "Is she here?"

Frank grunted a reply. "How am I supposed to know?"

Mary Jane suddenly materialized behind her Uncle. "Excuse moi! Gwennie, darling! You look ravishing." She bent over and blithely scooted between the doorframe and her uncle, joining Gwen in the hallway. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"We need you to help your mother!" Frank demanded. "Get back in here."

"Sorry, Frankfurt. Mama already cleared me to go." She lifted up the pair of huge-lensed sunglasses sitting on her nose so her green eyes showed. "I'll do double the chores tomorrow, okay? Goodbye!" She threaded her arm through Gwen's, spun them both, and marched them outside.

"How?" Gwen asked, as they walked to her car. "Do you deal with that?"

Mary Jane whipped the sunglasses off her head. She looked cheerful as ever, though her eyes were a bit dim. "To be honest, I don't know myself sometimes. Ooh!" She brightened, momentarily distracted. "Can I drive?"

"Sure," Gwen said without hesitation, tossing her keys to her friend as they climbed in the car. She ran her hands along her leather seats. The convertible had been a gift from her parents last year.

"Mm," Mary Jane said, leaning her head back against the seat. "This is…pure heaven, swear to God." She hit the gas and peeled out of the parking lot, heading for the highway. "Can we get milkshakes? I need fuel."

"Sure," Gwen agreed. She'd do anything for her friend at this point. "And I'll happily pay." She turned to dig a few dollar bills out of her purse.

Mary Jane waved them away. "No thanks, doll. I've got it covered. Just 'cause I live with my kin doesn't mean I don't have cash-ola!"

Gwen looked at her feet, feeling awkward. She hadn't meant to get such a close peek into Mary Jane's personal life. She studied her plain ballet flats.

"Yeah." She said after a moment. "About…about that. I'm really-"

Mary Jane held her hand up. "Please don't. It's hard enough without sympathy."

Gwen nodded. "Right."

She tilted her head to the side. "You know I love you, Gwennie. I'm just not at liberty to talk about what goes on at home." She winked. "All good girls have secrets. That's what makes them so bad."

Gwen replayed those words over and over in her head as they went through the Poodle Diner's drive-thru for two vanilla malts. She was a good girl-in every sense of the word. She went to school, listened to her parents, did her homework. What secrets did she have?

Mary Jane sipped greedily at her drink, interrupting Gwen's thoughts. "This is so good. Like, delicious."

She forced a smile. "That's great, MJ."

"Okay. Game plan. We need one. You and I will spend the night at Aunt Anna's and maybe…oh…I don't know. Bake some cookies and take them to Peter?" She paused. "No. That's too suspicious. Maybe we'll just hang out outside all afternoon. And maybe then he'll see us-er-you, and then you two can fall in love!"

"Why don't we just invite his family over for dinner?" Gwen suggested.

Mary Jane grinned, taking a sip of her drink. "Perfect."