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-Homey :D

Disclaimer: Spider-Man is not mine.

©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!

Gwen knew she would always remember Peter's words after that. They would haunt her for many sleepless nights. They would find her way into her journal more than once. They would bring her to tears more often that she would have thought possible.

"But…I just saw him less than an hour ago."

The words rang throughout the air, suffocating, building, until finally May collapsed and burst into tears. Anna rushed to grab her, already crying herself, and Mary Jane helped. Gwen could only watch as Peter crumpled to the floor. This horror unfolded before her: a thing of nightmares.

"Oh, Peter," she whispered, sinking down beside him. She stroked his hair, pushing away the yearning that welled up in her throat. She had wanted to do this hundreds of times over the past few weeks. Just not like this. Never like this.

His shoulders shook with silent sobs as he tucked his head between his knees and grabbed two fistfuls of his hair. Aunt May, being pulled to the couch by Mary Jane and Anna, wasn't much better.

This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening.

Gwen swallowed and hesitantly leaned forward to lay her cheek against Peter's back. His shirt was soft—cotton, for sure. She inhaled deeply. He smelled like cinnamon and stale air. It was delicious.

He still continued to cry, uncomforted. Finally, in one last desperate act of friendship, Gwen wrapped her arms around him.

"I…I…" He lifted his head. She pulled away. Their faces were impossibly close.

He swallowed, looking away. "It has to be a mistake."

"Peter."

He looked back up at her. "He's gone. I can't feel him anymore."

She imagined doing something selfish. She could close the distance between their faces with ease. But he was vulnerable right now; it wouldn't be fair. It didn't feel right.

"I have to go," he said, standing. "Get Aunt May home."

"Peter-" Gwen followed him to the door. "Don't do anything irrational."

He yanked the door open and stepped out onto the porch. The sun was just beginning to set.

"What's Puny Parker going to do, Gwen?" He asked, his eyes filling with tears. "He can't do anything. But I know something…I know who can."

"Peter!" Gwen demanded. He began walking away. "Stop!"

He wiped at his eyes, ignoring her.

"PETER!" She yelled. "PETER! STOP RIGHT NOW!"

"I'll see you…later." He threw a halfhearted wave behind his back without turning around.

And to Gwen, that hurt the most. That he wouldn't even look at her.

Peter didn't come to school. That was understandable. The kids gossiped: he was in the mafia, he was busted for dealing drugs, he had an untreatable case of poison ivy. (That last one was drummed up by the ever-brilliant Flash). Finally, Uncle Ben's name popped up in the obituaries and they shut up.

Everyone's conversation topic seemed to shift simultaneously come Wednesday. Suddenly Peter wasn't the hot topic anymore, but something much different. Gwen only caught whispers, pieces of the puzzle that didn't fit together.

"What is everyone going on about?" She asked Liz as they walked home from school one day. MJ was staying after for a play rehearsal and had told them to go on without her.

Liz shrugged. "Haven't you seen the news?"

"I don't-"

"-watch the news, I know." She finished for her friend. "But your dad should know about it. Has he mentioned anything?"

Gwen thought back to the past few days. She'd been so concerned over Peter (and still was) that she hadn't been paying attention. "I…I don't know."

Liz poked her playfully. "The love bug has now invaded you in every conceivable way! Gwen Stacy, not paying rapt attention to her parents? Gasp! What's it feel like to be like every other teenager on the planet?"

"Shut it, Liz."

"Jeez…sorry."

Gwen switched her messenger bag to her other shoulder and gathered her hair at the nape of her neck. "Do you have a hair band?"

Liz handed one to her. "Sorry. For real."

"Thanks. No problem." She quickly secured her ponytail and dropped her hands. "So…about this…thing. What is it?"

"I know as much as you do," Liz said with a shrug. "Apparently there's some loser going around town saving people. He calls himself 'Spider-Man'. And surprise-surprise, New York doesn't like it."

"I bet my father's furious."

"Uh…probably. He's been on TV, too."

"What?" Gwen stopped walking. "He's been on TV? What did he say?"

"Just that the police are working overtime to try and stop this goober."

"Please tell me he didn't say goober."

Liz winced. "He did. Do you honestly think I'd voluntarily use the word goober in a sentence?"

"You just did."

"Crap. Well, remind me not to do that again."

Gwen smiled. "Don't do that again."

"Thanks," Liz said. "But really, it's not a big deal. The police will catch him, this ridiculous gossip will die down, and we will go back to normal."

"Yay for normalcy!" Gwen cheered.

Liz laughed. "Yes. Well. Keep me updated on the Parker situation."

"I will. I will." They'd come to Gwen's street. She leaned over and hugged Liz. "Thanks so much. I needed that."

"Sure, Gwen. Anytime. Call me, okay!"

"Okay, you goober!"

She was still laughing when she turned onto her sidewalk. But a sight stopped her cold. There sat Peter Parker…on her front steps.

She walked slowly, taking deep breaths. He was here. At her house.

His head was between his knees again, slightly reminiscent of last week, but without the tears. As she came closer, the only sounds were her footsteps on the pavement. Finally, he looked up.

"Hi Gwen. Can we talk?"