Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's taken me a while to update. Finals, urgh! It hasn't been easy and I was going to update this weekend but work and I went to a concert this weekend! Imagine Dragons! They were so good! If they're coming to your city, go see them!

Anyway, I apologize for not updating and if your reading my Assassin's Creed fanfic, the next chapter is coming up soon! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Song for this chapter is:

It's Time by Imagine Dragons

P.S. I do not own Spider-Man

Chapter 15: Never Changing Who I Am

I had a hard time sleeping last night after I met up with Peter on the roof top. Something about the dinner with Dr. Cross made me feel funny. She was nice and all but something deep down coiled inside me was telling me not to trust this woman. The way she had her hazel eyes glued on my every move. The little chuckles that escaped her mouth from time to time.

My dad liked her and so did Ariel. Ashley seemed to have the same reaction as I did. She would look at the doctor with question in her eyes. Like whatever she was saying was true or not. Ashley could see the worried look on my face at the end of the night and Ashley came up with the excuse that she had to get up early in the morning tomorrow for work. Which was a lie, she didn't have to work til late at night.

So, after I met up with Peter and went to my bedroom at, around, 10:45, I went straight to sleep. Not wanting to stay up another moment. Just to sake the feeling that whatever Dr. Cross struck in me.

Forgetting to set my alarm clock, I woke up to a text from Gwen Stacy saying that she was on her way to pick me up. Jumping out of bed, I ran with my clothes to the bathroom to get ready. In the process of putting my eye liner on, I heard my name being called.

"Annabelle!" Ariel said in a taunting tone. "There's a friend here to see you!"

"I'll be there in a minute!" I called back as I still put the make-up around my eyes, hearing Ariel's footsteps walk back down the hallway and disappeared.

Fixing my hair into a messy bun, jumping into my clothes and making my way out of the bathroom and down the hall to see Ariel standing at the front door with Gwen smiling away at her. Good god, Gwen looked perfect like she always was. Gwen looked like what you typically thought an angle would look like. Beautiful, soft, straight blonde hair with her ocean blue eyes. Beautiful slim face and the perfect slim body a cheerleader would kill for.

Hearing my footsteps entering the room, Gwen gracefully turned her body towards me and smiled that million dollar smile at me with her hands still wrapped on the strap of her purse. Was that a Gucci?

"Hey," Gwen said ever so softly. "Ready to go?"

"Uh...uh," I looked down at my brown leather boots as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and shamefully looked back up into her eyes. "Y-Yeah. Um...I'm sorry for the delay. I accidentally slept in"

Gwen chuckled and waved her hand at me.

"No worries," she said. "It happens to all of us,"

'Probability not to Miss Perfect over here' I thought to myself.

"Are you ready to go?" Gwen asked as he gestured to the front door behind her.

I nodded and looked at Ariel.

"I'll see you tonight?" I asked her as I walked over to the coat hanger and pulled my jacket off and threw it on me. Ariel smiled at me with a nod.

"Yeah. No worries. I'll be here. You guys have fun," Ariel then looked at Gwen. "It was nice meeting you, Gwen"

Gwen laughed as she swung her expensive bag over her shoulder. "Same with you"

Then the both of us walked out the door and down the hall towards the elevator.

"You're sister's so friendly and nice" Gwen said.

Ariel was always like that. Anyone Ariel met she would become friends with them automatically. It was like Ariel had so much talent which is what got her into the popular grou

p in our old high school. I was a norm, as I like the call myself and my group of misfits. We weren't classified in the nerds or freaks or whatever the 'popular' people liked to put us in. We were just the normal people. We still got to go to the big parties and we got along with some one the popular people since Noah and his friends were on the football team and some of my friends were on the cheerleading team but we weren't technically popular...which I was fine with. I'd rather disappear in the crowd around me then have everyone's attention on me, like Ariel in this case.

Ariel was a good person in school. Our mom taught us that. I expected that to fade away after out mom committed suicide. Even though I was the one to find mom hanging there. Screaming at the top of my lungs as I tried to get mom down and revive her. Ariel just stood there in shock. Not knowing what to do. Ariel was mad at my mom the last few years of her life but Ariel took Mom's death worst then I even though I've suffered through major mood swings and my hatred for Ashley has gotten worse and worse.

Instead of bottling up and keeping to herself, Ariel actually got more social but not in a good way. She kept going to a lot more parties then she use to. Which wasn't that bad I guess but she parties in the worst way. A lot of drinking and a lot of calls from her friends to pick her up or something bad would happen and I didn't even want to imagine what would happen. My dad was ok with it the first couple times but after 5 or more times, he lost it and Ashley and my dad haven't been the same since.

Ariel grew out of her partying phase and actually buckled down and went back in normal routine and now look at her. Going to school, studying to become a nurse. My father and I couldn't be more prouder of her. Even though the day still haunts Ariel's mind, I'm glad she's going through it better then I am right now.

So for Gwen and Peter to say that they like my sister couldn't make me anymore happier.

"Thanks" I said to Gwen with a smile as we continued down the hall to the elevator.

Gwen wanted to take me to one of her favorite malls on our tour of New York. I guess it was a good thing for a girl like me to know where the malls are. I've only been here for a couple months and I still don't know anything. After a long while shopping around, we decided to take a coffee break at the Starbucks that stood near the front of the mall. We got our coffees and decided to sit at one of the tables a talk before continuing shopping.

"So," Gwen said as she took a graceful sip of her drink. "I didn't see you in the afternoon yesterday," I sat there in shock. I completely forgot Peter and I skipped the afternoon after our 'talk'.

"Oh...um," I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and took a sip of my coffee after making up an idea in my head. "So-Something came up"

Yeah, that was good enough.

Gwen let out a chuckle as she placed her cup down on the hard wooden table.

"Really?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. "That's funny," she leaned back into her chair and placed her left index finger on her soft pink lips. "Because Pete was also missing in the afternoon"

"Oh?" I asked in a scared tone. I tried covering it up by taking a sip of my coffee.

"Yeah and, don't laugh, but...maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but I thought I saw you two running out the school together" She said as she gave me that devilish look of her's.

I almost choked on my hot coffee as I quickly placed it down on the table in front of me and tried coughing up the coffee going down my windpipe. Gwen laughed as I did so. When I finally cleared my throat, I looked back at Gwen all scared.

"I'm sorry, Gwen," I said, automatically. "I know I told you Peter and I weren't seeing each other but...we...made up"

Gwen laughed again as she waved her hand in the way.

"Annabelle, I'm not upset"

"But...But...what about yesterday. You said you still had feelings for him"

"I do...but I meant what I said yesterday. I know Peter really cares about you. I can see it. So...if he makes you happy and you make him happy, then that's all that matters"

I gave a warm smile to Gwen as she did to me back.

"Thanks Gwen, that means a lot"

"No problem," She said before taking another sip and I did the same. Gwen then stood up from her seat and picked up her purse and coffee. "Do you wanna continue shopping"

I smiled.

"That sounds good to me" I said as I did the same and we continued down the mall.

We shopped for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to head home. We just made it outside as Gwen started digging into her purse for her keys. Gwen let out a groan as she searched for them.

"Where did I put those stupid keys?" She asked herself.

"Do you wanna wait inside until we find them?" I asked.

"No, that's fine. I'll find them...eventually" she said as she stood in her spot and kept looking.

Letting out a sigh, I turned to sit on a bench beside us as Gwen kept searching. I decided to play on my phone until she found them. I then heard Gwen let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, yes! Found them!" she exclaimed.

I looked up to see Gwen smiling at me for a second with the keys in her hands. Gwen's expression then changed when she had her eyes glued on something behind her.

"Annabelle! Look out!" She screamed.

I turned my head just to see a long green thing hit me on my head making me fall straight to the cold stone ground. Then the darkness over came me and I was out.