#i may post some other sketchbook stuf since there are few pretty drawings | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pxrkerpete · 7 years ago

Text

Alice.

A/N: Hi, I’ve had some pretty shit ideas in the past, but none of them have stuck to my brain like this one has. I’ve written this over the course of 6 days, and I wanted to die. Anyway. Here it is.

Title: Alice. Word Count: 13067 (hoo boy) Warnings: Like, 2 swears, I think, and some really in the last bit. Summary: "Falling for Peter has officially ruined my year." - Meet Alice. She's shy. She has a total of one friend. She is part of the school's Academic Decathlon. Life goes relatively fine for her until she realises that she likes Peter Parker. - Meet Peter. Total loser, according to Flash Thompson. He has one good friend. He just quit Band Club and Robotics Club. He was just your average run of the mill teen genius, who just so happened to be the Spider-Man. He is completely head-over-heels for Liz Allen, or at least, he thought so, until he met Alice.

Notes: I want to thank @totallyrandomfandomfangirl for her help and grammar support, @sixties-sexkitten , and @bitterbiracialbibliophile for helping me get my shit together in a google document. Without them, this fic would not be here. It would probablybe in my recycling bin, with all my other failed fics. Tank you. <3 Tags: I don’t have anyone to tag, but if you’d like me to, just message me or reply to this post and I will! Read on ao3!

Alice sat by Michelle in the cafeteria of Midtown High. She slouched down lower so that the pages of her Math textbook obscured her face as Pater Parker ran past, sprinting out the door. She lifted her book, glaring at Peter’s retreating figure.

“I don’t know why you care so much about whether or not he skips class,” Michelle said, her head lulled back against her shoulder. She shook her head, grabbing her backpack and stuffing two of the books she was reading into it. “Whatever, Boy Wonder’s ditched class again, you think he’s shady, what else is new,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ll catch you after school.”

Alice sat up, sighing as her only friend walked out the door to her next class. She placed the math textbook on the table and stacked her crumpled up sketches onto her Styrofoam tray of half eaten lunch. She tossed it into the trash can on her way out of the cafeteria.

The bell rang as she shuffled off to class, students still littered the hall. Nobody was eager to get back class. Alice entered the classroom silently, taking her seat at the back. Her classmates were laughing amongst themselves as she dug through her bag for her textbook. A hint of panic ran through her as she shuffled the contents of her bag trying to find it. Of course she had lost it, Alice thought, idiot.

“OK class, please take your seats,” Mr Addams strolled into class, and the chatter from all the students became to a low buzz as everyone sat down.

Alice held her chin in her hand, eyelids drooping as the class went on. She fell asleep silently, her hair shielding her face from the teacher’s eyes.

---

The sharp, tinny ring of the bell signalled the end of class. One of Alice’s classmates woke her up, nodding their head towards the door before walking out to join their friends. Alice glanced up at the white board to check if there was any homework. None. She gathered her pencil case and doodle-filled notebook into her bag, guiltily avoiding the teacher’s eyes as she ducked out of the classroom.

That was the last class of the day, and she had slept through it. Great. She made a trip to her locker to shove some unneeded books inside before heading out to the main entrance to meet up with Michelle.

“Hey,” Michelle said, looking up from her book to give Alice a good once over, “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.” Alice rolled her eyes, sitting down next to her on the steps. “Did you see Peter anywhere?”

Michelle made a face. “No, I didn’t see your Boy Wonder. Why- Wait actually, there he is.”

Peter Parker ran past them, wearing a tee with a hoodie over top, and his skateboard in hand. He glanced around the school entrance before making eye contact with Alice. Michelle nodded to him, raising a hand in greeting with a grimace of a smile on her face.

“Boy Wonder’s walking over, does he usually talk to you?” Michelle glanced sideways at Alice. Alice shook her head, still staring at Peter’s advancing figure. He stood a few feet in front of Alice and Michelle, scuffing his shoes on the pavement, playing with the headphones poking out of the top of his t-shirt with one hand.

“Hey,” Peter said, stuffing his hands in his pocket, “Uh, I was wondering if I could borrow your English notes tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

Michelle rolled her eyes.

Peter tossed the Math textbook up into the air, catching it and twirling it between his hands. Ned fidgeted with the LEGO Death Star pieces, sitting on the floor by Peter’s bed.

“I’m telling you, it’s Alice’s book. Just go over to her in English class and hand it over to her.” Ned said, glancing up from the LEGO figurines.

“And how am I supposed to say that I know that it was her book?” Peter said, sitting up from the bed, ruffling his hair agitatedly.

Ned gave him a weird look. “Look, man, I don’t know, just say that you asked around or something? You’re Spider Man!” Peter looked unconvinced, opening his mouth to say something. “Are you sure Liz is the one you have a crush on?”

Peter shut his mouth. “Let’s get this Death Star built.”

“I can’t believe my best friend is the Spider Man. And we’re building LEGO together.”

---

Peter sat in English class the next day, his hands gripping tightly to the Math textbook under his desk. Ned sat beside him, doodling some changes to the Spider Man costume in his notebook.

Peter tapped his foot on the ground, tapping the table with his hand rapidly. Ned looked over, mildly annoyed

“Peter, chill out, man. It’s really no big deal. Really.”

“I know, Ned- “

Alice walked into the classroom, taking her seat in front of Ned.

“Go on,” Ned mouthed, raising his brows. Peter cleared his throat loudly. Grimacing when some of the other students scowled at him from their little pockets of friends. And of course, Alice didn’t hear him. Just his luck.

“Uhh, A-Alice,” Peter started, staring into the back of her head, hoping that he would somehow get her attention that way.

Ned nudged him, taking out imaginary earphones from his ears. Oh. Peter tapped her on the shoulder. Alice turned round. Finally. She pushed up her glasses and took out her headphones.

“Uh, this is yours I think, I found it in the cafeteria,” Peter mumbled, passing the Math textbook to her.

She flicked to the first page to check if her drawings were there. “Thanks,” Alice smiled at him. “I’ve been looking for this. Mr Addams has been giving me Hell.”

Peter smiled back. “Yeah, he’s pretty… yeah.”

She grinned. “You’re asleep half the times you’re even in that class, how would you know that?” She chuckled. “Thanks, Peter.”

“Yeah. Yeah, no problem.”

Over the next few days, Peter and Alice grew closer. He would borrow her notes and tried to surreptitiously copy her homework. She noticed anyway and let him. Peter would wake Alice up with a nudge if the teacher was handing out homework or assignments, at the end of class. It was nice having more than one friend. Even nicer, since Michelle wasn’t in any of her classes, but Peter was, so he could wake her up.

They joked around a lot. Sometimes Alice would chide Peter good-naturedly about falling asleep in class, regularly skipping school, and not doing his homework, because he just had so much potential. Peter would just laugh it off and promise to do better.

Michelle joined them at lunch and after school. She sat by them, reading her books, making her usual dry comments at stupid things. Usually at stupid things Peter did. Or sometimes stupid things Peter said. Mostly at Peter overall. But it made both of them laugh.

Today, Alice was drawing next to Michelle on the steps outside school, as usual. Peter and Ned walked out of the building, Ned asking him questions excitedly in a hushed voice, Peter answering him, his eyebrows scrunched up in laughter, and maybe light annoyance.

“Hey, are you- are you guys going to Liz’s party?” Peter asked, his hand grasping his backpack strap to readjust it.

“We got invited!” Ned said, his face lighting up.

“Wow, how’d you manage that?” Alice quirked an eyebrow, a smile playing at her lips.

“Well, I told Liz that Pe-,” Ned started, but Peter cut him off.

“Oh, you know, the Academic Decathlon Team, y’know? She- she invited us during gym.” Peter said, his hands in his pockets, avoiding Michelle’s gaze.

“Are you guys really going? It sounds lame,” Michelle said, looking up at them from behind her book.

“Lame, really? It’s a party. With Liz Allen.” Ned stared at Michelle, wide eyed. “Besides,” He added, nudging Peter’s side with his elbow. “Pete has a huge crush on Liz!”

Peter sputtered, eyes widening. He glared at Ned, blood rushing to his cheeks and neck. Michelle snorted and rolled her eyes, as she did to most things most people did.

Alice laughed. “As if literally the entire student body didn’t already know that,” Alice teased, grinning up at Peter’s blushing face.

“Hey, May,” Alice said, hanging upside down from the top bunk of Peter’s bed. She was drumming on the side of the bed with a pencil.

She had finished her homework, and had promised to help Peter with his. But it turns out, she wasn’t a very good teacher. Peter frowned, muttering to himself, before giving up and shiftily tried to copy her homework without her noticing.

“Hi, Alice!” May called, smiling broadly at her. She had just walked into the apartment, setting down some groceries on the kitchen counter.

“Hey, May,” Peter said, covertly flipping Alice’s stack of homework upside-down, covering it with her sketchbook.

Aunt May walked to Peter’s room, leaning on the doorframe and chuckling at Alice. “Studying hard?” she asked, glancing down at the books that littered Peter’s desk.

“Yup,” Peter said, leaning back in his chair and swatting a hand at Alice, who crossed her eyes at him. “Hey, May, I have this party, tomorrow night, d’you think you can drive Ned and I up there?”

“Sure! Wow, a party,” Aunt May said, feigning surprise.

“Yeah, it’s Liz Allen’s birthday,” Alice added, swinging a socked leg in the air.

“Oh, I know her! She’s the pretty one, right? The captain of the Decathlon?” she said, nodding.

“OK, well, I have some more errands to run, and I got another job interview to go to, so you to be good, alright?” Aunt May said, resting a hand on the top of Peter’s head, and looking at Alice. She kissed the top of Peter’s head and then walked out the door, grabbing her handbag on the way.

“Be good, dinner’s in the fridge, Peter!” she called as she exited.

“Bye, May!” Peter and Alice yelled back, just as they heard the door slam.

Alice grabbed the pole of the bunk bed, flipping herself off and upright again. “So, ‘studying hard’, huh?”

“Mm-hmm,” Peter replied, shuffling through the papers and various notebooks on his desk to look for the homework he was copying off of earlier.

Alice rolled her eyes. “May is way too nice to you.”

“If you keep rolling your eyes at me they’re gonna roll out of your head and down the street,” Peter teased, seizing the stack of homework and picking up his pen. “I’m surprised Michelle’s eyes are still in her head!”

“You’re really smart, Pete,” Alice said, trying to cover the pages of her work with her hands, and failing. “You just need to show up to class!”

“Yeah?” Peter teased back, snatching her wrist and lifting it off the page. “Thanks, but I don’t really want to take advice from a person who falls asleep in Math class.”

“That was one time, Parker!”

“Why did we decide to come here tonight? We both hate parties.” Alice groaned. Michelle was wearing a weird kind of dress. Alice thought it suited her. Michelle just didn’t really care.

“We both asked our parents and then we had a back and forth for about 20 minutes on your doorstep, and then I got bored of that and then you got bored of that and then we walked over.” Michelle stated, dry as ever.

“Whatever,” Alice sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

They trudged up to the front door, pushing it open. ‘DJ Flash’ was playing, people were shout-talking, and almost everyone was carrying a red solo cup.

“Hey, you guys!” Liz walked over, smiling brightly. “You look great!”

“Thanks,” Michelle said. “Can I use your toaster?”

Liz blinked. “Sure! Have fun, you guys, there’s food and drink in the back.” She gave a dazzling smile before walking away to talk to other friends. Michelle squeezed between people to get to the toaster. Alice followed her frizzy brown hair from behind, through the crowd of high schoolers.

Alice sat on the countertop drinking a juice box as Michelle made them toast. It was much quieter in the open kitchen, since everyone was in the living room, listening to Flash’s music.

Peter and Ned walked through the door. Ned, as usual, whispering excitedly to Peter. The toast popped up and Michelle handed a slice to Alice.

“I can’t believe you guys are at this lame party,” Michelle said, spreading peanut butter onto her slice of toast.

“You’re here too,” Ned said.

“Am I?” Michelle asked, cocking her head. She took a bite of her toast and walked away. Alice smiled at her quirky best friend.

“Hey,” she nodded, raising the piece of toast in greeting.

“Hey,” Peter replied breathlessly, smiling.

---

“I mean, at least you aren’t wearing those horrible graphic tees that you wear all the time,” Alice laughed, noting his plaid button up.

“How do you mean?” Peter asked, confused.

“You know, those T-shirts you wear that always have the nerdy puns on them,” she explained, turning toward him.

Alice was sitting on the counter top in the kitchen, Peter leaning against it, his arms crossed. They had been chatting for a while like this, and Ned had wandered off mumbling about “needing to get ready for something”.

“Oh,” Peter chuckled. “Those. What’s so bad about them? I like them!” Peter was smiling widely at Alice.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would totally steal some of those from your closet if I was granted the chance, no joke. But it’s a party! You want to dress up for it a bit, right?” Alice answered, gesturing with her juice box.

Peter didn’t answer. He just smiled fondly up at her.

“What are you looking at?” She asked, giggling nervously.

“Alice, you’re really pretty.” Peter said, a light blush crawling up his face.

“Oh, Uhm, I-,” Alice sputtered, blushing scarlet. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap for a second, picking the nails. “Thanks.”

Peter blushed but he didn’t look away. Somewhere from inside herself, Alice found a speck of daring. Well, it was daring for her.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Pete,” she murmured, looking down at her jittery hands.

“Hey,” Peter whispered.

“Hey,” Alice giggled, tentatively making eye contact. Goddamn, why. Peter’s warm brown eyes locked with hers. He gave a really small smile, the kind that people have in films when they see the love of their life. Peter leaned up, and somehow, Alice managed to will her body to close the space between them.

His lips were warm and he smelled like mint. Alice felt tingly and breathless, and somehow, somehow, she managed to make her limbs move. She put her arms over his shoulder, one hand at the nape of his neck; in the curls at the bottom of his hair.

They broke apart and Peter smiled really brightly. Alice looked dazed, with the biggest, goofiest smile playing on her face.

---

Alice and Peter spent a little while chatting, and unbeknownst to them Michelle and Ned were spying on them from the other side of the room. “Wow,” was mostly the only word that had left Ned’s mouth since they started spying on them.

And then, Flash Thompson spotted Peter, too.

“PARKER! What’s up? Hey, where’s your pal Spider-Man? That’s not Spider-Man, that’s just Ned in a red shirt!” Flash yelled into the mic to general laughter. He was grinning, as he sounded an air horn after each sentence.

Peter’s jaw clenched. He was glaring at Flash like he was going to kill him, he looked really embarrassed but he wasn’t blushing. Or maybe the weird dim lights all high school parties seemed to have were concealing his blush.

“Peter-, “Alice started, but he stalked off without looking at her. Alice’s face fell, her extended arm dropping to her side.

ii.

Alice and Michelle left the party. Neither of them talked about why, and Alice was grateful for that. Liz said bye to them at the door, and she seemed pretty oblivious as to why they were leaving.

“Hope you guys had fun,” Liz smiled, genuine and nice, as always. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Michelle said, waving. Alice smiled gratefully.

Liz waved and shut the door. Alice sighed, turning on her heel and walking down the driveway, Michelle followed suit. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Michelle rummaging in her pocket for her keys. She put them between her fingers, the sharp ends sticking out.

“Liz is… nice,” Michelle said after a minute or two.

“She let us use her toaster,” Alice replied, happy to be making light conversation but dreading the inevitable-

“So, d’you wanna talk about it?” Michelle asked timidly. Alice sniffed, smiling lightly.

“Maybe later. Or tomorrow. Or never,” she said, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“Sure, sure,” Michelle said, swinging her hands. “D’you want to borrow one of my books?”

Alice laughed, it sounded quite loud in the quiet suburban street. “That’s the Michelle way of comforting people,” Alice said, smiling. “I’m borrowing The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Just then, a bright blue-ish light blazed from behind them. They jumped, turning around to see an explosion or beam of light of some sort that was being blasted into the air, really far away.

Michelle glanced sideways at Alice. “No way, buddy,” Alice yelped as she grabbed her arm. “You look ready to take off running.”

Alice felt mildly insulted. “I’m not about to run into an explosion!”

“Of course you aren’t,” Michelle rolled her eyes. “But I can be almost eighty-seven percent sure that you are about to go closer to it.”

“How would you know that?” Alice questioned. “Eighty-seven percent is very specific.”

“I’m smart, observant, and you’re my best and only friend.” Michelle explained, listing the statements off on her fingers. “Even if you find out what the Hell that thing was, what are you going to do next?”

Alice sighed. “I don’t have an answer for that.”

“You aren’t Spider-Man, girl.” Michelle grabbed her wrist, turning her around. She put an arm over her best friend’s shoulder. “Get it together.”

They walked away, both probably looking a little drunk.

“I still want to borrow that book from you!”

The next day, Peter and Ned were standing over their workbench in class. Peter was attempting to wrench open the metal device that he took last night. Using a multitude of tools, he attempted to get at the purple glowy thing inside. Peter, failing to pry it open with a screwdriver, started whacking it with a hammer. After a couple of strikes, the device popped open. Peter leaned in closer, inspecting the strange piece of tech.

“Hey, thanks for bailing on me last night,” Ned said, evidently annoyed. “And Alice.” He added in a whisper, narrowing his eyes at Peter.

“Yeah, but something came up!” Peter protested, playing around with the wires and squinting at the tiny parts. He felt a twinge of guilt in his chest, looking down slightly. He’d ditched her.

“What is that?” Ned asked, distracted again, looking down at the glowing thing.

“I don’t know,” Peter struggled, grunting as he tried in vain yet again to pry open the metal casing. “Some guy tried to vaporize me with it.”

“Seriously?” Ned asked, incredulous.

“Yeah,” Peter replied, bending closer to the device.

“Awesome!” Peter gave him a look. “I mean- not awesome. Totally uncool, that guy. So scary.” Peter gave him another look.

“I think it’s a power source,” Peter said, grunting still as he struggled with it.

“Yeah, but that’s an inductive charging plate. That’s what I use to charge my toothbrush.” Ned added, pointing.

“Whoever’s making these weapons is obviously combining alien tech with ours,” Peter stated, glancing up at Ned. His eyes widened as he ducked under the table, while also managing to hit his forehead against it; Alice walked past. He groaned silently, pressing the palm of his hand against his newly aching head.

“That is literally the coolest thing anyone has ever said,” Ned said, amazed, and totally oblivious to Peter’s silent pain as he looked up from under the table to hide from the girl he had ditched at the party. “I am so grateful for being able to join you on this journey.”

Peter straightened up, looking behind him to see if anyone was giving him any weird looks. A light, dull thud started to set in. He picked up a hammer and hit the glowing part directly. It gave a loud ‘thwang!’ and the hammer fell out of his hand. Ned and Peter glanced around to see if the teacher was looking at them.

“Keep your hands clear of the blades!” He raised his voice, monotonous, and not paying attention, as always. Perfect. Not so perfect was that Alice was looking at him too. He looked away, back down at the thing.

“She looks pretty hurt, man,” Ned muttered to Peter, glancing sidelong at Alice. “Have you apologised?”

“What am I supposed to say? I ditched her and left the party because I got mad that Flash was making fun of me? How stupid would I sound?” Peter said, irritated at himself and generally everyone around him, his irritation worsened by the growing soreness in the front of his head.

Ned glanced back at Alice. “Yeah, she looks really dejected,” He stated. “You really should say that you’re sorry.”

Peter shrugged, clenching his teeth. I’m a huge idiot.

---

Alice glanced up at Peter when she heard a loud metallic ‘thwang!’ coming from the vicinity of his and Ned’s workbench. The teacher said something and they had turned back to work on whatever they had sitting on the table in front of them. Alice stared wistfully at the back of Peter’s head. She saw Ned glance at her and she huffed and returned to her project. You look like a love-sick puppy. Pull it together!

She fiddled with the gears without really doing anything productive, just turning them over her fingers. It wasn’t like they were dating or anything, but… Alice really thought that he had liked her. She was probably being stupid, and she felt stupid, but it was probably nothing.

The bell rang, and students, eager to get out of one of the least productive classes, grabbed their things and ran out of the room. Alice left her tiny half-built machine, with all the parts that she had yet to attach, and all her tools inside a cardboard box, which she left on a shelf at the back of the class.

Alice said goodbye to the teacher, who didn’t look up from his book, but grunted in reply. She grabbed her book bag before heading out the door. She turned the corner, the empty hallway echoing with her footsteps. Most of the students from her class had run off to the cafeteria, some of them to classrooms for their various clubs.

Alice walked by herself to the cafeteria, plopping down next to Michelle. She sat with her face on the table, her arms crossed over her head. Michelle looked over from her book, eating an apple.

“Did you see Peter?” Alice asked, her words muffled by the table.

“No.” Michelle chewed her apple, flipping to the next page in her book. “Did he talk to you?”

Alice shook her head, strands of her hair falling over her face.

“I think he’s avoiding me,” Alice said softly. She was really embarrassed to admit that the fact that Peter wasn’t talking to her was troubling her this much.

“He’s avoiding you,” Michelle agreed, placing her book upside down on the table, the pages splayed open to keep her place in the book. Alice always hated it when she did that to her books.

Alice lifted her head up, resting her chin on her crossed arms. Michelle nodded to direction of Ned and Peter, rolling her eyes. Peter looked guilty, but he shot off in the opposite direction. Ned looked apologetic, but he walked off with him. Alice groaned.

“Well, at least he’ll have to talk to you when we go for Nationals,” Michelle said, placing her apple core on a napkin and picking up her book.

“He’s not on the team anymore!” Alice exclaimed, looking over at Michelle.

“I have a feeling that he’s gonna try and re-join.” Michelle shrugged, raising he brows and pressing her lips together.

Alice groaned. Setting her face back down on her arms. Nationals.

“How did you know that he would join? Can you see the future or something?” Alice asked Michelle in a hushed voice, sitting near to the back of the bus. Michelle shrugged. Peter had joined the team again on the day of Nationals, just as Michelle had predicted.

“Hey, pay attention, you guys!” Liz called from the front of the bus. Alice made a face, and Liz just chuckled in return. She was reading questions off of flash cards, and Alice had answered eight questions, all of them correct so far, so she was fine.

Peter was sitting at the front of the bus, giving his full attention to Liz. He hadn’t looked at Alice when he jogged over to ask for a place on the team again either, so she wasn’t holding out much hope.

Liz asked a couple more questions, before Michelle lost what sparing interest she had and opened her book.

For another half hour or so, Liz fired off questions. As the team slowly got less and less enthusiastic for the practice, she called it off and they slept the other couple of hours that were left.

When they arrived, Alice and Michelle holed themselves in their shared room, reading separate books and chatting casually. Michelle made an effort to make fun of Peter, which fully cheered Alice up. It was pretty fun, until Flash knocked on their door, telling them that they needed to come out and socialize as directed by Liz.

---

There was a knock on their door at 12 o’clock that night. Michelle tapped Alice’s sleeping figure on the shoulder, gesturing towards the rapping on the door. Alice glared bleary eyed at Michelle, who was sitting upright on her bed, finishing off the last pages of her book. “I’m not getting it,” Michelle said, grabbing the blankets from Alice before she had the chance to cover her head with them.

Alice stood up, scowling at her best friend, and answered her door.

“Hey, Alice, we’re heading down to the swimming pool in, like, ten minutes,” Liz whispered, looking profoundly awake for it being midnight. “Grab Michelle, and throw on your swim suit!” Liz had thrown on a crop top and shorts, her brightly coloured swimming suit showing instead of her belly. She had a towel over her shoulder.

“Why, exactly?” Alice asked, more annoyed at being woken up than anything.

“Rebellious group activities are good for morale,” Liz explained swiftly. “I read it from a coaching book. This is the second time I’ve had to explain this to someone tonight, now hurry up!” She added, laughing quietly.

At that moment, the rest of the team, sans Peter, as usual, dashed past them, all in their swimwear. “Eleven dollar Snickers, catch!” Cindy exclaimed, lobbing a candy bar at Alice, who caught it.

Liz shushed them before walking behind them. “Get Michelle and hurry up already!”

Alice turned back into the room, digging through her bag for viable swimwear. She found hers and grabbed Michelle’s on the way.

“Liz asked us to be down by the pool in ten minutes,” Alice told Michelle, who had not moved from her spot, but had finished her book.

“I don’t feel like swimming,” Michelle said, picking up another book from her bag.

“Liz says it’s good for morale,” Alice said from the bathroom, changing into her one-piece swimsuit.

Michelle groaned quietly, picking up her bag and trying to find her swimming costume. Alice threw on the Midtown T-shirt that she had worn earlier that day. She opened the bathroom door, throwing Michelle’s swimming costume at her.

When Michelle had grudgingly changed, they grabbed towels and sneaked their way to the pool.

On their way there they bumped into Peter Parker. Of course. After a second or two of silence, Michelle decided to break the tension.

“You’re an idiot, Parker,” she proclaimed, rolling her eyes at him like it was habit.

“Hey,” Peter said, looking appropriately guilty. He was wearing a grey hoodie and sweatpants. He started scuffing his feet on the floor, playing with his hoodie strings.

“Hey,” Alice replied. She was not about to have this conversation with him right now, in her swimsuit.

“Where are you running off to, Parker?” Michelle asked, unabashedly aware how uncomfortable he was.

“Uhm, I’m going to go study at the business centre,” Peter said, pointing vaguely behind Alice and Michelle.

“Well, you have fun with that,” Michelle stated before walking away with Alice in tow.

“Night, you guys,” Peter said, looking kind of embarrassed.

“Thanks, MJ,” Alice said, gratefully. Definitely not right now.

The day of the competition, Alice started freaking out.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh, my God.” Alice had not panicked this hard since her first day as the ‘new kid’ at Midtown High.

“For real, Alice, pull yourself together!” Michelle said, sounding somewhat annoyed, a sign that she, too, was panicking. “You’re one of the smartest girls in our school, and you are not about to lose us the competition just because you fell asleep in one Math class!”

Cindy and Flash were also really anxious. Liz was too, but she didn’t express her nerves outwardly, rather biting her nails and pacing, unlike Flash, who was reciting topics to himself, and Cindy, who was snapping at everybody, and listening avidly to Flash.

“Where are Ned and Peter? We’re going to be late!” Cindy exclaimed, twitching her hair out of her eyes.

“I’ll go call them,” Liz said, mostly to the teacher, who nodded. “Maybe they just overslept. You all know what Peter’s like.”

---

Peter did not show up, much to the delight and horror of Flash. When asked about him, Ned just shrugged and said that he didn’t know where he went.

It was the final round of the competition: Sudden Death. Flash and Cindy held their hands over their buttons, waiting for the question to be asked. Alice stared directly at a spot on the table in front of her, not really looking at anything, her eyes out of focus.

It was a Math question. Great. Just perfect. Alice screamed inwardly, hoping with all her might that Flash wouldn’t be stupid and press the button without thinking-

‘ding!’

Alice jumped, looking at Michelle, who was sitting directly next to her. Alice made eye contact with Ned, who gave a nod.

“Midtown Tech?”

Michelle paused for a second. “Zero,”

“That is correct!”

Alice sighed in relief, hugging Michelle tightly, who gave a small smile. Ned hugged her too, cheering loudly along with the rest of the auditorium.

“I think we need a nap,” Michelle said to Alice over all the cheering.

“Do we ever,” Alice agreed, as Liz walked over to accept the trophy.

---

After the excitement of winning the tournament, Mr Harrison brought the thrilled students to the Washington Monument, all of them eager to do something boring and touristy, that didn’t require much brain power.

“Taking it all in, Michelle?” Mr Harrison asked, walking next to Michelle and Alice.

“Oh, yeah, I just… Well, I don’t really wanna celebrate something that was built by slaves.” Michelle gripped her open book with both hands, inclining her head. Same old Michelle.

“I’m sure the Washington Monument wasn’t built by slaves,” Mr Harrison said, trailing off and spinning around to look at it. The security guard gave him an apologetic look, shaking his head. “OK. Enjoy your book!”

“Thanks,” Michelle said, readjusting the yellow Midtown Academic Decathlon Blazer that was ties around her waist.

Alice pondered to herself for a moment, before turning to Michelle and saying: “Hey, I’ll see you later, I’m going up.”

“Have fun going up a building that was made by the hands of slaves!” Michelle called, making Alice laugh, much to the disapproval of the tourists who were standing within hearing distance.

---

Alice jogged in to meet the rest of the team, briskly placing her phone on the conveyer belt, after Ned motioned that he was going to take a while on the phone.

She walked into the slightly cramped elevator, and after a moments wait, Ned and Liz made their way in too.

After a while, Alice realized that she made a bad choice to not sit with Michelle on the pavement outside, reading her book over her shoulder. The lady was standing in front of the elevator’s glass doors, gesturing hazily and rattling off the measurements of the Washington Monument.

Suddenly, multiple thin, blue beams of light started to emit from Ned’s backpack.

“Ned, what the-, “Alice started but the loud clanging noise, and the sound of shattering glass from above them cut her off. Someone screamed, and Alice’s ears perked up at the sound of a wire snapping. Ned dropped his backpack like it was searing hot, his eyes wide with terror.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!

---

“Look at the ceiling,” Flash said, who, just like everyone else, was barely moving, in fear of jostling the elevator too much.

“Just stay calm, everyone,” Liz said, despite looking absolutely petrified.

“Oh, we are all going to die here,” Leonard said, shaking his head.

“OK, guys, I know that was scary but our safety systems are working,” the lady said, her expression blank. “We are very safe in here.” Cindy looked at her like she was crazy.

“Help!” Cindy yelped, grabbing on the walls as she felt the elevator jolt. The hatch at the top of the elevator opened, and Liz motioned for Cindy to climb up. She clambered up with a boost from Liz, and she was hoisted out of the elevator to safety.

Leonard was next, grabbing onto the edge of the opening to pull himself out.

The elevator jolted again, dropping a few feet. Alice held her breath, scared for her life. Leonard managed to pull himself out of the elevator, grasping onto the hands of someone on the floor above.

“OK, me next!” Flash struggled his way forward, stepping on Mr Harrison’s hands, a death grip on the trophy which Alice, up until that point hadn’t noticed.

“Don’t worry about the trophy!” Liz shouted. Alice could feel the elevator swaying slightly.

“Flash, Jesus Christ don’t be stupid!” Alice yelled, a hand clinging to Liz’s sleeve.

Flash managed to get a leg up, and got his chest out of the elevator, until it gave another lurch. Alice heard him yelp something like “Take my trophy!” before the elevator dropped yet another few feet.

They pulled Flash out of the elevator, an Alice heard a sharp metallic creaking, and the beams gave way. People were screaming, both inside and outside of the elevator. Liz and Alice clung to the wall and each other, both terrified until there was another sudden and very strong lurch.

They stopped for a couple of seconds, Ned stood up. Somewhere above them, Alice heard an excited “I did it!” before they started to fall again. The elevator landed on some metal beaming, and the sudden movement cause Alice to topple over. At the same time, a person clad in bright blue and red fell in through the hole in the ceiling, landing on her leg.

The Spiderman shot some webbing out through the hole, planting his feet on the partial ceiling, upside down. He cleared his throat, looking at each of them.

“Hey, how you doin’? We’re alright, I got you,”

Spider-Man grabbed onto his web, pulling hand over hand, and pulled the entire elevator back up. Mr Harrison looked like he was about to faint.

When he reached the top, the doors where forced open, and Liz, Alice, Ned, and Mr Harrison got out.

“Alright, this is your stop! Go, go, go, go, go! Everyone out! Move people!” The Spider-Man said, grunting to hold up the elevator.

Liz and Alice hugged, both close to tears from fright.

“OK- is-is everyone OK?” Spider-Man asked, still upside down. Liz nodded, completely silent and shaking a great deal.

Spider-Man paused, not moving and stared at Alice. Alice looked back at him, still taking deep breaths and trembling, but she managed a small smile. And then, she heard a soft snapping sound. She glanced up, eyes widening. Spider-Man noticed where she was looking and jumped out of the elevator, grabbing the empty door frame.

He sighed in relief. “Thanks,” He said, the eyes on his mask squinting and readjusting themselves.

“That’s alright,” Alice replied, giving a weak smile.

“Are you really friends with Peter Parker?” Flash asked, hands still tightly clutching the trophy. A few people laughed, mostly out of nerves.

---

“Mom, I’m- I’m fine, really-,” Alice cried out into the phone, her mother panicking on the other side of the line. “No, no, you don’t need to come here, it’s a four-hour drive, I’m fine, we’re all fine!” Alice’s hands shook as she talked into the phone, traipsing down the stairs of the Washington Monument.

Michelle spotted her, running over to give her a hug. She snatched the phone from Alice without asking.

“Mrs Enwright? It’s Michelle. You don’t need to drive over, ma’am. Yeah, my mom works in the area. Yeah, she can take care of Alice. We’ll be following the bus back to school, Ma’am. Thank you,” Michelle said to Alice’s mother. She hung up, passing the phone back to Alice.

“Your mom is out of the country,” Alice said, looking at Michelle.

“Yeah, and your mom doesn’t have her number, so we’re fine,” Michelle replied, patting her on the shoulder awkwardly. “You’re fine, right?”

“Yes, mother.” Alice rolled her eyes. She threw an arm over Michelle’s shoulder, giving her a side hug.

“Did you hear about that thing that happened with the ferry, like, yesterday?” Alice asked Michelle, walking down the hallway together to their next class. The hallway was still packed with students, most of them talking about the same thing as they were. The news had spread like wildfire.

“Yeah, I did,” Michelle answered, opening her locker to grab her textbooks.

Alice waited for her to continue. She didn’t. “And?” she urged, her books pressed to her chest.

Michelle shrugged, closing her locker. “Well, what’s there to say? Spider-Man did something the boat got cut in half, and Tony Stark helped put the pieces back together. Simple as that.”

Alice opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment Peter Parker walked over.

“Alice, hey, can- can I talk to you after school?” He asked, actually looking at her in the face now.

“Sure.”

Michelle’s eyebrows were raised, forever unimpressed. “I’ll see you later, Alice,” she said, before walking into her classroom.

Alice turned on her heel, walking behind Peter to History. Peter noticed, looking a little flustered.

“Uh, we can talk later?” he said, offering a small smile.

“We have the same class.” Alice raised an eyebrow.

“Oh. Right.”

---

Alice sat two rows behind Peter, taking notes as Mr Wayne talked about the dates. After the tournament, Alice found herself able to stay awake during class. Maybe I was sleepy because of the stress, or something.

When Mr Wayne paused to let them copy down some notes, which Alice had already done, she realised something was off. It wasn’t a big difference, one more person moving to copy notes, but it was really noticeable. Peter was actually in class, and he was actually paying attention.

Stop obsessing. It’s nothing, and you’re being stupid.

The student sitting next to her twitched, blinking confusedly.

---

Alice sat on the step outside the school, sketching a drawing of Michelle, with the words “resting bitch face” written in a speech bubble over her head. On the back of that page was a doodle of Peter, but he didn’t need to know about that.

Michelle waved at her and got into her dad’s car, driving home. Alice waved back to her and her dad. She felt a buzz in her pocket, and saw a text from Michelle.

“if he does anything stupid im gonna kick his ass :)”

Alice smiled and looked up at her in the car window. Michelle flipped her off without her dad seeing, grinning. Alice shook her head, smiling back at her.

“Hey,” Peter said, walking up behind her. Alice covered the sketchbook with her sleeve.

“Hey,” she replied, gesturing at the spot on the pavement next to her for him to sit.

“So…,” Peter said, wildly attempting to start a conversation.

“You heard about that thing that happened with Spider-Man?” Alice asked, pressing her lips together.

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter said, nodding vehemently.

“Pretty dick move of Iron Man to ditch Spidey back there on the ferry by himself,” Alice said, turning back to her sketch of Michelle.

Peter sighed. “I’m really, really sorry, Alice. I’m- I don’t know why I left you there, and I’m sorry for ignoring you,” Peter said, biting his lip, his eyebrows furrowed.

Alice kept her face blank. “It’s alright, Peter.”

“No, I’m actually really sorry, and I want to make it up to you, and-,” Peter took a breath, leaning his forehead on Alice’s shoulder. She gave a start to the abrupt contact, but warmed at the familiar smell. “I’m sorry.”

Alice’s shoulders tensed up again.

“It’s alright, Peter.” She sighed, closing her eyes.

Peter made eye contact, he looked miserable. Alice guessed that she didn’t look much better either.

“It’s alright?” he echoed, incredulous.

Alice exhaled, turning toward him. “I mean, you did ditch me at a party with a socially inept friend, kiss me and then ignored me for about a week, and you did disappear the day of the tournament, and have suddenly started turning up to class and paying attention,” Alice listed, smiling cheekily at Peter, whose cheeks were growing pinker with each statement. “But, yeah. I’m pretty tired of not having anyone to talk to in class. I think it’s alright.”

Peter grimaced, face heated up with a blush. “Where did this sass come from?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “I guess Michelle has rubbed off on me more than I thought.”

---

They were still sitting outside the school. It was mostly deserted now, save for a few students milling around for after school activities.

Alice took out her sketch, continuing the drawing of Michelle. She doodled around it, some cartoons of Michelle grinning and flipping her off. Peter was sitting next to her, making light, easy, conversation.

“Are we completely OK?” Peter asked after a minute.

Alice paused. “I don’t think so. Not yet.” After realizing how dramatic that sounded, she added: “I mean, it’s not like we were dating or anything to begin with, right? It’s not like you even cheated on me or anything, it’s fine. No harm, no foul.”

Peter seemed content with that, leaning his elbows back on the steps. He looked over her shoulder at her drawings, enjoying this quiet moment between them.

Alice broke the comfortable silence. “Hey, Peter?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you… Do you have a date for homecoming?” she asked tentatively, her hair covering face. She doodled a few sunflowers on the corner of her page. When he didn’t answer she looked away.

“Cause- I mean, I know we weren’t, like, exclusive? Or anything, and I just,” she said, not pausing to let him talk. “I like you. Peter. A lot. And I’m sorry for making it so hard for you to talk to me, and I’m sorry for not talking to you sooner. Because I like you.” She took a breath, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. Oh, God, shut up.

Peter paused. He looked pained. “Alice,” he said, biting his lip, distressed. “I- I asked Liz. To the dance.”

Oh. Alice paused, her face now blank in surprise. “Oh.” She looked back down at her sketchbook.

“I’m really, really sorry, Alice, I just thought you wouldn’t forgive me, and-,” Peter started, cutting himself off before he said anything else. Probably for the best.

Alice’s throat was tight. “It’s alright,” she said, throwing her sketchbook and blunt pencil into her backpack, standing up. Peter practically jumped up, to stand next to her.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said. He looked just about ready to cry.

“It’s alright, Peter.” Alice smiled tightly. She knew that this was bound to happen. “I’ll see you around.”

Peter didn’t say anything. He stood there, watching her walked away. After a few seconds, he collected himself, inhaling deeply and turned to walk home.

iii.

“God, he’s making my job so much more difficult than it already is,” Michelle exclaimed, sprawled out in Alice’s bed. “I don’t have enough energy to kick his ass.”

Alice tipped her chair back, balancing on two of its legs. She blew her hair out of her face.

“OK, I know I’m supposed to be comforting you, but this is too many times that he’s been a dick. Stop sulking,” Michelle said, throwing a book at her. “I brought you the book I promised to lend you,” she added, pointing at the book on the floor, which she had just used as a projectile.

“You abuse your books,” Alice said, tipping her chair back further to grab it from her bedroom floor. “Oscar Wilde doesn’t deserve this.”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Get off your ass and stop sulking.”

“I’m not sulking!” Alice objected.

“Yeah, sure you aren’t,” Michelle said, sarcastic. “Let’s just go to homecoming together. It’s just another lame party.”

Alice sat on the bed, flopping over Michelle’s legs. “OK,” she said.

“Get off my legs,” Michelle said, annoyed, kicking Alice lightly.

“No,” Alice said, clinging to the sheets, both of them ending up in a tangle of limbs and blankets, laughing and yelling at each other.

---

On the day of homecoming, Alice had absolutely nothing to worry about, yet there she was, worrying.

“OK, I’m about to walk out the door. What are you worried about?” Michelle asked, looking in the mirror to fix her hair like Alice instructed her to. “Jesus, you’re getting me worked up, and it’s just a stupid dance.”

Alice rested her hands on the dresser, watching Michelle grapple with her frizzy head of curls. “Here,” she said, pulling it back and pinning it up for her. Michelle scrunched up her face, unimpressed. She tugged out a few strands of her fringe, combing it to the side with her fingers.

Michelle proceeded to pick up an eyebrow pencil, drawing in her brows.

Alice looked up at her reflection, fixing her hair to the best of her ability. She dabbed at her lips with a red stained finger, blending the deep red colour. She squinted at her reflection, checking her eyeliner and eyebrows.

She had worn ‘the bare minimum’ according to the videos on YouTube she had hastily watched in a moment of alarm. Apparently the bare minimum was to fill her eyebrows, do eyeliner, and lipstick.

Michelle helped her with most of that, smacking her when she opened her eyes without her permission, smudging her eyeliner.

“You sure do know a lot about make-up for a person who doesn’t care,” Alice said, watching Michelle effortlessly draw her eyebrow. “Thanks for helping me do mine.” She added, thankful.

“No problem,” she said, grabbing her lipstick and dabbing some on her cheeks and lips. “I go to a lot of weddings. And I get bored sometimes. Give me your face,” Michelle added, grabbing Alice’s face and dabbing some of her lipstick on her cheeks. “Blend that.”

“You know how to perfectly flick the tail for eyeliner, and you know how to use lipstick as a cheek blush but you can’t even tame your hair,” Alice joked, leaning in closer to the mirror, dabbing the pigment on her face gingerly.

“What can I say,” Michelle said, nodding her head to the music Alice had put on earlier. “Other than, ‘I am better than you’, of course.”

---

Alice and Michelle walked down the stairs, Alice in a pale icy blue dress which, like Michelle’s, had sheer fabric at the top around her neck and shoulders. The skirt part was made of a ruffle-y tulle fabric that reached her knees.

Michelle was wearing a dress that had white sheer fabric on the top. It had fabric shaped like individual sunflower petals, and it had a band around the waist in the same colour, along with the skirt of the dress.

“Oh, goodness! You both look gorgeous!” Mrs Enwright squealed, her hair messily tied up in a bun with a pen sticking in it, strands falling out. “Wait, wait let me take a picture.”

Michelle smiled closed mouthed, never one for the camera. Alice smiled at her mother, twitching her legs.

Mrs Enwright fiddled with the camera for a second. “OK, smile!” she said, taking a few photos. “Well, pose, or something! You two look like you’re complete strangers!” She laughed, snapping a few more pictures as Michelle and Alice made funny faces, smiled some more.

“Oh, both of you look so beautiful!” she said, looking through the photos.

“Thanks, Mrs Enwright.” Michelle smiled, with teeth, now that the camera wasn’t pointed at her. She looked pretty guiltless for having lied to her a few days ago.

“Alright, both of you ladies in the car,” Mrs Enwright said, shooing them to the backseat of her car. “I’ll be picking you two up later, as well, OK?”

“Yeah, mom,” Alice said, checking the time on her phone. Michelle buckled her seatbelt, looking over Alice’s shoulder to look at the time as well.

“Buckle up, young lady.”

“Yes, mother,” Alice said, handing her phone to Michelle so she could use the camera.

---

“OK, both of you, have fun! Don’t run off with anyone to drink in a parking lot, be smart!” She leaned out the window to wave them into the high school.

“Thanks, mom,” Alice said, grasping her mother’s hand.

“Thanks sending me, Mrs Enwright,” Michelle said, smiling. Alice rolled her eyes and smiled, out of view from her mother.

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine, Michelle, you’re like my second daughter!” Mrs Enwright said. She drove off, Michelle waving.

“Ever the one to please my mother, you are,” Alice said, her eyebrows raised.

“I need to stay in her good books,” Michelle said, striding toward the crowded entrance of the school. Alice half-jogged to keep up.

“First ever homecoming, here we come,” Michelle said sarcastically, pushing open the glass doors.

“Midtown High, get ready for the act of the century, Alice-and-Michelle!” Alice joked, putting on an exaggerated voice.

Alice and Michelle leant their backs against the wall, the hall was still sort of empty. Mostly they were groups of friends and people who went by themselves. “Like loners,” Michelle had described them as.

“Hey, guys,” Ned said, appearing out of nowhere, just before Michelle opened her mouth to go on another long tangent about the people going alone, most probably insulting them. Ned was wearing a standard black suit.

“Hey, Ned,” Michelle and Alice said.

“No hat this time?” Michelle said, raising her eyebrows.

“No,” Ned replied, shaking his head. “I don’t think it worked last time. Are you two here together?” He asked.

“Yeah. Did you see Peter anywhere? I have quite a few things to say to him.” Michelle pushed herself off the wall, crossing her arms.

“I haven’t seen him, he’s coming with Liz…” Ned trailed off, glancing at Alice as if she would burst into tears at the sound of Liz Allen’s names. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m not about to let Peter ruin tonight for me,” Alice said, grabbing Michelle by the elbow. “I mean, I’m going to be cringing at the thought of tonight no matter what, right? Might as well have some fun.”

“I’m not dancing,” Michelle said flatly, narrowing her eyes at Alice.

“I haven’t said anything about that yet, but since you mentioned it…” Alice smirked deviously, Michelle snatching her arm from her best friend’s grasp.

“NO.”

“Alright, alright, let’s just go grab some food or something.” Alice dragged Michelle over to the other side of the hall, toward to table covered in platters of school food. Ned trailed behind both of them silently, unsure of whether or not he should be following them.

---

Alice drank a juice out of a Styrofoam cup, one arm crossed over her chest and leaning back against an empty table. She listened to Michelle and Ned make fun of the couples now trailing into the hall. No one was safe from Michelle’s sharp tongue.

She made fun of everyone, including her, Alice, and Ned. “For equality’s sake.” She said. “I might be a smart asshole, but I’m a fair asshole.”

She made fun of Alice’s eyeliner and lipstick choice, and then moved on to insult Ned’s shoes. “And I’ve already insulted myself, so we can continue mocking other people.”

“Look at Stephanie, is that a dress or an entire species of bird just taped to her body?” She had almost made Alice choke on her drink, Ned doubled over in laughter. It was so much better listening to her jeer at their classmates than listening to The Official Top 50 Pop Singles that the school had put on.

“Look at Brendon and Sarah, they’re wearing matching outfits, ew!” Michelle said, pointing to the couple. They looked pretty bedazzled.

“They look like disco balls.” Alice blinked.

“Brendon and Sarah are nice!” Ned said, although he was laughing.

“All in good fun, Ned,” Michelle said, stretching her arms over her head.

---

“Ugh, look at- Actually, Liz looks pretty good. And she’s nice, but that’s just a bonus.” Liz walked in, wearing a cherry red coloured dress. The skirt swished around her knees as she spotted them, waving energetically. She looked pretty, as always.

“Hey, guys!” She said, smiling brightly. She brushed her fringe behind her ear.

“Hey, Liz.” Alice looked up at her, smiling slightly. “You look great!”

“Thanks,” Liz said.

“Oh, here he comes,” Michelle said under her breath, loud enough for Alice to hear. She looked over Liz’s shoulder, to see Peter Parker. He looked really dazed, and as pale as a ghost. He looked like he had no idea where he was.

“Hey!” Liz said to Peter brightly, noticing where Alice was looking. “So, what did he say to you?”

Peter didn’t reply, not looking at anyone but Liz, and somehow not really looking at Liz either. He stared at her, his expression sad but unmoving.

“I gotta go.” Peter looked up at Liz. His eyes flicked over to Alice, making eye contact. “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this.”

Before Liz could get a word out, Peter turned around, sprinting out of the hall, nearly tripping a few students.

Michelle looked at Alice, both of them confused, and they looked up at Liz, who seemed like she had just experienced the most confusing heartbreak ever.

---

In an effort to cheer them up, Michelle, going against her word, made them dance. It was to some crappy repetitive pop song that none of them really liked, but it was fun laughing at each other’s stupidest dance moves. Michelle cracked a laugh at most of them, barely even moving herself. She was mostly swaying slightly, rooted to the spot.

Alice grabbed her hands, spinning her around and dancing to the monotonous beat. Michelle smiled, groaning, but she didn’t stop her, dancing along with them. Liz smiled and laughed with them, but still seemed pretty unsure and confused about Peter.

After dancing with them for a while, Liz decided to go find her friends, leaving Michelle, Ned, and Alice to themselves.

“Should we continue with the insults?” Michelle asked, relieved to have stopped dancing.

For the rest of the homecoming, Michelle, Ned, and Alice joked around with each other, dancing in between when they ran out of insults for the rest of the school.

Nearing the end of homecoming, they turned on a slow song, much to the disappointment of the students. After the school didn’t budge about playing slow songs, a few couples gradually started making their way onto the dance floor, led by the glittery Sarah and Brendon, of course, who jumped at the chance of being funny and cute. The rest of the couples followed suit, awkwardly shuffling and swaying with each other.

“My I have this dance?” Alice said, leaping up from her seat.

Michelle sighed at her friend, crossing her arms.

“Come on,” Alice whined playfully. “We’ll be the least awkward pair dancing! Please.” Alice pulled puppy eyes at her. Michelle got to her feet, brushing of her yellow dress.

“Your puppy eyes suck,” she said. Alice tiptoed, giggling, and Michelle twirled under her arm.

“It worked,” Alice said, laughing at her gangly friend. “What does that say about you?”

“The only reason it ‘worked’ was because it was so horrible, it made me feel bad for you,” Michelle said. Alice smacked her arm, attempting to lead her into another spin. Michelle sighed in defeat, stiffly allowing Alice to whirl under her arm.

Alice turned to where Ned was sitting to tell him to dance by himself, but he wasn’t there.

---

At the end of the night, the homecoming king and queen were announced. And as expected, it was Brendon and Sarah. Not that anyone was complaining. They were a cute couple, and the only couple that has actually lasted.

Michelle and Alice said goodbye to a mildly dishevelled Ned, and they got into Mrs Enright’s car, Michelle still talking about how it should be homecoming royals, instead of king and queen, because there were non-binary kids in the school. Alice agreed, exhausted. She flopped onto the seat, greeting her mother with a quiet “hey, mom.”

“Had fun?” Mrs Enwright said. She looked exactly the same as she did when she dropped them off, perhaps with a few more strands of hair falling loose of her bun than before.

They nodded. Alice because she was too tired to reply, Michelle because apparently it was the polite thing to do with parents, according to a book she read three years ago.

---

That night, even though Alice was tired, she stayed up, unable to fall asleep. She resorted to texting Michelle, who wasn’t replying, evidently she had fallen asleep long ago. She sat up in her bed, opening her sketchbook to the drawing of Peter, deciding to render and shade it a bit more.

That night, a slightly bloody and bruised Peter Parker knocked on the door. Mrs Enwright, who as usual was staying up late to work, opened it, surprised to see a boy standing outside her house.

“Hi, ma’am. I’m Peter Parker. I’m in your daughter’s grade in school. We have a lot of classes together.” Peter dabbed at his cut lip after seeing the reaction from the woman in standing in front of him, trying to get rid of the blood there. He hadn’t looked in a mirror yet. “I’m really sorry if this is inconvenient, but I wanted to tell Alice something. And – and- actually, can you just tell her that I’m really-,”

“Mom who’s at the door-? Oh.” Alice walked down the stairs in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized NASA T-shirt.

“Honey, is this your friend?” Mrs Enwright said, her eyes not quite focused.

“Y-yeah. Yes. He’s my friend.” Alice pressed her lips together.

“OK, then, come in.” Much to Peter’s surprise, Alice’s mom let him in, shutting the front door behind him. “I just need to finish editing this one chapter, Alice, and then I’ll be done. I can drive you home if you like?” Peter was truly confused.

“Mom, no, don’t drive him home. Peter can walk, can’t he?” Alice said through gritted teeth, giving him a look over Mrs Enwright’s shoulder.

“Uh, yes, I can. You don’t need to, ma’am. Drive me home, I-I mean.” Peter stuttered, not looking at Alice.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Mrs Enwright said, looking between both of them, putting on the glasses that were in her hair. “Honey, I need to go edit that chapter. Be good!”

---

Peter stood in the centre of Alice’s room, his hands in his pockets. Alice pushed the door shut, taking a deep breath.

“A-,” Before Peter could get a word out, Alice pushed past him, taking out a clear plastic first aid box.

“Sit,” Alice said, pointing to a spot on her bed.

Peter moved her sketchbook and pencil before sitting on the bed. He clasped his hands in his lap, turning his head to look at the page her sketchbook was flipped to. It was a drawing of him, much to his surprise.

Alice opened her first aid kit, leaving it on the floor. Wordlessly, she got up, walking out her bedroom. When she returned, it was with a cold pack.

“Here,” she said, handing it to him. He pressed it to his black eye, grateful.

“Thanks,” he said. Alice didn’t reply. She got a wet tissue out, and started dabbing at the numerous grazes on his hands, and the few cuts on his cheeks and neck. “Your mom is… nice.” Oh, God, what the heck am I saying, what kind of conversation is this?

Alice shrugged. “She’s overworking herself. She gets all hazy and weird she stays up all the time.”

Peter felt like kicking himself. “Alice, I’m sorry. I am.” Alice looked up at him, cold. He bit his lip. “I’m sorry that I led you on, and that I-I ignored you for so long, and that-,”

“It’s alright, Peter.”

Peter couldn’t stop himself from getting angry. “No, it’s not, Alice. Listen to me!” Peter pleaded, grabbing her wrists. Alice sighed, looking up at him, emotionless.

“Those grazes should heal fine,” Alice said, pointing to the ones on his hands. “Just put on some Band-Aids or something, I’ve run out.”

Peter sat there staring at her. I’m sorry that I’m a huge idiot.

Alice moved on to cleaning the cuts on his face. Peter grabbed her wrists again, making her look at him in the eyes.

“I’m sorry, Alice,” he said, voice cracking.

“So am I, Peter.”

---

Alice had applied ointment on Peter’s cuts, telling him that it wouldn’t stain his pillow, and that he would probably look like an idiot if he went to school the next day with Band-Aids on his face.

“Alice,” Peter started.

“What?” Alice said, finally losing it, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She turned away. “Peter, I know that we weren’t a ‘thing’. I know, and I’m tired of apologies, and I’m tired of feeling like shit because of you. I know it’s not your fault, I just-,” Alice said, hugging her arms to herself, stood facing away from Peter.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said softly, his voice cracking again. “I’m sorry. For everything.”

Alice didn’t turn around. Peter got up from her bed, laying a hesitant hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t tense up, Peter pulled her into his chest, giving her a hug.

“I’m sorry.”

Alice rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. For over-reacting. For everything.”

Peter gave her a small smile, subconsciously brushing his thumb over her cheek.

Alice leant up and kissed him. And it was like being able to breathe again. She placed her hands on his shoulder, near his neck. Peter still had his hand on her jaw, the other just above the small of her back.

They broke apart. Alice smiling up at him, her eyes half-lidded. She rested her forehead on his shoulder.

“You’re alright, Peter.” She smiled.

“So are you, Alice,” Peter said. “And I like you, a lot.”

2 Months Later.

The bell rang, and the sound of chairs being dragged and pushed against the floor immediately filled the room. Ms Jones let the students practically run out the door, not bothering to try to get them to stay in the Physics class any longer; it was the end of the week, after all.

Alice shut her sketchbook, stuffing all her books and stationery into her backpack, giving the teacher a quick smile before jogging out the door with the rest of the class.

She creeped up behind Michelle, who was listening to music with headphones in, standing in their usual spot on the steps in front of the school. She grabbed her friend from behind, eliciting a loud string of curse words from her.

“Oh, the end of the week,” Alice said, uncharacteristically cheerful. At least, more cheerful than usual, these days.

“Don’t get all giddy about it, it’s just a painting.” Michelle cocked an eyebrow, taking out her earphones.

“Do you have anything to do today? We can hang out,” Alice said, hoping the answer would be yes.

“Um, no. I’m not about to walk out of your house smelling like paint and turpentine, people will think I’m a teenage alcoholic.” Michelle said, rucking up her bulky backpack. “I’m going to return some books to the library. And then I’m going to that Barnes and Noble near my house to buy one.”

Alice shook her head, smiling at her friend. Just then, Peter and Ned walked over, Peter wrapping an arm over Alice’s shoulders, making her jump.

“Hey,” Peter said, smiling.

“Hey,” Alice replied, rolling her eyes.

“OK, I think I’m done being around you two for the day,” Michelle said, making a face at them. “I’m going to the library. See you guys, hopefully when you aren’t making heart eyes at each other.” Alice flipped her off, grinning. Michelle stuck her middle finger up at her best friend, laughing and walking away with her heavy backpack of books.

“We’ve got a LEGO AT-AT to build at Peter’s place,” Ned said, gesturing to the general direction of Peter’s house with his hand.

Peter chuckled. “Wanna join us on your journey to become a Star Wars nerd?” Peter said, looking down at Alice, who scrunched up her face, miffed.

“Excuse you, but if we ever did a Star Wars trivia quiz, you would have your ass handed to you.” She elbowed him in the side, pushing him away from her.

“Hey!” Peter laughed at her, raising his hands to his sides. “But for real, do you wanna come along?”

“No,” Alice said, smiling at her boyfriend. “I’ve got some stuff to do. I’ll see you later? In the evening, though.”

“OK,” Peter said, turning around to walk back to his house with Ned. “Bye!” He called over his shoulder.

“Bye! See you later!” Alice hollered back to him over the sounds of the busy city.

---

Alice tapped impatiently on the side of her phone, waiting for Michelle to pick up. She held to phone in her hand, facing it toward herself. She had texted Michelle a picture of her painting, but to no reply so maybe her phone was dead.

‘click!’

“What the Hell, Alice? It’s so beautiful. What the ever-loving, complete fu-,” Michelle said, holding the phone away from her face. She looked over to someone behind her phone, in front of her. “Sorry.”

Alice grimaced, waiting for Michelle to finish apologizing to whoever it was. Michelle looked back at the phone, her voice now hushed.

“It’s so good, Alice! I mean, the subject matter is kind of shitty, but you made him look so good!” Michelle said. “Switch to the other camera, I don’t want to see your dumb face!” Alice laughed, tapping her screen to flip the camera around, showing Michelle the canvas that was propped up on her mirror.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” Alice asked, scraping a tiny speck of dried paint that had got onto the side of her phone.

“Oh, he better!” Michelle said, joked, only to get shushed by the same person sitting in front of her. She lowered her voice again. “OK, but really, he’d literally have to be insane if he doesn’t like it. Listen, my phone is dying, and I’m in the library right now, so call me after he leaves, OK? Bye.”

Alice waved, and Michelle ended the call.

---

Alice opened the door, to see Peter. He smiled, giving her a hug in the doorway. Alice quickly tugged him into the house, shutting the door.

“I’m in my pyjamas!” she said to him, frowning light-heartedly.

“Actually,” Peter said, taking a closer look at what Alice was wearing. “Are those my clothes?” Alice was wearing a pair of Peter’s sweatpants and one of his hoodies. Both were too long for her, the fabric bunching up at her wrists and ankles.

“That’s beside the point,” Alice said, waving him off. “Mom, Peter’s here!”

A faint “OK, honey,” came from Mrs Enwright’s study, and Alice dragged Peter upstairs.

“Close your eyes,” Alice said, leaning on her door handle.

“Y’know, you look really cute in my clothes,” Peter said, making a huge show about covering his eyes with his hands.

“You’re not gonna make me tell you what it is, Parker. Don’t try your dreadful sweet-talk on me,” she teased, despite a rosy blush blooming on her cheeks.

“I smell rubbing alcohol,” Peter said, peeking through his fingers. “Is it a bucket of rubbing alcohol?”

“Stop peeking, loser!” Alice said, making him cover his eyes. Oh, God what if this is really dramatic for nothing, and he hates it?

“OK! Jeez,” Peter says, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes. “Covered. There.”

“OK, I’m actually bringing you in the room now, so you better not peek, asshole!” Alice opened the door, walking Peter into the room backwards, holding onto his elbow. “OK, on the count of three, alright? One, two, three!”

---

Peter opened his eyes, to see Alice standing in front of him. He smiled at her, noticing the streaks of colour on her arms, and the tiny spot of yellow paint on her cheek. He took in the view, admiring his girlfriend.

“Do you like it?” Alice asked, opening her arms to the side dramatically, smiling awkwardly.

Peter turned his head to look at what she was pointing at; it was sitting on her dresser, propped up against her mirror. And realised what it was. A painting of him.

Peter’s eyes grew wide. He looked at the painting. It had a colourful lines made up the background, making a circle behind the painting of him. In the painting, he was looking forward, smiling slightly. The colours in the background seemed to reflect onto his face, the highlights in his eyes standing out brightly against the soft, colour light on the rest of his face.

He walked in closer to the canvas, eyes scanning over each brushstroke.

“Peter?” Alice’s voice came from behind him. He looked around at her. She was fidgeting with her hands, picking at the dried paint on her skin. “Do you like it?”

Peter smiled at her, nodding. He strode over to her, wrapping his arms around her, enveloping her in a big hug.

“Thank you,” Peter said, smiling into her shoulder. “It’s amazing.”

“Well,” Alice said, giving him a coy smile. “You’re not too bad yourself, Pete.”

Peter laughed, giving her a passionate kiss, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

---

Peter laid in Alice’s bed, and she lying on his arm. They chatted softly, both of them turning to the other and peppering them with kisses every now and then.

They fell asleep like that, calm and serene, hugged close to each other.

Unbeknownst to them, Mrs Enwright walked in to announce that Aunt May wanted Peter home. She giggled to herself, smiling fondly at their sleeping forms, reminding her of herself and her husband. She took a picture on her phone, sending it to May. She tapped both of them on the shoulder, waking them up gently from their slumber, before leaving the bedroom.

---

“Thank you, ma’am,” Peter said, popping his head into the study. Mrs Enwright looked up, her face illuminated by the white light of her laptop. She waved, smiling affectionately.

Peter walked back out to the front door, clutching onto the wooden frame of the canvas. He gave Alice a swift kiss on the cheek, smiling shyly.

Alice laughed, dragging him in for another kiss, ruffling his hair when they broke apart.

“Bye,” Peter said, standing outside her door.

“Bye,” Alice replied, clinging onto the door handle.

Peter smiled, turning away. What did I do to deserve her?

---

Alice closed the door, a happy, weightless sensation taking over her body. She smiled to herself.

“So,” Mrs Enwright said, walking into the room, a coffee mug in hand. “How would you describe your relationship woth Peter. For the writer.” She joked, taking a sip from her mug. “One sentence.”

Alice smiled at her mother, leaning back against the door, crossing her arms.

“I think falling for Peter has officially ruined my year.”

epilogue.

Alice walked home, in the dying light of the evening. The street was deserted, completely silent save for her own footfalls. The streetlamps were buzzing, most of them broken or dying out.

She got her phone out of her pocket, readying it to dial 911 but it was dead. Perfect. I’m going to die tonight.

She continues walking, hugging herself and grasping at the sleeves of her jacket. Sunlight slowly faded, the small amount of warmth that came with it slowly dying too, leaving her cold, under an inky black night sky.

Alice stopped in her tracks, swinging her bag over her shoulder to get out her keys. She put each sharp spoke between her fingers. She jumped; the lightbulb from buzzing streetlamp she had stopped under burst.

She was just about to continue her walk home, when suddenly, she felt a tug on her hair, and the cold edge of a blade at her throat. Alice immediately tensed up, holding her breath. Oh, God, oh, my God, Jesus Christ.

A hand clasped at the crook of her arm, dragging her backwards into an alley on the side of the street.

He removes the knife from her throat, a slivered of red already marked into her throat. Alice didn’t move, she was panting, short quick breaths. The chilling ‘click!’ of a gun being cocked came from behind her. Alice felt goose bumps crawl up her arm, swallowing a whimper.

The cold metal barrel of the gun pressed into the back of her neck.

“Don’t move,” a voice growled from behind her, a hand still gripping like a vice to her shoulder. “Drop your bag.”

Alice did as she was told, quickly throwing the straps from her backpack off herself, along with the keys in her hand. Her backpack thudded to the floor, keys bouncing on the pavement, making a clinking sound.

The tip of the gun didn’t move from her neck as he dragged her backpack toward himself, rifling through it for her valuables.

Alice took shallow breaths, her heart pounding quickly in her chest. She bit her lip, feeling tears slip out her eyes, a kind of pressure building up inside her head.

“Shit,” he said abruptly. Alice jumped as he suddenly pressed the gun harder into her flesh. She tried and fell over, pleading without really knowing what she was saying. Alice crawled a small distance away, curling up into a ball, her knees against her chest, her arms over her head. She was sobbing heavily, chest heaving as she cried.

No blows came. Alice stole a glance upwards at her attacker. He stood, wide eyes and tense. He was panting, shallow breaths just like Alice did earlier. He was hyperventilating. He stared at his gun, his hands shaking. The gun chinked against his metal ring, trembling.

Alice shifted further away, crawling behind a stack of cardboard boxes and a trash can. She gulped down her sobs, forcing herself to breathe.

She hugged her legs to her chest, her eyes just above her knees. She sat there, waiting for a sound, an indication as to whether or not it was safe.

Out of nowhere, Alice heard someone shout something. She heard someone throwing punches, and some unintelligible, hysterical screaming. And then a relieved sigh.

She peeked out from behind the trash can, eyes wide with fear. A person dressed in a familiar red and blue was standing there. He crouched down, looking at the backpack and keys that where on the ground.

Alice glanced at her attacker. He was unconscious, webbed up to the wall, along with his gun and knife, both outside of reaching distance.

Spider-Man muttered something to himself, looking around the alley before walking over to where Alice sat.

“It’s OK,” Spider-Man said, walking up to her. “Here.” He offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet.

“Thank you,” Alice said, shakily.

“It’s alright,” Spider-Man replied, the eyes on his mask refocusing themselves. “Let’s get you home.” Alice grabbed her keys and backpack from the ground, glancing over to the man who was now webbed to the wall.

“Can you put your arms around my neck?” Spider-Man said, and Alice obliged. “Hold on tight.”

He shot a web onto the nearest building, swinging the both of them upwards. Alice hid her face in the crook of his neck, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

---

Spider-Man landed on Alice’s fire escape. She let go of him, legs wobbling with every step.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No problem,” he replied, leaning on the railing to the fire escape.

“I actually need to go in through the front door, but…” Alice said, smiling.

“Oh! Yeah.” he scuffed his shoes on the floor. “Hey, you’re OK, right?”

“Hey,” Alice chuckled to herself at her little inside-joke. “Yeah. Thank you. For saving me.”

“No problem,” he said, laughing.

Alice started walking down the metal stairs. Wait a second. Is that-? Alice spun round to look back at Spider-Man. He was perched, squatting on the metal railing.

“Peter?”

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