Chemistry & Crushes

Peeking in through the window, the morning sun cast a soft glow over Gwen Stacy's room. Gwen stood in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the tie of her Brooklyn Visions school uniform.

“Hey, Gwen!” her dad called from the living room. “You better hurry up, or you'll be late for your first day!”

“I'll be ready in a second, Dad!” Gwen replied, feeling a surge of excitement. Senior year at Brooklyn Visions had finally arrived!

As she fastened the belt on her skirt, Gwen’s mind raced with thoughts of the year ahead. The workload would definitely be more demanding. And she would have to seriously start thinking about the college she wanted to attend. Not to mention, she needed to ensure she still had time for the Mary Janes. 

MJ was convinced they were nearing a record deal, and based on the schedule the girl had shown Gwen, she would make sure they did everything in their power to reach it. Balancing academics with music had always been a juggling act, but Gwen was determined to make it work.

However, there was one reason that shone brightly above the rest as to why she was so excited and filled with anticipation for the school year to start. Today, she would get to see her best friend again, Miles Morales. They had been inseparable since the beginning of high school.

“Not that you would’ve seen that coming, considering our first interaction,” Gwen thought, smiling as her brain drifted back to the first time she met Miles.

It was in chemistry class, and Gwen and Miles had been paired up for a project. Miles had been so nervous on his first day at Brooklyn Visions (She later found out this was because he didn’t know anyone else at the school). Gwen remembered the awkwardness of that moment like it was yesterday. Miles had mixed the wrong chemicals, creating a super sticky substance that clung to his hand like glue.

Gwen had tried to help him, her initial annoyance giving way to sympathy when she saw how flustered he was. But somehow, in the chaos of their attempts to separate his hand from the sticky mess, Miles managed to get his hand stuck in her hair. It was a rather comical and embarrassing disaster for both of them, though Gwen’s hair had borne the brunt of the damage.

The school nurse had been summoned to save the day, wielding clippers to free Miles’ hand from her hair. Each swipe made Gwen cringe, and at the end, she was left with a not so fashionable hand-shaped patch on the side of her head. It was not the greatest first impression.

After that incident, Miles spent the next three days constantly apologizing. It seemed like he couldn’t stop himself from saying sorry every time they crossed paths. MJ and Peter, whom Gwen had been friends with even before attending Brooklyn Visions, found this behavior endearing and often teased Gwen about it. 

“He’s like a little puppy trying to apologize for biting you. It’s adorable,” the redhead had told her.

Gwen disagreed. It was a constant reminder of how embarrassing the situation had been, and she wished Miles would just let it go.

One sunny afternoon during lunch, as Gwen, MJ, and Peter sat at their usual spot in the school courtyard, Miles once again approached, his expression filled with regret. He opened his mouth, but Gwen had finally reached her breaking point.

“Miles,” she interrupted before the boy could start, “enough with the apologies already! Seriously, it’s been three days! You’ve said sorry, like, a million times.”

Miles blinked, momentarily taken aback by Gwen's directness. MJ and Peter exchanged amused glances.

Gwen continued, her voice softer but still tinged with exasperation. “Look, Miles, you messed up, but it’s not the end of the world. I accept your apology. Can we please just move on?”

Miles looked relieved. “Yeah, of course,” he replied, his smile returning. “I promise I won’t bring it up again.”

Gwen nodded, satisfied with his response. “Great. Now, do you want to join us for lunch, or are you going to keep standing there awkwardly?”

Miles had joined them for lunch that day and every lunch period after that. As the weeks turned to months, he started hanging out with them all the time. The four friends became a close-knit group, one that Gwen often found herself wondering how she’d gotten so lucky to find. But she couldn't help but feel that her friendship with Miles was different from the one she had with MJ and Peter.

They just got each other on a deeper level. They liked many of the same things and the things they didn’t have in common worked well off each other, like his extreme dislike of pickles and her absolute love of them. They often could tell what the other was thinking with a simple glance. Gwen cherished her friendship with MJ and Peter, but with Miles, it was special. They were the same. In the important ways, at least.

Then, during sophomore year, something Gwen had always suspected finally happened – Peter and MJ began dating. Gwen had seen it coming from a mile away. Those two were so clearly in love with each other. But while she was genuinely happy for her friends, it meant that she often found herself as the third wheel when the three would hang out.

She didn’t mind that too much, however. She and Miles just started spending more time together. It was during those moments when it was just the two of them that Gwen realized how much she enjoyed his company. In no time at all, he became her best friend. Not a day went by without the two talking. Except for this past summer.

Right before the end of the school year, Miles was presented with a golden opportunity—an invitation to apply for an exclusive art program sponsored by Visions. The program promised an entire summer spent in France and England, immersed in art and culture. Miles hadn’t initially wanted to apply, doubting his chances of being chosen, but Gwen had encouraged him to do it.

She had seen his talent firsthand, flipping through his sketchbooks countless times. Miles' drawings were nothing short of amazing, capturing the essence of their friends, scenes from their everyday lives, and even portraits of Gwen herself. Those particular sketches always left her with a warm feeling in her chest and a blush on her face. Miles had a way of making her feel more beautiful in his art than she saw herself.

When he got the news that he had been selected for the program, Gwen couldn't have been happier for him. She’d seen him off at the airport with his parents, cheerfully waving him off even as a sense of sadness settled in her chest. Which only continued to grow over the next few weeks.

Miles being overseas for the entire summer created a significant distance between them, not just in terms of miles but also in their ability to communicate. The time difference and Miles' busy schedule made it challenging for them to talk with any sort of regularity.

Gwen often found herself sitting by her phone, waiting for a message from him, even though they were few and far between. She missed their conversations, the shared laughter, and the way they understood each other without needing to say much. She spent plenty of time with MJ and Peter, but it wasn’t the same without her curly-haired best friend. But thankfully, that period of longing was coming to an end now that Miles was finally back.

“Gwen, seriously, you're gonna be late!”

“Coming, Dad,” she shouted back, hastily grabbing her backpack and slinging it on. She couldn’t help but check her hair one more time. Her distinctive side cut, a hairstyle she had sported ever since that memorable first meeting with Miles, had become a defining part of her look.

Gwen vividly remembered Miles’ reaction the day after that incident in chemistry class. As they walked into school, Miles glanced at her hair and offered a genuine compliment, “I like your hair.”

Her initial response had been to snap back at him, still embarrassed about the mishap that had led to the uneven cut. “You don't get to like my hair,” she had retorted.

However, his appreciation for her unique hairstyle persisted even after they became friends. He had repeated the sentiment many times over the years, always with a smile on his face. Eventually, Gwen had come to appreciate the side cut herself, embracing the edgy and punk-rock vibe.

Over the past year, she’d allowed the longer side to grow out down to her shoulder. She ran her fingers through the ends of it, grinning down at the pink-tipped locks she’d dyed herself a couple of days ago. She’d made quite a mess in the bathroom, but the results had been totally worth it.

With a final check in the mirror, Gwen nodded to herself, satisfied with her appearance. She was ready to face the first day of senior year!

“Hey, Gwen!”

Gwen turned around to see MJ and Peter walking up to her and smiled brightly.

“Hey guys,” she replied, wrapping her arms around the two and pulling them into a group hug.

“Oof,” MJ grunted. She cocked her eye at Gwen as the girl released them. MJ could visibly see the excitement flowing through her friend, which was very unusual coming from her fellow band member.

“Good to see you too, Gwen.”

“What’s got you in such a good mood,” Peter asked, having noticed the same thing MJ did.

“Just excited for school. Come on!”

MJ and Peter exchanged looks as they followed Gwen into the school. The halls of Visions were bustling, filled with students and the energy of the new school year. The trio navigated the halls, heading towards their lockers.

“What’s got you so pumped Gwen,” Peter asked once they reached their lockers. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited for the first day of school. Or any day of school, for that matter.”

“Oh, you know. It’s senior year! Which means no more high school! Who isn’t excited about that? I’ve just got a good feeling about it, that’s all.”

Peter just gave her a look that said he wasn’t buying any of that, so Gwen tried to keep playing it casually.

“Plus, the band has got huge plans for this year. Isn’t that right, MJ?”

MJ, who had been listening quietly, nodded as she leaned back against her locker. “Yeah. The Mary Janes are getting that record deal for sure!”

“See,” Gwen told Peter. “Plenty of reason for me to be excited.”

“But you’ve been much more laid back about that than the rest of the band, Gwen,” MJ continued. “So I doubt that’s what’s got you in such a good mood. So spill. What’s going on?”

“Guys,” Gwen moaned exasperatedly.

Peter chimed in again. “Seriously Gwen! You've been bummed out all summer. It was practically a chore trying to get you to smile, but now you're glowing!”

Gwen blushed. “I am not!”

“No, he’s right you are,” MJ said, leaning towards Gwen and scrutinizing her friend's face. “And your makeup’s different.”

“So?”

“So, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to impress-”

MJ paused as a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Slowly, a smirk appeared on her face.

“What,” Gwen asked MJ self-consciously.

“Oh, I know exactly why you’re so excited. Honestly, it’s so obvious I’m annoyed it took me this long.”

“Oh really? Well, please, do tell. Why am I so excited?”

“Miles.”

There was a brief pause before Gwen’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and she sputtered.

“W-what!?”

“Oh yeahhh,” Peter said, snapping his fingers. “Of course! Wow, you’re right MJ. We should’ve guessed that from the beginning.”

“Right!?”

Gwen groaned. She knew her friends would make a big deal out of this—especially MJ, who never passed up an opportunity to tease her.

“Dude, that’s not…”

“Don’t even try to deny it,” MJ cut Gwen off.

Gwen sighed. “Okay, fine, you got me. I'm excited to see Miles again, alright? But don't make a big deal out of it!”

MJ and Peter burst out in laughter and high-fived each other. Grabbing the last of their things, the trio left their lockers and began walking back toward the front lobby.

“I can’t stand you two,” she grumbled as her friends teased her.

“Oh, relax Gwen,” MJ told her. “We missed Miles too, and we’re happy he’s back. Summer wasn’t the same without him. And neither were you.”

Luckily, Gwen didn’t hear MJ mutter the last part under her breath. Their conversation fell off as they noticed a bunch of students gathered in the front lobby. Something was going on, judging by the excited murmurs. 

“Man, everyone’s excited today. What’s going on,” Peter said as he looked around.

“Come on,” MJ waved them after her, starting to move through the crowd. “I wanna see what’s got them worked up.”

They pushed their way past the students. As they approached the center of the gathering, Gwen couldn't quite make out who the focus of the excitement was. But she could hear the chorus of enthusiastic greetings and smiles on the faces of her fellow students. 

Suddenly, someone yelled, “Good to see you, Miles!”

The sound of her friend’s name instantly perked up Gwen’s ears. She sped past MJ, heart racing with anticipation as she reached the front of the crowd. She expected to lay her eyes on her dorky and beloved friend. But as she finally caught a glimpse of him, her breath caught in her throat.

Miles had indeed returned, but he looked different. He had grown up and matured. His once-boyish features had taken on a more refined and handsome quality. His height had shot up, too, and his posture exuded a newfound confidence.

But it was his smile that had her attention. His grin, which had always been infectious, now held an extra charm that made her heart skip a beat. It was a striking difference, one Gwen couldn’t quite believe.

“What the… ” she blinked, trying to reconcile the Miles in front of her with the image she had held in her mind all summer. Behind her, she could hear MJ and Peter walking up, MJ grumbling.

“Geez Gwen. One mention of Miles’ name and you go running off like…”

The redhead trailed off as she got her first glimpse of Miles.

“Is that Miles?” she asked, her voice filled with shock. Peter took his glasses off and wiped them down to make sure his vision wasn’t impaired.

“Geez. I guess summer treated him well.”

The shock and realization hit Gwen like a tidal wave as Miles greeted friends and classmates. Her best friend had grown up in ways she hadn’t expected, and the sight of him left her both astonished and, inexplicably, flustered. Her cheeks flushed, and she suddenly felt a rush of emotions she couldn't quite put into words.

Something MJ picked up on and filed away to bring up later. Miles’s eyes panned over at that moment, and he spotted Gwen.

“Gwen!”

A bright smile lit up his face, and he rushed over to greet her without hesitation. In a whirlwind of motion, Miles picked Gwen up by the waist and spun her around, taking her entirely by surprise.

Gwen gasped as she found herself in the embrace. The ease with which Miles had lifted her up was another thing to add to the list of changes her friend had gone through.

As he set her down, his hands still holding her waist, she couldn't help but notice the height difference between them. Miles had been roughly her height before, but now he stood at least three inches taller. It was a change that Gwen couldn't ignore, making her feel small.

From this close vantage point, Gwen’s watercolor blue eyes met Miles’ honey-brown ones, which were shining with delight. She had always found his eyes to be pretty, with a warmth that drew her in. However, in this moment, with the height difference and the intensity of their gaze, Gwen’s face flushed with a furious blush that she hoped no one would notice.

It took a moment for Gwen's brain to kick back into gear, but eventually, she managed to greet Miles back, her voice slightly breathless. “Miles, you really know how to make an entrance.”

Miles chuckled, his warm brown eyes never leaving hers. “Hey, Gwen. Missed you over the summer. You look great, by the way. Love the pink.”

Gwen tried to maintain her composure, shyly brushing her hair behind her ear and returning the compliment with a smile. “Thanks. I-I missed you too, Miles. Europe looks good on you.”

“Hey, Miles, are you only this happy to see Gwen, or do you greet everyone like this?”

Gwen jumped slightly in Miles’ embrace, feeling her cheeks flush even more as MJ walked up with a gin on her face and a glint in her eye that told Gwen she’d noticed more than a little of her reaction to this new version of her best friend.

Luckily, Miles hadn’t picked up on that reaction himself; he just laughed good-naturedly and released Gwen from the hug.

“It’s good to see you too MJ,” he greeted, pulling her into a hug. He then turned to Peter.

“Pete!”

The two boys started doing a special handshake that ended with them fake lightsaber dueling and Peter winning, while Miles overdid it with a death animation.

“Oh my god, you two are such nerds,” MJ laughed. Gwen laughed two, but secretly, seeing Miles doing something nerdy made her happy. Allowed her to remember that he was still the same adorkable boy she’d known despite the change in appearance.

“You’re the one dating this nerd,” Peter shot back.

“And don’t you forget it!”

Miles chuckled. “Glad to see things haven’t changed with you two.”

“Can’t say the same about you, though. Look at you man!”

“Yeah, Miles. What happened?” MJ playfully nudged Miles and said, “You've grown, like, a foot taller since we last saw you!”

“We used to tease you about your ‘imaginary growth spurt,’ but I guess it finally happened, huh?"

“Sure did! Just like I knew it would. Although, I don’t think my parents are happy about the fact that half of my closet doesn’t fit anymore. I’m a little gangly at the moment.”

“That’s not the word I would use,” Gwen whispered, thinking about how his arms wrapped around and lifted her with ease.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing,” she quickly waved Miles off. “ Thank god he didn’t hear that! ”

“So how was Europe man,” Peter continued their discussion. Miles’s eyes lit up as he began animatedly explaining some of the highlights of his trip.

“Dude, it was so cool! Honestly, I still can’t believe that I got to go. The museums were amazing. They’d just added a few new pieces to the Louvre, so we got to see those! The city was beautiful. And then England was fun, too! The street art there was sick! It was so interesting to see…”

He spent the next 10 minutes telling them as much about the trip as possible. Gwen could tell he’d had a ton of fun, and while she couldn’t quite say the same for herself, she was happy for him. If anyone deserved that opportunity, it was Miles.

“There’s so much more I could tell y’all, but I’ll save that for another day,” Miles said, wrapping up his story. “How were your summers?”

“It was-” Peter started before MJ cut him off.

“Well, Miles, Peter and I had a blast. But I don’t know about Gwen.”

A smirk appeared on MJ’s face as she turned to Gwen. “She spent most of the summer moping around.”

Gwen felt her face heat up in embarrassment at MJ's comment, knowing exactly what she was referring to. She attempted to deflect the conversation, a hint of defensiveness in her voice. “Come on, MJ, it wasn't that bad. No need to exaggerate.”

However, MJ was having none of it and decided to spill the beans. “Oh, please. Miles, she missed you like crazy. You were practically all she talked about. Isn’t that right, Peter?”

The boy snickered, nodding his head in agreement. Gwen's blush deepened as she glared at the two, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. They’d thrown her right under the bus!

But Miles, ever the sweet and genuine friend, simply smiled warmly at Gwen and threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in. “Aw, Gwen, I missed you too! But I’m back now, and we have the whole year ahead of us.”

At that moment, the warning bell for the day's first class rang, causing students to disperse and head to their respective classes.

“And that year starts now. What’s everyone’s schedule?”

They all checked and were delighted to find out that, for the most part, they had the same classes, except for a couple of differences here and there. Miles and Peter had homeroom together and started to head off.

“See you two at lunch,” Miles said as they walked away.

Gwen and MJ headed off the other way toward their shared homeroom class. As they walked, MJ couldn’t resist teasing Gwen again. “You know, Gwen,” she said with a sly grin, “Miles has grown up quite a bit, hasn’t he?”

“Umm…yeah! He’s definitely taller.”

The deadpan look MJ gave her told Gwen her deflection tactic hadn’t worked.

“That’s not what I meant, Gwen.”

Gwen glanced at her friend with nervous eyes. She knew exactly what MJ was getting at, but she wasn't ready to acknowledge it yet. 

“Gwen, let's not beat around the bush here. Miles has gotten hotter, and you know it.”

Gwen flushed again at MJ's straightforward comment. “What?”

“He’s practically a heartthrob now! Even I can admit that.”

“Look, can we just…not talk about this right now.”

They arrived at their homeroom to find their teacher had yet to arrive. Seats were slowly filling up, so MJ and Gwen quickly found a pair of empty spots towards the back. As they settled in, the conversation about Miles continued.

“Come on Gwen.” MJ practically begged her. “You can’t deny that you’ve noticed that Miles has gone from cute to seriously attractive. I saw how you reacted to seeing him.”

Gwen fidgeted in her seat, her cheeks still tinged with embarrassment. “I...I guess I've noticed. But that doesn’t mean anything!”

MJ sighed and pulled out a notebook., shaking her head in frustration. Noticing more students piling in, Gwen leaned in closer to her friend.

“Why are you so obsessed with asking me about Miles?”

It took a moment, but when MJ finally looked at her, Gwen was surprised to see the serious look on her face.

“Gwen,” she began. “Can you just admit one thing to me? I wasn’t exaggerating about how down you were this summer. Peter noticed it, too. You were sad most of the time. You missed Miles—a lot.”

“MJ, I-”

“Gwen…”

“...Okay, fine, maybe I missed him a bit more than I’d like to admit.”

“Finally!”

A girl in front of them turned around at MJ’s outburst with a questioning glance.

‘Sorry,” MJ apologized as the girl returned to focusing on whatever she was doing with a shake of her head.

“I still don’t see why you’re so invested in this,” Gwen continued.

MJ leaned in, her serious look replaced with a knowing smile. Her tone was playful but sincere. “Gwen, it’s been obvious to everyone that you and Miles have had a ‘thing’ between you almost from the day you met. And this past summer proves that it’s more than just friendship.”

Gwen sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard this. The kids at school had always speculated that there was more going on between her and Miles. That the two of them couldn’t possibly just be friends. MJ had certainly teased them about it before. But the redhead had never meant it seriously. At least, Gwen hadn’t thought she did.

“MJ, we’re just really close. That’s all. We’re friends.”

MJ raised an eyebrow, her tone softening. “Gwen, I’m not saying you’re wrong about your feelings, but sometimes, things change. And this past summer, well, it was pretty obvious that you missed him more than just as a ‘friend.’”

Gwen tried to deny it once again, her cheeks reddening. “I...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

MJ gave her a knowing smile. “You’ll figure it out, Gwen. Sometimes, your heart knows things your head hasn’t caught up to yet.”

With that, MJ started writing stuff down in her notebook, leaving Gwen to ponder her words.

“She’s wrong. I don’t have feelings for Miles. ”

Try as she might, though, Gwen couldn’t help but recall the moments from earlier in the day, the flutter in her chest when Miles had greeted her, and how her heart raced when he put his arms around her. She had to admit that MJ was right about one thing. Things were changing. And Gwen wasn’t sure she wanted to explore why.