Webs In Ink

I remember as a kid, my dad always told me to get good grades so I wouldn’t end up like him. I never understood what he meant until I was older. He finished high school with a 2.8 GPA and didn’t even think about going to college. He was never really in class unless there was an important test or quiz and he hated the social hierarchy in school. If that weren’t the case for him, he would’ve had a 3.5. He loves saying he’s smart but just didn’t have the attention span for school.

So as far as I know, I’m the first in my family to graduate with honours. Maybe even the first to graduate at all on my mothers side. I’m not sure if she even finished high school. I honestly don’t know much about her. I found out, also later in life, that she was too high half the time to care about school. She was only sober when she was pregnant and after then, she got right back to it.

And here I was, sitting in my blue graduation cap and gown, feeling like all these years of school finally paid off. I couldn’t believe I had finally made it. I always thought it would be with Peter, but looking behind me at everyone else I would be walking across the stage with, my best friend was nowhere to be seen.

I leaned fforwardto look towards Gwen and saw her frantically speaking into her phone. She looked over at me and shrugged with a shake of her head. I sighed and had to stop myself from rubbing my eyes out of nerves. I remembered Gwen and I had done our eyeshadow together before the ceremony started. Then Peter disappeared before we walked out.

“Now, This year’s valedictorian, please welcome Gwen Stacey,” Principal Wallace said. I sighed but couldn’t help but smile as everyone erupted into applause for the blonde. I joined in on the cheering as she made her way up there.

I smiled at her when we made eye contact and she laid out the paper with her speech on it. I remember her asking me to proof read it a few weeks before. It was truly beautiful. And it felt like such a shame now that Peter would miss the first bit of it.

“Good morning, esteemed faculty, and families of my fellow graduates.” She took a pause to look at the crowd making eye contact with some members of the crowd. “It’s an honor to be standing up here today. I know we all think that we’re immortal. We’re supposed to feel that way. We’re graduating.

“But, like our brief four years in high school, what makes life valuable is…that it doesn’t last forever. What makes it precious is that it ends. And I know that now more than ever. And I say it… today of all day…to remind us that time is luck. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” She takes another pause to look down at her paper and makes eye contact with me. “Make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you, no matter what. Because even as we fall short…what better way is there to live?”

She smiled, looking at all of us before stepping away from the microphone. Everyone began applauding as she shook hands with the principal. I clapped loudly cheering her on as loud as I could.

“WOOOO GWEN!” I yelled grinning widely even when the people around me looked at me like I was crazy. “THATS MY BESTFRIEND’S GIRLFRIEND!!!!!”

I couldn’t help but laugh when she turned to look at me like I was crazy. I just waved at her frantically and continued to clap until the applause calmed down.

“I would now like to commemorate our honour students,” Mr. Wallace announced, lightly clearing his throat. He began listing off names of people that got Cum Laude, Flash’s name making me feel a little proud. He cleaned up his act enough and stopped picking on me and Peter. And that’s all I could really ask for. When he called Magna Cum Laude, I made sure to clap extra loud for Missy after all the names were called. “Summa Cum Laude… Victor Alarcon. Samahra Assefa. Alina Brock-”

In the far back of the parents section, a loud whistle followed by a clap was heard. I snorted and closed my eyes, letting the embarrassment sink in at the idea of my dad getting dirty looks. He continued calling the last few names before the front row had to line up to receive their diplomas.

I stood behind six other people, taking deep breaths and hoping I didn’t trip. I looked out at the rest of my class and noticed Peter’s spot was still empty. He missed Gwen’s speech. And he was gonna miss me walking across the stage.

“Alina Brock,” Wallace said, everyone began clapping as I made my way up the stairs. I heard the same whistle from earlier. I tried to suppress my smile as I walked up and grabbed the diploma. I shook Gwen’s hand and hugged her.

“We made it!” She whispered excitedly into my ear. I pulled away and smiled excitedly at her. I sighed as I walked up to the Mr. Wallace who had his hand out, ready for me to shake it.

I shook his hand and began to walk off the stage before I turned around and flipped him off. I waved my middle finger around for a second, relishing in the gasps and surprised laughs before happily walking off stage and making my way back down to my seat. 

I sat down with a content sigh and crossed my legs. I watched everyone else walk across the stage, clapping when someone I liked walked. But as time passed, I noticed Peter still hadn’t arrived. And Gwen slowly started to look more and more disappointed.

Once they got to the second to last row, I felt my hope for Peter showing up almost completely gone. “Peter Parker.”

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Gwen and I looked at each other and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Throughout the years, we had talked about graduating together and all the funny things we wanted to do at graduation.

“Peter Park-” Just then, Peter ran up on the stage, using the metal beam to swing up. I watched in disbelief as as he had on his beat up old bookbag and just wore a t-shirt and shorts under his gown.

He whooped as he jogged up to grab the diploma. He gave Mr. Wallace and Gwen a tight-lipped smile as he walked up to his girlfriend. He shook her hand and let go of it quickly, grabbing her face and kissing her. Then, to add more salt to injury, he dipped her in the kiss.

I couldn’t stop my mouth from forming a tight line as I looked away. I pursed my lips as everyone around me cheered louder for them. After a few seconds, I looked up and watched Peter come down the stairs on the other end of the stage. He held out his hand as he walked by me, giving me a high five as he walked back to his seat.

I scoffed and shook my head. This was somehow very typical for Peter. So typical that I don’t know how I didn’t see it. He was able to be as late as possible to everything but always arrive just in time. He could always find a way to disappoint you so much but never enough that he couldn’t bring it back.

The rest of the ceremony went by quickly with Wallace calling up a few more students including Flash. When he walked by me after, he smiled at me and gave me a friendly nod. It made me feel like I had truly left Midtown as a different person. And when we finally got to turn our tassels, it felt more freeing than I could have ever imagined. It was like turning over a new leaf.

I grinned as I ran up to my dad and Aunt May. “I’m so proud of you!” He said as he hugged me. I giggled when he swayed us side to side. “How do you feel?”

“Free,” I said dreamily, pulling away from the hug. I looked at May and she opened her arms for a hug. I leaned forward to hug her just as I felt someone push into us. I yelped when I felt an arm wrap around me. Peter laughed as he pulled away from us. I let go of May and Peter grinned at me before he hugged me excitedly. I couldn’t help but giggle as he hugged me tightly and spun me around.

“Oh, Peter, for lords sakes, I almost stole a cap and gown and went up there myself,” May said as Peter put me back on the ground.

“I’d love to have seen that. That would’ve been awesome,” Peter said as May raised the camera to be in out faces. “No, this is for you.”

Peter held the diploma in front of his face. I pushed it down and wrapped my arm around Peter, grinning into the Camera. May laughed as she snapped a few picture before Peter shoved me.

“Sweetheart, I’m so proud of you!” May said, grabbing Peter’s bag from him. “I’m so proud of both of you!”

“Thank you,” I said, looking at my dad who modded along with her words.

“I'm just glad I don't have to wake up before eight anymore,” My dad said, causing me to deadpan him. He grinned at me and reached over to ruffle my hair. I swatted his hand away and pouted as I fixed my hair.

“Now, I know the first thing your uncle Ben would say,” May said.

“Yeah, I know too,” Peter said, taking off his gown. “You better hurry up, party’s over. You gotta get a job.”

I snorted at the way he imitated his voice and scrunched my nose at my dad when I saw him nodding. “What you think so too?”

“Isn’t that what you’re already doin’?” He asked back, crossing his arms.

“Alright, well, the second he would say, ‘Don’t just follow the path, make your own trail’,” May said. Peter and I looked at each other knowingly.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson,” Peter said putting his bag back on. I nodded in agreement.

May looked between us confused, “No.”

“What do you mean, no?” Peter asked, confused as I laughed.

“Ben told me he made it up,” May said causing us to laugh.

“Oh, of course he did,” I said to my dad, shaking my head.

“You really did learn something here,” May said as Peter wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I wish your uncle could’ve been here.”

“Yeah, me too,” Peter nodded, giving me a tight lipped smile. “And my folks.”

My dad and I glanced at each other when May reluctantly nodded. “Yeah… Yeah.”

I watched Peter look behind me fondly. I looked down at my heels, thanking them in my head for not making me fall as a way to take my mind off what was happening. I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

“Alright, you can go,” May said tiredly. “Go on.”

“Huh?” Peter said, confused. I looked up and scoffed at him.

“Your girlfriend,” I said in an obvious tone.

“She’s actually coming over here right now, AJ,” Peter said, making an annoyed face at me. I glared at him playfully and shoved him.

“Hey!” Gwen said. I turned around and smiled as I leaned in to hug her.

“Alright guys, get together.” May said, already snapping pictures of us as we pulled away. “Hold them up, say ‘cheese’!” She said, motioning for us to hold up our diplomas. I opened mine up and showed it to the camera. Peter and Gwen murmured a ‘cheeeese!’ as I just grinned and laughed at Peter’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Okay, we’ll just be over here,” May said to us as her and my dad walked away.

“Don’t go to far,” Peter said.

“It’s good to see you!” Gwen said as she got farther. May waved and I turned to look at the two of them, noticing how they held hands. “So, did your traffic jam have anything to do with the Russian Mob… and machine guns… by any chance?”

I looked at Gwen's phone before Peter pushed it down. I turned to Peter with wide eyes, “What?”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Gwen asked as Peter avoided eye contact with her.

“Because, what am I gonna do?” Peter asked like it were obvious. ”You’re about to do your speech.”

“Gwen, honey!” We all turned to see Gwen's mother waving at her to come back over. “Family photo.”

“Yeah, one second!” Gwen called out. I looked at her family and couldn’t help but remember their faces during their dad’s funeral. It was an image I just couldn't shake.

“AJ!” I turned to the left, in the direction of my name being called. I saw Flash coming towards me. I looked at him in confusion and walked closer to him, meeting him in the middle. “Hey.”

“Hi?” I said back, confused. “What’s up?”

He looked down for a second, “I just wanted to say it was pretty cool that you flipped off Mr. Wallace.”

“Oh,” I said, smiling at him but still eyeing him strangely. “Well, it had to be done. And what was he gonna do, suspend me?”

Flash laughed nervously. Then we stood there in silence for a moment. I bit my lip awkwardly, feeling a strong urge to walk away from him.

“Hey, AJ!” I turned around and saw Gwen and Peter looking at me with very confused expressions. “Let’s go!”

I turned back to Flash and gave him a tightlipped smile, “Sorry, I guess I have to go now…”

“Right, no, yeah,” He said, nodding and backing up. “I guess I’ll see you around then, huh?”

“Yeah, maybe,” I nodded, giving him a once over before turning and heading back to Gwen and Peter. I puff out my cheeks as I let out a breath.

“What was that about?” Peter asked me, glancing behind me to Flash I assumed. I noticed the way his hand was on Gwen's waist and turned to look behind me as well, hoping to distract from the sight.

“Uh, I don’t know…” I said, turning back to the couple. “I feel like he wanted to say something. But you kinda beat him to that.”

Peter hummed, “Maybe he had a crush on you,” He teased, causing me to deadpan at him. He just laughed at me in response.

“Hey, did you want to come to Dim Sum with us?” Gwen asked me. I looked between their faces, surprised. Then I thought about what it’s been like in the past with the two of them and me third wheeling.

“Uh… I would love to,” I said in a disappointed tone. “I have to help my dad and I have to pack. He flies out soon and I just wanna have everything ready for my apartment.”

“Right,” Gwen said, nodding as she slowly started walking away from us. “Okay, I’ll see you around then?” I hummed in agreement, watching her meet up with her family again.

“Peter, Alina! Join us?” Gwen’s mother called out to us.

“Uh, no, we gotta find my aunt and Eddie,” Peter said, pointing his thumb behind us. “Thank you though!” She smiled at us and turned back around to her family.

I stood next to Peter silently, watching them all hug and laugh with each other. I watched Mrs. Stacey fondly as she fixed Gwens bangs as they readied themselves for a picture. Then as she wrapped her arm around her daughter and smiled into the camera, I shook my head and turned to Peter. He was also staring at them, a distraught look on his face.

“Pete?” I said, trying to get his attention. He snapped out of his trance and looked at me almost shocked. He adjusted the strap of his bookbag and nodded for me to continue. “We should go find May and my dad.”

He nodded again but glanced back at Gwen again. He started walking ahead of me and I turned to the family, watching momentarily while they tried readjusting for another picture.