The Web Heads

A gust of wind tousled the orangish leaves hanging above MJ’s head. Autumn was here, and soon it would be Halloween: MJ’s favorite holiday. She loved being able to sit in her room and eat candy while watching scary movies all day; and Halloween gave her the perfect excuse to do just that. 

Peter was walking a few feet in front of her, his body silhouetted by the golden sun. The way the light was hitting him almost made him look like a Pegasus: mystical, divine, and pure. He seemed so unreal. Alright, maybe MJ did have a small crush on him. 

A few minutes prior, Ned’s parents arrived to take him home. Flash had his own car, so it was just Peter and MJ walking home by themselves. 

For as long as MJ could remember, she was closed off from people. A result of her upbringing she supposed. She could still see her Dad sitting in his Lazy-boy, snoring above the static of the TV. His face blank and emotionless while MJ’s mother would complain to her for hours about how lazy her father was. 

You’re going to finish school and get a job of your own. Because trust me, you don’t want to be trapped with someone who is entitled and spoiled. 

MJ was convinced her parents never loved each other. It was her fault they got together in the first place. At least that’s what her mother told her on the nights she was dressed in her bathrobe, a glass of scotch in her hand, and an empty bottle of wine sitting by the sink.

Don’t get pregnant. Don’t have sex. Or else you’ll end up like me, tied to a bastard like your father your whole life. You be smarter than me, Michelle. Don’t even think about boys.

There’s no such thing as love, at least that’s

what her Dad claimed. It’s just sex and life. You sleep together and then you move on with your life, ignoring one another the best you can, or else you’ll end up in a fight. 

And that’s how MJ viewed life. Ignore everyone. Whenever she kept to herself she avoided arguments, heart-breaks, the loss of friends, and stress. Honestly, MJ’s life had been peaceful with her guarded walls. She liked observing everyone without actually interacting. It was safe. It was smart. It was lonely. 

But then Peter came along one day, and despite her best efforts to avoid him, MJ found herself interacting with the dork who was obsessed with sci-fi. 

Sneaking up behind him, MJ tapped his shoulder. Peter jolted in shock, whipping around to face her. 

Sure he had earbuds in, but his fearful expression concerned MJ for a moment. 

“Relax, loser. It’s just me.” She teased.

He took out his earbuds and let them hang around the collar of his shirt. “Hey, MJ.” He smiled softly, physically relaxing. 

“I guess we’re walking home together.” She mumbled quietly.

He didn’t ask why her parents weren’t coming. Peter just knew and he had enough courtesy not to ask. 

“Yeah, I guess we are.” He said, looking down at his shoes, an embarrassed smile ghosted his face. 

“So...“ he said quietly, “The Homecoming dance is coming up soon.” 

Red flag. Peter was talking about a dance and looking nervous. But he wasn’t going to ask MJ to the dance, right? He couldn’t. That would ruin their whole weird friendship thing. MJ didn’t want that ruined even if she had a tiny crush. 

“Why do you care? It’s not like your going.” She said, and then added, “Unless you are planning to go this year?” 

Peter blushed. “I was thinking about it... maybe.”

Oh no. Oh God. 

“Um MJ? Do you think... do you think Liz would want to go to the dance with me?”

“Liz?”

“Yeah. I know.” He looked defeated already. “She’s really popular and stuff but I just thought that maybe she might like me. I know, It’s stupid.”

It was stupid. How could he think about asking Liz!? She was completely wrong for him. She doesn’t even know the real Peter. Not the way MJ does. Liz hardly pays attention to him, and when she does it’s usually looks of pity or ‘aw, you’re a cute puppy’. Peter doesn’t deserve that. He deserves so much more. 

“It’s not stupid.” She said even though it ripped her heart in two as she said it. “You have a real chance with her.” 

There was his smile. His beautiful smile. “Thanks MJ. You’re the best.”

“Hey, why didn’t you participate in truth or dare today?” She asked because she needed to change the subject desperately. 

Peter shrugged, “Cause of Flash.” 

“Yeah, I know he can be a jerk sometimes but -“

“Sometimes?” Peter laughed. 

“Okay, yeah. He’s a jerk all the time. But today he wasn’t.”

“I know and it was a miracle. But come on, MJ. If I would have said anything he would have made fun of me. You know that.” 

“I still wish you would have said something. Things are more fun with you.” 

His eyes drifted shyly towards his Nike tennis shoes. He watched them for a while, stepping on the crunchy brown leaves that littered the sidewalk before looking back at MJ. 

He was about to say something when a car pulled to the side of them and honked. Peter squinted.

 “May?” 

When the windows rolled down, MJ noticed that it was in fact Peter’s Aunt that was driving. She was just about the sweetest person MJ has ever met. 

Three years ago, when it was pouring down rain, MJ got locked out of her apartment because she forgot her key and her parents weren’t home. She felt like her creepy neighbor was stalking her, so the first thing she did was run to the nextdoor building. Thankfully May Parker was coming home from a shopping trip and took pity on MJ. She took her inside, gave her food and water, and then she let her watch movies for as long as she wanted. That day stood out in MJ’s mind as one of the best days of her life.

“Hey Pete, sorry I’m late. Hop in.” 

“Are you actually alone for once?” Peter asked, peeking his head through the passenger window and looking into the back of the car. 

“What kind of a question is that?” May laughed. 

“Most of the time he’s with you.” 

MJ was taken aback at how vicious Peter sounded. Where did that come from? He never gets angry. 

“Quinten is at the apartment. He doesn’t go everywhere with me.” May chuckled, but Peter was not amused. 

“I need to talk to you.” He said seriously. 

May nodded. “Yeah of course, tough guy. We can talk about anything.”

He slipped into the front seat, closing the passenger door. But before he could say anything, May craned her neck toward MJ. 

“Hello!” She greeted warmly. “How are you doing? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, uh.” MJ rubbed the back of her neck, obviously uncomfortable with the implications of that. “I’ve been... you know. Busy. School and stuff.”

May hesitated for a moment, as if she were worried about cross a boundary with her next statement. “I heard your parents are going away again. Another business trip?”

“Yeah, yeah, they’re going to Florida for a little bit.” MJ said, knowing that May must be relieved. Finally some peace and quiet between the apartment buildings. 

“So are you going to be home alone?” 

“Sort of, yeah. I mean, I’m almost sixteen. It’s no big deal.” 

“Well if you need anything, you know our door is always open. Speaking of which, would you like a ride home?”

Peter’s alarmed expression said it all. He wanted alone time with his aunt. MJ could sense that. 

“No, that’s okay, I -“

“Oh come on.” May persisted. “You live right next door. It would be no trouble at all.”

Now MJ didn’t really have a choice, not unless she wanted to offend Aunt May. 

“Okay, I guess that would be nice. Thank you.”

She climbed in the backseat feeling ridiculously guilty when Peter exhaled. 

May looked at him flatly, as if quietly scolding him. 

                    ___________________

After MJ scrambled out of May’s car, she took her good old time walking up the steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she was watching Peter and May park the car and walk into their building. 

As soon as they were out of eyesight, MJ ran inside, up to her room and over to her window. The only good view she had was of Peter’s room and right now it was empty. But she hear some loud voices, and soon she could see Peter and May and some other guy huddled in his room. They were talking to him about something, but both of them had their arms crossed. It looked like he was being lectured, probably about getting detention. It went on for a little while, but then May left.

Scanning the exits, MJ saw her leave the building and get into her car. Where was she going? Grocery store? Work? 

When she turned her head back to Peter’s room, the curtains were closed all of a sudden. There was an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. Peter doesn’t usually close his window curtains. Not even at night. 

MJ wanted to get as far away from her thoughts as possible because they were too awful. That’s the way her mind worked, always assuming the worst. Nothing bad was happening. Even if Peter flinched when she touched him earlier. There was an explanation for that, everyone flinches when they are startled. And maybe he did sound angry when talking about this other guy, but MJ was sure there was an explanation for that as well. 

Quickly, she closed her own curtains and pulled out a scary movie. She put it in her DVD player and relaxed. 

                  ______________________

MJ didn’t have any lunch money the next day. Her parents were leaving soon, and they were going to leave her with a wad of cash, but until they left, she was going to have to go without lunch for a little while. Things were too tense between her parents, asking one question could send them both into a fit. It might even make them cancel their plans which would ruin MJ’s life. She needed them to leave for her sanity. 

At least not having lunch allowed her to avoid the whole awkward lunch line situation. MJ sat at the table furthest away from the lunch line, and closest to the glass walled office. But she sat with her back to the office so she could see the other students filing into the lunch room. She opted to sit really close to the wall, out of everyone’s way. 

She popped open a book, and studied the words on the page. But reading in the noisy cafeteria was never easy. There were too many distractions. A bunch of kids shouting back and fourth at one another, squeals and shrills from girls trying to be cute or being annoyed, and a bunch of immature guys who threw food at her table and then laughed about it. 

Yeah. Reading in the middle of an orchestra  might be easier than a cafeteria. 

MJ spotted Betty Bryant round the corner. She was brown-bagging it, and skipped the lunch line all together. She moved towards and outer table where most of the popular girls sat. She had a banana colored headband in her blonde hair, which gave her a sophisticated look. 

Betty was part of the morning announcements and the student council. She was also in charge of helping Liz with decorations for homecoming. 

The next person MJ noticed come around the corner was Abraham. He was part of the academic decathlon, and a good guy in MJ’s book. But he sat with his buddies from the debate team. 

MJ spotted a brown-haired boy in a sweater, with a collared shirt on underneath and she knew it had to be Peter. Her assumption was confirmed when Ned walked up to Peter with a tray of food and said something to make him laugh. 

They moved past the hot food side of the lunch line, after getting two really greasy looking pizzas, and then moved to the place where you can buy milk. 

MJ watched as Ned got two milks, one chocolate and one regular, while Peter only got one. 

When she realized she was staring too closely, MJ quickly jumped back into her book. Hastily, she picked up a few words with her mind, but none of it made sense because she couldn’t focus. 

When she glanced back up, Peter and Ned were sitting at her table, only they were across from her, and closer to the edge of the row. So she had to look at them diagonally. 

Not that she was going to look at them. MJ was going to focus on her book of course. But she couldn’t help how her ears listened as they discussed their robotics project. 

“Here’s the thing, Ned. When you need new equipment for a robotics project due the very next week, you learn to get creative.”

“No don’t tell me.” Ned shook his head, “Please don’t tell me you went dumpster diving again.” 

“It was totally worth it.” Peter smiled. 

“Aw Peter.”  

“I got the right parts for this project and it’s amazing. You should come over tomorrow and we can build it together. I’ll even lend you some parts for your project.”

“Okay, yeah. I’d love to come over. But you have to stop dumpster diving.” He wagged his finger at Peter. 

“Why? It’s not like I’m stealing. It’s just stuff that people threw away. I’m simply putting it to good use that’s all.”

“What if you get sick again like you did last time.” 

“I won’t get sick again.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know, okay? I just... I don’t really get sick anymore.”

Ned furrowed his eyebrows, “What do you mean? Everyone gets sick.” 

“Well yeah but -“

“You look sick right now.”

Peter squinted, completely appalled. “Thanks Ned.” 

“No, I’m serious. You look all pale and stuff.” Ned frowned, hesitantly reaching his hand out to place it on Peter’s forehead, but Peter ducked away. 

“I’m not sick. I just don’t feel well.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No.”

Nobody said anything for a little while. Ned went to eating his pizza, and Peter opened his milk. They were beginning to observe the rest of the cafeteria just like MJ had done. 

Finally, when their eyes landed on something that sparked their interest, they couldn’t stop staring. MJ turned to see who they were looking at, and frowned when she saw it was Liz. 

The tall, thin girl, was standing on a latter and talking to Betty. 

“Did Liz get a new top?” Peter asked, resting his elbow on the table.

“No. We’ve seen that before, but never with that skirt.” 

MJ rolled her eyes. 

“We should probably stop staring before it gets creepy though.” Peter mumbled softly. 

“Too late.” MJ snapped, and both their heads turned towards her. “You guys are losers.” 

“Hey Liz, that looks so cute.” Two girls said as they passed by with lunch trays, pointing at the homecoming banner she was hanging across the wall.

“Thanks.” Liz’s voice oozed with sweetness, so sweet it rotted your teeth and caused cavities. She just seemed so fake. Scowling, MJ went back to reading. 

But then a few guys were causing a commotion, when MJ looked up she saw they were surrounding Liz. 

“What’s with you not answering my texts?” Some guy with a varsity jacket asked.

“I’m sorry, Jackson. I was so busy planning for the dance that I forgot.”

“You’re always busy panning for this stupid dance.” Jackson roared. 

The other guy that was standing there, MJ recognized him as Tiny, one of Flash’s friends. He was climbing the ladder while Liz was distracted. 

“The dance is not stupid.” Liz stated firmly.

“Whatever. I’m starting to think you don’t like me.”

“Honestly. I don’t like how you’re acting right now.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Oh yeah?” He took a threatening step closer, and Liz stumbled back. “Guess what? I don’t like how you’re acting.” He said. 

“Leave me alone.” Liz said loudly enough for everyone to hear. At this point, Peter and Ned were both standing. So naturally, MJ stood too. She wasn’t going to let them walk into a battle zone all by themselves. 

“I just want to go out with you. Why won’t you let me get close to you?” Jackson asked. 

“It’s complicated.” Liz mumbled uncomfortably. She obviously felt trapped and embarrassed and probably worried that this guy wasn’t going to move. “And like I said before, I’m busy.”

Jackson scoffed, and then nodded his head towards Tiny. With a smirk, the jock ripped her homecoming banner in half and the entire cafeteria gasped. 

Liz’s hand was over her mouth as she stared in horror at all her hard work laying  flat on the ground, torn in half. 

“What the hell guys?” That was Flash. He reached them before MJ could. 

“Oh hey. What’s up, Flash?” Tiny grinned. “We’re just talking to Liz here.”

“Oh really? Cause it looks like you’re destroying her stuff.”

Tiny raised his eyebrows. “Whoa bro, what are you doing? Are you actually defending this chick? What? You got a crush or something because Jackson called dibs.”

“You guys are jerks.” Liz yelled. Jackson grabbed her wrist. 

“Hey, leave her alone, dude.”

Tiny hopped off the ladder and stood in front of Flash. “What? You gonna make us? How much do you bench again, Flash? 15 pounds?”

A few girls from a couple seats away giggled. 

“You’re so small, the only reason you’re actually on the football team is because your Daddy pays for it with his little checks to the school board.” Tiny snapped, getting directly in Flash’s face. ”Without you at practice, we had a pretty good game.”

“Stop it,” Peter yelled. “You’re being a jerk.”

Tiny whipped around and pointed his finger  towards Peter. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“I’m P-Peter.”

“Dude, you don’t have to answer that.” Ned said. “He knows who you are. He’s just being a jackass.”

Tiny smirked before staggering towards Ned, and gripping his shirt collar. 

“What did you just say?”

“Let him go!” Liz screamed, meanwhile Flash and Peter were pulling Tiny’s hands away from Ned. But Jackson grabbed Flash and tugged him away. 

“Bro, I thought you were cool. What the hell? Are you hanging with these losers now?” 

Flash ripped his arm out of his grasp and shook out his shirt. “No, of course not.” He spat. “But I don’t think you should be bullying them either!”

“Oh Jesus, give me a break.” Jackson rolled his eyes. “You sound like one of those stop bullying ads they put on Disney channel.”

MJ knew she had to do something, Tiny was still trying to attack Ned even though Peter was doing a good job at holding him back. 

“Don’t hit my face, don’t hit my face.” Ned kept repeating. 

Grabbing a greasy pizza off of some kid’s tray, MJ slapped it on top of Tiny’s head.

She didn’t know what to do from there, but it got the desired results. Tiny released Ned’s shirt in order to get the pizza off his head and wipe away the grease that dripped down his face. 

Peter and Liz were both stifling laughs, and even Flash had his fist to his mouth as if trying to hide his smile.

“Oh that’s it.” Tiny screamed, but before he could do anything three teachers were suddenly pulling everyone by the arm in different directions. 

“Let’s go. You just earned a trip to the principal’s office.” 

Great. Another detention.