The Web Heads

“I guess, since you’re all in my office already, I can start lecturing you right now.” Principal Morita said as he stalked into the room and shut his computer off. 

Ned scrambled out of the principals chair and rushed to the other side, along with where his friends migrated. They were deer caught in the headlights, too nervous to speak. Liz couldn’t even absorb what was happening, she didn’t dare move or blink because damn Principal Morita just caught them trying to hack into his computer and he was going to ruin them.   

Speaking of Principal Morita, he was shaking his head. “I knew you were part of this, Liz. I knew it.”

Liz shook her head frantically. She already lost homecoming queen, and potentially a scholarship, she couldn’t lose anything else. 

“Don’t lie.” Principal Morita shouted, causing Liz to flinch, and stop shaking her head immediately. “I caught you red-handed.”

“I’m sorry.” She squeaked out, a lump forming in the back of her throat. She had to keep blinking to keep herself together. Just smile, she told herself, hoping it would will the tears away. 

Principal Morita sighed, and ran a tired hand across his face. “I don’t understand. You are good kids. I’ve seen the good things you have done for this school. Why are you doing this?”

“Liz really wanted to win.” Flash whispered, “and we just wanted to help her. We thought since Tiny and Jackson ruined her chances at winning homecoming queen, you know when they pulled that stunt in the Cafeteria, well, we thought that we could get people interested in voting for her again... I’m sorry.” Flash mumbled the last part. 

“Mr. Thompson, you have been inside my office more times than anyone else I have ever met, and I’ve been working here for ten years so that is saying something. I honestly have learned to expect bad behavior from you. But the rest of you? You should have known better.”

Liz was finding it hard to see. Everything was blurry with unshed tears clogging her eyes. 

“I’m not going to press charges. None of you deserve that. Well Eugene, you might, but I’ll be fair and give you the same punishment as everyone else.”

Thankfully Mr. Morita wasn’t pressing charges. That alone eased Liz’s oncoming anxiety attack.

“But I am giving you a month of Saturday detentions, and I’m calling your parents with hopes that they can straighten you out. If something like this happens again, make no mistake, I will suspend every single one of you, and put it on your permanent record. You are very, very lucky that I’m not putting it on your record this time around. I want you to understand that this is extremely serious. I never want to see this kind of behavior ever again. I’ll make that clear to your parents as well. As for detention, I am going to assign you a long essay on why the “Web Heads” stunt you pulled was a bad idea. Got it?”

The group nodded in understanding, feeling pretty sorry for themselves. 

The thought of Liz’s parents being called was enough to push her tears out of their hiding place. She quickly wiped them away, and put on a brave face. 

                  ________________________

For the next half-hour, the five kids sat in grey plastic chairs and listened as one-by-one the principal called each of their guardians. 

Flash’s father was the first to show. Fast paced and uninterested, he signed a form then gestured for Flash to follow him out the door. 

“Sir, there are a few things I would like to discuss with you.” Mr. Morita said. 

Annoyed, Mr. Thompson pulled out his cell phone and started swiping. “Didn’t you already tell me everything over the phone?”

“Well, yes. But -“

“Then this conversation is over.”

“This is the fifth time your son has violated school policy. Not to mention, this time a law.” 

“I understand. But I am a very busy man, Mr. Morita. I don’t have time to deal with him. So I’m sure whatever punishment you came up with will suffice. Now if you’ll excuse me.” 

He took Flash by the shoulders and guided him out the door.

                    ____________________

Flash slid into the backseat of his father’s black SUV, closing the door behind him and resting his head against the glass. 

He wasn’t about to sit up front where his father was irritably chatting on the phone about an organized partnership with another company. 

After about seven minutes of driving, Flash saw a street sign that alerted him they were going in the wrong direction from his house.

“Where are we going?” He asked suddenly, interrupting his father mid-sentence.

“A steak house downtown. I’m about to make a business deal; and a get-together is an order.” 

Flash huffed in annoyance. “Whatever.”

He wanted to go home. He scowled and slumped further into his seat.

“Fix your attitude.” His father said. “I gave the chef a night off, and I don’t feel like having this meeting at my house again. So since you want to get your ass kicked out of school, you’re coming with me. I don’t have time to chauffeur you back home.”

Flash crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward, inserting himself further into the conversation. “You wouldn’t have to chauffeur me around if you let me drive my car home. I can’t believe we just left it in the school parking lot!”

“Your car? That’s MY car, you spoiled little brat.” He slapped the steering wheel hard. At least he cared enough to yell at him today.

“Okay, which is more of a reason why you shouldn’t leave it in the school parking lot.” Flash tried. 

“Well I certainly wasn’t going to let you drive it. Not after you got that DUI and almost totaled it.”

“See! You’re doing it again.” Flash sneered, “You bring up mistakes that happened forever ago and -“

“Flash, stop arguing with me. I’m on the fucking phone.” 

He was speaking quietly, which was a dangerous sign for Flash’s future, but the teen had already been riled up into a full-blown, emotionally stunted tantrum. 

“You’re always on the mother fucking phone! I’m sick of your shit parenting! It’s so unfair. You never ever listen to me!” 

I’m an idiot, Flash thought to himself as the car skidded to a sudden stop on the side of the road. 

“Get out.” 

Flash blinked in disbelief. He looked up to search his father’s expression.

“What?” He scoffed.

“Get out. You don’t like my parenting, then I’m not doing parenting shit for you.” 

“You never do anyways! That’s what I’ve been trying to say. But look, this is kinda ridiculous -“

“It’s not ridiculous. I told you to be quiet and you continued to back-talk me, and now you’re finding your own ride home for being a disrespectful little brat. I have work to do. Things that I have to do to put a roof over your head! I thought you were old enough to understand but obviously I was wrong.”

Flash gaped at his father, who’s serious expression didn’t change for a single second. He knew he was going to have to apologize, maybe even come close to begging if he wanted to diffuse this certain situation. 

“I wasn’t trying to talk back. I was just trying to say that it upsets me when -“

“Get out of my car!” His father shouted.

“DAD! We’re at least thirty miles from the house,” Flash cried frustratedly. “I don’t have my phone because I didn’t have time to charge it today, I barely know where we are, I don’t even -“

“I’m sure someone will help you. Now go.” His father said flatly. 

After a few moments of tense silence and angry glaring, Flash’s father went back to his phone conversation, apologizing as if he had to deal with a pesky cockroach living in his vehicle instead of his own son. 

Once Flash realized he was going to be ignored again, he jumped into action. He pounded the seat in anger before tearing open the door and slamming it shut as hard as he could. 

He stood outside with his hands clenched and eyes burning with rage. 

The tinted windows of the car rolled past, as disinterested as ever. 

“Fuck you!” Flash screamed over the roaring engine the car made as it sped away. 

Flash ripped his school blazer off and threw it to the ground before stomping down the sidewalk, towards the gas station he saw several blocks away. He couldn’t believe he was about to call an Uber to take him home. Thankfully he had some money... in his blazer. Shit.

Flash stomped back over to his jacket, and yanked out the wad of fifties he had stashed in the bottom of his pocket. 

                 _______________________

MJ was so relieved when she walked into the school on Saturday morning. The past week had been hell. Her parents were still at home, and thanks to MJ getting into trouble, they were arguing about whether or not they should still leave for Florida or if they should just stay home. 

That argument turned into a full-blown fight over who raised her worse. 

It’s your fault she dresses like that.

What does that have to do with her behavior, you bastard! 

Maybe if she showed some skin, she would have more friends. But her psychotic mother would never allow it! 

That was just one of the many things MJ remembered about her parent’s ongoing argument. She knew she would have to go home to it tonight. So she was thinking of camping at the park. It wouldn’t be the first time she left home to slept outside. 

Sometimes she wished she could take May up on her offer and sleep at her apartment. But recently, with the way Peter’s been acting, MJ knew he wouldn’t want her anywhere near his apartment. It was obvious, the way he closed his curtains every night, that he didn’t want her spying. 

Part of her was angry at Peter for not saying anything. He never said anything about his whereabouts after he suddenly disappears. He was abnormally stoic towards everything. The black eye, Flash’s bullying (which luckily didn’t happen anymore) and even detention. He didn’t get angry, he just took everything with a grain of salt. It was mildly irritating, at first, but now it was flat out exasperating. 

As MJ entered the shop class, she strode past Peter, Flash, Liz and Ned until she reached the very back of the room. Tossing her backpack on the floor, she slouched in her seat. She didn’t even bother to get her notebook out because she didn’t feel like drawing. 

There were two days left until Halloween and MJ wanted to be alone. Her parents were supposed to be gone by now, but they weren’t and it’s all the Web Heads’ fault.

“Welcome back.” Coach Murch said sullenly. “I swear I’m going to retire soon with all this money I made working overtime, and Coach Wilson can deal with you kids.”

He passed out blank sheets of paper to the five students and went to the white board to write out their assignment. 

“I’m going to go to my office. I will be in this room periodically throughout the day so you better just behave yourselves.”

When he left, MJ re-read the assignment to make sure she understood. A five hundred word essay on what she learned in detention. Well shit. Where to begin. 

“The first thing I learned... is to never listen to my so called friends.” Liz muttered under her breath, but everyone heard. 

Flash tensed visibly at her words, his mouth agape. He slid out of his chair, and marched towards her. 

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” He breathed heavily through his nostrils as if trying to control his bubbling anger. 

“This was a mistake.” Liz said, craning her neck towards Flash. 

“Yeah,” he chuckled bitterly. “It was a mistake. A mistake to help you.” 

“I didn’t ask for your help!” Liz snapped. “And because of you, I lost everything!”

“You think homecoming queen is everything?” Ned asked quietly from his place in the room. “Seriously?” He shook his head in complete disbelief. 

“It’s everything to me.”

“You keep saying that, but it’s not everything.” Ned explained, once again pitching in when he wasn’t asked, “In the grand scheme of life, high school is a little spec in a ginormous pile of rocks. So maybe you shouldn’t put so much emphasis on being popular. No one is going to care once we all graduate. And besides things could be a lot worse than not being popular. You could be sick or someone you love could get sick. Then would being popular really matter?”

“Yeah, it’s like my family always said, that’s a first-world problem.” MJ mumbled. 

Liz rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry but, you just wouldn’t understand.”

“Understand what?” Flash yelled, getting even closer to her face. “How hard it is to be popular?” 

“Yeah! It’s so hard and I hate it!”

“Then why are you trying to be more popular if you hate it?” Ned yelled. “Why do you care what anyone else thinks?”

“Because my parents expect me to be popular, okay? They want it, so that’s what I have to be.” 

“You don’t have to be exactly what your parents want you to be.” Ned slouched back in his chair and glared at the tile ceiling.

“That’s easy for you to say.” Liz’s voice wavered. “You actually like your parents, and they like you. It must be nice.”

Ned sucked in a breath. “Yeah... I do like my parents. I’m not angry at them. They treat me well, and I respect them. But that doesn’t mean I want to be exactly what they want me to be. They expect me to get perfect grades, and every time I fail a test I feel like I’m failing them. Maybe if I had parents that didn’t care, then I wouldn’t have to worry about disappointing them. But they do care about me, and I care about them. So I have to do everything they ask in order to not disappoint them and that’s hard.”

Flash scoffed. “Oh trust me, if your parents didn’t give a shit about you, you would still feel like a disappointment to them somehow.”

“Maybe that’s because you don’t even try to behave, Flash. How many times have you gone to the principal’s this year? Like seventeen?” Ned said and Liz laughed. 

“No. You’re right, I don’t try to behave. Go ahead and laugh. But do you know why I don’t try to behave? Because my parents never pay any attention to me if I’m good!” Flash yelled. “At least when I’m bad, they talk to me. Even if it’s just to yell at me. At least it’s something.”

“So I guess that explains why you need to bully people too.” MJ muttered. 

“Excuse me. What?”

“Attention issues. You don’t get enough attention at home so you’re looking for it at school. And when you bully other kids, then everyone is paying attention to you.”

Flash clenched his fists at his side. “Shut up. You don’t know me, okay? You don’t know anything about anything. It’s like, just because you stalk people doesn’t mean you know everything about them. It just makes you creepy and maybe a little perverted.”

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Liz yelled. 

“What are you gonna do about it, Princess?”

“Stop fighting.” MJ said, sucking in a huge gulp of air. She leaned forward and pulled out a book from her backpack. She needed a distraction from this madness.

“I guess you can’t win.” Ned mumbled. “If you have good parents then you feel like you have to work hard to not disappoint them, and if you have bad parents then you feel you need to do something to get them to stop looking at you like a disappointment. It’s tragic, really.”

“Still,” Liz hissed, “At least your parents care about you. Sure they might be hard on you but they are only like that because they love you.”

Ned nodded. “I know, which is why I try my best to do what they want, but it’s still hard.  Sometimes I want to just have fun, take a small break from my homework and relax. Or go to a party. You and Flash get to party all the time. You’re so lucky. Sometimes I just want to do that too.”

“Then you need to tell your parents that.” Peter said, and Flash chuckled cruelly. 

“Ha, what a joke coming from you.” 

Peter narrowed his eyes. “Now what are you talking about?”

“Oh nothing just open communication has never really been your forte.”

Peter swallowed hard. “It’s different. Ned’s family would listen to him. He just needs to sit down and have a talk.” Peter turned to Ned, “I can help, if you want. We can talk to them together.”

Ned grinned, “Thank you so much, man. I really appreciate that. I would love for you to help.”

“Aw isn’t that cute. The dorks are helping each other.”

Liz whipped her head around to glare at Flash, “What the hell’s wrong with you? Why do you feel the need to pick on everybody?”

“I told you. It’s cause he’s hurt inside with the lack of attention.” MJ whispered quietly. 

“Hey, no one asked you for your opinion, miss emo. But oh yeah. That’s so totally the reason why I pick on everyone. Congrats. You really hit the nail on the head.”

“No, seriously. You feel hurt so you try to make other people hurt. It makes sense.” MJ said. 

“I’m not trying to hurt people!” Flash yelled. “I’m just stating the truth. Of all people, you should understand that the most, MJ.”

“You don’t have to call people names. Peter and Ned aren’t dorks.” Liz argued. 

“Yeah. Whatever.” Flash said. “Although, they are dorks, and MJ literally calls them that too, but sure, blame me like you always do. At least the dorks appreciate ‘help’ unlike some people.”

Liz slapped her hand down on the table. “I appreciated your help with the rally, but you should have left it alone after that.”

“I felt guilty you lost homecoming queen because of the rally, but I shouldn’t have.” Flash stated coldly. “You obviously never cared about anything other than that stupid title so I’m glad you didn’t win.”

“I cared about making a difference in the school!” Liz said. “I wanted to bring different groups of people together just like detention brought us together. But you’re right Flash, forget it. Our friendship was obviously fake.”

“No shock there.” Flash’s smile twisted into more of a grimace. “You are the definition of fake.” 

“I’m so done having this conversation.” Liz snapped. 

“Yeah that’s right. Avoid the tough conversations, that’s what you always do. Just paste a smile on that pretty little face.”

“Shut up, asshole!” Liz screamed. “Just because you’re mad that you got in trouble doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me.”

“Yeah Flash, leave her alone.” Peter mumbled.

“You knew we might get caught, and yet you told us you had a plan to get Principal Morita out of his office. We trusted you, and your plan failed.” Liz shouted. 

Ned nodded. “Yeah Flash. It really kinda is all your fault.” 

“All my fault?! Fuck you guys! I’m mad, Liz because you’re blaming me for ruining your life! It’s bad enough I have to go home to a father who blames me for hurting his business just because I exist, but now I gotta listen to you blame me too. It’s like all I do is screw up. I’m a fucking screw up that no one cares about. Well you know what, that’s fine, because I don’t care about anyone else either! I hate all of you!” 

Flash took several steps away from the circle of his peers, and stood near the front of the classroom with his back to everyone. 

“Can you all please stop fighting!” MJ yelled. “I hear enough of this shit at home. Every. fucking. day! So SHUT UP.” She screamed, whipping out a book from her backpack and hiding her face behind it. 

Everyone went quiet after that. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Finally, in just above a whisper, Peter said, “You’re not a screw up, Flash.”

“Thanks Parker... you’re not a complete dork... I guess.” Flash mumbled, turning around ever so slightly to look at them again. He was good at concealing it, but MJ saw a wet mark under his eye. He didn’t scrub all the evidence away in time. 

“Look, I’m sorry, okay.” Liz mumbled, “I shouldn’t have blamed you guys. It’s not your fault. But I’ve just been so stressed recently, you have no idea how hard it’s been.”

“Oh here we go.” Flash rolled his eyes. “Another sob story.” 

“No. I don’t have a sob story. You’re right. I was a rich only child who got everything I ever wanted as long as I behaved like a good little girl. As long as I kept my mouth shut and looked pretty, and didn’t speak unless spoken to, then I was loved. I was the picture perfect daughter. I did everything I was ever asked. I stayed out of trouble because God forbid I make one mistake... if I was out an hour too late or if I didn’t make a certain club then all of a sudden I’m a bitch. If I wear a shirt that’s too low-cut I’m a slut. If I swear, I’m a disgrace and if I get angry... well I’m not allowed to get angry. That’s just completely unacceptable. They can have feelings, but I can’t. I aced my drivers test, got my license as early as I could, and I never had one car accident for two whole years. All of a sudden, I brush against the side of the garage one day and there is a tiny scrape. Normal kids don’t worry about how their parents will react. Most parents are thrilled to know that their kids are safe. My parents,” Liz laughed a watery laugh, “They threatened to kick me out of the house. I’m not kidding. I was never so scared in my entire life. After much crying and pleading they finally changed their minds. But it was the first time I realized, I don’t have a home, I have to earn a place in my own home.”

Flash sat back silently, while Ned shook his head in sympathy, but no one interrupted her. 

“I don’t have normal dinners. Sure I have food on my plate and I should be thankful. And I am. But at the same time, I don’t talk at dinner. Not like you do with your aunt, Peter. I don’t have that luxury. Every day. Every freaking day, we play the same game. It’s the same conversations. Hi. How are you? Good. And if I said anything about my day or how I actually felt, I’d be instantly criticized. If I say I like potato chips, they call me fat. If I say I like a boy they harass me and make fun of me. So I learned a long time ago to never admit how I really feel. So I’m sorry if I come off as fake. But I had to hide my feelings to protect myself or else I was going to go insane and do really, really bad things.”

MJ played with her nails until the black polish chipped. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. 

“I’m sorry.” Flash finally whispered. “I didn’t know.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Liz sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. 

“Well there’s a lot you don’t know about me too, Liz.”

She nodded. “I’m sure there is. People don’t really show all sides of themselves to anyone. They always have secrets.”

“But sometimes they need to share certain secrets... especially if it’s hurting them.” MJ mumbled, looking up from her book, and glancing directly at Peter. He shifted under her gaze.

Soon everyone else followed her fixed look. Uncomfortable with the unblinking stares burning holes in his skull, Peter stood up quickly. 

“What are you looking at?” His cheeks were glowing red as his eyes welled up with tears. He couldn’t keep this up much longer. He was so tired of pretending everything was alright. He was exhausted from lying. He just wanted to walk into the middle of the ocean and never come back. 

“Peter, what’s wrong?” MJ asked. 

“Too much!” He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out little droplets of water. “I have too much going on in my head. Too many secrets.” He grabbed his soft brown hair in frustration and yanked the strands. 

“So tell us.” MJ urged. 

“I can’t!” Angrily, Peter shoved a desk backwards. “I can’t, I can’t.” Everyone held their breath as they watched Peter come undone right before their eyes. 

MJ had never seen this side of Peter before. He was never hostile or angry. He always took everything with amazing stoicism. But not this. He couldn’t handle whatever this was. 

“Are you mad because we have detention for the next month?” Liz asked ever so softly.

“No.” Peter shook his head.

“Are you mad because we were fighting?” Flash asked.

“No. I’m not mad.”

“Then what?” Ned prompted. “Are you upset?”

“Yes! I just - I’m mad because I can’t tell you and I’m upset because I just - I suck!”

“You don’t suck.”

“Yes I do, Ned.” Peter was livid. “I hate myself because I didn’t stop it. I can’t stop anyone.”

Peter was dangerously close to tears. What the hell was happening to him? He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts, he was beating himself up with whatever demons were stuck in his brain.

“Peter, what are you talking about?” MJ pressed.

“I should have stopped him.” Peter cried brokenly, tears spilling down his cheeks. “But I didn’t and now my uncle’s dead and it’s all my fault.”

His whole body shivered involuntarily before he burst into crying completely. He missed his old life so much. He missed his uncle to the point where he could throw up on the spot. He missed his life before May started dating Beck. That was his fault too. If uncle Ben never died, then May would have never met Beck and his life wouldn’t be so painful. Peter wouldn’t feel so useless, incompetent and used.

“It’s all my fault.” He repeated through the force of his sobs. “It’s my fault, it’s my fault, itsmyfault itsmyfault.”

Peter was dragged from his thoughts when someone else hit full-force into him, wrapping their arms around his neck. As he crumpled to the floor with this other person wrapped around him, Peter brought himself back to reality. He was at school and he was an absolute mess. His body was shaking from the heart wrenching cries that were drowning his brown eyes in a deep color of red.

He melted into MJ’s embrace the moment he realized she was hugging him. Across from them, Liz was crying too, cupping her hands to her face as if she were praying. Peter felt even more ashamed if that was even possible. 

“It’s not your fault.” MJ whispered, sitting next to him on the ground.  

“It is, you don’t understand, MJ. Nobody ever understands! I’m glad I got that black eye, I deserved it.”

“Peter, please, I don’t want you to be sad.” Ned cried.

Peter hiccuped, “I’m tired of being sad, Ned.”

“I know you are. I’m tired of being sad too.”

He said, reaching over to wipe away Peter’s remaining tears. “But you gotta forgive yourself. What happened to your uncle is not your fault.”

“I could have stopped it.” Peter burst into tears again. “But I didn’t. I’m a horrible person.”

“Hey.” Peter looked up at Flash who stood in front of him with his arms crossed. “You are not a horrible person, alright? You’re a dork, and a loser, but you are not bad, Peter. And no matter what you think you did, you don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve to be hit. Got it?”

“But -“

“No. Remember what Spider-Man did for Tiny? He saved him from being abused. He didn’t do it because Tiny was a great person, he did it because no one deserves to be hurt. And you’re way better a person that Tiny is anyways, so just stop being mean to yourself.” 

Peter’s hair was sticking up randomly and he had bags beneath his eyes which made it looked like he got punched again. His complexion was chalky white, and his lips were puffy. Sure half of this was because he was crying, but damnit, those signs were always there. Flash had seen them, but he had ignored them for the most part. They all had. Everyone was so caught up with their own lives they didn’t take the time to properly talk to Peter about what he might be going through. 

Even though Peter looked like shit, honestly, Liz didn’t look much better with her running makeup and shaky hands.

“Sometimes I think I deserve to be hurt too, Peter.” She admitted in a hush whisper. “When my parents tell me I’m not pretty enough or slim enough. Sometimes I think about starving myself.”

“My parents make me feel like I’m invisible.” MJ said, wiping her eyes too. “Like I don’t matter and that I never will.”

“You know I feel like I’m a disappointment to my parents.” Ned said. “Cause I don’t get perfect grades, I skip class, and I’m lazy at home.”

“My Dad never talks to me unless I get in trouble.” Flash replied shamefully, eyes downcast. “It is why I make fun of people. I feel like there’s something wrong with me, you know? Like I must have flaws because my own parents who are supposed to love me more than anyone else, don’t. And so I make fun of other kids that have noticeable flaws to feel better about myself. So if anyone is a shitty person around here, it’s me.”

Peter inhaled sharply. “May’s boyfriend is sexually abusing me.” He blurted out, then hid his face in his hands, sobbing again. “And I’ve b-b-been so emb-barrassed and so ashamed. But sometimes I feel like I deserve it and -“ Peter broke off into a wave of hysterics. He was completely distraught and well past the point of consoling. 

“Oh my God, Peter.” 

Everyone was surrounding him, touching him, but it was gentle. Not like Beck. They were holding his hands, rubbing his back, and just comforting him. Peter clung to it, like a child starved for affection. He didn’t realize how badly he needed a hug until he was actually given one. 

“Oh my God. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” Liz said as she carded her fingers through his hair. 

“We have to tell someone.” Flash muttered, shifting a little from his spot on the floor. 

Peter shook his head. He had been dealing with this far too long, and maybe it was time to share the burden but he couldn’t.

Flash rested a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Look. I know we’re not best friends and all but we have to tell someone what’s going on, okay? You need help.”

“Don’t you think I wanted to get help?” Peter said sadly. “But it’s not that simple. Beck knows this secret about me, and he’s blackmailing me with it.”

“Peter.” Ned said heavily. 

“I know. I know.” He buried his face in his hands again. “But I can’t let him share this secret. People I love will get hurt.”

“Shit, Parker. We can’t let you go through this anymore. Is there anyone that might be able to take down this guy before he is able to blab your secret? Maybe Spider-Man?”

“Yeah or maybe you can tell your Aunt? If she breaks up with him, but doesn’t tell him why, then he can’t hurt you and he can’t blab your secret.” Ned suggested. 

“True. You guys are right. I didn’t want to tell May because I wanted her to be happy and like I said, I felt like it was my fault. But I guess I need to, and I will.”

“Good.” Flash nodded.

“Okay, but I don’t like the thought of that child molester roaming the streets. He needs to go to jail.” MJ said firmly.

“I think I know someone who I can go to.” Peter whispered, still clinging to MJ’s hand.

“All right, good. You keep us in the loop. I swear, if we have to come over to your house every night until that asshole is gone, then we will.” Flash told him.

“T-Thank you.” Peter whispered. “That was really hard to talk about. So thanks for not judging me.”

“Don’t sweat it, dork.” MJ chuckled. “You already know all of my dirty laundry. You hear my parents fighting all the time. It’s about time I learn something about you.”

“Yeah.” Liz sighed contently. “I don’t know about you guys but I feel refreshed. It feels so good to get that stuff off my chest.”

“I know what I’m writing in my essay.” Flash said, a smirk playing on his face.

“What?”

“I learned that detention is actually another word for group therapy.”

Liz bit her lip to contain what Flash assumed was a grin, and the rest of them smiled.