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The next two chapters [Do we have a deal? Yes or definitely? – Part 1 and Do we have a deal? Yes or definitely? – Part 2] are already available, and in a few hours [Do we have a deal? Yes or definitely? – Part 3] will be available as well.
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***
Peter stood there for two seconds without knowing what to do, frozen in the middle of the cramped room. His eyes fixed on Liz's figure, still turned away from him, her hand pressed against the door as if she expected someone to try to come in at any moment.
His mind spun in circles, trying to decide which approach had the least chance of going wrong in a situation that somehow felt a thousand times more complicated than facing a supervillain. Should he start with a "good morning"? No, that would be too normal. Maybe thank her for the help? That wouldn't work either—it would be too weird. Apologize for how things ended? Or would it be better to just pretend nothing had happened and wait for her to start the conversation first?
'So many options, and every single one seems worse than the last,' he thought, feeling a bit of anxiety coil in his stomach. Maybe it was better to start simple, see how she reacted, test the waters before diving headfirst into a conversation that was bound to be extremely uncomfortable.
"Good mor—"
"Shhh!" She cut him off again, the sound sharp and urgent as it slipped between her teeth while she slightly turned her head back. Her eyes met his for an instant before Liz jerked her head toward the door in a motion that needed no verbal explanation.
Peter frowned, confused, and took a step forward, trying to understand what Liz was pointing at so urgently. That was when he heard a series of footsteps in the hallway that stopped right in front of the door.
"Any student you find outside the classrooms must be sent immediately to my office. Understood?"
Peter recognized that voice immediately. It was the vice principal.
"Yes, sir."
"Of course."
Two other voices replied almost in unison. The sound of footsteps moving away followed soon after, gradually fading until the hallway fell into silence.
Peter let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding and tilted his head slightly toward Liz. "Why does he sound so irritated?" he asked in a low voice.
"Half the school was watching your little show," Liz replied without taking her eyes off the gaps in the door, her tone dry, almost automatic, more focused on whether the danger had really passed than on the conversation itself.
"And?"
"The bell rang about five minutes ago."
Peter brought a hand to his face. "Oh... great." He sighed, the word coming out more like a groan than anything else. 'So you really did save my skin. My plan was to run to the bathroom.'
"Yes—" Liz started to say, but stopped mid-sentence. Her body suddenly stiffened, and she turned to him with an alarmed expression, eyes wide, as if she had just remembered something very important. "Don't talk to me!" she ordered, her voice coming out loud in the cramped space.
Peter took a step back, nearly tripping over a bucket, completely caught off guard by the abrupt change in her tone. "O-okay?" He raised his hands to chest level in a gesture of surrender, not understanding anything at all. What just happened?
"Don't talk to me!" Liz repeated, bringing her hands to her head, fingers tangling in her hair in a gesture full of frustration. "Ugh! Why am I talking to you?!" She started pacing back and forth across the small room, her steps short and quick, the cheerleader skirt swaying with each sharp movement.
"I shouldn't be talking to you! I shouldn't have even looked in your direction! I shouldn't—" Liz continued, muttering something inaudible between her teeth—too low for Peter to hear. Her arms were now crossed over her chest, her fingers tapping nervously against her other arm.
Peter stayed where he was, practically motionless, his eyes following her frantic back-and-forth like someone watching a tennis match without understanding the rules. 'Okay, this is officially scarier than any villain I've faced this week… which basically comes down to Kraven and a dozen small-time thugs.'
Liz stopped after a few seconds, her breathing slightly uneven. She stood with her back to him for a moment, her shoulders rising and falling as she seemed to process something and reach a conclusion on her own. When she turned to face him, her expression had changed. It was still tense, but now there was something there, something Peter couldn't quite identify. "Did they hurt you?"
"..."
"Answer me!"
"Argh, you're making me so confused!" Peter threw his arms up, exasperated. "Am I supposed to talk or stay quiet? Decide, please, because I'm really not following the script here!"
Liz arched an eyebrow, and for a moment he caught a glimpse of that expression she used to wear whenever he said something especially stupid back when they were dating—a mix of irritation and affection. "Only talk to me if I ask you a question. So answer me this: did they hurt you?"
Peter hesitated before answering, "No. I'm fine. Honestly, I think you should ask those two about that." The tension in her shoulders eased, and the two fell into silence. The air grew heavy between them as they looked at each other, not quite knowing what to do next.
'Ugh, what an awkward situation,' Peter thought, missing his mask. 'I better get going—wait, is she biting her lip?' It was quick, subtle, but he noticed the way her eyes dropped to his body and she bit her lower lip as if he were... some kind of delicious steak.
Liz seemed to realize her own gesture almost immediately, quickly looking away and clearing her throat before speaking again, her tone more controlled, as if nothing had happened. "It was all Sally's fault."
"Sally?" Peter repeated, his voice coming out louder than he intended as his face heated up, and he suddenly found a broom leaning against the wall extremely interesting. 'Look at that wood… what a fine example of… of wood. Wow. Fibrous. Long. Definitely one of the finest brooms ever made.'
"She's the one who told Flash and Kenny to do that to you," Liz explained, still with her face turned away.
Peter frowned, the heat in his face fading into confusion. "Why?"
"Because she thinks you need to be punished for breaking up with me," Liz replied, a faint trace of irritation surfacing in her voice. "Stupid girl. I've said it a bunch of times that I was the one who ended things, but she never believes me."
Oh.
That... made sense.
Peter let out a small sigh, scratching the back of his neck. "Well… I kind of deserve it, don't I?" he began, lifting his gaze back to her. "I mean, I was a complete idiot that day—"
"No." Liz cut him off firmly, meeting his eyes. "Don't do that. Don't talk as if this is... normal. Or acceptable."
Peter opened his mouth, but no answer came out.
Liz took a deep breath, looking away again, running a hand over her own arm as if brushing off a shiver before taking a step toward the door. "It won't happen again," she added. "I'll deal with it."
"Liz—"
"No, Peter. Please… don't." She stopped him with her hand already on the doorknob, without turning around. "It still… hurts to look at you."
That hit harder than any punch. "I... just wanted to tell you I'm sorry... for everything," Peter murmured, lowering his head.
Liz didn't react to his words and opened the door just enough to peek into the hallway, making sure it was empty. She stepped outside, but before leaving completely, she hesitated, pausing in the doorway. "Stay here until second period, Petey," Liz said with her back to him. "It's safer." And then she left, closing the door behind her.
Peter stared at the door for a while, waiting in case she would come back. She didn't. He let the air out slowly through his mouth and sat down on the floor, resting his head on his arm, his eyes fixed on some undefined spot on the floor. 'That was awful... but it could have been a lot worse.'
***
Disclaimer: This story and its characters belong to Sony Pictures and Marvel Comics (Disney). This is merely a fanfiction written by a fan, with no intention of infringement.