Chapter Text
"HI YOU'VE REACHED GWEN STACY LEAVE A MESSAGE." Eddie Called Gwen's cellphone for the upteenth time. Midtown High was on the News because of some kind of attack. The Gym and area near looked like an earthquake hit it. Ben and May went to the scene to find Peter.
He tried one last time for Gwen's phone the he would try her Dad. He listened to the ringing beeping and was aboutto call it quits when...
Finally... it picked up...
"E-Eddie..."
"Gwen! I'm so glad to hear you, What happened at the school? Are you okay?" Eddie's relief was short lived as a Strangled sob reached his ear.
"E-Eddie... I c-couldn't...I'm sorry...Peter h-he," she was gasping and hyperventalating. Then realization hit Eddie full force.
"Gwen... Is Pete dead?" He asked numbly.He hadn't felt like this sickishly empty since his parents died.
There was pregmatic pause... "Y-yes," she whispers collectivlly hollowed. "He turned into a giant lizard and I ga-got slash-marks in my arm to prove it..."
"How bad are you bleeding?" Eddie asked numbness now turning to fearful concern. He couldn't lose both his best friends on the same night. He sat up on the couch but the twinge of pain went through his right leg. Reminding Eddie he had fractured his leg in his last football game. Reminding him that he was Gwen's date for the night.
"Where are you at now?"
Gwen sounded slurred now, "In the girl's locker-room to get my dress... I got to tell my Dad what happened before...before they think I killed...Pete... he turned back to normal... Eddie...I'm kinda woozy...lota blood."
The tall blonde felt dread bubble in the pit of his stomach. "Hey-hey-hey,stay with me, ok? You're going into shock. Put some pressure on your arm." Eddie instructed her. He could hear fabric tearing over the receiver.
"M'hoodie's tore... hid the rest..." Gwen muttered.
Eddie kept kept a steady voice, "Keep talking to me, Gwennie. Tell me what happened to Pe...what happened in the fight." Did he want to know? He wasn't sure, but he needed Gwen to live.
"Remember he was actin' f-funny dis mornin'?"
"Yeah, he wasn't wearing his glasses and kept asking if anyone was cold." May and Ben were hoping he wasn't catching a cold.
'I'm fine guys, really! I've never felt better.'
"He wa excited about tryin' to ask Sally to the Spring Formal. Ya can guess how that went... So he asked Liz and she said yes."
'Sure Petey, why not. I owe you for helping me ace my chem test, anyway.'
'Dude, you sure Liz didn't agree just to ruffle Flash's feathers. They broke up last week.'
'Oh you just can't stand to see me happy can you, Gwen?!'
'I'm just trying to look out for you. You're like my brother... I care about you.'
'Well I'm not your brother and I'm not your responsibility; so stop pretending like you care.'
'What in the world are you talking about?!'
'Don't think I haven't figured out your game. You're only friends with me because your in love with Eddie.Got to keep tabs on Puny Pete for his big brother, am I right?'
"I s-slapped him after that and didn' talk ta him the rest of the day." Gwen finished.
"Where was Harry in all this?" He was sure the ginger there.
"Chasin Glory Grant ta ask h'r ta the dance. After that failed, I agreed to go with him as a plus one and since Carl King busted your leg and we both didn't want to go alone."
Yeah that didn't settle well with Eddie. May said he had a 'Mr. Grumpy face' on all day sine he got the news. For Eddie, Harry was never a favored addition to their group, but Pete and Gwen were chill with him so he kept that to himself.
"Before he left the house I think Pete had a weird rash going on; looked like scales. Could he have got bitten by a radioactive lizard instead a spider?" It was a tasteless jab to get Gwen to laugh but the humor was lost on both of them.
"Now that you mention...that he had done work... at E.S.U. labs doin research on lizards D..." She spoke wobbly and then added, "Hey Eddie...almost out of school...Daddy see me...coming. Might get cut off...sorry, love yo-."
Eddie's gray eyes wided in fear as he was diconnected."Gwen! Gwen!"
He tried her cellphone again.
"HI YOU'VE REACHED GWEN STACY LEAVE A MESSAGE."