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“It’s ridiculous.” Liz sighed, dipping a fry in ketchup. "Like, what is Peter’s problem?”
The burger joint the decathlon team had decided to meet to study in was mostly empty besides the team. All of them were there, sans Peter, as usual, and Flash. MJ shuffled the index cards she was quizzing Sally with.
“Do you think it’s family trouble?” Sally asked between answering questions.
“Ned, you know Peter, what is his problem?” MJ turned to Ned who was picking at his burger with a nervous energy.
“He’s fine!” Ned’s voice was high-pitched and nervous. “Stark internship, super busy! Actually, I’m also busy! Bye!” Ned spoke rapidly, gathering his things and practically running out of the restaurant, leaving the rest of the teenagers stunned.
“Weird,” MJ spoke under her breath, drawing another card.
“Do you think it’s me?” Liz held her head in her hands, staring down at her burger.
“It’s not you,” Sally replied before taking a bite of her burger.
“What if it is.”
“It’s not,” the entire table mused.
“What if…” Cindy hesitated before continuing “What if Peter is gay?” A hush fell over the table.
“What?” Liz stuttered, dropping a fry.
“Well I mean, it would explain why he ran off at homecoming.” Cindy shrugged.
“What about DC and swimming?”
“He panicked, maybe he felt like you were…I don’t know, hitting on him?”
“I was!” Liz sighed, slumping in her chair, turning slightly to the girl next to her. “MJ?”
“Mhm?” She hummed, flipping through the cards in front of her.
“Do you think Peter is gay?”
“60/40.”
“Great,” She sighed.
“Well, it feels rude to assume,” Sally said. “What if it’s just his Stark internship getting to him?”
“Internships don’t stop me from swimming,” Cindy said between bites of her burger.
“Maybe he has body image issues.”
“Maybe he’s gay.”
“Okay!” Liz interrupted, raising her hands. “Guys we don’t know what’s going on in his life so why don’t we—” The sound of the bell above the door ringing interrupted her sentence, words dying on her tongue as the very subject of their conversation walked through the restaurant’s door.
“Hey, guys.” Peter waved as he walked towards them. “Sorry I’m late, May needed help.” The table sat in silence. “What?”
“Are you gay?” MJ asked, abandoning all decorum. Abe choked on the fry he was eating.
“Um, kind of, I’m bi, why?” He asked nervously, rocking on his heels.
“Just wondering!” Cindy shot back, sparing a glare at MJ who only shrugged in response. She patted Abe on the back, cringing when he coughed up the fry.
“Happy pride!” Sally nearly shouted, as if immediate support would make up for the awkwardness in the air.
“Um, thank you, but it’s not June.”
“Right, sorry.” Sally ducked her head, cheeks turning red.
“Anyways…” Peter trailed off nervously, moving to sit in the seat Ned had left open when he fled. “We good?”
“Yeah!” The table, minus MJ, replied sheepishly, all turning to MJ who held the flash cards.
“I’m gay, by the way,” She said as she straightened the cards. “So I was allowed to ask him that.” She sniffed before drawing a card. The table all let out sighs of relief and sheepish laughs which died out as she began to ask them all questions.