Michelle’s got her books shoved into her bag, checking the time on her phone as she sighs -- running a hand through her curls. She’s exhausted, just finishing up her applications for grad school as she passes by just a few other people littered still throughout the library -- all hanging their heads over their laptops and looking just about as tired as she is. She has a text from Ned, asking if he can borrow her season five of The Office -- a show he’s recently started since Michelle’s been begging him to watch it for years.
i’ll have it in class tomorrow for you, Michelle types back, her bag over her shoulder as she starts down the stairs and toward her apartment. It’s only a ten minute walk, the colder air still lingering with winter as she pulls her jacket closer to her small frame, feeling herself shiver. Her roommate will more than likely be gone, because she’s always gone, off to her boyfriend’s -- leaving Michelle with an apartment to herself.
A part of her, the part that always hopes for a text message from Peter tries not to feel the usual disappointment at not seeing his name light up on her phone. It’s not out of the ordinary for him to not reply to her for hours, sometimes days, so she’s not sure why she still feels a small pang of hurt when she sees he hasn’t said anything to her. They’re friends, they’ve been friends for years -- so she shouldn’t take it personally, she knows that. No part of Peter Parker would ever intentionally want to hurt her, so that’s what she keeps reminding herself.
She doesn’t look up from her phone, scrolling through as she smiles a little, just a small tug at the corner of her mouth. “You know you could offer to carry my bag, or something,” Michelle starts, her voice flat with a tone of sarcasm -- but only in light teasing, “since you’ve got super human strength or whatever it is, right?”
This has become a habit for them, him showing up when she’s walking home on a Friday evening after staying late at the school library. For some reason, Spider-Man has wanted to strike up a friendship with her, and Michelle has happily obliged -- even if she’s unsure as too why he wants to be her friend in the first place. “Shouldn’t you be out saving people? Not out here with me?” Michelle adds, still not looking behind her to see him -- she knows the red and blue suit like the back of her hand at this rate, having seen it a large amount of times now as she tucks her phone back into the pocket of her jacket.
