INVISIBLE | P. PARKER

TWENTY SEVEN

TWENTY-SEVEN;
STELLA

PETER WAS DEFINITELY AVOIDING HER. Cassie was beyond worried for her friend, she had texted him several times and he never answered. It made her heart stop every time she thought about something bad happening to the arachnid boy during his daily patrols around the city.

He didn't go to school and every class she glanced at his empty desk with desperation and hope to see him walk into the classroom without a scratch. But it was useless, he never appeared and didn't answer her texts.

As soon as the last bell rang, she clung her bag onto her shoulder and quickly walked out of the building with a pounding heart. She looked from left to right and made her way to the opposite way, to his apartment building in Queens. Cassie anxiously ran her fingers through her brunette hair as she walked through the busy streets and glanced at the screen of her phone, hoping to see a message from Peter.

Almost instantly, she found herself facing the wooden door in front of her and exhaling deeply. She looked down at her black converse once more before knocking twice, her arms wrapped around her body as she waited for someone to open the door.

"Hello." Aunt May said, frowning at the sight before her. "Cassie, right?"

"Yes. Nice to finally meet you." The brunette stretched out her hand with a small hand, Aunt May shook it with a smile as well. "Pete told me a lot about you." She truthfully said, causing the woman to smile sweetly.

"I hope he said good things." She joked, Cassie chuckled and nodded. "I suppose you came to see him?"

"Yeah. He didn't come to school and I was kind of worried." The girl explained, looking at her hands with nervousness. Aunt May smiled.

"He's sick." Aunt May shortly said, resting her body on the door frame. "He just took his medicine and fell asleep. You can come later, maybe?"

"Oh, of course." Cassie nodded smiled. "Thanks! And it was nice meeting you." She waved as she walked backwards to the elevator, Aunt May smiled.

"It was nice to meet you too, Cassie." The woman said. "I'll tell him you came. Goodbye." The girl nodded and watched as she closed the door.

Cassie exhaled sharply and walked out of the building with quick movements. She exhaled deeply when a message appeared in her screen, as soon as her eyes scanned the letters, her heart stopped.

pete 🕷
i think we can't be friends anymore
it's for the best
i'm sorry

A deep sigh left her lips when the thought of Peter being mad at her crossed her mind, but it was pointless, the previous night they stayed up texting and sharing funny pictures. How could he change his mind so quickly? The answer had one word and it was Michelle.

Cassie was completely sure Michelle had something to do with Peter's decision to break contact with her, it was the only possible reason to his sudden change of mind. He wasn't the type of leaving people like that, at least not without a legitimate reason.

The brunette sat on the edge of the sidewalk as she fought back the tears. She felt angry and frustrated that her only friend was being taken away from her by an evil, jealous teenager who obviously hated her. And she was angry at Peter too, for falling for Michelle's stupid tricks.

"Hi." She looked up and frowned when a pair of chestnut eyes met with hers. The girl handed her a piece of paper and Cassie widened her eyes at the picture. "Have you seen him?"

"Who are you?" The brunette asked, her brown eyes traveled over the paper to the girl standing in front of her. "And why are you searching for my brother?"

"Cassie?"

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" She asked, looking directly into the young woman's eyes. She froze when the girl hugged her tight and tried her best to not scream at a stranger hugging her in the middle of the street. "What the hell?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." The stranger stepped away with a nervous chuckle. Cassie frowned. "I probably scared you?"

"Probably?" She sarcastically repeated, fixing her backpack in her shoulder. "You scared me." The brunette mumbled. "Who are you?"

"Charlie never told you about me?" The woman asked heartbroken. Cassie shook her head with confusion. "I'm Stella. Charlie's girlfriend."

+++

"Maybe if you stop walking like a manic I can understand you." Pietro grunted, looking at a frantic Cassie pacing around the living room. "What do you mean Charlie had a girlfriend?"

Cassie stopped pacing to look at him. "Has a girlfriend." She rested her hands on her hips. "I can't believe it! What next? I'm the princess of Genovia?" The young man snorted. "It's not funny."

"Actually, it is." He said, letting his strong accent take over his words. "First, Genovia doesn't exist. Second, what if he had a girlfriend?"

"Hello? Is Pietro there?" Cassie snapped. "Do you remember he kissed your freaking sister?" She whispered-exclaimed. "Aren't you supposed to be mad?"

"I'm letting you do the job for me."

"She's been looking for him since we disappeared!" The brunette explained, pacing from left to right. "Should I tell her?"

"No! No, no. Of course not." Pietro shook his head. "Leave it there. Let her search for him. If you tell her she's going to get scared." The brunette nodded.

"So I tell her he's out of the country?" Pietro nodded. "That's messed up."

"Oh and Charlie being brainwashed isn't?" She sent him a death glare. "Sorry."

"What's happening here?" They both snapped their heads at the man looking at them with raised eyebrows and crossed arms. "Aren't you two supposed to be training?"

"Little Cassie here is having a little breakdown." Pietro teased, gaining another death glare from the girl.

"What now?" Tony exhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Apparently, Charlie has a girlfriend."