I’m Not Becoming Spider-Man - Chapter 14: Dinner (Patreon)

"In my head."

"Then maybe I really should crack open that little head of yours and find out how you come up with all this," Gwen teased. "Your turn, Harley."

She rose from the computer chair to let Harley read the remaining pages. Without making a fuss about it, Gwen took the opportunity to sit down beside Peter.

"Still, this won't be easy. I wonder if the school will get angry when they find out we're using the newspaper club's funding for something like this."

Would they even be allowed to publish a comic in the school paper?

"It's not as though that's the only thing we'd print. We could include ordinary articles too," Gwen muttered.

Mary Jane watched them talk, unable to find a way into their conversation. She picked up the comic and started reading it, but she couldn't understand what made it so interesting.

She hadn't wanted to read the thing in the first place. But then Gwen had somehow used it to get into such a lively conversation with Peter!

"What if we add a feedback section at the end?" Harley suggested. "We could collect the responses afterward and see what readers thought."

"That's a good idea, Harley. A really good idea," Peter said.

Then he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned to find Mary Jane gripping his shirt and staring at him with puffed-up cheeks. She looked distinctly unhappy.

Peter ignored her and continued talking to Gwen. "We could give readers a way to rate it. And maybe add a little science content?"

"Like a short educational segment at the end?" Gwen replied. "I like that."

Infuriating.

Mary Jane couldn't get a word in. Worse, she barely understood what the others were talking about. How had she ended up being the only person who didn't fit into this little group?

She wanted to lose her temper, badly. In the past, if Peter had ignored her this thoroughly, she would have exploded without caring about the consequences.

But Mary Jane had grown since then. She knew that doing so would only make Peter dislike her more.

She... she... she...

She endured it!

She held it in!

But sooner or later, she was going to get back everything she'd lost!

In short, the discussion was sheer torture for Mary Jane. Gwen and Peter talked animatedly about comics. Even Harley managed to contribute a few ideas. Mary Jane alone knew too little about the subject to join in.

It wasn't until Aunt May called everyone downstairs for dinner that she finally escaped the awkward situation.

"Welcome, everyone! Oh, our dining table's a little small, so it's going to be crowded. Do be careful," Aunt May said with a smile. They hadn't entertained guests in some time, and she was delighted to have a full house.

"Tonight I've made shrimp baked in oil, stewed fish, and a fresh salad with vinaigrette to balance out the richer dishes. We've got mashed potatoes, German sausages, and pickles, too. For dessert there's apple pie. And of course, anyone who wants to try my special homemade cookies is more than welcome!"

"Isn't that... a little too much, Aunt May?" Peter asked. She was rattling off dishes with obvious excitement, and the table was already overflowing with food.

"Too much? Nonsense, Peter! The real problem would be if someone went hungry. Now, come on, dears, find yourselves a seat." Aunt May was practically glowing with enthusiasm.

It had been a long time since she'd been responsible for an entire meal. Usually she and Peter worked together in the kitchen, and sometimes he did most of the cooking.

Tonight, she'd put everything she had into preparing a feast. She was determined to remind Peter that she was still perfectly capable of making a wonderful dinner. She wasn't old yet!

"Eat up, kids, before it gets cold," Uncle Ben said. He'd already started enjoying his food.

Everyone settled around the table. Hoping to prevent trouble, Peter promptly pulled Harley into the seat beside him. Uncle Ben sat on his other side, leaving Gwen and Mary Jane to take seats across from him.

For a little while, everyone ate quietly. Then Uncle Ben broke the silence.

"Peter, your school life certainly seems a lot more eventful than mine ever was."

"I'd much rather it were peaceful. A nice, easy life sounds good to me."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, my future famous comic artist," Mary Jane remarked.

"Not with a future rock star hanging around him, it won't," Gwen shot back.

"That depends on whether my explosive drummer can keep up with me," Mary Jane replied.

"Uh, they're talking about starting a band at school," Peter explained to Uncle Ben.

"That's wonderful. I wish I'd had that kind of passion back when I was in high school," Ben said between bites.

"You're not old yet. Why not round up some friends and start an old-timers' band?" Peter suggested.

"Spare me." Ben shook his head. "So what part are you going to play in this band, Peter?"

"None. It's supposed to be an all-girl band, so I'm not joining," Peter said. "Maybe I'll participate as a member of the audience."

"I hope I can get in for free," he added. "Right, Harley?"

Harley looked up from her dinner. "Oh, sure. These shrimp are delicious, by the way."

"Come on, Harley. You've surely eaten better than this," Peter said, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"That's different, Peter. Your Aunt May made these herself, with real care. That makes them one of a kind. A restaurant chef just makes the same dishes over and over again. To me, this tastes much better than anything I'd get in a restaurant."

And there was something even more important. Harley looked around the table. Gwen and Mary Jane were still trading barbs, keeping the conversation lively. Dishes and cutlery clinked around her, and Peter's arm rested warmly across her shoulders.

Together, those little things filled Harley with a contentment she could barely describe.

How long had it been since she'd eaten dinner with Norma?

Her mother always had an excuse. Work, work, and more work. Harley spent most of her evenings alone in that enormous, luxurious, utterly cold house.

The chefs who came to prepare meals never even saw the people they were cooking for. Without the television, the mansion was as silent as a tomb.

Peter's house was nothing like that. It was small, almost cramped with so many guests, but there was noise and laughter and the warmth of people living together. Harley felt comfortable here in a way she never did at home.

"Oh, my goodness! Then you simply must try my apple pie!" Aunt May called happily, sticking her head out of the kitchen.

The house was small enough that she had heard Harley praising the meal, and the compliment had delighted her.

"I will," Harley promised with a nod.

"I didn't realize you knew so much about food," Peter said. "How about we add a column reviewing local restaurants to the school paper?"

"Your mind really does jump from one idea to another, Peter. But that sounds pretty good," Harley replied. Perhaps she could make a real contribution to the newspaper that way.

She was part of their little group now, after all. She couldn't just sit around and let everyone else do the work.