I’m Not Becoming Spider-Man - Chapter 73: What Does the Future Hold? (Patreon)

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Connors said.

"Go ahead."

"Is Gwen your girlfriend?" Connors asked in all seriousness.

The question startled Gwen so badly that she lost her balance. She'd been walking along a pole with her arms stretched out, and now she toppled off it. Fortunately, she managed to hook one foot around the pole and dangle there instead.

"Uh... I'm fine," she told the two men staring at her.

"No, Dr. Connors. Gwen's just a friend," Peter explained. "We're close, that's all."

"Oh, I see. I must have misunderstood. You two seem to get along so well." Connors slipped his one remaining arm around Peter's shoulders. "You really ought to give it a try, Peter. Martha and I were practically ready to start a family when we were your age."

"Uh, I don't think that would be appropriate..." Peter said, glancing toward Spider-Woman.

Come on! The girl they were discussing was standing right there!

"Oh, don't mind me," Spider-Woman said. "I couldn't care less about your romantic problems."

As if she weren't interested!

"There's also a girl I've known since childhood," Peter went on. "And believe me, this isn't as simple as choosing between two girls. If she discovered I was seeing someone else, she'd come after me with a kitchen knife. I'm serious."

"Oh... That does complicate things." Connors clearly hadn't expected that answer.

"Still, Gwen really is a wonderful girl," Peter admitted. "If life weren't so complicated, maybe I'd consider it."

"Really?"

Both men turned toward Spider-Woman again. Gwen hastily waved them off.

"What? I'm not interested in gossip! Really!"

Peter stared at her for a moment, then decided the conversation had gone on long enough.

"We should get home, Dr. Connors. We've got a lot to handle tomorrow."

"That's true. And I still need to..."

"Thank me again? I know, I know. We can talk another time. I'm completely worn out tonight."

Gwen followed behind them to make sure Norma hadn't sent anyone to track Connors. His position was dangerous now, and Martha needed to remain somewhere safe.

Back at the apartment, Peter and Connors said good night and went inside. Gwen had parted ways with them downstairs. She took a roundabout route and slipped into her bedroom through the window.

She collapsed onto her bed, grateful that the evening had gone relatively smoothly.

"But if Mary Jane weren't part of the picture... would Peter ever like me?"

They'd been through life-or-death situations together. That made them closer than ordinary friends. After all, how many people would have the courage to run right into the Lizard's reach to hand her an inhibitor?

"Ugh! Why am I even thinking about this? Mary Jane practically ordered me to stay away from Peter..."

Gwen rolled onto her side, hugged her pillow, and immediately started imagining things again.

"Wait... does that mean I like him? No. No, definitely not!"

...

The next day.

"Guys, I feel like my life is falling apart," Peter complained. "All I wanted was a normal high school experience. Apparently, that was asking too much."

"The moment I entered that Osborn science exhibition, I should've known my peaceful days were over."

"What are you muttering about, Peter?" Harley asked.

She wandered into the kitchen in a set of green pajamas and opened the refrigerator to get herself a sweet drink. The sight of the green outfit filled Peter with an inexplicable sense of dread.

"Harley, don't you have any other pajamas?"

"Sure I do. Why?"

"Green feels unlucky. And brush your teeth before you drink that. You don't want cavities, believe me. Trips to the dentist aren't fun."

"You're such a pain..." Harley grumbled, though she obediently went to brush her teeth.

Living in the apartment was wonderful, really. Harley had a whole group of dependable friends she could trust and talk to.

And her mother, whom she couldn't stand, wasn't around to bother her. What more could she ask for?

Peter, meanwhile, really had to go to school today. If he skipped again, the principal would probably start calling his guardians.

He and Gwen had always been the model students everyone admired. Yet lately, neither of them seemed to attend classes at all.

Breakfast was simple: toast, fried eggs, mashed potatoes, and a glass of warm milk.

By the time Mary Jane emerged, she was already dressed and ready for her busy day. Between school events and the social side of student life, she had plenty to do. Those connections mattered, too. Apparently, she was considering cheerleading or finding an internship like Peter had.

Her dream was to perform on Broadway, and that was hardly a modest ambition.

Mary Jane didn't have family connections to fall back on. If she wanted a better future, she'd have to work for it.

Gwen, by comparison, had a father who was the police chief. Even if everything else went wrong, she could probably find some kind of work at the police department. Harley was wealthier still, with no need to worry about money at all.

"I can't even remember the last time I walked down this street," Gwen remarked as they left the apartment.

Their school was only two blocks away, yet the route felt strangely unfamiliar after everything that had happened.

When they reached school, Mary Jane headed off on her own. Peter, Gwen, and Harley went to their classroom and immediately collapsed over their desks to catch up on sleep.

"All right, everybody, wake up! It's test day. Get your papers ready!"

Peter and Gwen finished their exams in under half an hour without any trouble, then went straight back to sleep. Harley, meanwhile, was still sweating over the questions.

Studying wasn't exactly Harley's passion. She had so little motivation that it was a wonder she'd learned enough to avoid being illiterate.

Eventually, she managed to finish. The rest of the morning's classes passed without much incident.

"How in the world did you two finish so fast?" Harley complained.

"High school work isn't that hard, is it?" Gwen replied. "I've already started studying college material on my own. I want a scholarship."

"Same here," Peter said. "College is expensive. Getting a scholarship really matters."

"Why are you both planning so far ahead?"

"Because neither of us has a guaranteed future." Peter patted her shoulder. "You ought to think about yours, too, Harley. Unless you're planning to inherit your mother's business?"

"I... I haven't decided." Harley scratched her head.

To her, the future still felt terribly far away. In truth, it was distant for all of them. Peter and Gwen were simply smart enough to set goals and start working toward them.

Effort was much more useful when you had somewhere to direct it.

"Hey! What took you guys so long?"

The three had barely reached the entrance when a tall figure blocked their path. It was Flash Thompson.

"Don't you have practice today?" Peter asked.

"I canceled it." Thompson scratched his head. "So, about today..."

"Come on. Let's take our comic to the Daily Bugle and see whether they'll accept it," Peter said. "Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we should skip this week's school paper..."

"You'd better pray Principal Davis doesn't come looking for you," Gwen warned.