Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

New York — Manhattan Streets — Day

The bustling streets of Manhattan were alive with activity as Gwen, Harry, Miles, Anya, Liz, and Sally strolled together, making the most of their day. As they walked, they chatted about everything and nothing.

Some carried drinks in their hands, while others munched on snacks they had bought earlier. The mood was light and carefree...Until Gwen brought up Aunt May’s proposal.

— ”So... you want us to come over to Peter’s... well, your place... for, like, a sleepover?” Sally asked.

— ”Not exactly a sleepover. You’ll all head home afterward... but yeah, you’d come over and we’d spend a few hours together,” Gwen replied.

Liz tilted her head curiously.

— ”And what are we supposed to do? Watch a movie?”

— ”Uh... I don’t know.”

She awkwardly scratched the back of her head before continuing with an embarrassed smile.

— ”To be honest... I haven’t really thought about it yet...”

The others immediately exchanged puzzled glances.

None of them disliked the idea—far from it—but they had all been caught off guard by an invitation that seemed to have been made completely on impulse.

— ”You want us to come over when you don’t even know what we’re going to do?”

Seeing Gwen let out a nervous, embarrassed laugh, Miles finally spoke in his usual calm tone.

— ”Personally, I’d really like to meet Peter’s aunt. To be honest, I’m just wondering if it’s going to be a little awkward. The six of us show up at your house... and then what? We just sit there staring at each other?”

A brief silence settled over the group. They were genuinely excited about meeting Aunt May, but they couldn’t help wondering whether it might end up being uncomfortable or awkward for everyone involved.

Seeing their hesitation, Gwen’s expression darkened slightly. She lowered her eyes before speaking again, this time in a much softer voice.

— ”Actually... we talked this morning and... well... I think she’s been feeling lonely ever since she got stuck at home after her accident last year. Since then, she barely goes out anymore... if at all.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

— ”So when she told me she’d like to meet all of you... I just thought it would really make her happy if the house were full of people besides Peter and me. You know? Just... to bring a little life into the place.”

This time, the silence that followed was much heavier. They finally understood the real reason behind the invitation. It wasn’t just that Aunt May wanted to meet them... Gwen also wanted to bring a little happiness to the woman who had welcomed her into her home like her own daughter.

The five friends exchanged a quick glance. Not a single word was spoken. But they had all reached the exact same conclusion. And made the exact same decision.

— ”Hey, Gwen, don’t think for a second that we don’t want to come, okay? If Peter’s aunt wants to meet us, we’d be more than happy to,” Anya said with a gentle smile.

— ”Yeah, absolutely. You’ve been living with them for over six months now, and you always seem so happy... so I kind of want to see what she’s like,” Sally added.

— ”Me too!” Liz exclaimed enthusiastically.

— ”Besides, it’ll give us a chance to see what your house looks like. That sounds pretty fun,” Miles finished.

Realizing exactly what they meant, Gwen couldn’t help smiling. She truly felt lucky to have friends like them. Her gaze then shifted toward the last member of the group, who hadn’t said a single word until now: Harry.

She never really doubted that he would agree to come, but his unusual silence still made her curious. The moment their eyes met, the young man flashed her a wide grin before giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

— ”You can count on me, my dear!”

— ”Thanks, Harry... Thank you, all of you! But don’t worry... this won’t be boring! I’m sure Aunt May will already have a whole list of things for us to do!”

Feeling relieved and much lighter at heart, Gwen finally allowed herself to fully enjoy the moment. She laughed along with the others again, listening to them joke and chat as the group continued their leisurely walk through the streets of Manhattan.

A few moments later, however, a thought suddenly crossed Harry’s mind.

— ”By the way... where’s Peter? We haven’t seen him in a while.”

— ”That’s true. And he almost never replies to the group chat anymore,” Liz added curiously.

At that remark, Gwen felt her smile stiffen ever so slightly. Her mind immediately started searching for an excuse...A convincing one.

— ”O-Oh, right! About Peter... it’s kind of...”

Everyone immediately turned toward her, waiting for an explanation.

— ”He’s... he’s just really busy lately!”

— ”Really busy? During summer vacation? Seriously?”

The skepticism was obvious on Harry’s face. He even looked slightly annoyed. Even during summer break, finding time to hang out with his best friend was apparently becoming an impossible mission.

— ”Oh, well... you know Peter!”

She accompanied her answer with a small nervous laugh, hoping the conversation would naturally move on to something else.

She wasn’t sure she’d be able to come up with another excuse if someone decided to press the issue.

TO BE CONTINUED.