Chapter Text
– p.
“Peter, what the fuck?????” Sally shrieks, chair scraping the floor as she stands up. “How did we– you—” Her boyfriend looks utterly confused as she points an accusing finger at Peter.
None of them seem to be able to form a coherent sentence. Eugene looks like he’s just seen a ghost, and Abe’s mouth has yet to close. Cindy’s jumping up and down, a triumphant look on her face.
“I knew it!!! I knew we weren’t crazy!”
Peter doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He can't believe Flash Thompson’s stupid high school nickname brought all of their memories back— Stephen Strange is either a jokester or a fraud. He can’t tell which.
“Uhm. Hi guys” Peter says awkwardly, shooting them all a small wave. Beside him, MJ is trying so hard not to fall off of her chair laughing. He gently kicks her leg from beneath the table. Stop laughing at my misery!!
Serves you right for not telling us. Is what the kick he gets back says. She squeezes his hand, a show of her support in these dire times.
“Okay. Either we’ve all experienced mass hallucination or Peter Parker is a witch. Because how did we all forget about one of our closest friends, and why does Peter lowkey not care?” Charles says, throwing his hands up in the air.
“I’m team Peter Parker is a witch!”
“Hey it all adds up! He’s the Scarlet Witch!”
“That doesn’t even make any sense”
“Scarlet? Red? Spiderman? Red?”
“What does Spiderman have to do with anything you’re talking about?” Eugene’s girlfriend, Olivia, asks.
She looks extremely nervous. Her eyes are darting around the room, as if she’s in a room with a bunch of lunatics and she’s trying to plan her escape.
The room falls silent, partially because the idea that Peter could be the Scarlet Witch is really dumb (Peter silently sends an apology to Wanda, wherever she is, because he could truly never compare to her), and also because in their frenzy, all of the decathlon team seemingly forgot there were people in this room who in fact did not know Peter Parker was also Spiderman.
Peter’s super grateful they’re still looking out for his identity.
He’s less grateful at the explanation Eugene gives her.
“Uhm. Spiderman’s a witch too! That’s how he shoots his webs!”
“I’m not a witch” Peter finally speaks, his voice coming out more indignant than he’d hoped. “Okay, yes you guys forgot who I was, the whole universe did for good reason, and it was supposed to be permanent and I don’t really know how you guys are all of a sudden remembering and I think I need to give that wizard a one star review on google because clearly he’s not very good at his job. Or maybe a five star review because I’m happy people still know I exist and the multiverse isn’t falling apart? No clue” He’s rambling and all of his friends (sans MJ and Ned), are looking at him like he’s lost his mind. It’s silent again, the kind where no one really knows what to say because no one actually knows what’s going on.
"Uh so this seems really personal. I’m going to go to the cafe down the street and get some coffee!” Olivia finally shatters the quiet, in a really awkward, high pitched tone of voice. She excuses herself, and Eugene is too shellshocked to stop her. Sally’s boyfriend and Charles’ girlfriend (Peter really can’t remember their names right now, sue him) follow suit, clearly afraid of the seemingly mass psychosis happening in the room, and grateful for a way out. Once the door clicks behind them, the questions erupt.
“The multiverse?”
“What wizard?!?”
“Holy shit this is all that stupid bastard Mysterio’s fault!”
“We were supposed to forget about you for good????”
“MJ how are you not freaked out about this?!? Your boyfriend spelled us all to forget about him, and then somehow you started dating him again, and now we all remember him??”
“Oh I remembered him a few months ago” MJ replies cooly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “It’s why Ned and I came back to New York right after graduation. We were hunting him down.”
“That’s why you stayed at my apartment?” Cindy gapes, utterly betrayed. “I told you about my picture theory and Ned said he was just a weirdo in high school!”
“Sorry! I didn’t know how to explain” Ned squeaks, shooting her an apologetic look.
“Okay basically you made a wizard cast a spell on the entire universe and then didn’t bother telling any of us, hey it’s me, your best friend from high school! And instead moved on, found new friends, and built a new life without even giving us a call??” Betty can’t believe what she’s hearing.
Surprisingly, it’s not the whole wizard and spell thing she can’t wrap her mind around.
“I didn’t move on!” Peter interjects. “I didn’t even graduate high school!”
“Wait” Abe says, his voice more quiet now, the initial shock fading away into a depressing realization. “But you did find friends, right? And like, you lived a normal life, right?”
It’s the same question MJ asked him after she found his letter. It’s concern, love that Peter hasn’t felt in such a long time, all directed towards him. They’re angry, upset at for keeping them out of his life. Worried, that he hasn’t been able to have one.
Peter knows the answer will break their hearts, but he owes them the truth. He shakes his head, ever so slightly. It’s a tiny movement, but all nine of them in the room feel it like the weight of the world.
“Holy shit. Parker” Eugene breathes out. Cindy claps a hand around her mouth, while Sally stares at him with a heartbroken expression on her face.
“Four years?” Charles can’t seem to formulate a sentence. He reaches out a hand to pat Peter’s back. “I’m so sorry, Peter”
“I’m okay guys, really. I didn’t even expect you to remember me now, so I’m grateful that you all do. And I’m sorry for not telling you again.” Peter says, and his voice thick with emotion. He means it.
Peter doesn’t know how the spell’s magic broke, how anyone managed to remember him at all. Maybe it was the sheer willpower of his friends’ subconscious that somehow dragged the memory of Peter Parker back into existence. Maybe it was just the force of their love.
Either way, he’s eternally grateful that the Wizard is not that good at his job. He’s decided on that five star review. Thanks, Stephen.
Eight pairs of eyes are still staring sadly at Peter, as if everyone is trying to truly realize what kind of life he’s been living for the last four years.
“I’m going to kill that stupid bitch Mysterio”
“He’s already dead”
“Okay so? I’ll kill him again!”
“Word”