Webs We Weave



Chapter Eighteen

DISCLAIMER :: This tale blends together aspects of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy/Ghost Spider/Spider-Gwen from Marvel Comics, Marvel Television, and Marvel Studios. Fanfiction? Sort of. The world and characters are mine, but they may seem familiar.

Author's note: So, I called my mom last weekend and she was very confused. She appreciated the call because she always does, but it was not Mother's Day. I thought the rule was it was the first Sunday in May? Apparently, all the rules are being broken in the last couple of years. Once again, Happy Mother's Day 2026, everyone.

Having no interest in entertaining the bombshell I’d dropped in Evelyn’s lap, I hurried into my warmups after class and darted out the door. There was definitely going to be social fallout and I wasn’t going to be anywhere near the affected zone. The catty, entitled rich girl was going to have her outburst no matter who Mark had asked to the dance if it wasn’t her. I lost myself in the crowd as I moved to my next class. At lunch, Hailey found the whole interaction infinitely funny. She and Evelyn may have had a history she wasn’t telling me.

The rest of the day was uncomfortable. In the hallways and classes, there were whispers and random eyes darting in my direction. By the final dismissal bell for the day, everyone knew that Mark Watson was going to Prom with Saoirse Parker. I could take on a handful of street thugs and mostly come out on top. I could spar with the most revered deity of the Tuatha Dé Danann, get laid out on a rooftop, and still get back up. The social battlefield of high school was a final boss I’d probably have to save scum a few times to overcome.

There was one thing that could serve as a release valve for all that anxiety: a good patrol. Having not completed the research and analysis that Aegis had recommended, I was still flying blind. That wasn’t really the point. Swinging from my own web line through the streets of Manhattan was the only thing that instantly made me happy. Stopping a bodega robbery, catching a purse snatcher at the subway exit, protecting a young girl from a classmate that thought “no” was an insult, and getting a homeless woman to the hospital just in time were the things that healed my soul. Being able to help people, even in the smallest of ways, has brought me some of the greatest joy that I’ve ever experienced in my life.

That night, I made a few adjustments to the design and showed the concept to Maven. She mostly understood the pattern that was being presented on the site. She explained that she’d have to “milk” me, then she could weave the suit as one three-dimensional piece. When she mentioned the “milking”, my hands instinctively covered my chest, which almost made her die laughing. The idea was that she would test the thickness of material coming out of my spinnerets, then she would spin the thread into spools. Once finished, she could take the spools to a loom and craft the suit. It wouldn’t take her more than a couple of days to weave the suit together, depending on how much thread she could get from my gossamer. Most of what she said flew over my head, which was fine because an explanation of String Theory would probably have the same effect on her.

Friday morning, I was kind of a mess. Once more into the fray, as it were. Canvas sneakers, leggings, a t-shirt, and my trusty white hoodie with lavender lining were probably terrible armor, but they would have to do. Mark smiled at me the instant I appeared in the doorway of English class. My belly turned into Michoacán in early spring while I moved to my seat. It was a little difficult to focus in class, but I managed. The small talk between Mark and I on the way to math class did mention the previous day’s event. He wasn’t happy that Evelyn had talked about him like a piece of meat, but he laughed when I told him what I said to her in response. He was really looking forward to the following week.

My tray landed on the table Hailey and I usually shared. She was already sitting. I plopped down in the seat and could almost hear all the whispers.

“Hail the conquering hero?” Hailey attempted to cheer me up.

My eyes fell on her and my face bore a deadpan expression that would make Aubrey Plaza proud. “Please don’t. It already feels like I’ve got the eyes of half the school on me because I dared stand up to Flashdance herself.”

Hailey shook her head. “Don’t worry about her. You said she was being all possessive over Mark, which is cringe as all get out. She’s not as powerful or untouchable as she thinks she is. Just another spoiled rich girl.” A mischievous grin grew on her face. “So, you’re going to Prom. Thoughts on the dress?”

I stabbed my salad. “Hadn’t thought about it, much.”

“Cap! I’m calling ‘bullshit’, girl!”

“Hailey… I’ve never been to Prom or anything else related to high school social events. I wasn’t sure how to handle the Promposal! I don’t know the first thing about what to expect!” It almost felt like I was going crazy.

“Whoa! No need to start crashing out! I’ve got you, girl!” Hailey’s hand rested on my shoulder. “It’s generally pretty easy: dress, shoes, jewelry, hair, and makeup. First, we find the dress. Like the solar system, right? The dress is the sun and everything else revolves around it. I can meet you at your place and we’ll make a day of it. We’re in New York City. Finding a Prom dress is not going to be a problem.”

My head was already spinning. “Who has the money for all this?”

Hailey smirked in a similar manner I’d seen on Maven’s face that scared me a little. “Don’t worry. I’ll drop by your place tomorrow. Text me the address.”

Reluctantly, I obeyed her request. We talked about other things. I was thankful to get off the topic of the dance for the time being. After lunch, the whispers continued and were accompanied by glances people thought were clandestine but weren’t. I couldn’t even get through running laps in gym class without whispers going on in the background. The final dismissal bell of the day proved my salvation and the herald of the weekend.

When I met up with the others outside school, they were all carrying on a conversation that halted the moment they spotted me. Their phones were out and I couldn’t decipher what was on the screens. They all looked like their hands had been caught in a cookie jar. Part of me was afraid to even broach the topic of discussion because, usually, people don’t instantly stop when another person enters the orbit.

My arms flopped for a moment and the sound of exasperation escaped my lips. “Oh, guys, what now? What’d I do?”

Matcha smirked. “You’re kinda going viral, girl. YikYak won’t shut up about the girl that got in the face of Flashdance. The whole school knows that you, Seda, are going to Prom with Mark Watson, the hottest actor in the school—but you already knew that last part.”

“I dunno about ‘the hottest’. I mean, he’s cute and all, but—” I started to rebut.

“Oh come off it, chica!” Jefa butted in. “We all know you’re a simp for that guy!”

My cheeks flushed. “I’m really not…”

Peach rolled his eyes. “Yea, right, girly. We’re not here to rag on you about Prom, though. We all wanna know: what’d you say to Flashdance? She is pissed!”

All I could do was shrug. “Nothing, really. I just told her that Mark asked me and I said ‘yes’. I was upset because she was treating him like she already owned him. I dropped the bomb and left the scene. That’s it. She didn’t get a clap back or anything. Just a good view of my ass as I went into the main studio for class.”

Jefa laughed. “Parker comin’ in clutch! That’s my girl! Cool people don’t watch explosions!”

Matcha folded his arms. “And you waited a whole day to tell us this? How come we had to hear it from YikYak, first?”

“I really don’t wanna talk about it, guys.” I admitted. “I don’t need to feed the trolls or the drama llamas.”

“She’s got a point, guys,” Lowkey agreed, stepping in. “You should have told us, but I get why you didn’t. You’ve only been here a month and already caught the eye of one of the hottest guys in school. That’s a W, Seda.”

“If it’s a win, why does it feel like it painted a giant target on my back?” I practically pleaded.

“Because it’s high school.” Matcha stated, getting the group to collectively chuckle. “Real talk, though: if Flashdance wants to start any shit, she’s gonna have to go through us. Trust and believe that we got you, Seda.”

The others nodded and vocalized affirmation. I’d never had people that were willing to stand up for me before. A genuine sense of belonging bubbled up to the surface. That was a very new feeling.

It had been made obvious that I was a bit on edge, so the others dialed their goofball levels up to eleven. From Matcha putting random things on his head like hats to Salty adopting a British accent and terribly singing “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight” in full falsetto, the antics were ridiculous and made my sides hurt from laughing so hard. The awkward side glances from other people on the subway only made us all laugh that much harder. Our full body laughter echoed off the buildings around us all the way back to the shelter.

Everybody sat together for dinner that night. Chispa joined Jefa, Matcha, Salty, Lowkey, Peach, and I at the table before Maven herself joined in. It was reminiscent of the dinners I had once had with my mom and dad when I was a kid. Everything was actually starting to feel like it was approaching something that could be categorized as “normal”. I went to bed that night with a full belly and a smile on my face.

The next morning, I was again awakened by Maven. It was an entirely different reason than before. She was dressed in her usual professional attire that made her look like she bought whatever she was wearing off the models at New York Fashion Week.

“Rise and shine, love.” She shook me gently and spoke sweetly. “You’ve a visitor that’s come to call.”

My eyes refused to fully open and my voice was just as tired as I was. “Who’s here this early in the morning?”

Hailey’s head popped into my room from behind the door. Her hair was in a ponytail. She wore a set of shortalls over a graphic tee and her signature canvas sneakers. There was a teasing smile on her lips. “I came early. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Her eyes scanned my space like a curious explorer, even though it was practically empty. “Nice room.”

On instinct, I pulled the Battlestar Galactica comforter up to my chest to cover up. “Good lord, I’m not even dressed, yet!”

“Your friend is lovely, Saoirse.” Maven almost hummed a giggle. “Let’s let her be, Hailey. She can be rather grumpy until she’s had her coffee.”

Mercifully, Maven ushered Hailey out the door and I could hear them beginning to use the stairs. Once I was sure they were out of earshot, I darted to the bathroom for my morning pee. After that, I threw on some clothes. There weren’t too many options for summer weather, so I had to go with the same jeans and t-shirt combo that had gotten me this far. Throwing on my own canvas sneakers, I was soon out the door and headed for the coffee.

Everybody was in the cafeteria space already. Most of them were still in pajamas. Maven was chatting with Hailey as I prepared myself a cup of coffee. The others had various breakfast options in front of them. It was kind of an unspoken rule that nobody talked to me until I’d had a few sips of coffee.

“Saoirse,” Maven began shortly after my third sip, “your friend Hailey has been telling me you’ve plans for the day?”

“I guess so. Something about a dress.” My voice was rather gravely as I spoke.

Matcha’s ears perked up. “What about a dress?”

“Saoirse got asked to Prom and she needs a dress.” Jefa rolled her eyes at Matcha. “It’s easy math.”

“Perhaps some of the other girls would like to accompany you?” Maven was suggesting more than asking. “I’m sure all of you would enjoy collectively participating in this rite of passage?”

Salty and Lowkey started laughing. Salty spoke for both of them. “Hard pass, Aunt Mae. We’ll leave the frilly shit to the frilly ones.”

Sitting at a table doing some homework, Chispa shook her head. “I’m a sophomore at a completely different school. We don’t do Prom, yet. You guys have fun.”

My heart broke a little. “Ah, c’mon, Chispa. You could have fun, too.” My eyes practically pleaded with her to join.

Again, she shook her head. “I’ve got AP tests beyond Regents I’ve gotta prepare for and being that social isn’t my thing.”

My body sank a little. “Okay.”

Jefa practically jumped out of her chair. “Oh, bet! I’m so in! Besides, I probably need one, too. There’s a guy I think is gonna ask me next week.”

Maven put her hands over her chest. “Oh, Marisol, that’s wonderful!”

“Yeah, nah. Big pass for me. Drag Momma’s doin’ the Gotham FC party, then we’re going to Killer Queen. Nobody’s gonna ask the black drag queen, anyway.” Matcha admitted.

Peach quietly raised his hand. “I’d kinda like to go. It could be fun.”

“The more, the merrier!” Hailey beamed.

Maven smiled and nodded. “That’s settled, then. You’ve quite the fellowship. Now, finish breakfast and gather in the office, won’t you?”

Hailey, Jefa, Peach, and I exchanged glances before chorusing, “Bet.”

Lowkey started laughing at his own joke while Maven excused herself. “Fellowship of the Dress. That’s a good one!”

The nerds who got it started laughing with him, myself included. The Fellowship joined together at a table, Hailey was introduced to the others, and we started talking strategy. One does not simply walk into a boutique and expect to walk out with the perfect Prom attire, it seemed. Hailey and Jefa knew the terrain the best, so they would be leading us to the relatively low cost establishments while avoiding Canal Street. There were some spots we could hit nearby and others on the Lower East Side. Harlem would be the long shot, figuratively and literally. If we were headed that far north, we might as well hit some spots in The Bronx as well. The path agreed on, we stood and moved to join Maven in her office at the main entrance.

Maven handed Jefa, Peach, and me one of those gift cards we could literally use anywhere. “These are for each of you in the hopes that you find something you would like for this occasion. Each carries a charge of $500. Enjoy yourselves.”

A gentle breeze could have knocked any one of us over. I was somewhat aware that the amount was more than Jefa or Peach had held by themselves for any reason. For me, it was the most I’d been able to spend on myself since I’d gotten my gaming console. A chorus of surprised but excited variations of “thank you” rang out among us before we all headed out the door. The birds of New York greeted us with a happy song as our journey began.

The adventure began in the West Village. We walked everywhere. Throw a stick and you’ll hit a cute little boutique with vintage clothes in The Village. We looked at a few places, but I wasn’t really feeling the vibe. That was the case, until Hailey presented me with a pair of rose gold sandal-style stilettos. The sole was pretty standard with the thin base and heel so thin it could be a weapon. It had straps that wrapped around the feet and tied together at the ankles. She begged me to try them on. With a groan, I complied. They fit perfectly. Seventy-five dollars well spent.

Ironically, Peach was finding more dresses to try on than the rest of us. Even without breasts, the slip dresses were looking amazing on him. There was a small pang of jealousy, but it faded quickly. It was becoming clear that we might have been cracking an egg. The end of the morning was Peach purchasing a downright pretty pink sequined slip dress and white, open-toed heels to pair with it. We shared a pie at the famous John’s of Bleecker Street. They made some of the best pizza in the city and were just down the street from the shelter. It was a wonder we’d not eaten there before.

Making a quick stop at the shelter so Peach could drop off the purchases, we were off to the Lower East Side. The area was grittier and more gentrified, if that’s even possible. We were finding a lot more vintage shops that made Hailey squeal with glee. Navigating the narrower sidewalks with more people around made it a little more difficult to move around as easily as we had in The Village.

Out of nowhere in one of the shops, Hailey came rushing toward the rest of us with her high-pitched squeal in full force. We weren’t really searching the racks, but were attempting to look like we were. That squeal entered the room like an ambulance siren. Hailey had found a mid-calf length dress with spaghetti straps, an empire waist, crushed velvet skirt section in plum, and a tulle bodice with little butterflies on it and teal satin underneath. Anyone seeing it could have pegged it for a dress straight out of the closet of Claire Daines, Alicia Silverstone, or Selma Blair. When she tried it on, she looked spectacular and like she was going to Prom in 1997 or something. The dress was purchased and in a garment bag quicker than anyone could blink.

A few stores later, Jefa came out of the dressing room and made all of our jaws hit the floor. She strode out to meet us like a runway model wearing a gold mermaid gown that mostly looked like satin except there was a glittery effect like a million stars on the dress. It hugged and complimented every curve of her body. On her feet were silver stilettos that were a perfect match for the dress. According to Peach, no one at the shelter had seen her in a dress even once. Yet, she was before us in a dress that could fit in on the red carpet of the Met Gala, let alone some high school Prom. The look in her eyes and smile on her face exuded confidence. The only response our brains could muster was a round of applause. The purchase was a no-brainer.

That only left me. Throughout the day, I had tried a couple of dresses on at the insistence of one of the others. I’d come out of the dressing room somewhat feeling like a fool. The first dress I had ever worn in my life had been the one I’d gotten specifically for Mother’s Day. Even then, I wasn’t one hundred percent confident. In the back of my mind, imposter syndrome lurked like the worst shoulder demon in existence. It was there mocking me every time I glimpsed a dress that might fit for the occasion.

Not finding anything for myself in the Lower East Side, the adventure took a small detour suggested by Hailey. We headed for the Garment District. Somehow, Hailey knew about certain tactics in the district and she was showing us the ropes. We found our way to a building with no sign out front and no business hours on the door. Hailey tapped a button and asked for entry to the showroom of an actual fashion designer. Without a word, we were buzzed in and started climbing steps to the third floor. Once on the floor, we were greeted by a small area lit up like an art gallery with some mannequins styled in something that was way too expensive for our budgets. A woman who looked to be about the same age as Maven but styled like Emily Blunt’s character from The Devil Wears Prada if she wore glasses approached us.

She looked down her nose at all of us. “What is the reason for this intrusion? We’re running a fashion business, not a charity.”

Hailey didn’t skip a beat. “Oh, I’ll be sure to mention to Vivienne that her showroom staff was rude to a long-time client’s daughter.”

“And which long-time client would that be?” Her eyes gave us all the once-over. “Whatever Oscar the Grouch’s trash can vomited?”

“Nicholas Osbourne.”

The woman’s face went pale. I hadn’t yet heard Hailey talk about her family. Apparently, the woman in front of us had. All told, I didn’t even know her last name. The woman dressed to the nines in fashion that could grace the pages of Vogue magazine began to cower before a teenager dressed like she was in a Nirvana video.

Moving past the woman, Hailey made a bee line for some racks in a back corner arranged by color. Her fingers started dancing over the garments and she kept glancing back at me. Jefa and Peach caught on to what she was doing well before I did. The three of them started pulling things off the rack and reserving them for me to try on. Six dresses in various colors landed in my arms and Hailey pointed to some doors in the far wall. Like the rest of the place, there weren’t any signs indicating anything. Following her lead, I found myself in a fitting room.

Stripping down to my underwear, the ritual of trying on the dresses began. The first couple didn’t fit me at all. The first one that did was a magenta dress with a rather puffy skirt. I vetoed that almost immediately. The next one that fit was a forest green slip dress that sparkled a bit, which reminded me of Jefa’s dress. Both of us agreed it wasn’t the right call. The last one was a royal blue number that fit me like a glove. One glance in the fitting room mirror confirmed for me that it might be the one.

Nibbling my lower lip, I stepped out to meet the others. Their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads and their jaws hit the floor. None of them could speak. The woman who had greeted us so poorly actually smirked.

“Inspired choice,” She firmly nodded. “The halter tie is very contemporary and will make it so you can put on your own dress without assistance. The cowl neckline breaks up your chest like you’re hiding a secret. The Basque-waist bodice with corset boning is very new this season and quite a hot commodity. The asymmetrical skirt looks like a wrap but blends the slit expertly. It’s a very formal and fashionable floor-length dress. Vivienne was contemplating putting this into a line but decided against it. Young lady, that is literally a one-of-a-kind dress.” She glanced at Hailey. “You have quite the eye, Miss Osbourne.”

“How do you feel?” Hailey squeaked.

“Like this might be way too expensive.” I admitted.

The staff woman rolled her eyes. “Young lady, that’s a sample. We have no intention of selling it anywhere else. It’s a simple $300. We’re practically giving it away.”

“We’ll take it.” Hailey and I chorused.