DIANA WOKE UP TO THE SOUND OF JESSE'S FRANTIC PREPARATION. The older girl had been hiding out in her room ever since the incident with Peter, barely eating or sleeping. Flash had even gone so far as to do her summer assignments for her so she could rest.

"Why's she holed up in there?" Harrison had demanded one night.

"Because she's depressed, dad," Flash snapped. When his father scoffed and began to comment, the teenager screamed at him to just shut up and leave it be, causing him to be shoved into a wall.

So there Diana was, listening to the sounds of preparation without making any move to do the same for herself. All she wanted to do was stay in bed and not move.

There was a knock on her door. "Diana," Flash called, "Please, it's the first day of school."

She burrowed deeper under her blankets. Maybe if she didn't reply, he would leave. She hid her head underneath the covers and tried to get warm.

The door opened and she inwardly cursed; even after that night when she told Flash to leave, she still kept her door unlocked in case he ever felt the need to climb in with her. She never asked him why he did it, but she needed him to know that he could.

"Diana," he said, shaking her, "C'mon, it's Jesse's first day. Track tryouts are today and everything, we have to be there."

She groaned and curled in on herself. She considered faking sick and staying in bed for as long as she could, but the Thompsons were all smarter than that, they would see through her immediately.

"You can wear a sweater and sweatpants to school, it's not against the rules," he pointed out, poking the mass that was the girl under the blanket.

She groaned and peeked her head out. "Can I take the blanket?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you that cold?"

She glanced away from him, feeling exposed. "Well, yeah, I mean—"

"Take it, do what you want," he interrupted, moving towards the door, "Just please get ready, she's starting to freak out."

Diana nodded and rolled out of her bed and onto her floor, shivering as she laid on the floor. She crawled to her closet, pulling out her baggiest sweater and comfiest sweatpants; she had no one to impress.

She got ready easily enough, avoiding breakfast and interacting with anyone else, slipping in and out of the bathroom. Flash, who used to sit outside of her room texting Gwen until it was time to leave, just listened to music with his earbuds.

Diana thought of Danny and how much he loved music. She thought about how he used to always offer to get her something from the bakery. She remembered that he was actually a fairly decent person.

"Ready to go?" Jesse asked, carrying her extra bags full of books.

"Yeah," Diana whispered, picking up her own set of bags. She was so tired that she could barely wrap her fingers around the handles.

"Here," Flash said, reaching down to help her.

"No," Jesse said, reaching for the bags herself. "If someone has to help, it has to be me. If Flash carries it, then Diana won't look like a strong, independent woman."

Diana frowned. "Being strong and independent doesn't literally mean you have to be physically strong. It means that you're mature enough to respect other people and yourself, as well as knowing when to ask for help."

Jesse scoffed. "That might be what it means, but that's not how most people want to see you act. Even when they try to support women, they're tearing them down."

Diana nodded in agreement. "Good point. Here, I can take them."

Flash just sighed as he followed them. "Remember when we could all just carry our own bags without worrying about what other people thought?"

Jesse snorted. "I always worried, I just didn't bother to tell you."

He grumbled. "I knew that, I just didn't think Diana cared."

She sighed heavily. "When your face and tears show up on national tv, you learn to care about everything you do."

He closed the door behind them, keys in his mouth. "What you should learn is to not care what they think."

She scoffed. "Too late for that."

º º º º º

Harry arrived in a limousine and that's all anyone ever needed to remember about that day.

They didn't need to remember Flash nearly running over Peter that morning, calling him his nickname from middle school, Jesse body slamming a senior boy into her locker, or Diana slapping Sally Avril.

They just needed to remember that Harry Osborn showed up in a limo with hickey's on his neck.

"Way to be subtle," Flash joked as they all walked up the stairs, Harry waving off all the gawking people.

"Thought I'd try something different," he sighed, adjusting his suit jacket.

"The famous person in public starter pack got boring?" Flash asked, referring to the time when Harry went out wearing a plain blue hat and dark sunglasses.

"Did being nice get boring?" the taller boy shot back, earning a light kick to the shin. "Hey, this suit was expensive!"

"This school was expensive," Flash immediately replied.

Harry sighed and rolled his shoulders, glancing over at Diana who immediately looked away. He moved to stand next to her, smiling at Jesse who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"You okay, Dina?" he asked, bumping shoulders.

She shook her head and motioned for him to bend down. She leaned up and whispered, "Flash doesn't know about the boy Gwen likes."

Harry pulled away, smirking. "Don't worry. That guy won't be a problem."

Diana gasped. "What did you do?"

He shrugged and moved away, coming to stand next to Jesse. "Hey, I'm Harry. You must be Jesse. Flash's told me a lot about you."

Jesse just made a series of noises, her cheeks tinged pink. Harry just smiled and Diana took that as her cue to leave.

Flash was glaring at Harry. "He better just be joking."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. Don't worry, Flash, he wouldn't do that to Johnny."

He snorted. "Since when did I start caring about Johnny? I just don't want anyone talking to Jesse."

Diana blanched. "You're not gonna be that kind of older bro—"

"If anyone from the football team talks to her, I'm throwing them into a locker, I don't even care."

Diana groaned. So it was going to be that sort of year.

º º º º º

"Hey, Penis Parker!"

Diana spit out of her water all of the lunch table, her entire body jerking. "Eugene Thompson, are you kidding me?"

He was on his chair, shouting over at Peter who was trying to hide himself in his arms, Ned casting Flash a dark look.

Flash tried shouting again, but Diana yanked him down by his collar, clasping a hand over his mouth.

"What were you thinking?" she hissed.

He shoved her away, huffing. "I'm thinking that if anyone messes with my family, they die."

"We talked about this, you won't touch him!" she shouted, gripping his jacket, "If you so much as shove him, I will leave."

Flash grew completely still. "You wouldn't."

Harry spoke up for the first time since lunch began. "Where would you go?"

Flash laughed sharply. "Back to perfect Danny in perfect London."

Diana's heart sank. Ever since she had gotten home, her aunt's words had been echoing in her mind.

You can always come back.

Ever since she returned to New York, she felt as though she had been left behind. Everyone moved on without her and she didn't want to catch up. If she went back to London, things would be the same.

But she would lose all the people she cared about. New York was still home.

It had been eating away at her and she hadn't considered it realistically, but it was on her mind. She didn't remember telling Flash.

"You've been going through my phone?" she shrieked, jumping away from him. She hadn't deleted her texts with Nicky, he could know everything.

He scoffed. "I saw enough. Since when do you text Daisy? Isn't she four?"

Diana gritted her teeth, too angry to give him an answer. "You can't go through my things."

"I didn't, you left it right there, I just saw it," he said simply with that look on his face. The look that made her blood boil, the look that made her want to remind him that he wasn't better than anyone else in that room.

"How'd you feel if I went through your texts with Gwen? Oh wait, that's right, you don't have any because she dumped your ass!"

The entire cafeteria went still. Diana would've been able to hear a pin drop if not for the blood pounding in her ears as she glared down at Flash who looked like his father had just slapped him for the first time since being back.

It was that thought that made her regret everything she had ever done.

"Flash," she breathed, "I-I'm so—"

"Save it!" he spat, grabbing his bag, "Don't even start with me."

As he left, he called out, "You know, hate to say it, but I don't blame Penis Parker for dumping you. I really don't."

º º º º º

"Diana, I heard what happened, are you okay?"

Diana tried to ignore Gwen as she struggled to stay awake during History. She had fished her blanket out of her locker just before lunch ended—she had run off crying and Harry struggled to console her—and was currently trying to smother herself in the soft texture.

"Dina, I care about you, please talk to me."

She sighed and turned to look at her smaller friend from the top of her blanket. "Flash and I are fighting."

Gwen hummed. "What's it like?"

Diana frowned. "Excuse me?" She didn't know how Flash and Gwen broke up, but she assumed it was because of a huge fight.

Gwen smiled sadly. "Flash and I never fought when we were dating. He tried so hard to be nice to me."

Diana lowered her blanket slightly. "He did? Why didn't it work out, then?" She then remembered that she never let Gwen know she knew. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I—"

"Harry told me," she interrupted, "I don't blame you. Listen, Flash and I broke up and that's all that matters. And yeah, I broke up with him, but it wasn't because we fought."

Diana frowned. "But what other reason is there?"

Gwen gestured to the blanket-wrapped girl. "You tell me."

She shook her head. "I-I don't know."

Gwen sighed. "Then why don't we drop it and you just tell me if you wanna go watch some romcoms tonight."

Diana pursed her lips. "Do they have to be romcoms?"

Gwen laughed. "Haven't you seen Legally Blonde? You gotta wallow and whine before you get up and prove yourself."

Diana smiled slightly. "Yeah, okay."

Gwen nodded and turned her attention back to the board, glancing down at her neatly written notes. "We don't need any man to have a good time."

Diana laughed shortly, nodded. "Amen."

º º º º º

"Are you trying out for decathlon?" Harry asked Gwen as they made their way to their lockers.

The shortest girl shook her head. "No, I wanted to because Liz asked me, but I'm too busy with your dad's internship."

"You should quit," Harry stage-whispered, leaning close to her ear.

"You should stop telling me to," she whispered back. She turned to Diana. "I heard Liz wanted you to join Leadership. Are you gonna?"

Diana shook her head. "Probably not. I know I said I would last year, but I just kinda wanna," she glanced down at the blanket bunched up around her, "sleep."

There was a laugh behind them and they all turned to see Sally leaning against her locker.

Gwen sighed, mumbling softly, "This bitch."

"Can we help you?" Harry asked, drowning out his best friend's words with his own.

Before, she would have batted her eyelashes at him. Now she only looked at him with mild disgust. "Nothing. I just find it hilarious that you two think you can join whatever club you want to get into."

Gwen blinked. "We can. Because they're clubs. And want members."

Sally smirked. "What about cheer? I don't see you at practice."

Gwen huffed. "I didn't want to join."

She did at the beginning of last year, but immediately backed out for reasons she still hadn't disclosed. But with the way Sally was smirking, Diana had a sinking feeling Sally's talent had something to do with it.

"Well, you won't get into decathlon," Sally said matter-of-factly, "Flash won't allow it."

Gwen bristled. "Flash doesn't control what I can and can't do, especially since he's not even team captain."

Sally laughed sharply. "But he's smart and you, well, aren't."

"You can't even name all the states!" Gwen exclaimed, moving forward to stand dangerously close to the taller girl, "You don't get to tell me who I am and what I can and can't do. No one can except me. So take your big head and leave."

Sally just hummed. "No wonder Flash dumped you."

Gwen raised her hand to slap the girl, but Harry was already at her side, grabbing her arm and pulling it back.

"You can't ruin your rep over this, calm down!" he shouted, "He let you off with a warning, you can't go back! Gwen, let it go!"

Sally didn't give up. "Looks like you'll let one boy control you, Gwen! Too bad he doesn't swing your way."

Harry immediately let her go. "Kill her. Me and my bi ass saw nothing."

Gwen had fallen to the ground, limp with shock. Maybe with fury so great she couldn't even move. That was how Diana was feeling.

"Flash would never date you," she found herself saying, "He might be awful, but he has standards."

Sally huffed. "What, like you do? Peter Parker? I mean seriously? Though, I mean, I guess I get why you did, no one else would go for you. Beggars can't be choosers."

She didn't register the slap until she found Sally clutching her face on the ground in front of her.

"Don't talk about him like that," was all she got out before she was shoved to the ground.

"Get her, Sally!"

"Come on, Diana!"

"Cat fight!"

"Dude, cats are hot, this is a dog fight."

That was what Diana heard as she struggled against the stronger girl, her head hitting the floor roughly as she was slapped and shaken.

"Diana! Let her go!"

Diana yelped as Jesse managed to push her way through the crowd, throwing herself against Sally, breaking up the fight.

"Boo!" someone shouted.

Jesse jumped to her feet, shrieking, "What is with you people? We don't have to pit girls against each other all the time!"

"Feminazi!"

Jesse grew still and Diana immediately scrambled away, finding Harry and Gwen. This wasn't going to end well.

"Who said that?" the small girl asked, "Come out and say it to my face!"

A senior—Diana vaguely recognized him from the hockey team—stepped forward. He towered over Jesse, to the point where she had to take a few steps back and crane her neck.

"You think that wanting equal rights makes me equal to the monsters that committed acts of genocide?" she asked, her voice starting low and ending in incredulous shout.

He smirked and turned towards the crowd where some people are laughing. He bent down so he was level with her and said, in a slow tone that made Diana want to shove him off a pier.

"Feminazi."

Jesse punched his nose so hard that it bled. He shouted, clutching at his face, unable to fight back when she body slammed him into a locker, kneeing him in the stomach.

"Isn't this counterproductive?" someone called out in the crowd.

"If anyone is willing to call another person a Nazi and find it funny, they low key deserve this," another person replied.

"Jesse!" Diana shouted, hearing Principal Morita shouting for them to break up the fight, "Jesse, stop!"

The girl jumped back and was about to start running, but was immediately cornered by one of the security guards who patrolled the school. She turned back to look at Diana who rushed to her side, grabbing her arm.

"It was me!" she shouted. Jesse opened her mouth to argue, but she hissed, "Your brother did it for me, the least I can do is do the same."

Principal Morita put his hands on his hips, giving them both a hard stare. He wordlessly pointed down the hallway.

"My office. Now."

Diana glanced over at Jesse and motioned down the other end of the hallway, opposite where he was pointing.

"Okay."

º º º º º

Diana got out with two days detention and Jesse was suspended for a day, the senior for three.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Jesse exclaimed as they made their way home, Flash staying back for his decathlon meeting.

"What?" Diana demanded, still shell shocked over receiving detention.

"Yeah!" Jesse cheered, "Now I'll be known as the girl who got suspended on the first day for beating up a senior."

"Huh," Diana breathed, "You'll certainly be remembered. Not the best thing to be remembered as, but okay."

Jesse shrugged. "I mean, I'm pissed that I got suspended and that this is going to ruin my future, but oh well!"

Diana snorted. "I'm so proud. Now I gotta go to Gwen's house where we will no doubt cry for many, many reasons."

"Can I come?" Jesse asked, her voice now quiet and almost shy, "We-we don't hang out anymore."

Diana froze. She thought back to all the times that she hadn't been able to take Jesse's calls or had hung up as quickly as she could. Of all the voicemails the younger girl had left, asking for her to call back, saying that she missed her around. Of the time when Flash told her that Jesse had been waiting by the phone all day.

"Yeah," she said, pulling the girl close, "Gwen and I'd like that a lot."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 07.23.17 )

I don't even know with this chapter, you guys, I just don't want Peter hate.

My psychologist got suspended the first week of freshman year for beating up a senior, but he didn't have a reason other than the guy was messing with him all year then didn't follow through with his Freshman Friday threat.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!