[Peter's voice carries a note of defensive denial, though his eyes remain fixed on MJ and Brad's interaction.]
["That's not true! Not all girls like him!"]
[Ned follows Peter's gaze and shakes his head with the wisdom of someone who has been observing teenage social dynamics for years.]
["Dude, I hate to break it to you, but yes - they all do! Every single girl in our grade has been talking about how much Brad changed during the Blip. It's like he went through some kind of magical transformation!"]
[Peter watches as MJ and Brad engage in what appears to be an animated conversation, their heads close together as they share something on Brad's phone. The sight makes Peter's stomach clench with an uncomfortable mixture of jealousy and insecurity.]
[Sensing his best friend's growing distress, Ned attempts to redirect Peter's attention toward more productive activities.]
["Okay! Time to focus on something else! This flight is nine hours long - we've got plenty of time to have some serious fun playing Monster Slayer! I brought my portable gaming setup and everything!"]
[But Peter's attention remains completely captured by the scene unfolding a few rows ahead. His voice becomes more urgent and determined.]
["Ned, I need you to help me switch seats so I can sit next to MJ!"]
[Ned's response carries the exasperation of someone who has watched his friend abandon multiple carefully laid plans.]
["Are you being serious right now? What happened to your whole 'European bachelor adventure' speech from earlier?"]
["Yes, I'm completely serious about this!"]
[Ned throws his hands up in a gesture of frustrated disbelief.]
["But what about our plan? The 'American bachelors conquering Europe' strategy we discussed? Remember when you were excited about meeting new people and having adventures?"]
[Peter's response reveals just how completely his priorities have shifted since seeing Brad with MJ.]
["That was your plan! Your solo bachelor adventure plan! This is my plan - and my plan involves sitting next to the girl I actually like!"]
[Ned opens his mouth to argue, then closes it again, clearly struggling with how to respond to his friend's complete change of heart.]
["Please, Ned! I'm begging you here!"]
[Looking at Peter's desperate expression, Ned's resistance crumbles. He leans back in his seat with a deep sigh of resignation.]
["Fine! But you owe me big time for this!"]
[Ned makes his way over to where MJ is sitting with Betty Brant, his expression taking on the exaggerated concern of someone about to tell a carefully crafted lie.]
["Hey girls! We've got a bit of a situation here. There's this elderly lady sitting right in front of Peter and me, and she's wearing this incredibly strong perfume - like, overwhelming amounts of it!"]
[He pauses for dramatic effect, watching their faces for signs of sympathy.]
["Peter seems to be having some kind of allergic reaction to it! His eyes are getting all watery and red!"]
[Ned turns specifically to Betty with his most persuasive expression.]
["Betty, if you could possibly switch seats with him, that would be absolutely amazing and probably prevent a medical emergency..."]
[Betty's journalistic instincts immediately kick in, and her voice carries a note of skepticism.]
["Peter Parker is allergic to perfume? That's the first I've heard of any allergies!"]
[Ned hesitates for just a moment before committing fully to his fabrication, his voice taking on the conviction of someone who believes his own lies.]
["Oh yeah! Yeah, absolutely! It's a pretty serious allergy actually! He keeps tearing up and I can already see him starting to get these red blotches on his face. I honestly don't know what to do to help him..."]
[Unexpectedly, Mr. Harrington's voice cuts through their conversation from the row directly in front of them. He swivels around in his seat with an expression of genuine alarm and professional concern.]
["Did someone just say that Peter Parker is having an allergic reaction to perfume?"]
[Before anyone can clarify or backtrack, Mr. Harrington is already unbuckling his seatbelt with the urgency of someone responding to a medical emergency.]
["I have extensive personal experience with perfume allergies - they are absolutely no joke! I can already feel my own sinuses starting to react just from proximity! This could turn into a serious respiratory issue!"]
[He stands up and begins directing traffic with the authority of a teacher in crisis management mode.]
["MJ, I need you to move up to my seat immediately! Ned, you take MJ's current seat! Peter, come with me right now - I'm relocating you to a completely different section of the plane where the air circulation is better!"]
[Brad Davis, who has been watching this entire exchange unfold, can barely contain his delight at this unexpected turn of events. The smile spreading across his face reveals just how pleased he is with the seating arrangement that's about to put him next to MJ.]
[Mr. Harrington continues his emergency reorganization while patting Ned on the shoulder with genuine gratitude.]
["Ned, thank you so much for bringing this medical situation to my attention! Ensuring student safety is my primary responsibility on this trip! Well, it's also supposed to be Mr. Dell's responsibility, but he..."]
[Harrington glances over at his co-chaperone, who is already deep in sleep and snoring softly, his mouth hanging open slightly.]
["Anyway, leave everything to me! Peter, grab your belongings! We're moving you to safety immediately!"]
[Peter finds himself in the helpless position of watching his romantic plans completely implode. Despite his internal protests, he has no choice but to obey his teacher's well-intentioned but misguided intervention. He reluctantly gathers his backpack and follows Mr. Harrington toward the back of the plane.]
[As they settle into their new seats, Mr. Harrington continues his helpful management of the situation.]
["I'll take the aisle seat since I have a relatively small bladder and will probably need to get up frequently during the flight!"]
the assembled viewers couldn't help but react to this comedy of errors unfolding on the screen.
"Hahaha! This is the perfect example of good intentions leading to absolutely terrible consequences!" laughed one of the students watching. "Poor Mr. Harrington thinks he's being the best teacher ever!"
"That teacher really is incredibly responsible and caring," noted another observer. "If this weren't part of Peter and Ned's scheme, his quick response would actually be commendable!"
"Meanwhile, Brad is probably thinking this is a gift from the universe!" someone else pointed out with amusement.
[Back on the plane, Ned finds himself in the unfamiliar and slightly nerve-wracking position of sitting directly next to a girl for what might be the first time in his life. After several moments of internal debate about appropriate conversation topics, he finally works up the courage to speak.]
["So, um, Betty... would you maybe be interested in playing Monster Slayer? It's this really cool mobile game with strategic elements and..."]
[Betty's response is immediate and definitive, delivered without even looking up from the book she's reading.]
["No thank you!"]
[Undeterred by this initial rejection, Ned decides to try a broader approach to finding common ground.]
["Okay, no problem! What about other computer games? What kind of gaming do you usually enjoy? Mobile games, console games, PC gaming...?"]
[Before Ned can even finish listing the various gaming platforms, Betty shuts down this line of conversation as well.]
["I'm not really into video games at all!"]
[Ned nods with understanding, clearly realizing that he and Betty have very different interests. Rather than continue pushing, he settles back in his seat and pulls out his phone to play alone.]
[Meanwhile, in their new location toward the back of the plane, Mr. Harrington seems to be settling in for what he clearly expects to be a long, bonding conversation with his student.]
["Peter, has anyone ever told you about the time my wife pretended to be 'blipped' during the five-year period?"]
[Peter's attention is immediately captured, though not in the way Mr. Harrington intended.]
["She actually ran off with some guy she met in our weekend hiking group! We even held a fake funeral for her because I genuinely believed she was dead! The whole ceremony was completely real because I was truly grieving what I thought was her death! I actually have video footage of the service - would you like to see it?"]
[But Peter has absolutely no interest in his teacher's marital drama. His attention remains completely focused on the back of MJ's head several rows ahead, where he can see her engaged in animated conversation with Brad.]
Mr. Harrington's face had gone completely pale as he watched his personal business being broadcast to the entire multiverse. The revelation that his wife would eventually cheat on him and fake her own death was not something he had been prepared to learn in front of his students.
The classroom atmosphere became incredibly awkward as students tried to pretend they hadn't just learned intimate details about their teacher's future marital problems. Mr. Harrington could feel what seemed like a vast, imaginary grassland growing above his head - a metaphorical representation of being cuckolded.
Unable to bear the stares and whispered conversations of his students, Mr. Harrington abruptly left the classroom. His immediate plan was to confront his wife and demand an explanation, even though the events shown in the Sky Curtain hadn't occurred yet.
While his wife hadn't yet met the man from the hiking group who would eventually become her affair partner, the knowledge that she would betray him in the future made continuing their marriage feel impossible. Mr. Harrington immediately began researching divorce lawyers and investigating how to protect his assets in the upcoming proceedings.
[Back on the plane, the evening continues to unfold with various romantic mishaps. Brad produces a dual-port headphone adapter from his carry-on bag with the confidence of someone who has come prepared for exactly this opportunity.]
["I brought a headphone splitter so we can watch movies together! What kind of films do you usually enjoy?"]
[MJ's response reveals her characteristically specific tastes.]
["I only watch movies that are either incredibly sad and tragic, or absolutely hilarious! Nothing in between!"]
[From his seat several rows back, Peter watches this interaction with growing dismay. He can see Brad's headphone adapter - the exact same romantic strategy that Peter had planned to use.]
[Mr. Harrington, noticing Peter's distressed expression, tries to be helpful.]
["Oh, I noticed you looking at that young man's headphone adapter! Don't worry, Peter - I happen to have one as well! We can watch a movie together to help take your mind off your allergic reaction!"]
[Peter sighs deeply while looking at Mr. Harrington's offered adapter, his expression showing just how thoroughly his romantic plans have been derailed.]
[As the hours pass and the cabin lights dim for the evening portion of the flight, Peter can hear MJ and Brad laughing together as they share whatever movie they've chosen. Each burst of laughter feels like a small stab to his heart.]
[He glances over at Mr. Harrington, who has fallen asleep in his seat, then scrolls through the available movies on his tablet. His finger hovers over various options before finally stopping at one title: "Heart of Steel: The Tony Stark Story."]
[Meanwhile, Ned has become completely absorbed in his Monster Slayer game, making small sound effects and exclamations that occasionally cause Betty to glance over at him with mild annoyance as she tries to read her book.]
[As the night progresses, Peter carefully maneuvers around his sleeping teacher and makes his way to the airplane bathroom, hoping for a few minutes of privacy to collect his thoughts and possibly devise a new strategy.]
[After some time, Ned finally grows tired of his gaming session. Both he and Betty gradually fall asleep in their seats, lulled by the steady hum of the airplane engines and the comfortable darkness of the cabin.]
[The plane hits a patch of turbulence, causing a brief but noticeable shaking that wakes Ned from his light sleep. In his disoriented state, he instinctively reaches out and grabs Betty's hand for stability. Their eyes meet in the dim cabin lighting, creating a moment of unexpected intimacy.]
[When Peter finally emerges from the bathroom, he discovers that MJ is standing right outside the door, apparently waiting for her turn. The surprise encounter catches him completely off guard.]
[Panicking at the unexpected opportunity to talk to her privately, Peter immediately retreats back into the bathroom. Through the thin door, MJ can hear frantic activity - paper towels being dispensed, water running, and what sounds like aggressive cleaning.]
[Inside the cramped bathroom, Peter frantically wipes down every surface with paper towels, fixes his hair in the small mirror, checks his breath, and attempts to make himself as presentable as possible for what might be his only chance at a private conversation with MJ during the entire flight.]
[When he finally feels ready and opens the door with his most confident smile, he discovers that the person now waiting outside the bathroom is not MJ at all, but Brad Davis, who gives him a friendly nod.]
[Peter's face falls as he realizes that his frantic preparation was completely wasted, and he's now forced to make awkward small talk with his romantic rival.]
In another universe, the 2nd Generation Gwen Stacy was thoroughly enjoying the comedy of errors playing out on the Sky Curtain.
"Oh my goodness, this is so embarrassing! Peter's already making a fool of himself and the trip hasn't even really started yet! Tell me honestly - would you ever do something this awkward?" she asked, turning to the 2nd Generation Spider-Man with a mischievous grin.
The 2nd Generation Spider-Man shook his head vigorously, his face flushing slightly.
"Absolutely not! I would never be that obvious or desperate! I have way more game than that!"
"Really?" Gwen's tone was filled with playful skepticism as she studied his defensive body language. "Are you absolutely certain about that?"
"I swear on my spider-powers! I would handle a situation like that with much more sophistication and subtlety!"
Seeing how flustered the 2nd Generation Spider-Man was becoming under her teasing, Gwen decided to show mercy and changed the subject.
Helen Stacy, who had been observing her daughter's playful interaction with her future son-in-law, smiled warmly at their youthful energy.
"It's wonderful to be young and full of life! So much energy and passion for everything!"
Unexpectedly, Gwen heard her mother's comment and immediately moved to embrace her.
"Mom, you're still young too! You have just as much energy as any of us!"
Helen was clearly delighted by her daughter's compliment. She covered her mouth with her hand to hide her pleased smile and set down the plate of fresh fruit she had been preparing for everyone.