Jack Kadere held Gwen gently in one arm, while reaching over to flick Jessica's nose with the other.
"Don't think I've forgotten about you scrolling through your phone during class," he said, voice teasing.
"It was an accident!" Jessica grinned sheepishly. "I got distracted, that's all! I'm not always like that, right Gwen?"
"Hm?" Gwen blinked with feigned innocence, wrapped around Jack like a clingy koala. "I didn't say anything."
Jessica groaned. "You're so holding a grudge."
"And what's this then?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at Gwen, who was still in the Ghost-Spider cosplay. The costume clung perfectly to her form, clearly tailored. The exposed portion of her collarbone looked especially inviting—and Jack leaned down to plant a kiss on it.
"Hnn~" Gwen shivered and leaned into him. "Jessica made me wear this," she pouted, batting her eyes. "Jack, you have to punish her for bullying me."
She cast a mischievous look over her shoulder. "Spank her!"
"Hey, wait a second—" Jessica's alarm bells rang. She could already tell this was spiraling fast. She rushed behind Gwen and zipped up the rest of the suit. "Don't turn this on me!"
Now fully suited—minus the mask—Gwen looked exactly like her superhero alter ego. Jessica stepped back to admire her handiwork.
"Look, Jack! Doesn't she look just like the real deal?" Jessica smirked, making a peace sign beside Gwen's head. "Ghost-Spider, your favorite! Double the eye candy!"
"Jessica!" Gwen protested, face flushed. "Stop embarrassing me!"
And yet, somehow, they'd ended up in a compromising pose: Jack sat on the edge of the bed with Gwen in his lap—facing him—while Jessica stood behind, hands on Gwen's shoulders, pushing her forward.
It looked… questionable.
Jack gave a devilish grin. "Double the fun, huh?"
Before Jessica could bolt, Jack looped his free arm behind her waist, dragging her in. "Let's test that theory."
"Hey! No fair!" Jessica squeaked, squirming. "I'm your—your sister!"
"Huh? It's just a little spanking." Jack cracked his knuckles playfully. "Isn't that a perfectly reasonable punishment?"
Jessica's face dropped. "Wait—what?! You're actually gonna—"
SMACK!
"OW!"
"Well done, Jack~" Gwen clapped gleefully like a fairy at mischief. "You hit the mark!"
SMACK!
"Ahhh! Not again! Whyyyy—"
"Oops. Sorry, Gwen. That one might've been for you."
Some time later…
Jessica lay on the bed, face down, hands covering her backside. "Ugh! Traitors! The both of you…"
She shot Jack a wounded glare, then reached for the large scroll lying on the desk. "If I'm gonna suffer, I at least deserve to see the poster that got me into this."
She unfurled the massive print.
Even for someone as tall as her, she had to stretch to fully display it.
"…Okay, wow. That's actually amazing."
The poster was set against the neon-drenched skyline of Manhattan. Silhouettes of agile figures swung through the air—Ghost-Spider in white and purple, and a black-clad figure beside her. Their dynamic poses and flowing motion practically jumped off the page. Beneath them, in stylized font, the words read: "Ghost-Spider".
It was flashy, youthful, and stylish. The perfect bait to draw in a crowd.
"A Ghost-Spider promo?" Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Wait—what are you two planning?"
Jessica flashed a proud thumbs-up. "Tonight, I'm launching the official Ghost-Spider Fan Club!"
"Wait—what?!"
Gwen's eyes widened in horror.
The poster depicted a neon-lit New York night, its skyline sharp against the darkness. Two agile figures swung between skyscrapers—one in a sleek black suit, the other in white and purple. Ghost-Spider's pose, graceful and full of momentum, was striking under Jack Kadere's masterful digital rendering.
The large text at the bottom read "GHOST-SPIDER" in bold, stylized lettering, the kind that practically demanded attention from partygoers. It wasn't a fine art piece by any stretch, but it radiated energy and style—just the sort of thing to capture the hearts of teens obsessed with heroes.
Gwen stared at it, her instincts tingling.
"A Ghost-Spider poster? What is this…?" she asked slowly, putting the pieces together. "Wait, is the theme of tonight's party… superheroes?"
Jessica gave a bright thumbs-up. "That's right! I'm starting the official Ghost-Spider Fan Club, and we're announcing it tonight!"
"Wait—what?!" Gwen nearly choked on air. "You what?!"
…
Downstairs, the party was in full swing. The crowd had grown louder and more excited as the evening went on. Someone had set up a makeshift stage toward the back of the room, and people were naturally drawn to it.
Confident students and performers began showcasing their talents one by one—robot dancing, freestyling, street choreography, impromptu comedy routines, and some surprisingly solid beatboxing. The energy was electric.
A couple of bold girls even suggested doing a striptease, but Harry Osborn, co-host of the event, quickly stepped in and shut that down.
"We're still in high school," he reminded them, managing to sound both amused and responsible.
The disappointed groans from the boys in the crowd were nearly deafening. Harry ignored them.
His attention drifted elsewhere—specifically to Peter Parker, who was seated off to the side, awkwardly chatting with Mary Jane Watson, the redhead vocalist of Jessica's student band.
Harry figured Peter would die of embarrassment if anything too wild happened on stage.
Just then, Mary Jane received a message.
Jessica: [Mj, stop stalling! Get backstage. Our act's about to start!]
Mary Jane glanced down at her phone, grinned at Peter, and stood up.
"Sorry, Peter. Duty calls," she said, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes as she headed off.
"Jane…" Peter mumbled, watching her walk away, clearly disappointed.
A husky kid from the science club plopped into the seat beside him and patted Peter's back. "Rough night, huh? At least Flash got owned. You gotta take your wins where you can."
Peter sighed. "Yeah, I guess..."