"That was Jack's work, not mine," Peter said, grinning.
Ned Leeds, his best friend, leaned closer and asked, "Wait, where did you disappear to just now?"
Peter adjusted the camera hanging from his neck. "Just roaming. Got some cool shots of the stage. What about you?"
Ned spread his hands dramatically. "There was this girl—Cindy Moon. She's gorgeous, man. Totally my type. We even match skin tones. But… she kinda brushed me off. Said she wasn't in the mood."
Peter laughed. "JJack used to say something whenever stuff like that happened—'Same energy, different timing.."
"Dude! That's deep!" Ned clasped his hands dramatically, eyes full of admiration. "Cindy Moon… she's like an angel. I swear, she's ranked right up there with Spider-Woman in my heart!"
Peter rolled his eyes. "Ned, you said the same thing about Betty. And Liz. And that time with that girl from the robotics club…"
Their banter was cut short when the stage curtain suddenly closed, causing the crowd to erupt in murmurs of confusion.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Why are they stopping now?"
"Is that the finale already?"
"Quiet—someone's coming out!"
Sure enough, Harry Osborn strolled onto the stage, holding a mic. "Alright, everyone! Thanks for the amazing performances so far. Up next, we've got something special—the Mary Janes!"
The crowd went wild.
"Betty and MJ are performing? No way!"
"Jessica too?! Let's go!"
"Wait, is Gwen coming out too? I didn't see her earlier!"
"JESSICA! WOOO!!"
The Mary Janes were practically rock stars at Midtown High—especially Jessica Drew. She wasn't just a fan favorite among guys; her cool, no-nonsense vibe earned her plenty of female admirers too.
But as the curtain opened again, the audience froze.
Standing alone under the spotlight was a tall, striking young man in black jeans and a slate-gray tee, guitar slung over his shoulder. His hair was slightly tousled, his posture relaxed. He smiled casually—effortlessly charming.
"Wait… Who's that?"
A girl with short black hair squinted from the front row.
"He's kinda cute," whispered another girl, Skye.
"Even if he is cute, I'm still here for Jessica!" the short-haired girl snapped back, refusing to be swayed.
A few older students began to recognize him.
"Isn't that Dr. Kadere? The art guy?"
"Yeah! He gave that guest lecture last semester!"
"I thought he only came in for a few workshops?"
"Still, he's got a PhD in fine arts and—damn, he can play guitar too?!"
....
Behind the scenes.
Gwen Stacy stood in costume, staring at her reflection backstage. Dressed in the sleek black, white, and magenta suit of Ghost-Spider, her expression was complicated. How had things escalated to this?
Her emotions tangled like webs—anxious, flustered, excited... and deeply moved. She hadn't expected her friends, classmates, and especially Jack, to be so supportive.
"Gwen, don't freeze now!" Jessica said, slipping Gwen's hood over her head. "My brother's stalling for us on stage. We need to be ready before he runs out of songs. You know how people say art kids are tone-deaf? I hope they're wrong in his case."
....
Out on stage.
Girls were cheering loudly. "Encore! One more!" "Handsome guy, do Wonderwall!"
Even the boys had dropped their usual posturing and were clapping along. "Dude can actually shred!" "He's got style, I'll give him that!"
Jack Kadere gave them a grin and flashed a quick peace sign. "Thanks for the energy. Here's one last one—'To the End.' Hope you like it."
(Yes, To the End—the same track from Into the Spider-Verse, when Gwen battles Doc Ock.)
As the curtain started to draw back again, the crowd leaned forward, curious. They were expecting more of the mysterious art teacher turned rockstar.
Instead—
Boom!
With a dramatic snap of the lights, several girls leapt into view, instruments in hand, surrounding Jack like the opening act of a superhero team.
It was Jessica Jones, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, and Gloria Grant—each striking bold poses, their band energy practically glowing off the stage.
"My God, this is insane!" Ned gasped from the crowd.
"Jack's doing all this?" Peter said, lifting his camera to record the moment. "Wait, but where's Gwen? She's their drummer…"
....
Center stage.
Jessica stepped forward, mic in hand. "Thanks for being such an amazing crowd tonight. But before we kick things off, I have an important announcement—no, not a confession, you animals."
The crowd chuckled.
She pointed upward, and from above the stage, a massive poster unrolled.
It featured a stylized image of Ghost-Spider swinging across the New York skyline, neon lights trailing behind her.
"I'm officially founding a Ghost Spider fan club!" Jessica declared proudly. "And everyone's welcome to join!"
"Ghost Spider?! Are you serious?!"
"Jessica's into Ghost Spider too?!"
"No way, this is the best party ever!"
Teenagers lost their minds. Superheroes were already a big deal—but a cool, mysterious vigilante like Ghost Spider? Instant obsession.
Jessica smiled, basking in the reaction. "And now, let's give you a show to remember!"
....
Jack strummed the opening chords. "It starts with one…"
The melody kicked in.
And then—
Spotlights snapped to the back of the stage.
There, behind the drum kit, stood Ghost Spider herself—bathed in color and shadow, her head bobbing to the beat, drumsticks raised.
Crash—
The drums hit, tight and rhythmic, matching the pulse of the music perfectly.
The crowd erupted.
"Oh my god—it's Ghost Spider!!"
"No way, that costume's perfect!"
"IS THAT THE REAL ONE?!"
Gwen, under the mask, smiled. For a brief moment, all her doubts, all the pressure from her dad, melted away in the thunder of applause.
Tonight, she wasn't just Gwen Stacy.
She was the Ghost Spider. And she owned the stage.