A/N: Changed the summary and one teensy tiny little detail from last chapter. You probably won't even notice it, buuut I thought I'd tell you just in case you did and was wondering wth happened. Anyways, sorry for the delay, I was having trouble on how to write this chapter because even though I already planned what will happen in the middle and in the end, the beginning of the fanfic is always what's hard to write. For me at least.
Without further ado... Here's Half a Heart, chapter two! (That rhymed and it made me think I was clever, but eh.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Spiderman nor the TASM movies.
Katie had never had a crush before. Of course, there was the occasional 'Ooh he looks cute' and 'Dayum that is one fine specimen', but she had never felt attracted to someone in all her seventeen years. She didn't even know why she felt that way. Their first meeting was embarrassing and she wanted to forget the whole situation altogether, but their second meeting, when he offered to walk her home... It stayed fresh in her mind long after she retired to bed.
She didn't really get much sleep that night.
It was strange to her, this feeling. Strange and confusing. It was like after years of absolutely no interest in the opposite sex, it just came crashing down full force, only its target just happened to be one particular boy.
Peter Parker.
Dorky photographer extraordinaire.
Before they met, she didn't know his name, but she did know his face. With an eidetic memory like hers, it was natural for her. Yet somehow, she's got a feeling that eidetic memory or not, someone like him would be very hard to forget.
"You know, if you actually paid attention, you might beat me as top of the class," Gwen pointed out with a whisper from the seat to her right. In the front, the teacher droned on and on about Shakespeare.
Katie snorted, the side of her mouth curling into a smirk, "Where's the fun in that?"
Gwen gave her a pointed look. "I'm serious."
"Wait, so you want me to take your place as first honor?" Katie questioned, a hint of humor underlying her tone.
"No, but I'd like a challenge," she replied, twirling a pencil with one hand. "Trust me when I say that you're one of the only few that might actually take over as valedictorian by the end of senior year."
Katie smiled in amusement, raising her brown eyes to look around the classroom, before turning back at her. "Oh, don't worry. I believe you."
Just then, the bell rang, signifying the end of classes. Katie breathed out a relieved sigh, grabbing the strap of her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Next to her, Gwen closed her notebook and packed away her stuff.
"So," the blonde started, "What's this I hear about a boy walking you home?"
"Who told you that?" Katie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Paul," Gwen answered. "So it's true, then?"
Katie wracked her mind for who the heck Paul was. "... Paul?"
Gwen gave her a look. "The doorman."
The brunette looked genuinely surprised. "I thought his name was Carlos!"
"Nuh uh, I see where this is going. You're trying to change the subject," her bestfriend accused her. "Who was walking you home last night? Spill!"
Katie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Nothing gets past you, huh, Gwenny? Fine, Peter Parker walked me home."
"Wait, Peter Parker as in the one who dumped cafeteria food on you Peter Parker?"
"Are there any other Peter Parker's here in Midtown High?" Katie asked, laced with heavy sarcasm.
"Well?" Gwen ignored the question in favor of asking her own. "Spill! Give me details, girl!"
"There's nothing to spill! Gwen, I swear, you watch too many chick flicks."
Gwen looked like she had more to say, but Katie just looped their arms together and steered her towards the outdoor cafeteria. Thankfully, the rain had stopped overnight, so it was considerably dry enough to eat outside. They sat on their usual table, just near the doors.
"Look, let's just eat, alright? I promise, if something happens that concerns my love life, you'd be the first one to know."
"I better be," Gwen said, pointing a finger at Katie with a mock stern look.
Katie held her hands up as if to surrender.
A distinct click made her whip her head around. "Did you hear that?" She questioned Gwen.
"No. Hear what?" Gwen strained her ears, looking around as well.
"This is the fifth time I heard it this month," Katie murmured, before shrugging. "I'm probably going crazy."
"You only realize that now?"
Pouting, Katie glared at her.
"Ooh, I'm quaking in my boots," Gwen laughed, before they suddenly heard yelling. They glanced at each other first, and then turned to wherever the sound was most prominent. And from the looks of it, someone was getting bullied.
"Flash strikes again," Katie said sarcastically, not pleased. Beside her, Gwen shook her head in displeasure. As his tutor, it was disappointing enough to see his less than stellar grades. As a fellow classmate, it was even more upsetting to know that he was a bully.
Katie didn't really want to get caught in the middle of whatever's happening over there, and she knew Gwen didn't want to either, but it was her stupid empathy for whoever Flash was bullying that made her stand up and saunter right into the crowd. She didn't need to look behind her to know that Gwen was quick to follow.
She was halfway into the crowd when she heard a familiar voice in her far left. She pushed her way to the front with renewed vigor, only to be greeted with the sight of a tall teenage boy that had a shaved head holding another boy upside down. Flash was pushing the kid's face down what looked like a plate of spaghetti to the rhythm of the crowd's shouts of "Eat it!"
Flash looked up, yelling to someone to her left. "Take a picture, Parker!"
Katie whipped her head to the side, where Peter was unsuccessfully trying to convince the jock to put the poor guy down. She chewed on her lip worriedly, a feeling in her gut telling her that things were about to go south pretty soon.
"Put him down," Peter started, almost hesitant, "EUGENE!"
The crowd turned silent, as if they were appalled at Peter for breaking some unspoken rule to never utter Flash's real name. The boy in question dropped the kid on the floor, marching up to the school's photographer, the expression on his face twisting into anger.
Katie and Gwen exchanged panicked looks at each other. "We've gotta do something!" She insisted, her eyes reflecting her worry. Gwen nodded.
When they turned back to the scene, Flash was punching Peter, who didn't stand much of a chance. Mind made up, Katie dashed to the two. By then, Peter had fallen to the ground as Flash kicked his chest.
"Flash, stop it!" She shouted, pushing him away. "You might get away with bullying students, but when you start assaulting them, the principal might not cut you some slack anymore!"
Flash laughed as if she told him a joke. Katie, on the other hand, had a displeased expression.
Gwen caught up to her, whispering in her ear, "I'll handle this. You go help lover boy."
Katie flashed her a grateful look, not even denying what she just said, instead opting to crouch down beside the boy on the ground. "Hey."
He glanced up at her. "Hey."
She picked up the vintage-looking camera a few feet away from them, glaring at the kid who kicked it. She turned it over in her hands, looking to see if the damages were serious. Once satisfied, she took the lanyard and hung it on his neck. "Should be fine," she assured him.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"You okay?"
She stood up from her crouch, offering a hand out to him. The crowd was gone by now. Gwen was probably already waiting in the classroom, she thought to herself.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Peter answered, wincing as he stood up.
"Really?" Katie clamped her hands down on his shoulders, surveying him like she did to his camera. She raised her eyes up to meet his.
He nodded, smiling. "Really."
Just then, the warning bell rang. Class was about to start in five minutes.
"Don't we have the same class next?" She asked him.
"Uh, yeah, we do."
"Do you mind if we walk together then?"
He looked surprised. "Yeah, I mean no. I mean..." Peter scratched a spot behind his ear nervously. "No, I don't mind. That'd be... that'd be nice."
Katie offered him a smile. "Great."
Their walk to the next period - Math - was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Katie thought it was quite nice. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at him every now and then.
When they arrived, Katie wiggled her fingers slightly at his direction, then sat down beside Gwen. Peter let his gaze linger on the back of her head, before sitting down at his own seat, placing his camera down. He put his hands down around it as some sort of barrier, before laying his head down. He smiled to himself.
The first time he saw Katie Wright was during recess. She was sitting alone, peeling an orange and humming softly to herself, her gaze on the floor. She had transferred unexpectedly in the middle of the school year during 8th Grade. The other kids had already formed groups by this time, so others were hesitant to befriend her. Peter wanted so badly to introduce himself - he knew what it felt like to be a loner, but he always chickened out before he could.
Then Gwen Stacy approached her one day, and Peter just left it at that.
And four years later, he still didn't have the nerve to talk to her. He didn't have any reason to... Until yesterday.
The cringe-worthy memory was one of his most embarrassing moments of his entire life. He felt like dying in a hole. After Katie had left the room, Flash had proceeded to jeer and taunt, encouraged by the never-ending laughter.
When he stayed in school a little bit later than he normally did and bumped into Katie after her club meeting, he finally got that chance to talk to her.
He certainly wasn't expecting for her to continue talking to him the day after. (Especially after he was just beat up in front of her.)
But Peter was glad she did.
Gwen looked at her with a smirk that Katie wanted to rip off her face. "Did you nurse his booboos?"
"Haha." She rolled her eyes.
"I thought it was great what he did out there. Stupid, but great," Gwen commented nonchalantly.
"Standing up to the resident bully: Stupid? Yes. Helping that poor kid: Stupid? No." Katie said a bit defensively.
Her friend curiously held gazes with her, saying with a wry grin, "You really like him, don't you?"
Katie didn't look away from the stare through sheer stubborn-ness. When Gwen stayed silent, that knowing look on her face, Katie's posture faltered. She turned her head to the side, a red tint on her cheeks.
Gwen just shook her head, amused, as the teacher entered the room and started roll-call. She smiled as the brunette mumbled audible enough just for her to hear.
"... Maybe."
So sorry for the wait! This chapter was shorter compared to the last one, but I'm hoping to update soon with a longer one.
Anyways, I'd really love to hear your feedback! What did you think? Do you have any suggestions? Fire away!