Chapter Two - - "Familiarities"

6/5/09

Dear Diary,

WOW! I can't believe how incredibly excited I am for my date this afternoon. Who woulda thought that I'd start dating Peter Parker . . . not me that's for sure. Hmm, I wonder what our pairing name could be. . . Petty? No way. Spider-cat? Ugh, that's even worse than the first one. Well, whatever we decided to be I hope that it will work out considering both of our. . . "fast paced" lives. But we're both the good-guys so I mean there's nothing to stop us. . . right? Diary, why do I feel like something bad is going to happen today?

Man. . .

I'm really praying that it doesn't.

Well, it's 2:30 now. I think I'm going to get ready.

Wish me luck!

-

I turned the corner on to Midtown High school. The flooding wave of students told me I'd arrived just in time. Which was a relief! Being late to a first date wouldn't leave a really great impression, but it wasn't entirely my fault considering how I'm not allowed to pilot the X-jet and nobody in the entire mansion would give me a ride. So, I just barely made it out of the mansion before 3:20, thank you Nightcrawler, and to the school.

Honestly, standing in front of high schools gives me the creeps. Such I'm only seventeen, but I never was one for schools, and being a mutant in high school isn't a good combination. And standing here on the steps of the behemoth sized red-brick school with a hundred plus students pouring from the building, you'd have to agree that I was out of my element.

I ran my hand through my hair. I knew it was tangled. It had to be, and even as I filed through the locks it didn't feel as if it was doing much good. I straightened out my favorite red star graphic tee, which in my defense was a security blanket, and attempted lessen the wrinkles in my jeans.

Once I looked up from my fidgeting I froze in place.

There he was. His face gave away the fact he was looking for me too. I gave a weak wave as a greeting.

As he approached I took in everything. His clothes. His hair. Even his face.

I couldn't breathe. He was so cute!

He descended the stairs quickly giving me less time to prep to say something cool and collective.

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi?

"Hi." Wow, that truly was the best I could come up with?

"You showed." He smiled seeming fairly impressed.

"Of course." I said, smoothly.

"Wow." He breathed.

Beside us on the streets a few jocks were tormenting a slightly geeky looking boy. The forced him up against a car, which was either a) the geeky boy's, b) one of the jocks, or c) none of the above. The taller of the jocks took a firm grip on the geeky boy's shirt collar with one hand and then with another a hold of his jeans. Two other's broke out in hysterics as the tall boy lifted the geeky boy into the air by his underwear. Other students gathered to watch the entertainment. No one helped the boy. A clear example of why I didn't currently attend high school.

"So, this is high school, huh?" I asked, slightly irritated, "I've been here four seconds and I hate everyone."

He smirked. "Well then now you've learned everything you'll ever learn in high school."

"So. . ." I began, reverting my eyes back to Peter.

"Is there, um, a plan for the evening?" He asked, sensing my discomfort.

I paused and thought about it for a moment. God. I was such a freakin' spaz!

"There is no plan. Do you have a plan?" I admitted, rather meekly.

Embarrassed his rubbed the back of this neck. "I have no plan."

We both settled on something to eat. The mall, an obvious favorite of the average teenager, was the best place. For one, it was full of people, which was good because being with Petey always makes me awkward and clumsy! So this kept the environment neutral. And two, in my haste to leave the mansion I hadn't thought twice about getting something to eat. Go figure.

"Corn dog on a stick!" I cheered, before digging in.

He chuckled at my childishness. "A modern achievement."

He was in a humorous mood! This was great! "When the mutants take control of the Earth, the man who invented the corn dog will be spared." I gave him a small smile as I took another bite.

Nothing.

No laugh. No smile. No nothing.

I looked up to register his face. He was above all things concerned, but a mixture of confusion also dominated his face. He looked completely adorable.

"I'm kidding. Totally kidding."

He leaned over the table, not close enough to touch me, but close enough so I could hear him whisper. "Are you guys taking over the Earth?"

I mustered some coolness. "No. Joking. Promise." I gave him a smile. "We're the good mutants. We're the ones that want the peace."

"Okay. Well, then you might not want to make announcements like that then." He said through gritted teeth. It was said more as a concern for my well being rather than a warning.

I lightly smacked my head. "Ugh, my comedy sucks."

He laughed, finally, then picked up a French fry. "So, this call. This whatever this is. This was a shockerooni."

"Yeah? I uh, yeah, listen, I don't know what you're life is like, but all this saving the world and all of it. . . . I have no friends."

He looked slightly shocked. "Me too."

Ah, sarcasm, how I loathe thee.

"Really?" I asked skeptically.

He nodded. "You know the Fantastic Four? Johnny Storm?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Kinda."

"Him too. He told me. It's not just us, its part of the whole - -"

But before he could finish two brute-like male teens rudely and purposely bumped into him.

"Sorry, didn't see you sweetie." One of them said.

I narrowed my eyes then growled. "I'm guessing you know that tool?"

"Yeah, the blond is Flash Thompson." He mumbled.

I glanced over again toward the table the two boys had just sat down at. Flash Thompson blew me a kiss with a devilish grin. Disgusting.

"You could mop the floor with him."

"I could. But I can't. If I did. . .the two seconds of bliss would be followed by ten years of hell." He said, dipping another fry in ketchup.

This sparked another round of questions. "So, no one knows what you can do?"

"Nope."

"And you hold it all in?" I asked. Question number two.

"Yep."

"Why don't you go public? Show off a little bit? And live the good life?" That was three questions back to back. I was on a role.

"It already is. People hate Spider-Man, and no one even knows who he is. And I have my aunt who is raising me. I can't put her world in danger. I can't do that. I mean - -what kind of a selfish evil scum would I be to do that to her? Too many people know who I am already. It scares the bejeebees out of me. That's why I had to break up with my girlfriend. She kept - -nah, forget it."

I was in way too deep for him to stop now. "No, what?"

"It doesn't matter and I'm whining. And you know when you have that voice that tells you to stop whining and nobody care - -I have that right now. Plus nobody cares."

Wow, he's really hard on himself. No wonder I liked him so desperately. We're very similar.

"I swear I care. Tell all the voices in your head that I was actually interested in what you were going to say."

He leaned over the table again. "Well - -"

I laughed. Its weird how all the good stories start off with "well. . ." To encourage this little charade I leaned forward slightly as well.

" - - my girlfriend. She was - -"

"Does she know who you really are?"

"Yeah. And she wasn't being very careful and – and seriously she kept getting almost killed! I couldn't - -the responsibility – I couldn't handle it because she wasn't listening to me when I told her where to stay safe."

"Wow." Now it was my turn to breathe.

He nodded. "How about you?"

I scowled. "do you know who Iceman is?"

"The snowball guy from your team?"

"Yeah. We were kinda almost sort of - - but he ended up being a jerkwad tool and now I have to, like, live in a house with him even though, you know. ."

"Ugh. . that must suck." He commented.

"Yeah. At least normal people, they break up- they get to avoid each other."

This time he shook his head. "Yeah, but me and MJ – we're still in the same class together."

"But you get to go home after school. Not me. I have to listen to his crap all day."

He laughed again.

God. I really was starting to love his beautiful snort-like chuckle.

"But what do they say: 'Don't – "

"Poop where you save the world from mutant terrorists?"

He smiled a hearty smile. "Or something like that."

This time when we were interrupted it wasn't someone knocking into Peter. It was someone throwing something on to our table. The salt shaker ricocheted off of the table, breaking the lid, and shattered all over the floor.

Flash and his friend laughed. As if that little stunt was funny. . .

"can we go somewhere. . .they can't be?"

"YES!"

We wandered further into the depths of downtown New York. He lead me by the hand through a series of buildings some tall, some small, but then we somehow arrived at the building across the street from the Baxter Building. Peter led me to the roof, where he claimed was the best spot in New York to watch the sun set. . . boy how time sure does fly when you're enjoying yourself.

"You okay with this?" he asked, taking my hand.

I look at him, and wonder if he actually thinks I have a problem with romantic gestures or something, but I smile and say, "Oh yeah. This is cool."

He nods his brown hair slightly blowing in the wind, "You okay with the wind?" His gaze drifted to my short sleeved T-shirt, to my bare arms, and then back to my face.

"It phases right through me." I say, another attempt at a joke.

Once safe and secure on the roof we peer off dreamily into the horizon watching as the sun dips slowly behind the San Fransico bridge. A flock a pigeons take off from some where in the distance and as they took fade into the background it all begins to feel so. . .magical. Man, I truely have lost it.

For a moment of a time, we're both silent, gazing at the city as the sky begins to turn orange. I want to tell him how I feel or at least get his opinion on the matter. I close my eyes, inhale, and then exhale through my mouth.

"So -- can you not date anyone? Is that whate you were saying before?" I mentally want to slap myself for how desperate I sound.

Peter deliberates for a heartbeat of a time, and then responds. "I - - I don't think I can. I can't protect the person from - - "

"But what if. . .they had, I don't know, mutant powers and could take care of themselves?" I can't believe I've literally spelled out what I meant. I cringe, god, if I was him, I would be really creeped out by this! Man, I'm such a spaz! now would be a good time to disappear or run.

"I - -I can't believe I just did that." I say, as I sink down beneath the roof tile.

"Well. . ." Peter starts to say.

"Nevermind!!" I say exasperated.

"What are you?" He questions turning to try and catch me. Not gonna happen. "What, what - -?"

After phasing through the ceiling I land somewhere in the basement of the building. My heart is thudding so loud that I can hear the pulse in my ears -- ringing loud enough to be an alarm! What the hell is wrong with me?!

"Loser! You fought Magneto for God's sake, what's your damage?" I place my hand over my heart, hoping to steady the pounding. Once it's returned to a realtively normal state I climb my way back to the ceiling.

"Should I leave?" Peter asks, unsure of what else to do.

"Don't leave." I say reappearing.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm a spaz. sorry."

"What's going on?" he asks after locating me.

"That was insanely forward of me. That this. . ." I can't find the right words.

"What?" wow, for someone who's suppose to be super smart. .he doesn't catch on very fast.

"That thing about having a girlfriend with powers. That was way. . "

"Uh, I actually thought it was like, an excellent point. I wasn't freaked out."

I sigh, and loud enough for him to hear too, " I was!"

"Clearly." he smiles.

He helps me once again phase through the roof, and once we're side by side, I begin to feel really uncomfortable, almost like I did on the phone. Fan - flippin'- tastic!

"I'm a spaz." I say for the billionth time today.

"No, I'm a spaz. You're quirky."

"And quirky is French for. . .?"

"Cute." he breathes heavily.

I lean closer to him, my body impulsively controlling itself. "Cute is. . .good." I conclude.

"Yeah, cute is very good." Peter whispers, so low I can barely hear.

I close my eyes and lean in further, my heart is thudding louder than ever now, but I try to ignore it and focus on the fact Peter and I might just share our first kiss. I stand up on my tiptoes and pucker my lips slightly. I can feel is breath on my lips, it makes me quiver. God! my pulse has jumped a thousand.

A booming crash erupt from somewhere within the city. Peter pulls away. And I scream every cuss-word that I know in my head. But once I open my eyes and look, a massive cloud of smoke rises from the streets.

"Whoah."

I turn back to Peter, who now is stripping off his street-clothes to reveal his spider-suit underneath.

"I gotta go check it out. Will you wait --?" I wonder what he means?

"I'll come."

"No, I can do this - -"

By now I getting a little irritated. Just who does Peter think he is? "Dude, I'm a super hero, too. Let me swing there with you."

"But you might. . " I already know what he's about to say. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Wow, he truely offended me!

"Hey. I can't get hurt. Remember?" I say forcefully, thrusting my phased hand through his chest. Take that spider-man!

He's slightly take aback but recovers. By now, he is fully dressed, mask and all, and getting ready to leap into web-slinging action. "You're right. Sorry. Let's go."

Now I feel horrible for thinking he was being alittle egotistical. Great.

He loops this free arm around my waist then swings off the building. And the rush is so completely thrilling that I can't help but belt out a, "Whoooohooo!!"

We arrive on the scene just as the bank robber comes thundering form the bank firing some sort of plasmic energy type guy. From his face, and obvious frantic nature, he doesn't look too bright. And as I take in his goofy outfit I can't help but wonder if his mother picked it out for him.

"Back the fuck up! I am not kidding around this time!!" he shouts, shooting at a few stray cops. "Now, step the fuck off! I'm not joking!"

You've gotta be kidding me. I roll my eyes then step in front of him, hands on hips, with a patronizing smile clearly plastered on my face. "You sure do look like you're joking."

He aims and fires his guns directly at me, they phase right through me, and it scares him shitless. How priceless! I crack my neck then relax my shoulders. Weird. It kinda tickles.

"Can you do my back now? Because I've been really stressed." No kidding.

The thief backs up and readys himself to jet in the opposite direction. On the wall behind him, Peter - - I mean Spider-man I crawling just at the right angle to start an attack. Nice subty Peter!

"I gotta get outta here!" the theif shouts.

"And I think you gotta get yourself a new catch-phrase." I say smugly, "Hey, you know what I can do? I can phase myself through your cute little massagers. Isn't that cool? Except, oops, when I do, it disrupts the electrical thingamajigs and it breaks them. Sorry!"

I take a few steps toward him and whisper, "But whatever you do. . .don't look behind you."

He doesn't listen, he turns and is greeted by Peter with a "Hi, Herman."

The theif, who Peter called Herman, takes off in another direction chanting ohmygod repeatedly. Peter then knits and flings a thick sticky web screen like thing in front of him, and catches him mid-run. Catches thieves just like flies. . .people weren't lying.

A crowd gathers along with the police to stop and stare at the now caught Herman. I admire our work, a job well done! If the professor could only see me now, working as a team with Peter. What a joke, more like playing around. Nevertheless, I get cocky.

"Ladies and gentlemen. . .The amazing Spider-man!" I scream and point to Peter.

The crowds roar with an appluse. " See they like you!" I beam.

"Cute. Shall we?" he isn't pleased.

We swing right back to the building from before, I'm a little dizzing from all the web swinging but hopefully I'll get use to it. "Well, Indiana Jones, you certainly haven't forgotten how to show a lady a good time." I figure he'll be pleased with my little geek-moment.

"Yeah, you're really somethin',"he says.

I blush something fierce. Wow, wow, wow, he really likes me!

"You're suppose to say: 'I'm something all right, until I get my five thousand dollars back you're getting more than you bargained for. . .', " He explains, I cock my head to the side in a lost manner. What the hell? "No? Nothing?"

"Wow, you just out-geeked me. That's something."

"Well, I'm sure it won't be the last time."

We're back in the comfortable mood again! Thank god, and just as we're about to go in for the big kiss, my pager beeps. . . grr.

"Crap."

"What?" he thinks I'm talking about the almost kiss.

"My ride's here."

"Your ride?"

Overhead the Black birde (X-jet) appears, a spotlight of yellow casted down on us. Great now we're a show.

"You gotta go?" he asks dejectedly.

"I gotta."

"Tsk, Can we- -I don't know. Can I call you?"

I beam once more, "Yeah! Totally." calm down you freak, geez I'm way over-eager.

He pulls back the sleeve of his spidy-suit prompting me to write. . .something. Hopefully my number. "Email me too, because the Professor hates when the phone rings after ten." I say, scribbling down my email.

"Can we- - can we do this again?"

"Yeah!" there I go again.

I pause for a minute and instantly my hand fly to my head to ease the pain of Jean power, I try to block out her thoughts, but I fail. "Hold on. . .Shut up Jean!" I explain, ""Jean Grey. She's talking to me in my head."

He smiles, "and you were making fun of my voices."

She stops once I tell her I'm in the middle of something kind of important, and throw in that I haven't been kissed yet. She laughs then fades away.

"What's your schedule like?" I ask.

"My schedule? It sucks!"

"Yeah, mine too." I laugh.

"But weekends. I work Saturday afternoon, but that's it."

I think through my schedule and wonder if I'm free. "Can I- - you want to do something Saturday night?"

"Yeah. Can you?"

I finally say. " I don't want to push."

"No, really I want to. I really do Saturday night."

"You swear? Unless we're saving the world from something. Okay. That's the only reason I won't be able to.

"Understood. Me too."

He smiles shyly and leans toward me, "Were you going to kiss me before?"

Crap!

"I -- I think so."

"Okay."

"Okay?" I ask, stupidly.

"I mean if you still want to. .."

"I just didn't know if you want. . . I just didn't want you to think I didn't if you did. . ."

He instantly wraps his arms around me and pulls me into the best embrace/kiss I've ever had. His lips are warm against mine, soft, tender, and he tastes great! I throw my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, never wanting it to end.

We part as the X-jet teleports me.

At home I rush to my room, and head straight to my diary.

6/5/09 night

Dear Diary,

I'm just starting this page now, to save it for later, but I gotta hurry and email Peter. Be back in a flash!

-

I end it on that note. I pull out my laptop from it's bag, flip it open, than start typing away crazily at the keys. I smile once I send it. When a mintue passes, I have a reply.

And then it dawned on me.

I have a boyfriend.

No. Way!