Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a week but I've been trying to put Some Things Never Sleep on another website but it's taking forever to catch it up to this one. I think about half way through. I just want to say that this chapter ended up being super long so I've split it up into two parts. Part II will come maybe tomorrow or the day after.
In this chapter we see a very jealous Emma. I'd like to remind everyone that while she's spent her whole life trying to think and act like an adult Emma's still a teenager underneath all that. She can be jealous and petty when the occasion calls for it. She loves Peter but she doesn't deal with it the way normal people would. I think that's been painfully obvious so far. lol.
By the way...I went to see I, Tonya last weekend and I have to say it was surprisingly funny. I kind of knew that it was a comedy but I just didn't expect a biopic to be one of the funniest movies I'd seen a while. The only reason I went to go see it in the first place was probably because of Sebastian Stan but I walked away from that movie loving it for reasons other than just Sebastian Stan. I highly recommend it.
I've also been sort of binge watching Black Mirror and Gilmore Girls. Odd combination but I think I'll just stick with Black Mirror. Gilmore Girls has too much drama for my liking. I just can't believe I've never seen Black Mirror before! It's so good. I saw the episode with Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson and I cried so hard. It was just so heartbreaking and sad to watch. The episode with Wyatt Russell was also really good and it made me smile at how much he sounded like his dad. Those Russell genes! I'm still not finished with Black Mirror but hopefully soon.
Also got those HAIM concert tickets! I can't express how I excited I am. I wanted to get backstage passes but it was a little out of my budget. I'm still incredibly excited to go see them and April could not come faster for me.
Glaga60800: Well, I cruelly figured that the MCU could use a little darkness and gloom. Also, I think you'll like this chapter because there's a lot of Emma and Michelle in it. I kind of feel like I should've bumped up the rating a while ago but I wasn't totally sure but it's done now so...
You totally can translate it in French if you want. I actually took French in high school for two years but I was really bad at it. I was bad at writing it and I was bad at coherently speaking it. I mean, I wasn't completely bad at understanding it but everything else I was terrible at. I forgot literally everything I learned in those two years as soon as I graduated. The only thing I remember from French is probably 'Je ne sais pas' and that's because I used that phrase so often. lol.
Balah-Fangirl: I honestly don't know when exactly Steve and the others will return but I know that it's definitely within Part III. My reasoning on holding off on that is because I thought it would be entertaining if everyone came back and found out that not only that Emma had started to make this somewhat normal kind of life for herself, but she also has a boyfriend. So I kind of wanted Emma and Peter to already be dating by the time everyone comes back and Emma and Peter finally getting together is actually right around the corner. It takes Emma almost two parts of a whole chapter to finally come to terms with the fact that not telling Peter how she feels isn't going to solve anything. Someone might have to actually step in and talk some sense into Emma but that won't happen until Part II of Chapter Fifty Three.
Spawn Hades: I'm so excited to write Emma and Peter actually being a couple and doing normal things like going out on dates. It's going to be so entertaining to see Emma in that position.
Radioactive88: Emma is definitely starting to become conflicted over whether or not she should kill Rumlow. She's always wanted to kill him but now she's starting to become afraid that it's something she won't be able to come back from. Luckily, she has Peter who keeps her very grounded.
I love writing Emma and Tony's interactions. She doesn't resent him anymore but she still loves messing with him and pushing his buttons. The others love it because it's entertaining to watch. I'm not sure if you remember this because it was from a while back in the story but there was a chapter of Emma coming home from the police station after faking a damsel in distress act to get Spider-Man's attention. Anyways, she comes home and her and Darcy find Tony waiting for them. Tony complains about how stressed she makes him and how she's giving him gray hair while Emma just smiles innocently at him and tells him handsome she thinks he looks. Tony knows she's making fun of him which just pisses him off more. Anyways...super long and boring explanation but that's my favorite Emma and Tony moment. The fight they had after the ferry is another favorite moment of mine but only because I felt Emma was finally able to get everything off her chest. The part where they made amends was really sweet too...Okay, I'm slowly realizing that I probably have like ten favorite Emma and Tony moments. Lol. I'll just stop now.
Rogueantihero: Thanks for the comment about Emma's parents. Some people aren't fans of the flashback scenes but I feel like it's really important to write those scenes for the story because Part III is all about Emma's past. It's about her parents, Rumlow, and it's about her finally opening up and becoming more vulnerable when she finally sits down and talks about everything that happened to her in Hydra. Emma's parents will be making a return but not for a few chapters. When there's a story as long as this one I think it's important to make people even more connected to Emma in discovering every part of her origins. I just love Emma so much so as the writer of this story I always thought about what her parents were like.
nvnightrider9: No worries. There probably won't be a flashback for another few chapters. I'm not that cruel. lol.
ilypopxtart333: You and me both. Don't worry...Emma won't be stubborn for long so she'll come around soon.
sleepingAsAsheep: Emma's kind of in a state of shock right now after hearing Peter's confession. She never thought Peter could ever love her and now that he does she doesn't really know what to do with herself. Being in love with him before was easier because she thought it was just one sided but now that her love is actually reciprocated she's terrified.
I wanted to write the nightmare scene and make it somewhat vivid but not too detailed. I don't think explicit details are needed and I don't think I could ever write a detailed scene like that with a character as young as Emma. Going into writing this story, I was a little hesitant in writing a story around a character that young being raped but then I realized that it sadly occurs more often than we'd like to admit. A lot of terrible things happened to Emma in Hydra but I wanted to show that, with a ton of work and the support of people who love and care about her, she could still move on with her life and even be happy. She's still copping with what happened and it's still a long road but I think in Part III there will be a lot of healing for her.
ImsebastianstanButter: No worries. I'm not abandoning this story anytime soon.
bonitalito: I honestly think the next time we see the other Avengers will be when they return which won't happen for a while but still within Part III. Rumlow, however, will probably get another creepy cameo in the near future although I can't exactly say when. Rumlow definitely sees what he did to Emma differently than how she sees it. He thinks that he can actually turn her into her mother and that just shows how insane he is.
Mcduffie145: So glad that I can introduce people to amazing movies and music through my writing. Thank you for checking out one of the best movies of all time. Humphrey Bogart is still one of the greatest actors of all time in my opinion. I honestly didn't like Casablanca the first time I saw it but I think it was because I was too young to understand it. I just didn't get why they couldn't be together but I rewatched it last year and fully fell in love with it. I finally understood it and admired it even more for the message it has. So glad you loved the movie.
AppropriateLlama: I have to admit that I don't actually play video games so I'm like Emma in that sense. I play Robot Unicorn Attack 2 on my iPhone but that's only to kill time. My parents got me a Nintendo DS and PS2 when I was younger but I got bored of them because I could never pass certain levels on video games and I'd get frustrated. The only game I was successful at was Lego Star Wars and I think I was twelve. I just don't have the right temperament for video games. I wrote Peter playing a video game because it just seemed like something he would do and I thought the part where he showed Emma how to use the controller would be cute. The reason I didn't have him explain every little button on the controller is because I'd honestly have no idea what I would be talking about. So you're welcome for not having to read through my bullshit. lol.
Sorry for the super long Author's Note! Also, thanks for the swarm of reviews last chapter. There was literally three pages worth and I'm sorry for not answering every single one but I'm sure you guys would just rather have the new chapter at this point. Thanks and let me know what you think.
It had been about a week and half since the argument between Emma and Peter. During that time they hadn't spoken much which absolutely killed Emma. It's not like she didn't try to talk to Peter but he seemed to avoid her at all costs. He only talked to her when he had to which was mostly in history class at school but even then he was short and to the point. Peter didn't seem to be his talkative self as usual. During weekends at the compound he mostly stayed cooped up in his bedroom and made it clear that he only wished to train with Maria.
The others knew something was going on with them but when Tony tried to get her to open up to him Emma told him to fuck off. She didn't need his insight and she most certainly didn't need his teasing and annoying comments if she told him what really happened. Emma was just trying to pretend like nothing happened and hoping that things could go back to the way they were but it wasn't working. Peter wasn't talking to her and he even suggested that they spend some time apart. Emma still remembered the conversation the following Monday after their fight.
"We should keep watch over the area where all those grocery store hold ups are happening. Hopefully we'll get lucky." Emma told Peter as they did their usual rounds around Queens. Instead of happily responding to Emma's suggestion, like he normally would, Peter remained silent. The tension between them was still thick and Emma wasn't sure what to do about it aside from ignore it.
"Maybe you should keep watch over that area and I'll keep watch over the area where all the car jackings are occurring." Peter suggested quietly and Emma stared at him incredulously.
"What?" She asked in confusion. "Are you saying we should split up?" Peter shrugged.
"I just think we'll cover more ground that way." Peter told her. "I'm thinking about this from a logical perspective, of course."
It sounded something more like what Emma would say. She couldn't help but be annoyed at him in that moment because she knew this wasn't about covering more ground. Of course, Emma knew it was more rational to split up but she never voiced that opinion. Why? Well, that was because she actually enjoyed spending time with Peter on missions. Emma sighed.
"Peter, is this still about the other night?" Emma asked him bluntly and Peter turned away from her.
"No." He said childishly. Emma was still undecided over whether or not she should tell him. She knew he felt the same so why was she so scared? Maybe it was because Emma was afraid of change. She liked the way things were with Peter and she didn't want things to get weird with them if she told him she reciprocated his feelings. Emma knew that he'd probably want an actual relationship with her and he'd probably try to date her because dating was something kids their age did. Eventually he'd grow tired of her and realize how much baggage she had…trying to fix her wouldn't be enough for him anymore and he'd inevitably dump her for someone normal and undamaged like Betty Brant. Emma was sure they wouldn't be friends after that and she didn't want that. She considered Peter her best friend, maybe even more so than Steve or her father, and nothing terrified her more than losing him.
"I don't want things to change." Emma told him, hoping to get her point across. She could see from the white lenses in his mask that his eyes were narrowed into a glare as he looked down at the ground.
"It's too late, Emma. Things have already changed." Peter said bitterly, still not looking at her. Emma wished he'd stop avoiding her gaze. Why couldn't he just look at her?
"They don't have to. I can just forget what happened and we can put it behind us." Emma said as she tried to be reasonable. It was then that Peter finally looked back up at her, his white lenses widened in disbelief.
"Don't you know anything, Emma?!" Peter said angrily. "I can't forget it. You can't just forget stuff like that! The more time I spend with you the worse it gets." Peter sighed tiredly and Emma wondered how sad he looked under his mask…if his usually kind brown eyes were dull with that sadness that Emma hated seeing in his eyes.
"Every time you smile at me or even look at me I have this overwhelming urge to kiss you. You're completely infuriating at times and not to mention terrifying but that makes me love you even more." Peter told her, desperation in his voice. "I know it doesn't make any sense but it's true. I also know that you're kind and compassionate too." Emma looked like she was about to protest but Peter didn't let her.
"Don't deny it because I know you are…no matter how tough you act. I love that you show that side to me even though you hate being vulnerable. It makes me happy that you trust me that much but the truth is that I want more. I want to be more than friends but I know you don't want that." Peter said before he looked back down at the ground. Emma was just glad Peter couldn't see the blush on her face as she tried to process what Peter was telling her. "I just don't think I can handle it anymore…especially since I know you don't feel the same."
Emma started panicking as she fretted over his words. What did that mean? What did he mean that he couldn't handle it anymore? She was scared to know the answer to that question. Emma was floored by his confession of love. No one had ever said those things to her before…no one had ever made her feel so loved before. Of course she knew Steve and her father loved her but, like she said many times before, that was different. Emma wanted to tell Peter that she felt the same about him…that she was completely in love with him too but she couldn't. She didn't know how or if she should. Emma wasn't just afraid of herself getting hurt but she was afraid of somehow hurting Peter. She knew she wasn't an easy person to be friends with so she imagined she'd be even more difficult as a girlfriend.
Emma almost wrinkled her nose in disgust. Girlfriend? Ugh…she couldn't believe she even thought that. Her as someone's girlfriend was a ridiculous thought. Who would want her to be their girlfriend? Well, Peter supposedly did but Emma knew she wasn't girlfriend material. This was why she didn't want to tell him the truth about how she felt. Emma was just saving him from the trouble of having to deal with her. She knew eventually she'd say or do something to hurt him so why put him through something like that? Peter didn't deserve that.
"Peter…" Emma trailed off not knowing what else to say to that. What could she possibly say to him to make him understand that they couldn't be together? If she told him why then he'd know that she loved him. Emma knew Peter couldn't just let that go if he knew she felt the same.
"I think it's best if we spend some time apart, Emma." Peter told her when she didn't say anything else. It seemed like he was going back to avoiding her gaze. "We just spend so much time together that I think we need a break."
Emma tried to keep the tears from flooding her eyes as she realized what Peter was saying. He didn't want to spend anymore time with her. Why would he? She had basically rejected him…just not with actual words but with her lack of words. Emma thought that they could just pretend like nothing happened and go back to the way things were but it didn't seem like Peter wanted to do that. He seemed so sad and Emma wanted more than anything to tell him that he didn't need to worry…that she felt the same but she just couldn't do that. It wasn't right.
"A break? For how long?" Emma asked him and Peter just shook his head.
"I don't know, Emma…just for a while." Peter said and Emma tried not to feel hurt by his words but it was inevitable. She could feel the tears start to escape her eyes as she stood there staring at him and he stood there not even looking at her. It occurred to Emma then that she was actually crying. Emma was no stranger to crying but it wasn't often that she actually did so. She wasn't the kind of person who cried on a regular basis and she also berated herself whenever she did cry for being so weak.
"How long is a while?" Emma questioned and Peter groaned in exasperation.
"I don't know." He said in an annoyed tone before completely turning away from her, his back facing her. "I need to get going in case the perp shows up at one of the grocery stores."
Peter didn't even wait for Emma to respond as he held his wrist out and shot a rope of webbing to the building across from them. He then quickly propelled himself off the top of the building, they were standing on, before swinging to the other building. Emma watched him leave silently, a million thoughts in her mind. What was happening to them? Emma didn't know and she was even more at a loss over what to do.
She furiously wiped the tears from her eyes in an effort to stop them but even she knew that wasn't going to help. Emma glared at the ground as her mind went over the conversation she just had with Peter…if you could even call it a conversation. Stupid Peter. Why couldn't he pretend like she pretended? Why couldn't he act like nothing ever happened? Well, she supposed that was because he was Peter Parker after all. It just wasn't in Peter's nature to lie or pretend. He was one of the most truly genuine and honest human beings she had ever met who completely wore his heart on his sleeve.
That's what Emma loved about Peter.
Emma snapped out of her recollection from that night from almost two weeks ago. Peter barely spoke more than a sentence to her at times and never even looked at her. Whenever he actually did speak to her he avoided eye contact at all costs. He either spoke to the ceiling or to a wall whenever he addressed her. Emma hated it.
Never before did Emma realize what an annoyingly normal teenage girl Peter had turned her into. During Thanksgiving break Emma, Darcy, and Jane visited the Bartons at their little farm in the country. Laura had actually invited Emma via text message although she had no idea how Laura had gotten her phone number. Laura had even told Emma that she could invite anyone she wanted but also made it clear that Tony Stark was definitely not invited. Emma hadn't minded because she understood Laura's anger. Emma herself had resented Tony for quite some time because she felt that he ripped Steve, her father, and her friends away from her. Laura probably had it much worse because Tony ripped her husband and the father of her children away from her. Emma instead extended the invitation to Peter and May but Peter said they usually had Thanksgiving at the apartment. Emma, however, was furious to find out that he had lied and actually spent Thanksgiving at the compound with Tony and the others.
Now this was the part where Emma turned into a complete petty and insufferable teenage girl. She must've glanced at her phone a hundred times during Thanksgiving dinner and wasn't even discreet about it. Everyone happened to notice. She wrote and rewrote different text messages, trying to figure out a way to get him to talk to her but never deciding on anything anyways. Emma sunk to an all new low when she obsessively looked at any new posts he made on Instagram which only turned out to be a picture of a plate of food with some stupid hashtag attached to it. She remembered snapping the fork in her hand when Darcy showed her a picture Peter sent her from the compound. Emma had apologized to Laura for the fork before excusing herself from dinner all the while she was secretly fuming. He had actually sent Darcy pictures and not her? Who did Peter think he was?
"So who's the victim?" Michelle asked from her right. Emma was once again snapped out of her thoughts as she glanced at the frizzy haired girl next to her. It seemed like she was trapped in a sort of spiral of Peter consumed memories…well, the memories she had of him that pissed her off anyways. The two teenage girls were currently sitting at their usual lunch table in the cafeteria but this time Peter and Ned were both noticeably missing from the lunch table.
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked her as she suddenly felt a bit shaken by being whisked back into reality. Michelle shrugged nonchalantly.
"Well, I just noticed how you're glaring at your lunch like you want to murder it." Michelle replied. "So what is it? Did that savory looking ham sandwich do you wrong or is it the sunchips? I bet it was the sunchips…you can just never trust those sunchips."
In all honesty Emma wasn't even touching her lunch. For the first time in a while she wasn't hungry and that was probably because she was too busy brooding or thinking about what to do about Peter. What the hell did he expect her to do anyways? If she told him she loved him then he'd want a relationship but if she didn't say anything he didn't want to be around her. Why was he so confusing? Why did he have to make things so difficult for her? God! As much as she loved that boy sometimes she really wanted to strangle him at the same time. He drove her completely insane.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Emma said coldly as she shoved her lunch away and brought her sketchbook closer to her. She furiously began working on a sketch she had been working on since the night before. Emma hoped that Michelle got the message that she didn't want to talk anymore. Even if Michelle got the message, she ignored it as the teenage girl peeked over at what Emma was sketching. Most people would be horrified at the drawing since it was something more akin to what a future serial killer would draw but not Michelle.
"That's a very nice depiction of Betty Brant you're drawing. I'm sure she'd be pleased with it." Michelle said sarcastically as she looked at the drawing of a very large viper looking snake, constricting around a terrified looking Betty Brant, squeezing the life out of the small blonde in the picture. Michelle didn't think she had ever seen a more detailed drawing of a constriction. She didn't think a viper was capable of constricting around a human being but the one in the drawing clearly made it possible since Michelle could practically hear the bones crushing just by looking at the detailed drawing.
"How do you know it's Betty Brant? It could be some other blonde munchkin bimbo for all you know." Emma replied which might've been a sarcastic remark were it not for the bitterness in Emma's voice.
"Oh, so it's not actually Betty Brant?" Michelle questioned doubtfully. "The same Betty Brant that Peter's been spending all his time with…the same Betty Brant that he's ditched us to have lunch with?"
Emma clenched her jaw as she looked up from her sketchbook and stared across the cafeteria at the lunch table Peter was sitting at…the lunch table which contained Betty Brant and her gang of giggling morons. Poor Ned also sat there too but looked quite miserable to be there. Emma, however, was more focused on Peter who looked to be smiling at Little Miss Perfect much to Emma's fury. It was so strange to Emma. She never hated anyone as much as she hated Betty Brant except for Rumlow maybe. Emma wasn't stupid either. She wasn't completely oblivious to her feelings to actually think she was anything but jealous. Emma knew that she was extremely jealous of Betty.
Since Emma and Peter stopped speaking Peter had spent an increasing amount of time with Betty. Michelle, the eyes and ears of Midtown High, informed her that Peter was tutoring Betty in chemistry. The two apparently went to the library after school multiple times and had even studied at a coffee shop a couple blocks away. The thought of Peter and Betty alone together infuriated Emma. Mostly because she and Peter had never gone to a coffee shop or the library together. What made Betty so special that Peter would actually take her to a coffee shop?
A part of Emma had wanted to follow them after school and see what they were up to but she knew that would be taking it too far. Maybe Peter was right that time he made that Basic Instinct movie reference about her. Maybe she really was like the crazy blonde in literally any Michael Douglas movie. Still…Emma hated to think of Peter and Betty together. What did they do when they were alone together? Did they kiss? Did he touch or hold Betty like he did with her? Emma was even more panicked as she wondered whether or not Peter had invited her over to his apartment. Were they sleeping together? What if it was even worse than sex? What if Peter realized that he didn't actually love her and he was now in love with Betty instead? It would make more sense if that was the outcome. Peter being in love with someone like Betty made much more sense than him being in love with someone like her.
"What makes you think that I even care?" Emma sneered and Michelle just smirked at her.
"Oh, come on, Emma. It's obvious that you and Peter have the hots for each other." Michelle then made a disgusted face. "Although…I have no idea what you see in him. He's the most annoying person in the world. He never knows when to shut up." Emma faintly smiled because that was another reason she loved Peter. He talked too much which she found adorable.
"I know. He really is annoying, isn't he?" Emma said before she remembered herself and replaced the smile with a frown, her eyes hurriedly darting back to her sketchbook. Michelle rolled her eyes at the blonde. Her friend really was acting weird these days. She was almost as skittish as Peter and that was saying a lot.
"Have you drawn any other Betty Brant death scenes?" Michelle asked Emma curiously as she changed the subject. It was clear to Michelle that Emma didn't want to talk about Peter. Something was definitely going on between the two but Michelle wasn't the kind of person to push her into talking about it. If Emma didn't want to talk about it than Michelle wasn't going to force her. Emma shrugged at Michelle's question.
"A few." She said shortly before glancing back up at her friend. "Aren't you scared? You know, normal teenage girls don't fantasize about killing their classmates." Michelle smirked at the blonde again as her dark eyes glinted with humor.
"Well, you're not normal, are you?" Michelle said while Emma gave her a curious look. The frizzy haired girl's voice then dropped to a low volume as she leaned in closer to Emma. "I know who you are. I know who you really are…Viper."
To Michelle's surprise, however, Emma didn't look surprised at all. Emma looked like she was almost expecting Michelle to say that.
"Oh, really?" Emma said in a bored tone. "And how did you come to that conclusion?" Michelle was a bit dismayed in not causing Emma to be shocked but she answered her nonetheless.
"You showed up this year out of nowhere basked in mysteriousness. You never talked about your past much…you're very closed off." Michelle told her honestly as she started divulging all the clues she had found. Emma watched her silently, relieved to be distracted from her Peter Parker issue. "When you sat next to me that first day of school I thought you'd be annoying and stupid like Betty and her friends. I thought you'd be the cheerleader type with the way you look but you weren't. You were the exact opposite…you didn't even care about making friends."
"And that makes me some kind of assassin?" Emma inquired as she raised an eyebrow but Michelle shook her head.
"No but it's weird…really weird." Michelle remarked before moving on. "You're intelligent but not in a way like anyone on the decathlon team is. You're more observant and sharp…rational even."
"Like you?" Emma questioned as she smirked at her. "Maybe you're the assassin, MJ."
"No, not like me. You're better at observing people than I am and don't act like it's a compliment…you know you're better." Michelle said as she gave Emma a serious look. "I didn't think there was anything totally strange going on with you at first. But then you started spending all this time with Peter all of a sudden."
"So?" Emma said and Michelle searched the blonde's eyes, wondering if maybe she made this all up on her own and Emma was only humoring her. No. Michelle didn't actually think that. This was just some psychological bullshit that Emma was using to mess with her. She was pretending to not to know what Michelle was talking about while acting nonchalant about the whole thing. Michelle knew better than that.
"You were always disappearing to God knows where with him. We both know that all those excuses were lies." Michelle told her and Emma shrugged.
"I didn't know I was such a bad liar." Emma retorted and Michelle scoffed.
"You're not but you were lying badly on purpose to throw me off." Michelle accused and Emma feigned a shocked look.
"But Michelle…I'd have to be absolutely crazy to even think of doing something like that." Emma told her mockingly and Michelle snorted before ignoring her comment, continuing to explain her revelation.
"Then it was like Peter and you were attached at the hip. Ned too so I'm sure he's in on it in some way." Michelle said before continuing. "You and Peter also disappeared for all that time and I know you two weren't fucking. Suddenly the whole decathlon team was in peril and for some weird reason the Viper Assassin and Spider-Man just so happened to be in D.C. to save everyone's life."
"Most would call it a miracle…a gift from God." Emma suggested as she looked at Michelle in amusement.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm an atheist then." Michelle quipped. "You mentioned all that stuff about science experiments so I did some deep thinking. Some Fire Starter and Species type thinking."
"I thought that maybe one of your parents took experimental drugs in college during a lab experiment and you have some kind of super power now." Michelle informed her before telling her another theory. "Or maybe your mom was a slutty alien so you're half alien."
"Am I half slutty too or did I not inherit that gene as well?" Emma asked her as she smirked smugly at her friend. Michelle glared briefly at the blonde, a bit annoyed that Emma wasn't taking her more seriously. She decided to ignore her snide comments and continued to explain her theory.
"Then I scrapped those theories because they were stupid and I knew I had to start fresh." Michelle explained. "I had no idea where to start until you and Peter ditched detention. Funnily enough, just a short time after that the ferry incident happened and once again the Viper Assassin and Spider-Man showed up while you and Peter were no where to be found."
"So? We could just be sleeping together…it could really be that simple." Emma said, seemingly unbothered by what Michelle was insinuating.
"I still wasn't sure after that. The Viper Assassin and Spider-Man going to high school? Why would they waste their time with high school?" Michelle asked sarcastically as she once again ignored Emma's comments. "Then there was the school dance. Peter and you both ditched the dance then Tiny found that one guy glued to the side of a school bus with Spider-Man's webbing."
"Maybe it's a coincidence?" Emma suggested and Michelle shook her head as she narrowed her eyes at her.
"I don't believe in coincidences." Michelle retorted before continuing. "The Viper Assassin and Spider-Man have this huge fight with Liz's dad of all people…The Vulture. Then for some weird reason you don't show up to school for a week and Peter has all these cuts and bruises on his face."
"I had the flu." Emma told her, looking quite delighted by Michelle's observations.
"Then I realized it…I was right before." Michelle finally confessed. "It all made sense suddenly. Peter acting so weird during the past several months…why he dropped all those extracurricular activities. He doesn't even exert himself in PE anymore. You should've seen him during middle school. He was pathetic…he couldn't even do a push up the girly way." Emma wanted to smile at the thought of a pre-spider bite Peter Parker. He had lean muscles now but she wondered just how scrawny he used to be. Emma bet that he must've still been cute either way.
"Then you show up at school and suddenly Spider-Man has a partner?" Michelle questioned before scoffing. "Not to mention you're the most mysterious person I've ever met. You're even more mysterious than my father who said he was going out to pick up some milk and has yet to return. Trust me, I know mysteriousness."
"Is that all?" Emma asked and Michelle shrugged.
"You're also really blonde like the Viper Assassin. Same height and stature too. The conversation we had about the Viper Assassin that one time actually really stuck out to me. That's what got me thinking that maybe there was more to you than meets the eye." Michelle commented. "Not to mention you don't talk like the kids here at school. You talk like an adult and I can tell that you've seen a lot in your life…I can see it in your eyes." Emma stared unblinkingly at her friend.
"If you were right about me…if all of your observations were actually true then shouldn't you be scared? The Viper Assassin is no Captain America." Emma told her darkly to try and see if she could break Michelle and scare her. Michelle, much to Emma's surprise, didn't seem disturbed at all by Emma's question.
"Not really." Michelle said coolly. "I mean, I probably don't have anything to worry about unless I go after Peter. Gross…even saying that causes the bile to rise in my throat." Emma glared at her.
"The Viper Assassin was trained by Hydra…her head trainer was the Winter Soldier." Emma said as she continued to try and scare Michelle. "She's credited with twenty six assassinations officially but she's uncredited with at least six more. The Viper Assassin was injected with a super soldier serum that makes her over ten times stronger than the average man. That's pretty scary."
"I don't know, Emma. I think the Hulk and Thor might be stronger than that." Michelle quipped and Emma narrowed her eyes at her.
"Yeah, well, Thor's an idiot and the Hulk's not as smart as his fidgety doctor counterpart." Emma said defensively and now it was Michelle's turn to be amused. It seemed like someone had a huge ego for an assassin.
"Well, the Viper Assassin seems pretty lame and boring now that she's hanging out with the Avengers." Emma glared at her because she knew Michelle was only trying to piss her off.
"Fine then. If you want to be stupid and hang out with the Viper Assassin then that's on you." Emma said bitterly and Michelle smiled at her. It was one of the few genuine smiles that Michelle had given her. Maybe that's why her and Michelle had gotten along so well. They had almost the same temperament. Emma knew that she acted the way she did because of everything that happened to her but sometimes she wondered what happened to Michelle to make her that way. She wouldn't push Michelle to tell her because Emma wasn't that type of person. If Michelle didn't want her to know then that was it.
"I think it's kind of cool to be friends with a former assassin." Michelle told her. "Honestly I think the Viper Assassin is more badass than the other Avengers."
"Really?" Emma asked her quietly. She was glad that at least someone thought she was somewhat intimidating since no one seemed to be scared of her anymore. Ned didn't even seem scared of her these days. If she couldn't even scare Ned then what was the point of anything?
"Yeah. The Viper Assassin is one of the most notorious assassins in the world." Michelle told her. "She's up there with the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. Everyone knows about the Viper Assassin. I was just reading this Buzzfeed article the other day that listed the Viper Assassin as the second greatest female assassin and third greatest assassin over all."
"The Viper Assassin should be the number one assassin in all categories." Emma said but Michelle could tell she was joking. She supposed it was because Emma and her had almost the same kind of humor.
"Maybe so." Michelle said before changing the subject as something occurred to her. "Did you really know that I knew?"
"You're smart. You're not like all the kids that go here." Emma told her without missing a beat. "When I was forced to attend this school I thought I would be surrounded by insufferable morons but you surprised me. You actually knew what you were talking about. You're probably the only person here that doesn't make me want to jump off a building or something."
"What a kind compliment." Michelle said sarcastically and Emma shrugged.
"Take it or leave it." She retorted and Michelle gave her a curious look.
"What about Peter? You hang out with him all the time...well, at least you used to. He can't make you want to jump off a building, right?" Michelle questioned and Emma looked back at her.
"He does sometimes." Emma admitted. "Not because he's stupid but because he drives me insane. I just don't understand him half the time and the other half of the time I wished I didn't."
"Okay…I hope you know that makes absolutely no sense at all." Michelle told her after failing to piece together what Emma meant. Emma snapped out of her contemplative thinking about Peter, giving Michelle a calm look.
"Whatever. Peter Parker is a mystery I'll never solve. Sometimes I don't know if I want to kill him or…" Emma trailed off when she realized what she was going to say.
"Or what?" Michelle asked as she raised an eyebrow. Kiss him, Emma wanted to say. She didn't know if she wanted to strangle the life out of him or kiss him.
"Nothing. It's stupid." Emma glanced at the clock and noticed that lunch was almost over. "I've gotta go. Lunch is almost over and I wanted to drop off a book at the library."
"Okay, sure. I'll see you in PE." Michelle told her after giving the blonde a weird look. Emma nodded and was about to get up from her seat when she suddenly stopped, turning to look at Michelle one last time.
"I just want you to know that you're the most mysterious person I've ever met too. Natasha Romanoff doesn't have anything on you." Emma told her truthfully much to Michelle's surprise. The teen gave her a bewildered look as Emma looked back at her.
"Um…thanks?" Michelle said, sounding unsure. Emma just smiled at her before leaving the table and heading towards the cafeteria's exit. She could feel her friend's eyes on her as she walked away but didn't turn back around to look at her. Emma had almost reached the exit of the cafeteria too when her enhanced hearing picked up on something from one of the lunch tables a distance away.
"You're so funny, Peter. Oh my god!" Betty Brant said in an annoying voice as she giggled like an idiot at something Peter said. Emma's mood suddenly darkened again as she was reminded of all the time Peter was spending with Betty again. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she struggled not to go over there and rip that annoying little brat's tongue out of her mouth.
Emma was having a difficult time containing her anger when today of all days became the day that Flash Thompson decided to annoy her. Usually Emma liked messing with his head and turning him down in clever ways but today was not the day for Emma to be playing games with anyone much less Flash. The nuisance of a teenage boy stepped out in front of her with a stupid grin on his face. No, Emma most certainly had no tolerance for any of this today. Her blood was practically boiling with anger and jealousy.
"Hey, princess." Flash said teasingly. There it was. Now why did he have use that nickname over all others? If there was a God up there he must really have out for her. "So we haven't talked much lately but that's because Penis Parker's practically latched himself onto you. Now I see that he's even more stupid than I thought since he's going after goody two shoes Betty Brant. Not my type at all."
Flash's eyes shamelessly glanced over Emma's figure as he smirked smugly while Emma stood there, struggling not to lash out and throw this stupid kid across the cafeteria. That would make quite the scene, wouldn't it? If Peter was standing there in Flash's place he'd know better than to annoy her like what Flash was doing right now. Of course, Flash was no Peter. That much was obvious to Emma.
"No, I'm much more interested in you. Betty's got nothing on you, Lewis." Flash told her and Emma was envisioning ways of somehow murdering both him and Betty at the same time. "So I was thinking…my parents are going to be out of town this weekend so I'll have the house all to myself. You're more than welcomed to come by. My parents have this amazing Jacuzzi in their bathroom so if you want to bring a bikini or maybe no bikini. I'm sure we can have a lot of fun."
It was when Flash waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Emma that she lost her temper. Little did Emma know that a fuming Peter Parker sat at his lunch table completely ignoring what Betty Brant was telling him. He glared at Flash Thompson with such anger and resentment that he was about two seconds from going over there and telling Flash to keep his hands off Emma. His Emma more importantly. However, Peter didn't need to do anything as Emma abruptly reached over and grabbed Flash by the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards her until he was only a couple inches from her face. Peter almost thought that Emma was going to kiss Flash until he saw the livid glare on her face. Maybe she'd kill him instead...hopefully.
"Don't fuck with me today, Thompson. I'm not in the mood." Emma hissed venomously as Flash could only watch her with wide eyes. She then looked at him in disgust as she roughly shoved him away from her before storming off through the exit. Most of the kids in the cafeteria stared at Flash in surprise, not believing what they had just seen. Emma Lewis usually acted very quiet and reserved, never displaying that same kind of behavior beforehand but there was something different about her today.
"Oh my god, Flash! Are you okay?" Lily Hollister, one of Betty's friends, asked Flash as she ran over to him. The shocked looked on Flash's face then morphed into his usual smug looking one.
"She's feisty, isn't she?" Nearly everyone rolled their eyes in unison at that. Yeah, Flash was definitely alright. He was back to his usual annoying and insufferable self. Peter continued to stare at the door where Emma had just walked through and a concerned look came briefly over his face. He knew something was wrong with her but he didn't know what. A part of him wanted to go after her and to demand to know what was wrong but he knew if he did that he'd just be reminded of how much he loved her and how much she didn't want him.
"Is everything alright, Peter?" Betty asked politely and Peter was snapped out of his thoughts. He gave her a small smile as he looked back at her.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Peter told her but it was a lie. He was most certainly not fine and he wasn't going to be fine as long as he spent time with Emma or spent time apart from her. It seemed like he couldn't take it either way. Peter wondered if maybe he could do what Emma said and put his feelings for her behind him...Then he realized who he was. No, he couldn't. At the end of the day he'd still love Emma no matter what.
Emma eventually realized that eating lunch in the cafeteria everyday wasn't going to be an option for her. Not if she had to see Peter and Betty look so happy together as they giggled and flirted with each other. Every time Emma saw that short, goody two shoes she was overcome with the urge to murder her. Betty Brant was testing her self-control in more ways than Flash ever had. A part of Emma wished that somehow Flash and Betty could date because that would literally solve all her problems. Flash would stop hitting on her and Betty would stop hitting on Peter.
She knew that she didn't have any claim to Peter and that was entirely her fault. Emma had a choice and she knew by now that she could have him if she really wanted. Now that she knew Peter's true feelings for her she knew that all she would have to do is say the words and Peter would be hers. However, Emma's self-loathing was never going to allow for that happen. Not when she was so stuck in her own mind without any of Steve's guidance over what to do. This whole being in love thing was really hard. No John Hughes movie could have ever prepared Emma for this part of high school.
This was why Emma was spending lunch the next day locked inside one of the stalls in the girl's bathroom. She considered it a way to avoid her homicidal thoughts so that she wouldn't kill Betty because that little spoiled brat was really starting to tempt her. At least in the girl's bathroom she didn't have to see Peter and Betty looking all happy together. She could just be alone with her thoughts and think of all the reasons that it was a good thing that Peter and her weren't together. Emma was so caught up in trying to come up with reasons why her and Peter's separation was a good thing that she barely noticed when she heard the bathroom door open.
"Oh my God, Carlie." Emma heard a very distinct sounding high pitch voice say from outside the stall she was currently standing in. "I love your lip gloss. Where did you get it?"
"Ulta Beauty, of course. Duh…you know that, Lily." Carlie Cooper said and Emma rolled her eyes. Great, it sounded like Betty Brant's crew of annoying and giggling cheerleaders decided to pop into the one bathroom Emma had been hiding in just to get away from Betty. She definitely wasn't very lucky as it would turn out.
"Guys, can we not talk about some stupid lip gloss?!" Betty Brant said in an annoyed voice and Emma immediately clenched her jaw. Even the sound of that little brat's voice pissed Emma off. "We have a seriously important matter to discuss."
"What's that?" Lily asked her friend.
"Peter Parker! Don't you know anything, Lily?" Carlie said, talking to her best friend as if the girl was stupid. "Betty's seriously been crushing hard on Peter lately. Why do you think he and his lame friend have been sitting at our table every day?"
"Oh…I guess I never really thought about it." Lily replied dumbly.
"God, you two are so stupid!" Betty exclaimed as Emma could practically hear the anger and frustration in her voice.
Emma didn't really know why she was actually listening in on them. She could've stormed out of the bathroom at any second but something held her there. As soon as they mentioned Peter's name Emma suddenly wanted to know more. Maybe this way she could find out all the things she had been dying to know about Peter and Betty. Something in Emma's mind told her that she probably didn't want to know but Emma couldn't help it. She wanted to know whether or not Peter had already moved on from her.
"We need to go over what's going to happen next." Betty continued and Emma was sure that the small blonde was probably glaring at the two. "I think he might be interested but I'm not sure."
"What do you mean you're not sure?" Carlie asked her and Betty sighed.
"I don't know. We've been having a lot of study dates lately but he won't discuss anything that doesn't have to do with school." Betty replied, trying to figure out Peter Parker. Good luck with that, Emma thought to herself. She considered herself to be very close with Peter until recently and she still hadn't really figured him out. "I've asked him once or twice whether or not he wanted to see a movie over the weekend but he always says that he's too busy."
Emma practically fumed at Betty's admission. That annoying little brat actually had the nerve to ask Peter out on a date? Emma was completely furious with the notion that Betty had asked him out. She was jealous and she knew it so just thinking of Peter and Betty being romantic with each other was enough to make her more than angry. Emma felt so many different emotions and all at most. It wasn't even that she felt those emotions either but she felt them more intensely than she ever had before and Emma kind of understood why.
Bruce had once informed Emma that she was more prone to having emotions that were a lot stronger than that of a normal human. The serum supposedly intensified everything for her including her emotions which was probably why Hydra had taken so much care in getting her to suppress all her emotions. Emma thought she had them under control until now. Peter seemed to bring these emotions back to the surface for her. She now understood why all the super soldiers before her had gone insane because this was just too powerful and intense for Emma.
"Maybe he's more interested in Emma." Lily suggested. Emma snapped out of her thoughts at Lily's statements.
"What?" Carlie asked in confusion.
"You know…Emma Lewis. Everyone's heard the rumors about her and Peter." Lily said before further explaining. "I heard they ditched decathlon Nationals so that they could spend the day in a hotel room together. They even ditched their dates at Homecoming to run off together. There's definitely something going on between those two."
"Why would Peter be interested in Lewis?" Betty said bitterly. "She seems like a cold bitch to me. You saw what she did to Flash in the cafeteria yesterday. Peter wouldn't like a girl like that." Emma glared at the door of the stall. She wasn't very angry at what Betty had called her so much as angry with the way Betty talked about Peter. Emma hated how Betty dared to think that she knew Peter at all. What? So hanging out with Peter for half an hour a few times a week suddenly made her an expert? God, how did Peter actually manage to spend time with this girl without wanting to murder her like Emma did?
"Still…Peter spends a ton of time with her. He's a guy and she's hot. You can't believe that nothing's happened between them." Carlie added and Emma could tell that Betty wasn't going to like that answer.
"So she's a slut who throws herself at him. Guys don't stay committed to those kinds of girls." Betty told her friends heatedly and Emma narrowed her eyes. "Peter's a gentlemen and a gentlemen doesn't date a slut."
Emma glared at the stall door because she couldn't believe Betty was actually calling her the slut who threw herself at Peter. Emma wasn't the one who giggled at every little thing Peter said and gave him a fucking bottle of cologne for his birthday. She didn't put her hands all over him and tell him how funny he was. That little brat thought she was the perfect girl for Peter, didn't she? Maybe she was but that didn't mean that Emma liked the thought of those two together. Emma knew that a normal person probably would want Peter to be with anyone that made him happy but unfortunately she wasn't a normal person. Besides…people who thought like that were only lying to themselves. Everyone was selfish and no one wanted to see the person they were in love with in a relationship with another person. Emma was entirely selfish and she wasn't delusional enough to deny that. She was so conflicted over all her intense emotions. Emma didn't want to date Peter but at the same time she didn't want him to date someone else either. It was really a no win situation.
At this point in time Emma could no longer keep herself hidden in the stall of the bathroom. She wasn't about to stand in there like an idiot and let Betty Brant talk about her like that as if she wasn't there. Emma was no coward and she wasn't going to stand by, letting that little brat run her mouth like that. She was going to hold her head up high and be the person her father raised her to be. Not some silly spineless little girl who was afraid of a pipsqueak like Betty Brant. So Emma maintained a stoic expression on her face and without another thought she unlocked the stall door before pushing it open.
The three teenage girls watched in shock as the same girl they were gossiping about came out of the stall. The blonde had a completely calm look on her face as she walked to one of the sinks like she hadn't heard anything of what the three of them were saying. Betty stared at Emma as she tried to determine whether or not the taller girl had heard anything they might've said. However, Emma Lewis seemed completely oblivious as she washed her hands in the sink. Betty was so lost in the emotionless look on Emma's face that it took her by surprise when Emma finally looked at her.
"Hello, Betty." Emma suddenly said cheerfully with a polite smile on her face. "Freshening up a bit before fourth period?" Betty, Carlie, and Lily just stared at the blonde, not knowing what to say to her. Betty, however, was oddly disturbed by the smile on Emma's face. She knew that Emma must've overheard what they said since she had been in the bathroom the whole entire time. So why did the taller blonde seem so calm?
"Hi…Emma." Betty said awkwardly as Emma continued to wash her hands. Carlie and Lily exchanged odd looks as Emma finally shut off the sink, leaning over to get a paper towel to dry off her hands. The blonde dried off her hands slowly while she smiled at Betty in that same polite way.
"Are you looking forward to the Roman Empire?" Emma said randomly as Betty and the others continued staring at her in bewilderment. Betty eventually snapped out of her dazed state as she blinked. For a moment she thought she had heard Emma wrong but by the looks on Lily and Carlie's face she could tell she hadn't.
"What?" Betty questioned in confusion but Emma just continued to smile at her.
"The Roman Empire. That's what we're studying in history, right?" Emma said as if Betty and the other two girls should've immediately known what she was talking about. Betty furrowed eyebrows but managed to slowly nod.
"Yeah…right. The Roman Empire." Betty mumbled. At this distance Betty was able to see just how much taller Emma was than her. There was actually quite a bit of a height difference between the two. Betty noticed that Emma was a few inches taller than her and the taller girl made it painfully obvious as she looked down at her.
"I'm quite interested in the Roman Empire myself although that's only because of Julius Caesar." Emma said which didn't stop Betty's overwhelming confusion about the mysteriousness of Emma Lewis.
"Julius Caesar?" Betty questioned and Emma just smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. The smaller blonde couldn't help but get a sinking feeling from Emma's smile. There was just something not right about her.
"Yeah…you know, the one who was literally stabbed in the back by the people he called friends?" Emma said in a voice that might've even had a darker undertone to it were it not for the pleasant smile on her face.
"Et tu, Brute?" Betty quoted quietly and Emma's smile widened.
"Exactly. God, you've gotta just love that play." Emma told her. "Julius Caesar and Macbeth have to be my favorite Shakespearean plays."
"Why? They're both tragedies." Betty said to her but Emma didn't seem bothered.
"I don't know. There's just something very poetic about a man being betrayed by those he trusted most." Emma said nonchalantly and Betty just stared at her.
"And Macbeth?" Betty questioned.
"There's something even more poetic about a man being betrayed by words." Emma answered. "The power of man, for none of woman born. Shall harm Macbeth."
Betty favored English literature above all over subjects except maybe journalism. She always prided herself on being more cultured and educated than any of her classmates at school. Betty was something of a know-it-all which was something she was proud of until Emma Lewis came into the picture. It annoyed Betty whenever the tall blonde flawlessly answered every question in history class. It was almost like Emma knew everything and Betty had even heard Mrs. Beringer, their English teacher, praise Emma's literary knowledge. The thought of someone being better at her favorite subject than she was…well, that was completely infuriating to her. Still…Betty suspected that maybe her and Emma might've even been friends in a different situation. None of her friends could quote Shakespeare right back to her after all. However, that was never going to happen as long as Emma had Peter Parker wrapped around her little finger.
"Shakespeare's a genius." Betty told her and Emma just continued to smile. There was something about the way the blonde looked down at her. Although her smile seemed kind there was something cold looking about her eyes.
"Well, it was nice having this conversation with you, Betty." Emma said politely, making it clear that she was about to leave. The taller girl gave her one last smile before she started to move towards the door. However, before Emma could reach the door Betty's voice stopped her in her steps.
"You're not his type, you know." Betty called after her. The fake smile fell off Emma's face as she stood there, her back facing Betty and Betty's dim witted friends. Emma could've pretended not to know what Betty was talking about. She could've been so good at pretending that she would've made Betty second guess herself about whatever relationship there was between Emma and Peter. Instead, she did none of that. Emma slowly turned around to face the small blonde who had her arms crossed. Carlie and Lily stood at Betty's side with smug looks on their faces, looking very interested in watching all this go down.
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked her but they both knew what Betty meant. The small blonde just smiled at her, a smile that was almost as convincing as Emma's had been. That's what Betty was good at…smiling. She was probably one of those girls that had been groomed and primped to smile. Whatever made an ivy league college turn their head when they looked at a picture of her.
"You've only been going to school here for a couple months. I've been going to school here since kindergarten which means that I've known Peter since then." Betty told her, practically sneering at her. "What makes you so special? You've barely even been here yet he follows you around like a lost puppy."
"Betty, you sound crazy." Emma said as she played it off but Betty glared at her.
"Don't play games, Lewis." Betty told her before continuing. "Everyone knows that there's something going on between you two although I don't know why. Peter's type was always Liz and you're not Liz." Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, I'm surprised. I had no idea that I wasn't Liz." Emma said sarcastically. "You know, you don't really look like Liz either."
"There's something wrong with you. I don't know what it is and I don't want to know but there's something really wrong with you." Betty said scathingly to Emma as the taller girl just watched her with an unreadable look on her face.
"It's really funny how you claim to know Parker so well." Emma said quietly as she looked at the shorter girl coldly. "It's funny because until a couple weeks ago Parker didn't even exist to you. It was only recently that you started coming around. Now…why is that?"
"I don't know what you mean." Betty said stubbornly and Emma just narrowed her eyes at the girl.
"If you've gone to school with him for as long as you say you have then why wait all this time?" Emma asked her even though she already knew the answer. "No, you've just noticed that Parker's been working out more than the average sixteen year old. Those thin shirts he wears in gym class do nothing to conceal those so called changes. He's hot now, right? That's why you're all over him." Betty glared at her as she looked up at the taller blonde. Emma thought she was almost like a little Chihuahua. It was quite pathetic actually.
"Whatever's going on between you and Peter is about to end. You're not going to be his girlfriend…I am." Betty said, sounding very sure of herself. "He's a scientist and I'm a journalist. You're just a silly little artist. What kind of career could you ever have from art anyways? Artists don't make any money and they're lucky to find a job drawing an advertisement for cereal. I saw the painting you painted…it wasn't even that good." Emma didn't know if she wanted to punch the girl or laugh at her. Was she actually being serious? Who did this girl think she was…Regina George?
"Um…okay. That doesn't sound petty at all." Emma said sarcastically but Betty didn't respond to her sarcasm. She gave Emma a heated look.
"You made the mistake of putting out for him too soon. He knows you're a little slut and he'll never want anything more from you." Betty said smugly. "Why do you think he's not talking to you anymore? He already got what he wanted."
Emma just watched the small blonde, feeling so many emotions all it once. She was furious and annoyed of course, thoughts of murder continuously going through her head, but she was also a little bewildered and mystified. Emma never thought this was something people actually did in real life. She never thought people were bullies anymore. The blonde knew bullies had existed in one point in time from Steve's recollections from his childhood but she didn't think it was still a thing. It only happened in movies, right? There was no such thing as Regina George, Tracy Flick, or Heather Chandler in real life…well, at least that's what Emma used to think. Emma always thought her grandfather might've been exaggerating about bullies but she realized that she was wrong. This even made her sympathize more with him. If Emma hadn't been the person she was then she might've even cried at Betty's words…if she was a normal girl.
"Just back off." Betty sneered as Emma looked back down at her. "I can ruin you, Lewis. That's how many people like me at this school…that's how connected I am. Maybe if you had thought about making more friends than Michelle then you'd be okay but you're just a nobody."
So this was really happening, huh? Emma had only spent a couple months going to high school and she was already fighting over a boy. If this what Steve wanted when he told her he wanted her to have a normal life? Had he wanted her to get into fights over boys because Emma felt a little ridiculous at this point. Betty was kind of setting feminism back a couple decades.
If this was a different situation then Emma might've even admired Betty a bit for her threats in all honesty. It was clear to Emma that Betty had the true makings of a villain or at least a corrupt politician. Someone who was able to forge connections and to then use those connections against other people. Emma thought Betty was an interesting person because she wasn't just any sort of villain…no, she was a high school villain. The blonde had never dealt with such an opponent. Not even in Hydra. Of course Hydra had never sent her a target of a girl that used her resources to win the heart of a boy. She supposed that's what made Betty fascinating to her. That she had all that power within the high school yet she chose to use it on a boy. Emma knew better than anyone that Peter wasn't just any boy but Betty didn't know Peter like Emma did. Yes, Betty's motivations were entirely interesting to Emma.
"Next time I'd keep my legs shut if I were you." Carlie told Emma as Lily snickered and with that the three teenage girls left the bathroom, leaving Emma by herself. She watched as the door shut behind them and was unsure how to feel. Emma was furious, of course, that Betty thought she could tell her what to do…that she could tell Emma to stay away from Peter. Emma didn't take well to anyone trying to tell her what to do. Then again, Emma was also a bit amused.
Betty Brant thought she could toss orders right and left and everyone would listen to her. She thought that she could get whatever she wanted no matter the cost…Betty was greedy. Most of all, Betty actually believed that she had won whatever little game they had started. She had called Emma a slut and threatened her with isolation, probably thinking that she would drive Emma to tears. A normal girl probably would've bawled her eyes out and eaten a tub of ice cream. A normal girl would've been devastated and cried to her mommy. Well, Emma didn't have a mommy now, did she? Emma was stronger than that although she didn't take too kindly to the spoiled little brat thinking she could tell Emma what to do.
No one told Emma what to do and she wasn't about to let Betty think she could boss her around. Emma also hated how the arrogant girl thought she had some kind of claim to Peter. Peter wasn't some object for Betty or her to win. Emma knew she was jealous of the time Betty was spending with Peter but it wasn't like she could actually tell him who or who not to date. If Peter actually wanted to be stupid enough to date some bimbo then fine. However, Emma wasn't going to let Peter be with someone like Betty…someone who wanted to control him and was only attracted to him for superficial reasons. Peter didn't need to be fucked with like that…he didn't deserve it. So Emma was going to make damn well sure that he didn't date Betty of all people.
Emma thought she making a noble sacrifice in not telling Peter how she truly felt and she wasn't going to let all that go to waste just so Betty Brant could go fuck everything up and use him. Did Emma want Peter to date other girl? Well, no…but she definitely didn't want him dating Betty. Betty was a million times worse than other girl Peter could date even though Emma was pretty sure she'd hate any girl Peter dated. This Betty thing was going to end right then and now. Emma would sure of it. Not by murder because Peter wouldn't like that but Emma had other methods.
Betty was used to winning games. High school was a mere chess game to her. Emma was even a little thrilled by the prospect of playing a game. She smirked at the thought. If anyone saw her now they probably would've thought it was a Loki worthy evil grin. So Betty wanted to play? Well, fine. Emma would play Betty's little game and she would win. The greatest part was that Emma didn't even need to be popular to win her game. No, she was just going to win the old fashioned way…the way she always won the games she played with her targets back in Hydra.
By instilling fear.