Author's Note: Yep Harry's got a crush! That's a thing. So, continuing on, I may just keep this one going like I am with A Flash In The Dark. I've decided that the only thing that happened from episode three was the detention bit. That's really up to you guys. Tell me in the comments. Also, which ships you want. I have yet to decide on an endgame ship for this story. I like your input. I own nothing.
16. An Old Friend
Piper handed Ava back her phone as Jamison's latest rant against Spider-girl ended. She raised an eyebrow at her gathered team.
"So? Jamison never lays off me. This is supposed to be news?" Nova rolled his eyes and Ava spoke up.
"So! Why did we have to hear about this from Fury and not you?" Piper pulled a book out of her locker depositing her backpack as she did.
"You guys aren't my mommy and daddies. I don't have to tell you what I'm doing at all times." Danny shook his head.
"Stand together or fall alone." Piper rolled her eyes.
"And that's another thing. I agreed to help with this program if and only if my time stayed mine. And you guys yanking me away in the middle of a conversation with my best friend counts as cutting into my time, unless it's for an actual emergency. Seriously I barely know any of you, we aren't friends yet. That's something you have to earn." Piper slammed her locker closed and walked away missing the slightly hurt looks on her teams faces. She still wasn't sure about this whole team thing. They'd done ok against the frightful four but the others lack of experience or care for civilian safety was worrying. Piper wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and ran straight into the back of what she thought for a moment was Flash. Her books fell from her hands papers scattering all over the floor. She muttered a quick sorry and knelt to pick up her papers. The guy she'd bumped into turned and knelt to help her gather her papers. He handed her a small stack of calculus notes with a smile. He was blonde like Flash, but he was missing the ever-present Letterman jacket. His smile was much warmer than Flash's, and his sparkling blue eyes were familiar. Piper stood, taking the hand he offered to help her.
"Thanks. Sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going." The smile never wavered.
"It's ok." He looked so familiar, Piper couldn't help herself.
"Have we met?" The smile grew wider.
"I was hoping you'd recognize me Pipes. I know it's been a long time but hey a guy can dream." The nickname was what made it click. It had been what Uncle Ben had called her and her friends had adopted it up until she was eleven when her uncle had died. But one of her closest friends had been forced to move away before her uncle had died. Tears stung the corner of her eyes.
"Eddie?" He held out his arms and Piper practically ran him over with the force of her hug.
"Heya Pipes. It's so good to see you." Eddie's parents had worked with Piper's, had died in the same plane crash. But unlike Piper Eddie hadn't had any relatives to take him in. He'd been a ward of the state and when he was eleven and Piper was ten, the orphanage he'd been living at had been shut down. He'd left and Piper hadn't seen him since. Piper took a step back swiping at her eyes with her sleeve.
"Eddie what are you doing here?" He grinned.
"I go here now." The teacher behind him, Mr. Monroe, Piper's advanced Calculus teacher cleared his throat.
"I'm glad you two know each other. I was going to ask Piper here to show you around the school, give you the tour and all that. Will that be a problem Miss Parker?" Piper shook her head.
"Absolutely not, Mr. Monroe." Mr. Monroe smiled.
"Very good. I'll make your excuses with Miss Quin. Get going. I expect you to be present for that test in fifth period." Piper nodded and Eddie held out his arm. Piper threaded her arm through his and they walked off Piper pointing out different classrooms along the way.
Harry was getting worried. Piper hadn't shown up to their shared English class. They didn't have any classes together after that until after lunch. She said she'd find him at lunch they always did. Piper, Harry and MJ always sat at the same table just the three of them. Harry grabbed his tray and collected his food before looking around the cafeteria. He spotted Piper's short crop of chestnut hair easily and grinned slightly relieved. He was halfway to her when he spotted the tall muscular blonde sitting next to her. He froze. MJ raised an eyebrow at him then spotted the boy sitting next to Piper. Her jaw went slack for a moment. Then she grinned and pulled Harry over to the table.
"Eddie? Is that you?" The boy looked up and smiled broadly. He hugged MJ and Piper beamed at Harry. That smile did funny things to his heart. He grinned and sat down across from her.
"So this is the infamous Eddie Brock?" Eddie nodded and held out his hand to shake Harry's.
"That's right. You must be Harry. Piper's told me quite a bit about you." Piper blushed slightly and Harry felt like doing a happy dance. She'd told him about Eddie Brock, how they were like brother and sister until he'd been forced to move. Harry felt a bit less threatened now that he knew who this man was. They were all interrupted when Flash Thompson popped out of nowhere shoving between Piper and Eddie. Piper slipped and fell off the bench her tray 'mysteriously' following her down. It landed on her shirt and Flash's girlfriend Liz laughed loudly as Piper tried to wipe gravy off her white shirt.
"So, you're the new guy huh? Word of advice, don't hang with losers and you might actually make something of yourself." Eddie's hands curled into fists.
"Good advice. Guess I won't be hanging out with you then." The whole cafeteria went quiet as Flash went red in anger. Only Harry noticed Piper's detention buddies, the blonde one and the tall one who had more muscle than even Flash helping her up. The small Latino was glaring daggers at Flash. The only other girl in their little group looked like she was going to murder Flash. Harry stood and swung off his jacket, swinging it around Piper's shoulders.
"Great another member if the loser squad. Have fun being a nerd." Flash walked off red in the face, he sneered at Piper as he passed the girl and boy who weren't still standing on either side of her stepped in front of her. Flash stalked off.
"Thanks for your help." The blonde nodded.
"A friend in need." Piper flinched slightly. The girl held out a hand.
"Come on I've got a spare shirt in my locker." The small group walked off with Piper in tow. Eddie turned to MJ who was fuming.
"Does that happen often?" MJ stabbed her peas and nodded. Harry sat back down.
"Nearly daily, though he likes to switch up how he bullies her." Eddie raised an eyebrow.
"And you haven't done anything about it?" MJ kept stabbing her food not really interested in eating it anymore.
"Of course we've tried, but none of the teachers will do anything about it. He's the star quarterback. They can't suspend him without worrying about how the football team will fail without him." Eddie pushed away his tray.
"That's bullshit." Harry nodded eyes still on the doors they had left through.
"Yeah, but I guess she's got her detention friends now." Eddie raised an eyebrow.
"Baby Piper in detention? Now this I've got to hear."
Ava led Piper and the boys back to her locker and rummaged around before pulling out a few shirts and pulling Piper to the girl's room. The boys stood watch outside the bathroom as Ava helped her pick out a new shirt then ushered her into one of the stalls.
"Ava, about what I said earlier…" Ava cut her off.
"Water under the bridge. None of us were particularly happy when we joined the team either. Except Sam, when he still thought he was leader." Piper snorted.
"Still everybody deserves a chance and I wasn't willing to give you guys that. Forgive me and try again?" Piper stepped out of the stall in a floaty blue blouse that hid the top of the Spider-girl costume nicely, Harry's jacket was sitting around her shoulders. Ava smiled.
"Absolutely." Piper stepped out of the bathroom and apologized the rest of the team and they all agreed that they'd gotten off on the wrong foot and should try again. Sam had to be prodded by Danny and Luke but that was more than likely due to the fact that Piper had embarrassed him a bit the day before by shooting down his idea to go after an A list villain without permission or provocation. In hindsight, he realized it would have been nearly suicidal to do so but he'd wanted to show off. They wandered off to class and MJ caught up to Piper.