Chapter 8: Always Someone Better
Mary Jane and Perenna were eating their bowls of Lucky Charms when Anna came in from outside with the mail and was looking through the letters. She stopped with two and held them out to Perenna. "You've got two letters dear."
Perenna blinked as she accepted and opened the first one, a grimace crossing her face. "The bank's going to be selling the house, and I have a week to move out all the belongings." She muttered before moving onto her next one, already thinking of what she was going to do with all the things. She couldn't just throw them away, maybe a garage sale? Let someone else enjoy the items?
Her current line of thought stopped when she read the second letter and gasped, causing both Watson women to look at her in alarm. "It's from Aunt 'Nessa." She said in lieu of an explanation.
"Aunt Who?" Mary Jane asked in confusion.
"My Aunt Vanessa, she's my dad and uncle's sister." Perenna explained.
"You have another aunt?" Mary Jane asked and Perenna nodded. "Then why wasn't she at the funeral or spoke to you?"
Perenna frowned as she thought back to that day, the ache in her chest returning momentarily before she pushed it back. Ever since she'd become Spider-Girl, she'd been feeling that ache less and less. "She was at the funeral, at the back and the last one to pay her respects but the first one to leave." She shrugged. "I'd assumed she'd seen me talking to Miss Page and didn't want to bother me."
MJ still looked a little lost, but Anna seemed to know who Perenna was talking about. "Oh, that woman who used to bring her son over next door when you were young? Lovely woman."
Mary Jane seemed to be grasping what the situation was like now. "So what does she say in the letter?"
"She said she apologizes for not being able to speak with me, but she also wants to meet me after school. Something about catching up." Perenna explained and shrugged.
"Huh." MJ paused. "What she look like anyway?"
"I saw a picture of her as a teenager in the photo album of her with my dad and uncle, she looks like me." Perenna replied.
"She must be pretty then." Mary Jane said smiling and Perenna flushed before finishing up her breakfast. The duo soon headed out to the bus stop and sat in silence for the bus ride and they found a large crowd of students outside the school as they were gathered around a car. Perenna looked to Mary Jane in confusion. "What do you think's going on?"
Mary Jane shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." She said before they headed into the school where they met up with the third of their group, as Eddie seemed to have yet to arrive at school. "Hey, Harry, know what the big deal is outside?"
The redheaded boy shrugged. "Probably just there to greet Flash, he's coming back to school today."
Perenna grimaced as she realized what this meant. "And it was so peaceful otherwise." She said sarcastically.
"Hi, Perry." Someone from behind the brunette said and the girl looked over her shoulder at a passing by Gwen.
"Oh, hi Gwen." She replied before looking back at her friends.
Harry looked distinctly disbelieving. "I don't know whether to be jealous of you Perry or take pointers from you." He said confoundedly as Perenna merely tilted her head in confusion at what he meant.
The bell rang before the subject could be further discussed.
Perenna looked out from each direction as she emerged from the janitor's closet as she'd spotted Flash coming and had hurriedly hid. She didn't want to deal with him and his harassment if she could today and he'd probably be more than likely to seek revenge against her making him look bad in front of everyone. So it was best to avoid the problem at all if she could.
Perenna walked out fully and made her way down the hall to her next class as lunch was nearly over and she heard knocking coming from inside one of the lockers. She paused as she made her way over to it and tried to peer into the air vents it had. "Hmm?"
"Hi, Perenna."
It took a moment for Perenna to recognize the voice before she shook her head. "Oh, Max, Flash got to you, didn't he?"
"Yeah." There was a sulky tone in Max's voice. "Can you let me out?"
"Sure." Perenna replied and after being told the numbers, unlocked the lock and opened the door with a creak to let the blond male out. "I still can't believe this is being done."
"It's high school, Perenna." The blond replied sourly.
Perenna paused before nodding. "I suppose…" she trailed off before walking off. "Anyway, I better head to class."
"Uh, wait." The blond said before closing his locker and catching up with her. "We're both going to the same class, so why don't we walk together?"
Perenna smiled lightly. "Sure, why not?" she shrugged and noticed the blond was looking at her like he had been the previous day. "I forgot that there was something you wanted to tell me yesterday, wasn't there?"
The blond flushed and nodded his head. "I was, uh, wondering if you were going to the game tonight."
Perenna slowed her footsteps down to a halt as she looked at Max. "Are you asking me out?"
The blonde's flushed reddened. "Well, uh, it doesn't have to be called, but would you go to the game with me?"
Perenna thought about this and from the time she'd already spent around Max when she was helping him with his school work he seemed like a nice guy. "Sure, I'll go to the game with you."
The blond smiled at her. "Great." He said before the bell rang, signaling that lunch had ended and the two of them continued on walking to the Science classroom.
Perenna walked out with her friends over to the limo at the street, her thought wandering back to the fact she was going to be an intern at ESU tomorrow. They got in and her redheaded male friend instructed the driver to head to the Uptown district. "Thanks Harry, for taking me to meet my aunt I mean."
Harry waved it off. "What are friends for? Though, how come you never mentioned having an aunt?"
Perenna shrugged. "We weren't all that close; it's kinda surprising that she wants to meet me now though." She replied and deftly changed the subject. "Are either of you going to the game later?"
"Yeah," "Yep." Both Harry and Mary Jane said at the same time.
Mary Jane looked at her slyly. "And I heard that someone got herself a date to the game?"
Perenna blushed. "Where did you hear that?"
"I saw that Max guy talking to you as I was walking to class and heard him ask you to the game." Mary Jane replied shrugging.
Harry raised a brow. "Max Dillon, the guy who stares at you all the time in class, the one who's probably just one step away from being a stalker? That Max?"
Perenna made a face as she looked at the boy. "One; he does not stare at me. Two; he is definitely not a stalker."
"I didn't say he was; just that he might be." Harry retorted.
Perenna nodded slightly. "I'll take your words into careful consideration." She said dryly.
Harry's expression turned serious. "I'm being serious here, just remember that all you have to do is come to me and I'll show him why he shouldn't stalk my 'sister.'"
Perenna felt a smile turn up at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks Harry, and…I really will take your words into careful consideration." She added more sincerely. Her eyes turned out to the parlor that the limo stopped at and looked at her friends as she opened the door. "Don't wait up." She said before closing the door behind her and looked around before finding an elegantly dressed woman with long dark-hair, several shades darker than her own, sitting at a table and giving a cursory glance to the menu.
Perenna gulped as she approached the table and took a seat at the opposite end. "Hello, Aunt 'Nessa."
The woman looked up at her and tilted her head. "It's so strange how you look more like me every time I see you." She murmured and Perenna smiled shyly. "But how are you dear?"
"I'm…fine." Perenna answered tentatively as she hadn't talked to the woman in such a long time. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, but…" she trailed off as she thought of a way to phrase what she was going to say.
She didn't have to say anything apparently. "What am I doing here now?" Vanessa questioned and Perenna nodded tentatively. "I know we aren't close, but," A look of genuine sadness came over the woman's face, "I've already lost my brother's and you're the only one from them both that is still around, and I want don't want to lose that."
Perenna stared down at her lap as she thought the words over. It sounded like there was an implication in them. "And, what you suggest as a reconnection?"
Vanessa smiled at her. "I want to take you in as my ward. I always wanted a daughter…" she trailed off wistfully.
Perenna missed the last part as her mind went to the fact if she went with her aunt, then she wouldn't be put in a foster home, and the woman was family. Then again the woman probably described her in the same way when she thought about wanting to catch up. "Well, it would be nice to see Richie again, how is he?"
The woman's smile widened. "He's fine, just graduated college last summer and he's working in his father's business."
Perenna nodded, as she knew her aunt was married, but not to who, seeing as when she was young she thought of very little other than playing out in the yard with her 'brother' and cousin. "Do I have to make the decision right now?" But not to sound ungrateful or rude, she hastily added, "It's just that my old home is being sold and I have to move everything out before the end of the week."
Vanessa nodded in understanding. "I see, and you don't have to leave your current residence right now. It will give me time to set up your room anyway." She said smiling.
Perenna nodded again, this time in a more mystified manner. Her aunt was being so understanding, but she wasn't about to pass up reconnecting with the only blood relation she still had. "Thank you for understanding, um, I need to get going." She said blushing in embarrassment. "I have a…date." She tripped over the use of the word, but there really was no other word she could use to describe it.
The woman smiled knowingly. "Right, have fun then."
Perenna nodded and smiled at her before leaving. She wasn't angry that her friends had taken what she'd said at face value and left, she had her own way to get home after all. She ducked into an alley and stripped out of her clothing to reveal the red and blue suit, putting on her mask before shooting out web lines from her fingertips and swung out of the alley, her pack slung over her shoulder.
She heard a commotion from a bank and decided she could get in some crime fighting action and took her camera out of her pack and webbed it at an angle so the shots could be made without any interference. She swung in just as Shocker came running out the doors and she kicked him back inside the building, the momentum sending off his feet and onto his back. "Not you again!"
Spider-Girl laughed, it being such a light, airy sound that it even surprised her as she swung into the bank and placed one dainty foot onto Shocker's chest. "Yup, me again." She said and stuck her hand out, ready to web the guy up and get ready for her date. "You didn't learn your lesson from the last time, did you? Or did you just want to see me again, Shocky?" she said as her grin widened.
"Bite me!" Shocker snapped before raising his gauntlets and the resulting blast sent Spider-Girl flying back onto the floor.
Spider-Girl shook her head of messy hair and rose to her feet, her grin had faded like dusk and her mouth was now set in a firm line. She saw that the man was about to blast her before his gauntlets sparked as he tried to fire them and they went up in smoke. She found this very strange and but wasn't about to question the guy's use of mechanics as she ran in and punched Shocker and it sent him flying back again. She saw a flash of blond hair behind the counter of the teller but thought nothing of it as she webbed Shocker down for the police and swung off, sullenly webbing her camera and reeled it in, knowing full well that she probably hadn't gotten any good photos has the 'fight' had been inside.
"I feel…funny." Perenna said staring into the mirror in and looked at the tight red shirt she was wearing with the black open jacket on top and the fitting black skinny jeans, her hair down and ornamented with a red headband MJ had laying around.
"You look great." Mary Jane assured her as she wondered why she was helping her friend dress up for her 'date.'
Perenna smiled radiantly at the redhead. "You really think so?" she asked looking herself over, feeling somewhat self-conscious.
Mary Jane nodded. "I really do." She replied in affirmation.
Perenna's shoulders relaxed and they both headed down the stairs and walked out the door to the bus stop. They chatted and wondered if Harry's basketball team would kick off the season by winning. When they arrived, she found the blond nervously waiting outside the gym and looking around before he noticed her and his eyes widened. "Hi, Max."
The blond nodded, looking dumbstruck. "Uh, hi Perenna; you look nice." He replied blushing.
Perenna smiled, feeling flustered herself. "Thank you." She said sincerely and the three of them headed into the gym and into the bleachers.
The basketball game was underway, but the football players and the cheerleaders were all clumped together. "I don't believe it, Puny Parker's here with weird guy, looks like she dumped your ass Brock." Flash chuckled and the other blond glowered at him before looking up at Perenna and her 'date.'
The thought was oddly enraging. Perry was his, wasn't she? So what was she doing here with someone else? Then again, the more rational part of him argued that Perenna was still too young for him and he shouldn't be holding a torch for her. She only saw him as a friend and that was unfortunately all she saw him as she just a little too easily accepted that they couldn't be together.
He also knew it was irrational to think he had some claim on the girl, but then again, he did know her for the majority of their lives and thought he had at least some entitlement.
The next day after school she'd practically raced to the ESU building and found a tall blond standing at the foot of the stair, staring up at the building in awe.
"Wow, this place is huge."
"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of mental instability." Perenna said lightly as she found the place to be awe-inspiring as well.
The blond looked over at her, and she saw him wearing a white shirt, a blue over jacket and blue pants. "Oh really? You telling me you wouldn't be able to say something when you saw this building?"
"No, honestly, because I thought it instead." Perenna replied smirking.
The blond huffed as he walked in and held the door open. "You coming in or what?" he asked and Perenna walked in as well. "So you a student or something?"
"Or something." Perenna replied chuckling. "I'm a science intern, just starting out as a matter of fact." She said and she knew her expression was proud.
The blond raised a brow. "Really? Me too, I go to Domino, you?"
"I go to Midtown." Perenna replied.
"Hmm, my sister goes to the middle school there." The blond said thoughtfully. "Seeing as we're gonna be working together," he said as he held out his hand, "hi, I'm Joey Wheeler."
Perenna shook his hand as she thought about his name. "Perenna Parker." She replied and bit her lip. "You said your last name was Wheeler? Do you happen to know a Serenity Wheeler?"
Joey blinked and tilted his head. "Yeah, she's my sister, how do you know her?"
"She's my friend." Perenna answered shyly. "We met on Shadow Day at my school and hung out last weekend." She said as her face contorted into a look of sadness as she thought back to what else had happened that weekend, but pushed it aside for now.
"My sister went to your school for Shadow Day huh?" Joey questioned and his expression blanked. "Well…I really have nothing to say to that." He added awkwardly.
Perenna smiled dryly at that. "You're funny." She joked and rolled her eyes.
They both walked down the hall and arrived at the main lab to see a blond man with a missing arm and a redheaded woman by him. "Oh, you must be the interns." The blond said.
"Are we the only ones our school recommended?" Joey asked in surprise.
"As a matter of fact…eh, yes." The blond man said lamely.
"And that makes this opportunity all the better then." Joey replied smirking.
"Glad you see it that way." The redheaded woman said smiling.
Joey looked a little spacey for a moment, as though he was thinking of something before he spoke. "It's nice to meet you; Miss Drew talked about you in my science class."
Perenna took up the statement. "Yes, it's such an honor to meet you, Dr. Connors." She said holding her hand out to the blond man.
The man shook her hand with his remaining one and questioned if they knew about 'gene-splicing.' Joey surprising took the reigns as he launched right into an explanation.
They all stared at him, Perenna feeling vaguely jealous of his knowledge and this was not a feeling she was used to, as she'd never had any real competition in the brains department.
"I like Science." Joey said shrugging and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Clearly." Dr. Connors said as his voice sounded dazed before clearing his throat. "Alright then, here's what I want you two to do today…"
Perenna listened, but her thoughts were stuck on the fact Joey might be better than her at this.