The rest of the week went by very well for Lila. She loved her engineering and science classes. Her friends and school. She signed up once again for the fencing and swim teams.
She didn't get to hang out with Peter and Ned as much as she would have liked but that was because she was… popular. Very popular. The most popular kid in school if not the most popular teenager on Earth thanks to her Avenger fame. But she did get to spend a lot of her spare time with MJ in class, in the halls and lunch luckily. The two forming a deep friendship.
She was currently having with Brad which was going well. The two grabbed dumplings nearby after school since he lived out in the suburbs. The two sitting at the bar faced out towards the windows. Looking out at the busy Manhattan street. It was a clear warm late Friday afternoon. The blue sky letting rays of sunshine shine through. She was having the date before she and her mom would take the jet back to the farm for the weekend. She was wearing her usual pair of jeans and a t shirt. She learned that his parents immigrated from Malaysia and were successful surgeons. That he and his parents weren't blipped but his little sister was.
"So what about you?" he asked as she picked up a dumpling with a chopstick. "What about me?" she asked before eating it.
"I mean of course I know what you did and all but before that. During the five years." he explained. She inhaled a hitched breath and looked down to her converse sneakers. Her long hair covering the side of her face. She had never talked about it with anyone. Her parents tried to get her to open up but after she broke down that first night they were brought back.
"Lila…" Brad said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Oh sorry it's just…" she fumbled over her words, tucking the loose strains behind her ear as she looked at him.
"It's just my whole family was blipped and its still very hard to talk about it and of course after my Aunt…" she tried to explain strongly but he grabbed her wrist. "Hey, it's okay. I get it. We're all still dealing with this I guess. You don't need to talk about it if you don't want too." he said and she sighed. "Thanks." she smiled and he smiled back.
"So I head you signed up for the swim team…" The rest of the "date" went by very well, Lila thought. Brad was currently walking her back to the subway stop by the school. "
"I had a nice time." he said and Lila smiled. "I did too. Uh, Brad…" she began, stopping to the side of the sidewalk. "Yes?"
"Was this a date?" she asked hesitantly. "That depends." he smiled back. "Depends on what?" she smiled as well.
"Did you have a good time?" he asked. "I did. This was nice."
"Well that's good because Flash told me of a little rumor." he hinted and she frowned at the name "Flash"
"And what is that?" she asked curiously. "That there is going to be a "Welcome Back Dance" two weeks from now that will be announced tomorrow. Since all of our classes are mixed up now and all that. The Student Council decided to throw one." he revealed.
"Oh…" she said, feeling heat blush her cheeks. Knowing what might happen next.
"Would you like to go with me?" he asked and she could hear the nervousness in his voice. She smiled.
"Sure. I'd love to go with you." she said and hugged him.
"Great! I'll facetime you later okay?" he said and she nodded. "Sounds good."
Later that evening, Lila and her mom were flying back to the farm. The sun was setting as Laura flew the jet above the clouds. Lila was sitting in the copilots seat. "So, how was your date?" she asked her daughter with a smile.
"It was nice. Uh, he asked me to go to an upcoming dance with him next Friday…" she began. "Really? And what did you say?" Laura asked as she glanced over to her.
"I said yes…" "Oh Sweetheart I'm so happy for you." Laura beamed. Lila smiled back.
"Thanks. How do you think dad is going to take the news that I went on a date?" she joked. Laura laughed.
"I'll leave that up to you to tell him but he's your father and deserves to know. But I know, deep down, that he knows his little girl has grown up." she said and the mom and daughter smiled at each other.
"I hope so." Laura landed the jet in the front yard and Lila spun the chair around. Grabbing her book bag as the ramp lowered, revealing her dad and brothers.
"Lila!" Nate exclaimed and jumped into her arms. She laughed and picked him up.
"Nate! Gosh you're going to be bigger than me soon." she joked. "I hope not. He'll bet taller than me then." her dad joked.
She set him down and hugged him. "I'm almost there." she joked back.
"Believe me. I know." "I see the house is still standing." she joked.
"Do you have any faith in me?" Clint joked. "I did." Laura smiled and kissed him.
The family settled inside and Clint grilled burgers for dinner. Sitting down at the kitchen table. Lila and Cooper were telling each other their first week of school.
"So yeah, you're like really popular. All I get asked about is you. And do you know you're big on social media?" Cooper told her. Scrolling through photos taken of her walking through New York and at school that she didn't consent to.
She sighed and picked up a French fry. "Yeah, I'm aware." she said, Clint and Laura giving each other a worried look.
The rest of the night went by normally until Lila retired to her bedroom. She laid down on her bed and began to call Peter. After a few dials, he answered.
"Hey Lila." he greeted. "Hi, you're not busy are you?" she asked and he shook his head no.
"No it's fine. You back home for the weekend?" he asked. "Yeah, back on the farm. But there is a reason I called…" she began.
"Yeah?" "Uh, I was with Brad and he said there's gonna be some "Welcome Back Dance" soon." she confirmed.
"Really?" he asked with interest. "Yeah, I just thought to call and give you a heads up. I already texted MJ and Ned to let them know." she explained.
"Oh cool, thanks. So, uh are you gonna go?" he asked and she scratched her head. "Yeah, with Brad… he already asked me and I said yes." she said and she could see some disappointment on his face.
"Oh…" "But I was calling you so you could ask MJ before someone asks her since the rumor is probably already spreading." she alerted and saw him smile.
"That… yeah I'll do that! We're hanging out tomorrow anyway so I'll ask. Thanks Lila!" he beamed and she smiled.
"Glad I can help. I'll see you Monday. Bye Peter." "Bye Lila." she hanged up and placed her Stark Phone on her nightstand before going to sleep.
Early the next morning, after getting ready and Waking up before her family did and headed outside into the morning twilight. Stepping off the porch and turned to kneel down at Nat's memorial. Placing her fingers on it.
"Hi Auntie Nat. Sorry it's been a while but uh things are different now. Mom went back to SHIELD. Can you believe it? Fury wanted her as Station Chief. Poor dad is all alone now with Nate and Cooper. We're living in your old apartment. I hope you don't mind. School is going well. Oh and I had a date, I don't know. He's nice and everything I just wasn't expecting anything like that so soon." she shrugged.
"I still miss you. More than anything…" she said, wiping away a few tears from her eyes and got up.
"But I'm okay now. I'll be okay." She made her way over to the barn and opened the door. Closing it behind her and made her way to a secured cabinet underneath the work bench.
Opening it which revealed her bow and sword. Grabbing her bow and inhaling a deep breath… but she took it, feeling the nano particles but heard the door open.
Turning around to see Clint walking in. "Hey…" he said, surprised to see her in here.
"Hi... uh… I was just…" she fumbled over her words but he interrupted her. "Wanted to shoot?" he asked surprised, walking up to her.
"I guess. I don't know. It's been a while." she shrugged, still unsure. "Well, let's see if you've gotten rusty." he offered. She smiled.
"I guarantee you I haven't." she said confidentially. Clint grinned.
They set up a target at the edge of the property in front of the tree line. Walking back down the dirt road so they were more than three hundred yards away.
"It's a little far but we can always move closer if you want." he said and she shrugged. "I can hit the bullseye." she said confidently.
The two stopped in place on the grass, turned around. She knocked an arrow and pulled the arrow back.
"Really?" Clint said with an eyebrow raised. She looked down at the target, raising the bow slightly then to the side to her dad. Smirking, she let it go and Clint went wide eyed as the arrow it the bullseye right in the middle without Lila looking at it.
"Clearly, I've missed a lot." he managed to say. "I've had a lot of practice. And it's easy when the target isn't moving." she said nonchalantly.
He frowned and she winced. "Sorry, I know it's still a lot to process about me." she said and he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's never anything your mom and I wanted you involved in but you're old enough to make your own choices. Even though you're still a kid." he said with a small smile. She smiled back.
"Well, I already told mom I don't wanna be an agent or anything like that so you don't have to worry. MIT is the goal." she reassured him. "You already thinking about college is already is still unbelievable." he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's still two years away. I'm still a junior." she said and knocked another arrow.
She fired it and the arrow struck the bullseye right next to the other. Even a fly couldn't squeeze between the two.
"I do have something else to tell you…" she began. "Is this about your date?" he asked to her surprise.
"How did you…" she fumbled over her words but he chuckled.
"Your mother told me but she also told me to not bring it up until you did." he answered. She sighed.
"Yeah, then I had one but dad I'm not thirteen anymore. I'm in high school." she stated. "I know and it's okay." he replied.
"Really?" she said, surprised by his calmness about his only daughter dating.
"Yeah, you're seventeen now and I know you'll make the right decisions. And I also know if any boy does anything you don't like I know Auntie Nat taught you how to deal with him." he joked and she smiled.
"I do but you don't have to worry about that. Brad is nice." she said and he frowned.
"Brad? I thought your date was with the other one uh…" he said, trying to remember Peter's name but she finished his thought.
"Peter? No, we're friends and Brad kinda asked first anyway but don't worry. I don't think it'll go anywhere anyway."