"What the fuck do you mean you guys made a truce?"

After art class had came to a close, Allie moved onto Home Economics. Neither Peter nor Eddie had been enrolled in it, so she had fifty minutes of peace and quiet. Once the period of bliss was over, she met up with Peter in the cafeteria for lunch, which was when she had brought him up to speed on the whole Eddie situation while they were waiting in line. Like she had suspected, he didn't take it well.

"Look," She began as she grabbed ahold of the lunch tray he handed her, "I did this because I don't want you to lose your cool and get kicked out over this idiot. He would've chisled down your sanity to nothing if his advances weren't kept in check. I had to do what I had to do."

"We shouldn't be forced to make deals with this guy. Now you've given him the idea that he can kick us around," Peter replied with a sassy eye roll.

"It's not like I gave him anything. We just agreed to be friendly, it's all mutual."

"That's the thing," He said as he grabbed a styrofoam bowl of mashed potatoes, "I don't want to be friends with him."

Allie gave him a shrug and said, "That's too damn bad."

"I'm not letting you handle any more of our executive decisions," He told her firmly. Allie slammed an undressed salad onto her tray and glared at him.

"Why?" She asked brazenly.

"Because," He side eyed her, "Look at where we're at now. Eddie's gonna be following us around like a creep. He didn't need a chance, he needed his ass beat. Who raised that guy?"

"You know, people would say that you need yours beaten too."

Peter glanced at her. "Maybe, but at least I don't harass people, I just steal their shit. But guess what? It's nothing insurance can't cover."

By that point, they'd made it to the end of the line. As Peter reached into his pocket for money, the lunch lady's eyes widened at the sight of his tray. He had a little bit of everything on it, to the point where you could hardly even see the tray beneath all the bowls and plates. Using the eraser end of a pencil, she punched in the price of everything in the register, only furthering the saucer look of her eyes.

"That'll be $2.35," She informed him of his grand total. He didn't bat an eye as he handed her three bucks. When he got his change he gestured to Allie to take the leftovers.

"No, no-"

"Yes, yes," He pressed earnestly, grabbing hand her and dropping the coins into it. Using them, despite her reluctance, Allie paid for her meal and bounded away from the lunch line to find a table with him. The cafeteria was overwhelming. So many voices, so many eyes watching them both as they waddled through the masses. Lo and behold, they found the perfect table tucked in a back corner, the reason for its emptiness being that the trash bins were right there. Whatever, she could handle a little sour smell wafting by them if it meant she could be secluded from the hustle and bustle.

Despite the round table seating six, Allie and Peter plopped down right beside each other, giving them an expansive view on the entirety of the cafeteria from their point. As she began picking at her salad, he leaned in and said, "Tell me about all these people."

"Huh?"

"I wanna know the drama," He clarified, bringing a wicked smile to her lips.

"Look at you, you little gossip gremlin."

He chuckled at that one and then picked up his sandwich, "I'm bored, I wanna hear some funny stories."

Her sly eyes dragged across the unknowing victims seated all across the great room. She found a few people who had interesting stories attached to them.

"You see the kid in the Stones shirt? Ginger hair?" She asked Peter quietly, like someone may hear her despite being nowhere near eavesdropping distance from anyone. It took him a bit till he noticed them, supplying her with a 'Uh huh' when he did. Allie took a bite of her leafy greens and continued while gesturing toward the kid with her fork, "That's Tristan Smith. Two years ago he was caught rubbing one out in the middle of class."

Peter nearly choked on his food. Allie broke into laughter at his reaction, only made worse when he starting going into questions.

"Wait, wait, wait," He said, "What class was it?"

"Why? Is it going to make it any better if I, perchance, say Sex Ed.?" She questioned him right back. He put his hands up.

"I mean, I dunno."

"Awww, c'mon," She cried, "There's no defending that."

He released the facade and shook his head, "Yeah no, that's gross. But really, what class? What were his reasons?"

"If I can remember right, I wanna say it was English. I don't think he had any reason, honestly," She explained, then chewed her salad before asking, "Can't, y'know, things happen without a guy being directly aroused? Like… just randomly?"

Peter slowly peered at her and said, "Don't look at me. I'm not some sexual deviant."

"You consider getting hard an act of deviance?"

Suddenly Peter began waving his hands in the space between them, looking suspiciously blushed as he nearly shouted, "Okay, okay- Enough of the dick talk, I'm not having this conversation with you."

She smiled to herself at having flustered him so easily, choosing to further burden him by saying, "We have Health class next, so you're gonna be forced to have dick conversations with me whether you like it or not."

"I thought Health was just going to be anatomy and shit. You guys are only having Sex Ed. in Junior year?"

"Yeah," Allie confirmed. "There wasn't even a Sex Ed. until the school board got all fucked up when that one guy was caught dealing coke to other members. The new people they brought on are less uptight about things and added it as a requirement. That's why we're having it late."

He looked remarkably awkward as he nodded at the prospect of having Sex Ed. with her, which enlisted her to move on from the subject. Allie set her eyes back on the crowd, quickly finding her next victim.

"Anyway… the next person is Gabriella Einstadt. She's the one in the pink dress over there, with the Jane Fonda hair. You'll be happy to know I'm involved with this story." The latter part caught Peter's attention, pulling his focus away from devouring his lunch as he searched for Gabriella.

"I'm excited for this one," He said as he popped a grape into his mouth, his keen eyes spotting the girl.

"Once upon a time in ninth grade, I had Algebra with Gabby and her boyfriend. And apparently he stared at me too much for her liking, so one day she came up to my desk before the start of class and tried fist fighting me, even though I had no clue that I was involved with her and her boyfriend's relationship troubles."

Peter was hanging on the edge of his seat when he asked, "Did you fight her back?"

"No. Her first swing was so fast that she ended up losing her balance and toppled into the empty desk in front of me, then by that point her boyfriend stepped in and they both got sent to the office."

"Sounds like you're a hot commodity around here," He commented.

"Not really," She responded in a modest way, "It doesn't feel like much of a compliment to get gawked over. That's all guys ever do."

"Uh, that's not all that I ever do."

"Yeah, that's why you're my friend. Thanks for actually making me feel comfortable around you."

He gave her a gentlemanly nod. "You're welcome, Miss Simmons."

"Don't go acting like you're all righteous now," She said humoursly, throwing in the towel with her lunch. Her hands pushed the tray away, having time to just sit and relax until the next class would be upon them. She glanced at the clock hanging above the cafeteria entrance, noting they had fifteen minutes left. Lunch always went by so fast.

"My two favorite people."

Allie and Peter's heads snapped up, seeing Eddie plop down into the seat directly across from them. With his elbows resting on the table, he clasped his skeletal fingers together like he was a CEO sitting at the head of a conference.

Before there could be any confrontation between the two boys, Allie jumped in to start a friendly conversation.

"Aren't you eating?" She asked him politely, noticing he had no food.

"I'm maintaining my figure," He said as he stared at the stack of empty plates and bowls on Peter's tray, "Fuck's sake, mate. You ever put the fork down?"

Peter didn't even look up at him, didn't even say anything in response. Just behaved as if Eddie wasn't there at all. Allie kicked his leg beneath the table, which got his annoyed eyes looking up at her. She stiffly cocked her head in a gesture toward Eddie's direction, trying to get Peter to be nice. The last thing they needed was to piss Eddie off.

At her unspoken behest, Peter turned toward Eddie and said, "Nice… to see you."

"Don't sound so thrilled," Was Eddie's quick response, then, "So, do we all got Health next?"

Allie nodded, with Peter doing the same but in a more reluctant way.

"Oh my. We get to learn about the birds and the bees together. How romantic," Eddie said, happily sighing by the end.

"I really wish that guy hadn't been caught selling coke," Peter grumbled, referencing the story Allie had told him earlier.

"I call it divine timing," Eddie chimed in, as he was well aware of the incident too, "Because now I can watch Peter finally learn babies aren't made by kissing a girl."

Now it was Eddie's turn to be hit with kick from beneath the table. He groaned and rubbed his shin before heeding the girl by throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Look, apologies, Pete."

"Okay, Ed."

"You two need to get over yourselves," Allie groaned.

The final minutes of lunch were spent cycling through strained small talk with Allie being a desperate mediator between the two boys. It hadn't reached quite the same disastrous level that first period had, but she was regretful in the fact that there was still tensions between them. Maybe the truce was a mistake. Only time would tell.

The bell rang, filtering them back into the hall which saw Eddie joining Allie and Peter as they walked to the Health room. He badgered them with his jokes and sarcasm the whole way there, until they finally found reprieve when entering the classroom. With the teacher, Mrs. Sanders, already being at the front of the classroom, Eddie found it within himself to shut up for once so as not to get reprimanded by the stern woman.

Exactly as the seating arrangement had gone in first period, Allie and Peter sat beside each other with Eddie taking his spot behind her. Mrs. Sanders gave a few minutes for the students to settle down, which was the period of time where two boys, David Barnes and Craig Hicks, who were sitting in front of Peter and Allie began debating on a very lewd topic of conversation.

"How about this," David had said quietly, glancing at Craig, "A mutant girlfriend doesn't sound so bad- You just have to score big on the mutation, right?"

Craig nodded like he was listening to something revolutionary. "Yeah man, you're so right."

"Picture this, you find a mutant girl whose whole schtick is not having a gag reflex." David put his arms up in a way of expecting praise, which his little dick riding buddy offered as soon as he got the chance.

"You're so right," Craig exclaimed in laughter.

"Or," David said, tapping his desk thoughtfully, "You can find a mutant who can't get pregnant."

Allie peered over at Peter with a look of disgust primed on her face, expecting him to do the same, however he only gave her a very, very angry side eye. She could only imagine what he was thinking, given he lived in a house full of girls that he fretted constantly over when it came to mere thought of them dating, especially so with Wanda being a mutant too. And there was a reason for all the worrying, because there were pigs like Daniel and Craig that existed in the world.

As they locked eyes, Allie could see that Peter was on the verge of doing something he shouldn't… But was she going to stop him? She too was fuming at the conversation happening in front of her.

It was Craig's turn to take on the brainstorming. "How about a mutant girl that can vibrate!"

To everyone else in the room, what happened next was just two boys acting rambunctious. But Allie and Eddie knew better.

All of a sudden, David and Craig's desks went flying with them still seated in them. They crashed onto their sides and toppled into other students, looking like two idiots who were stuck horsing around with a Pre-K mindset. Mrs. Sanders shot up from her desk and zeroed in on them and demanded they go to the principal's office, to which she received a flurry of confused, terrified looks from David and Craig, as they had absolutely no clue what had just happened. But like two dogs with their tails between their legs, the boys fixed their desks and then sulked out of the room.

Allie returned her gaze to Peter, finding that he was grinning in satisfaction, staring straight ahead.

"Well, sorry about that everyone," Mrs. Sanders announced as she went to shut the classroom door. Then she made her way back to the chalkboard and started writing on it: Reproductive Systems.

They got through the awkward speech where Mrs. Sanders admitted that they were going to be talking about uncomfortable topics and emphasized that they all needed to remain respectful, blah, blah, blah. They then went over the syllabus (Allie's head was going to fall off if she had to look at another one of those damn things), went over the curriculum and did a very dreadful icebreaker activity to get them all acquainted with each other, even though they'd all grown up together. Aside from Eddie and Peter, of course.

Eddie had been fresh off the ship in ninth grade, so not everyone was acquainted with him, and obviously Peter was on his very first day. Which, like most news guys were, Peter had become an object of interest of various girls. As Allie peered about the classroom during a dry spot in the lecture, she heard a few giggles come from the back corner. From over her shoulder, she observed three girls whispering amongst themselves while occasionally looking in Peter's direction. Their smiles said it all. They'd be talking about him all day, searching the halls for him, trying to figure out where his locker was, doing the typical routine for girls who found themselves beneath the spell of a crush.

As Allie sat there listening to them geek over him, she wanted to feel happy that he'd have some options to choose from if he so desired, but there was the pinch of something in her chest that she mentally grappled with for a few minutes, until realizing it was… jealousy?

She faced forward as the lights shut off in the room. Mrs. Sanders wheeled the overhead projector to the front of the classroom and flicked it on, then began to go over the parts that made up a man and woman's gentials as told through a series of very simple illustrations.

The darkness of the room left Allie feeling somewhat shielded as she thought harder on this lingering jealousy. She didn't like the complications that came with it. Allie wanted to avoid being weird or possessive. Yet the thought of him being with someone else made her want to vomit. Maybe it was the fact that she wouldn't be able to enjoy his company as freely. Their time together would be split in half… She'd have to share him…

C'mon, she thought to herself, he's not your property.

Still, no matter how much she tried to separate herself from those thoughts, she couldn't get away from the pure jealousy that followed her.

There was a nudge on her shoulder. Allie looked over, seeing Peter staring at her expectantly, which made her heart skip a beat. He didn't just magically develop telepathy, did he?

"What?" She whispered. He quickly gestured toward the front of the room with his head. Allie looked up, seeing Mrs. Sanders' eyes trained on her through the shadows.

"Miss Simmons," She said sternly. Allie gulped.

"Yeah?"

"Pay attention, please," She advised the girl, then said, "I asked you a question, do you need me to repeat it?"

"Uhm, yes."

Mrs. Sanders sighed. "Why do you think it may be important for boys and girls to understand each other's reproductive systems?"

Allie's mind immediately went to a crude place. What the hell kind of question was this?

"Hmmm," Allie hummed, till landing on, "To avoid… unwanted pregnancy?"

Despite wanting to be annoyed with the girl, Mrs. Sanders accepted the answer with a satisfied nod and applauded her by saying, "Good answer. Does anyone else have another reason?"

By the shift of his various pins and chains, Allie could only assume Eddie had raised his hand behind her. Mrs. Sanders was going to soon learn who her least favorite student was.

"Yes, Mr. Hill?"

Eddie's hand slapped down lazily to his desk as he politely said, "I think it's important for pleasure."

A quiet wave of giggles and chuckles rippled across the room. Mrs. Sanders tiredly looked down at the glow of the overhead projector.

"Mr. Hill, please elaborate."

"Gladly," He repsonded in a chipper tone, "Many men don't know about the magic bean."

"Mr. Hill, if I am to be correct on what you insinuating, this magic bean you speak of is the clitorous. Please use proper terminology."

"Okay, apologies," He said before talking dramatically with his hands, "The clitorous. You know, this generation thinks penetration is all the rage, but really we need to focus more on parts that matter. I'm a real advocate for the clitorous. There's women out there suffering."

If Mrs. Sanders could have legally backhanded Eddie, she probably would've. Instead she narrowed her glare onto him and replied very simply, "Office."

Eddie began to howl in laughter as he stood up. "You should take these little pictures home to your husband, Mrs. Sanders, sounds like he needs to learn about the clitorous as much as the rest of us."

"Go." Was all she had to say. Eddie continued to chuckle as he left the room.

Allie and Peter shared a look, both of them being embarrassed at having ever associated with Eddie in the first place. The rest of the lecture went without a hitch now that the class had been eliminated of three of its most problematic students. Mrs. Sanders learned pretty quickly that she probably should just stay away from asking the teens to answer any questions. None of them were really equipped to be serious when a cartoon penis was being projected onto the wall.

When the lights turned back on, she announced that the students needed to find a partner of the opposite gender and discuss the effects puberty they've experienced. Allie couldn't fathom a world in which a teenage guy and a girl could actually have that conversation without it being immensely awkward, but she was glad she could at least be with Peter in order to joke their way through it.

Allie sighed and turned toward him, discovering that she was facing some random girl's back. Her eyes darted up, recognizing it as one of the giggling bunch that had been gawking over him in the beginning of class. Allie leaned forward in her desk, trying to see what in the hell was going on.

"Hi, I'm Amy," The girl said to Peter in a shrill pitch. His expression was clearly trying to remain polite, despite his downturned brows showing his disinterest.

"Hi…" He returned the greeting.

"I love your hair."

"Thanks…"

"Do you wanna be partners?"

Before any of them could say anything, Allie inserted herself into the conversation. "He's already got one."

Amy turned around, offering Allie a glare that was just a hair short of disgust. "Oh," She said sourly. Then she walked away, leaving them alone once more. Their gazes locked onto each other, causing the two to laugh. Seeing as people were scooting their desks to be beside each other, Peter did the same.

When their desks were touching, Allie folded her hands together. "So… Puberty."

Peter nodded slowly. "Puberty."

"Did you… get your period yet?" She asked him jokingly, to which he sighed.

"No, Allie, I did not get my period yet."

"Late bloomer," She mumbled. Yeah, even with having Peter this was still an awkward conversation. "What actually happens?"

"With what…?"

"A guy and puberty," She clarified. May as well learn something, though Peter didn't seem too keen on talking about it.

"Can't we just, y'know, act like we discussed this but not actually?"

Allie gave him a suspicious look, "You embarrassed about something?"

"No," He assured her calmly, "I just don't feel like talking about my body with you."

"I'm beginning to think that Eddie was right about something…" She said in a sing-song voice, side eyeing him. Peter took major offense to that as he leaned away in shock.

"Don't you dare," He replied in a fierce whisper, "I'm not embarrassed about my size, Allie! I just don't want to talk to you about balls dropping and body hair and whatever else."

"Okay," She said with an informed nod, "Now we are getting somewhere. I'm learning."

He threw his arms up in defeat. "I can't catch a break with you."

She unapologetically raised her brows, then asked him, "So, what else can you tell me?"

Peter thought about it for a little. His hands gradually rose to his face to shield himself from her as he said, "Remember how you asked if it gets hard randomly at lunch?"

"Yeah," She replied, already cracking up at how drained he sounded.

"Well," He said, "It's true. And it's fucking annoying."

"Thanks for being honest."

"Uh huh. Practically holding a gun to my head."

"No I am not, shut up," She cried.

His hands fell away as he turned to look at her, getting really close. "It's your turn."

Allie rolled her eyes. "I bet there's nothing new I can tell you. You've probably heard it all with Wanda."

"Who the hell do you think I am?" He asked her incredulously, "I didn't just walk into her room through the years and ask her how puberty is going."

They shared a laugh, which Allie was hoping would deter him but he remained solid on getting his revenge.

"I'm waiting," He said as he tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Look, I'll be honest with you but you're going to be the one who starts blushing." Her last ditch effort at derailing the conversation failed.

"I'll blush all day long, I don't care," He told her. She slapped her hands onto her face.

"Ugh, this is weirder than I thought."

"This is what I like to call: Getting a taste of your own medicine," Peter crooned.

"You know what, fine," Allie began bitterly, "My boobs got bigger."

They just stared at each other, letting the statement air out until they couldn't take it anymore and flew into a fit of laughter.

"Okay, well, the revenge doesn't even feel that good," Peter awkwardly admitted with a befuddled grin, his gaze seeming to find great interest in the desk. Seeing the tables turning before her eyes, Allie decided to keep going on.

"I went from a size B to a Double-D in one summer."

"Oh, thanks, I didn't need the details," He replied with a nod, still refusing to look in her direction.

From the head of the classroom, Mrs. Sanders requested that everyone separate and get the desks back in order so that she could give her final remarks. Allie watched Peter scoot away, his dark eyes still straying from her, much to her amusement.

As she leaned back in her seat and tried to relax, Allie's train of thought returned to her earlier debate on her feelings of jealousy. Having let it marinate for some time, the thing she felt most in that moment was guilt. She didn't want to hinder him, or come in between Peter and someone else. He didn't exactly seem thrilled at the chance of talking to that Amy girl… But what if a girl came along that he did enjoy? Allie would just have to get over whatever was going on. That was the important question, at the end of the day.

What was going on?

She seriously asked herself this a few times, hearing the question echo around in her storming head. So many self assessments, so many excuses. She put reasons where they didn't belong, ending up with a pile of contradictions at her feet. Jealousy was certainly not impossible within a friendship, she knew this. But it wasn't that she was jealous if he'd make another friend with a guy or a girl. Allie truly didn't mind. It was the image of him having a girlfriend that really dug beneath her skin…

That was when it slammed into her full force.

Allie's eyes fell to her hands.

Her throat began to feel constricted.

Oh no.

The bell rang overhead, sending everyone excitedly to their feet, all except for her. Allie remained seated there, stuck in her own mind until she was shaded beneath a shadow. Her gaze found its way up, landing on Peter and his expression, a mixture of amusement and concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. Allie's heart lurched. No. No she was not.

"Yeah," She replied curtly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just too much boob and dick talk."

He smiled and grabbed her bag for her, making Allie feel weak. She took it from his hands and stood up, feeling her skin blister when he bumped into her as they squeezed out the door together.

This couldn't be.

It was only halfway through the first day of school and she already was having a crisis.

How was she supposed to make it through the final few classes?

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked her again while they walked through the hall. She couldn't do it. Allie spotted the bathroom up ahead and began speedwalking toward it, surpassing him.

"I just need a moment," She called to him as she barreled through the door, almost slamming into a girl who was about to exit. Allie muttered a quick sorry. When she was safe in the four walls of a bathroom stall, she braced against the door dramatically.

She cursed under her breath as the bathroom silence encased around her, leaving her alone, face to face with the cold truth:

Allie wanted Peter to be more than her friend.