ＮＯＶＡ ◼PETER PARKER◼

ｐｒｏｌｏｇｕｅ

"So...that one is Perseus?"

"Peter! For the last time, that's Sagittarius! They're not even close in the sky!"

"I- I know, I just wanted to hear you laugh again..."

The snicker that left Lydia Blair's lips slowly transformed into a giggle, her smile beaming as she looked over at her best friend as he laid beside her on her bedroom floor.

Peter Parker bit his lip, trying to hold down his smile as he kept his gaze on the white ceiling above him, littered with little glow in the dark stars that Lydia had arranged into the patterns of some of her favorite constellations. His heart was fluttering fast, just as it always was around his best friend. It was so hard to keep it and his stuttering under control.

"I hate living in the city," Lydia murmured, her eyes drifting back to the stars above. "The pollution and the lights block the sky. It always looks so empty."

"You have the entire sky right here," Peter lifted his hand, gesturing around at the ceiling as he looked at his best friend with a smile. "There's no need to look at the real thing."

"It's not the same," moving to sit on her heels, Lydia's dark, brown hair fell into her face as she looked down at Peter Parker and the little smile that sat on his lips. "The planets, the stars, the universe is so vast and barely understood. I mean, Thor is a literal god! There's so much out there that we don't understand. Imagine if we could understand the composition of a star and recreate it's energy on earth. If we could find a way to harness the energy and recreate the conditions in which electrons and ions interact within a star, in a stable environment where we can control it, we could literally solve the earth's energy crisis."

Peter sat up, leaning on his elbows as his smile formed into a smirk, major confidence flooding him for a moment.

"Wow, and I thought I was a nerd,"

A laugh escaped the boy as Lydia's fist collided with his shoulder, barely moving the boy and inch unlike it used to.

"I'm serious! Just...imagine it. The power of a star in the palm of your hands,"

"Aren't they working on something like that at Sowell Tech?" Peter questioned his best friend as he watched her stand and move to sit on her bed. "I thought your aunt was working on the project. Why not ask her about it and give her some ideas?"

"Well, I did go through her files the other day-"

"Lydia!"

"I wanted to know more about it, don't patronize me!" Lydia pointed a finger at him as she squinted her eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't have if you wouldn't have bailed on me like you have been."

The smile dropped from Peter's face for a second as flashes of his red and blue suit (more like hood and sweats if he was being honest) went through his head. He sat up completely, his eyes watching his best friend.

Lydia's legs were curled up into her chest, her eyes trained on the sky through her open balcony doors, the curtains hanging on them blowing in the slight nighttime breeze.

"I made up for it Friday night with you and Ned for movie night!" Peter tried to argue. "I'm sorry, May just really needed my help grocery shopping."

"That same night was when the robbery happened just two doors down," Lydia shot back at him, a grin appearing on her face as she turned to look at her best friend again. "If Spider-Man hadn't been there, you and May might've gotten hurt. That guy is a hero."

Peter couldn't stop the flutter of his heart at her words. Of course she loved Spider-Man, a lot of people did. He had to shake himself out of the daze before the feeling got the best of him. Lydia loved Spider-Man, not him.

"Guess we are pretty luck that we have him, Star,"

Lydia felt her cheeks heat up, her smile growing at the familiar nickname that Peter had given her years ago at the start of her astronomy obsession.

She went to shoot something back at him, when the glint of a star in the distance caught her eye and brought a wide grin to her face.

"Oh my god, Pete! You can see Corvus in the sky! Come look!"

Peter Parker let out a laugh, pulling himself to his feet as his eyes watched Lydia Blair's petite frame run out onto the balcony before him.

God, he was so in love with her.

That's exactly why he couldn't tell her he was Spider-Man.

◼ ◼ ◼

AHHHH I ALREADY LOVE THEM SO MUCH LYDIA IS LIKE MY LITTLE BABY AND PETE IS SO CUTE AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also... CONTEST TIME!!!!

I used a quote in this prologue that will be important throughout the book. It's from one of my favorite movies of all time, and I changed it slightly to fit the story better.

First person to tell me who said the quote and what movie it is from will get to design a character with me for this book who will be one of Lydia's close friends!

I thought this would be a good way to thank you all for your support and let you come in on my book with me!