Theft of a Life

Ch5

We stand and stare at each other for a few moments, all awkward limbs and silent thoughts.

"I really don't know what happens now," I admit, my stomach almost vibrating with anxiety. "I've never been to friends' houses," That I can remember, I add silently.

"Yeah, me neither. I-I mean, I've got Ned, but we mostly just, uh, build legos," Peter says with embarrassment. I cock my head.

"I like legos," I mumble. They're fascinating things. Expensive and useless, but fascinating nonetheless.

"Oh!" Peter lights up. "I could- I could show you mine? If you want?" He offers and points over his shoulder down a hallway. I nod again and he leads the way, I sneak glances through every open door. As much as I don't want to admit it, there's still part of my mind thinking about what I could steal. Peter opens the door to a room at the end of the hall and starts going through his closet.

His room is small, most of the space taken by a desk and bunk bed, but it's very organized. His bed is made and his desk covered in neat stacks of books and papers. I smell a nerd. Peter pops back out of the closet, proudly holding three large lego structures. He knocks some of the books off his desk and sets them down. Standing back up, he puts his hands on his hips, watching my expressions.

"What do you think?"

"I think that they look complicated." I crouch down to look at them without touching. "What are they from?" I inquire, turning towards them. Peter blinks dramatically, shocked.

"I-I'm sorry, do you mean to tell me that you don't know what these- any of these- are?" He says in the calmest, most terrifying voice I've ever heard. I press my lips into a thin line and try not to grin.

"That is what I'm saying, yes,"

"Sonder," Peter says in disbelief. "This is an imperial star destroyer." He stares at me expectantly.

"An imperial star destroyer," He repeats when I don't show any indication of understanding. He stares at me again. I suddenly nod, making an 'ohhh' noise.

"Don't know what that is, Spiderboy," I repeat.

"Ned would strangle you," He mutters under his breath, glancing around, confused as to what to do with this heathen who doesn't know what an 'imperial star destroyer' is. "Have you not-" Peter licks his lips and leans against the wall. "Have you never seen Star Wars?" He finally spits out.

"Never," I admit. "Heard good things, though,"

Peter starts mumbling under his breath and absently sliding up the wall.

"Any of them?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Not even the Disney ones?" He's shocked.

"Not even the Disney ones," I tilt my head, watching him chill against the wall, five feet off the ground, as if it were the most natural thing he's ever done.

"Okay, so, a super long time ago, somewhere really far away, there was this whole other universe, right?" Peter starts. "And they were fighting all the time, over everything. And the Imperials were some of the people in charge for a while, and because it's all in space-"

"Peter, you can explain the history of Star Wars after dinner, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear all this," May interrupts. I do kind of want to hear more, but the thought of food is more pressing. "And also you're on the walls again," She points out, leaning on the doorway. Peter glances down, muttering 'crap' under his breath, and comes down.

"She knew, right?" May asks suddenly, staring at me like I were a threat to the monarchy.

"Yeah, yeah, she knew,"