𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

iii. washing away

chapter three!
washing away

    DECATHLON was one of Midtown's pride and joys of all clubs. Considering they were a science and technology school, having a winning team in everything science, maths and technology, of course, they'd be a pride and joy. They were heading towards Nationals, which was big for all of them, but most of all, it was big for Liz. As the leader of this team, she put far more work into this than anyone usually would. It was her last year. As a senior, Nina knew that━while teamwork and this whole experience meant a lot to her━being able to experience a win before she graduated would be something amazing to leave with (as well as a fantastic thing to have on a college application).

    Nina usually liked Decathlon. Despite Felicia not being a part of it, she got along with the team members (aside from Flash, but that was a given). But recently, it's been nothing but awkward. Nina refused to look over at the boy who had joined with her back in their Freshman year that now sat opposite Mr Harrington at one of the tables. She distracted herself from him by focusing on Liz and her questions, but her eyes kept darting back over every now and then, casually ducking into the conversation about him quitting Decathlon. She didn't want to think it was because of her, but it still made her upset. (He was just throwing everything away recently, wasn't he? Robotics, band, photography, her...).

    "Next question," Liz shifted through the cards she held in her palms. Nina perked up in her seat beside Ned (which was a different kind of awkward, too. Ex's friend, someone she hung out with when she dated Peter━yeah, awkward). "What is the heaviest naturally-occurring element?"

    Nina held out her hand to hit the buzzer, but Charles Murphy slammed his down without any hesitation to state, "Hydrogen is the lightest!" He went pink. "That's not the question. Okay..."

    Cindy Moon sent him an exasperated glance, shaking her head amongst straight, raven hair. Abe Brown tapped the buzzer at their table, "Uranium."

    Liz smiled and Nina frowned across the stage for him taking her answer. "Correct. Thank you, Abraham." Abe sent a smug fist pump Nina's way in victory. "Please open your books to page ten..."

    Nina's attention drifted again, fixing on Peter. Without Felicia here to tell her off every time her eyes wandered, Nina was ill-disciplined. She heard Harrington sigh, "Peter, it's Nationals. Is there no way you could take one weekend off?"

    She held a bitter taste in her mouth. At first, she thought it was because of his uncle's death. Nina couldn't be angry over that━how could she? Uncle Ben was the closest thing Peter ever had for a father, and he lost him brutally, and suddenly. But as the months went by, and he started to change: he got taller, he lost his glasses, Nina had started to grow suspicious of something else.

    And then, like that, he was different. He pushed her away, he cut people off. He stopped things he had been so determined about beforehand. Nina got worried messages from May to tell her he was sneaking out, asking whether he was at her place, and it all started after this Stark Internship. It was all that mattered to him anymore.

    "I can't got to Washington," said Peter, and as if he knew Nina was watching him, they locked an awkward gaze, and she quickly gritted her teeth before looking away. "If Mr Stark needs me, I have to make sure I'm here."

    Flash scoffed from the seat he laid back in, studying. They had taken over the cafeteria for practice, using the space of the stage to practice as if they were actually in competition. "You've never been in the same room as Tony Stark."