Mind Full of Roses // Peter Parker

2.13: Batman and Robin

My eyes lock with Peter's from across the corridor. Even through crowds of people, my gaze always ends up on him, yet this time he doesn't look away like has been doing. Instead he continuously looks, not even flickering away when Ned stars trying to show him something. He nods towards the excited boy before swallowing nervously and taking a step forward, his eyes still on me.

"Hey, Roselyn, so I was thinking-" MJ appears at my side, blocking Peter from my view but not before I see him let out a defeated breath.

"Jesus, MJ!" I take deep breaths and try to calm my racing heart. That girl could literally sneak up on Nat and she wouldn't know until MJ has her in a suffocatingly tight hug.

"Sorry." No she's not. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to meet up after school? You can show me what you can do and I can help you train."

I feel my face dropping. Spector hasn't been out since that day at the lake and I don't know if I'm ready to go back.

MJ sees my frown and groans. "Oh, come on. If you train then you can beat Spiderman." She wiggled her eyebrows like it's the most desirable thing in the world to be better than Peter. "Please? Why don't you want to spend time with me, huh?" MJ pokes my side playfully. "Have you found someone better to hang out with?"

I laugh and push her hands away. "Yeah, me and Gwen have a date tonight."

MJ barks out a "Ha" and looks over to where a girl with blonde hair is stood by the water fountain, laughing with her friends. "You wish."

I smirk at the girl before feigning a step towards the fountain. I feel MJ's hands around my wrist, pulling me back.

"You coming or not?" MJ tries to smother her grin with a scowl but I see the corners of her mouth rising.

"Yeah, okay. I can always reschedule my date."

MJ nudges my shoulder, her smile finally breaking free. "You're such a twat."

"Love you too."

•𑁍•

I rearrange my sleeve to hide the black ink poking out as MJ shouts at me to try again. A target sits on the roof in front, taunting me with its unscathed wood, hardly a dent in it from my last halfhearted attempt.

"Seriously, Rose? I've seen videos of what you can do, show me in person."

I shake my head clear and focus all of my energy on the target in front.  As I lift my hand, the red gems glisten in the setting sun and a small cloud surrounds my hand. The target shakes slightly before a burst of red energy flies towards it, hitting it straight in the middle, leaving nothing but a smouldering base behind as the target shimmers into nothingness.

My hand tingles and I smile at the familiar feeling, not realising how much I've missed it.

"Woah." MJ breathes from behind me. She slowly walks towards where the target used to stand and cautiously brings her hand up, feeling around the air carefully as though she expects something to bite her. "That's so cool."

I smile before telling her to bring her hand back. As she does, I focus my energy back to the air around the target, feeling for the disruption in the particles before concentrating on them, pulling and pulling before the target starts to reappear.

MJ turns around to stare at me, her mouth open in awe. "But it was gone!"

"It wasn't gone," I explain. "I just changed the reality around it to make it looks and feel like it was."