LOVING GWEN STACY | updated.

ii. race ya

eliora.

Hot water ran down my back and washed away the sweat and desperation of another morning in hiding. I watched as the water cascaded down my body, washing my sudsy secrets away and down the drain. 

The mirror greeted me as I stepped out from a wall of steam. Puffy brown eyes stared back at me as I tried to discern reality from a descending distortion. Still-dripping hair hung in limp sheets just above my shoulders.  A total lack of sleep took hold of the reflection's figure and made her weak with signs of exhaustion and defeat. Her skin, normally dark and warm as my father's, turned green and grey as she paled in the fading light of existence. 

I stuck my tongue out at the reflection and watched as she was forced to respond. Her twisted disguise dissipated and reality sang back in. Wrapping a towel around my body, I stepped through the door and faced the repetition of routine. 

Peter grumbled at me, pushing through to the steamy bathroom while mumbling about some schedule. He insisted on being first for everything. Every second of his routine was meticulously scheduled. If he had his way, the carpool would roll up to school an hour before the teachers even woke up. 

Midtown was his haven. High school offered him the opportunity to prove his greatness and show that he belonged amongst his heroes. Tony Stark would surely catch hold of his name if he made just one more A+ science project, right? 

I, on the other hand, would do almost anything to avoid going. Midtown School of Science and Technology served as a breeding ground for the spawn of New York's wealthy and elite. Anyone who strayed from the smarmy norm had a target larger than all of Manhatten on their back. 

In the name of carpool peace, we settled on the prompt departure time of 7:45. Because I loved to test Peter's patience, I made sure to leave promptly at 7:46. 

"7:17!" Peter exclaimed as I emerged. 

I fluffed his mop of untamed curls. "Patience you must have, young padawan. We'll get out of here on time."

He smacked my hand away and pressed his thin lips into their signature pout. "You're so annoying, Eli." 

"Love you too!" I shouted at the closing bathroom door.

From our shared room, I continued to towel my hair while pulling together the last of my unfinished homework. While Peter was busy sculpting his "just woke up" look in the bathroom, I threw on the cleanest of my dirty clothes and headed for the door. 

Keys in hand (and a bagel happily in my stomach), I shouted to my cousin, "7:44!", fully intending to stall for another two minutes. 

Peter emerged from the Hobbit hole with a wild look in his eyes. With every step through the messy apartment, he collected abandoned odds and ends and stuffed them into his full backpack. The bag, often overstuffed with Lego parts and half-built science projects, looked particularly full on this Monday morning.

His resting expression sat somewhere between perplexed and frightened at all times. And, as his cousin and surrogate sister, it was my job to break through his bewilderment through a series of calculated annoyances and pranks. 

"Ready?

"Yup!" I exclaimed."Just need to get my shoes on." 

"You said you were ready." 

"I am! As soon as I put my shoes on." 

"Oh, my-" Peter groaned, throwing his hands up. "Do you realize how much time it takes to put a pair of shoes on? I mean, you have to bend over, untie the shoe, contemplate the best way of retying a shoe for maximum longevity, retie, and-"

"7:46!" I cheered, slipping on my sneakers without touching the laces. "Your brain is a true nightmare." 

"I'm aware." 

"Race ya?" 

Peter rolled his eyes. "Obviously." 

He pushed past, sprinting down the halls with unnatural haste. Bouncing off the walls, Peter made a mad dash for the elevator. 

I let out a sigh. "Amateur." 

I stepped back into the apartment and ducked through our bedroom window for the fire escape. While Peter waited for an ancient elevator to shutter down five floors, I strolled down the rusted set of stairs and greeted the preppy blonde waiting by the car. 

"Morning, Ms. Stacy," I said with a nod. 

Peter, panting like a dog, pulled the car door open. "Not... Fair..."

"Said the loser." 

"I hate you."

"Aww... Love you too, Petey." 

"Come on!" Gwen exclaimed. "7:49! We're going to be late." 

We filed into our usual spots. The passenger seat remained empty to avoid the litany of screws and ripped fabric covers. Peter and Gwen crammed into the back, sharing the narrow seat with our bags and broken pieces of technology pulled from garbage cans. 

"Ready?" I called out.

With grumbled yeses from the back, I pulled the car into gear and set off for Midtown High. Thirty-four minutes later, we arrived in the crowded parking lot. Our beat-up sedan stood out like a sore thumb in the sea of Teslas and Porsches, but I couldn't care less. At the very least, we valued what we had. 

"Alright," I said with a clap. "It's time." 

Gwen and Peter hooted and hollered from the back, shouting and clapping in anticipation of our routine morning manifestation. 

I started. "We are going to have a perfect day because-" 

With a finger pointed at him, Peter continued, "-Because I finished my science project and it's a guaranteed A." 

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "I love it! Today is going to be fantastic because-" 

"Because Ms. Warren's car isn't here and she's probably out sick!" Gwen finished. 

"Fabulous work, team," I said, wiping away a fake tear. "I've never been so proud. Let's get out there and kick some ass!" 

"Kick some ass!" the pair chanted as they grabbed their bags and walked into the building. "Kick some ass!!" 

I grabbed my bag from the backseat. As an unmade shadow passed over me, a sharp chill rolled down my spine. I looked around, desperate to find the source, only to come up short. There wasn't a cloud in the sky or a passing car to spark the shiver rolling through my skin. 

Shaking my head, I began to run once more.

a/n:

slowest updater in the world goes to: may the author! whooo!!!

xoxo,
may :)