secrets - peter parker

t w o

After spending the weekend unpacking and catching up on sleep, I soon approached the rusted entrance doors of Midtown High School. With a deep sigh escaping my lips, I bypassed the students along my way to the reception desk, trying to avoid eye contact with anybody who might recognise me.

You'd think it'd be easy returning to a place you spent everyday, but after three years, it creates a certain level of awkwardness.

"Hi," I shifted slightly, feeling suddenly nervous at the prospect of returning to the school I never thought I would see again. "I've come to collect my timetable?" I timidly asked the lady behind the counter, a rush of heat flushing to my cheeks.

"Name please." She answered with an almost robotic tone.

"Violet Larosa." As I spoke, my eyes wandered around the bustling students. I noticed a few of my classmates giving me passing looks, most likely confused as to why I had returned.

"Here you go." The lady offered a small smile, handing the sheet over.

"Thanks." With that, I began to move down the hall, attempting to avoid eye contact with most of the familiar faces.

I had close friends once; but they were probably the meanest girls I had ever come across. Amongst their snide comments about everyone around school, they made it abundantly clear that anyone who came across as a little odd was to be ridiculed.

However, it was the comments they made about mutants that stuck a cord in me the most; referring to them as freaks. After finding out I was one, I figured it was best to stay away from their company, and so I haven't spoken to them since.

Glancing down at the piece of paper in my hand, I peeled off the sticky note which read my new locker combination. For some reason, I had expected to go to my old locker. I would have preferred that of course; it was situated at the end of the hall meaning there was as little social interaction as possible.

My new locker however, as I discovered upon arrival was pretty much in the middle of its block. Putting in the new combination, I emptied my bag, clearing it of the books I didn't need for first period.

While I was doing so, I turned to the side to find yet another familiar face. However, this one seemed to stop in his tracks five lockers away. As he opened his locker, I found it hard to peel my eyes off him.

To say Peter had changed in the last three years was an understatement. My eyes trailed over his lean muscular body, not to mention that he was now taller than me, after us having been the same height for years.

His arm muscles were deftly defined as he gripped his books in one arm, his brown hazelnut coloured hair was looking as soft as ever, the way his jawline involuntarily clenched was enticing. Above all I couldn't help but notice how good he looked in a red t-shirt. I had always thought the colour suited him immensely, even more so with his seriously upgraded physique.

After realising I may have been staring too long, I returned to placing my things away.

However, at that moment, I saw Peter turn to look at me.

Tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear, I closed my locker door only to find him stood still in his tracks, gripping the strap of his backpack with one hand as he held a strong gaze on me.

I stepped closer, a smile curving at my lips as I looked upon the familiar chocolate brown eyes.

"Hey, Peter." At this point he seemed to shake out of his daze.

"V-Violet, you're back?" A nervous chuckle emitted from his lips as he reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"Yeah, it's a... long story." I hadn't quite prepared what to say to people, but at the same time I hoped that they wouldn't ask.

From what I remembered, Peter had never been able to maintain eye contact, always shying away from me awkwardly as we crossed paths in the hallways. Contrastingly, the Peter standing in front of me held my eyes strongly, a slightly shocked expression on his defined features.

"So... you're back for good now?" He mumbled.

"Looks like it." I nodded, suddenly becoming oblivious to the mass of students walking by.

"T-That's great." His lips spread into a soft grin.

At this point, the bell rung for first period, causing us both to suddenly become aware of our surroundings. Soon the halls began to fill with students pushing past to get to class.

"Um, I'll see you around?" a small smile rested on my features as I slowly backed away, slinging my bag onto my shoulder.

"Yeah, sure." Peter muttered, closing his locker and moving into the opposite direction.

I spent the morning trying to figure out how a person could change so much and yet be exactly the same in a matter of years, but in a way, I was glad to have returned to see it.