Blood Lines

[ FOURTEEN ]

"Zero" Clover says.

          Michelle stops, the girl before isn't at all as she seems. Clover Parker is a constant conversation topic with Michelle and other kids like her, they make all these predictions about what she's like, how she acts, how she talks, all because they don't think that they're good enough to talk to her. Michelle has always felt as though there is a division between the popular and the not-so-popular and all you can do is stay in your designated little group. The funny thing about high school, is that people say it's where you can spread your wings, fit in anywhere, but it seems to be the exact opposite.

"Do you not like me?" Clover asks out of the blue.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Michelle responds.

"Because you don't seem like you do. You seem like one of those girls who doesn't like someone just because of who their friends are" Clover says.

"I think you're nice Clover, I'm just not sure if we'll work as friends"

Clover laughs, "Work? Anyone can be friends with anyone Michelle, you don't have to go by a stupid hierarchy."

Michelle smiles at the girl, realizing just how unique Clover is, a popular girl who doesn't even realize how popular she is.

"Lets do something fun...do you bake?" Clover says.

With a small shrug from Michelle, the two girls bolt to the kitchen and begin rummaging through recipes. Eventually, after finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, they gather the ingredients and start to bake. Flour flies through the air, milk splatters on the counter, vanilla is spilt along with salt and a bag of chocolate chips. By the time the girls get the cookies in the oven, the kitchen looks like a baking bomb went off. Waiting patiently for the cookies to bake, the two discuss their encounters with Spiderman and all his recent happenings, even the fact that he's seemed to have disappeared the past two days. Clover even tells Michelle about her dad, being the first person she's actually talked to about her father's tragic death.

The timer buzzes, signalling that the cookies are finished.

"They smell so great!" Michelle says as Clover pulls them out and places them on the counter.

The girls wait a few more minutes for the cookies to cool before biting into them. The chocolate oozes and the inside is perfectly soft, while the outer shell is crisp. A ring however, interrupts their eating.

"Hello?" Clover says.

"H-Hey Clover, its Ned"

"Oh hey Ned!" Clover says.

"Um, I was wondering when you wanted to go out for dinner? Maybe Monday?" he asks.

"That's perfect, see you Monday?" she says.

"For sure" Ned responds and hangs up the phone.

Michelle looks up from her cookie and eyes Clover, pressing her for information with just a glance. Clover shrugs her off, pursing her lips, but eventually her pursed lips turn into a wide grin.

"What was that about?" Michelle asks out loud.

"Ned"

"Leeds? You actually know who that is?" Michelle says, shocked.

"Yeah, he's my cousin's best friend. He asked me out to lunch, I said yes"

"You're going out with Ned? Is he even your type?" Michelle says.

"I don't have a type, he's sweet and he's nice and funny, what's not to like. I don't have do date a jock, this isn't Highschool Musical" Clover says.

"You just keep surprising me Clover" she says and glances at the clock.

          Inhaling her cookie, she fumbles around the counter and grabs her bag, telling Clover that she has to go, apologizing for her leaving so suddenly. Clover follows her new friend to the door and waves her off as she rushes down the hall. As she closes the door, the phone rings again. Sighing as the door closes, she walks back over to the phone she spoke on moment before.

"Hello" Clover says.

"Hey Clover, miss me yet?" the familiar voice of Peter says from the other end of the line.

"I actually forgot that you even left Peter" Clover jokes.

"Funny, I'm having a blast here in Germany" he says, sirens filling the background.

"Where are you in Germany? Are those sirens?" she asks.

"N-No, not at all, I'm perfectly safe, no need to worry. Um-um, how was school? How's Ned?"

"Okay...Ned's good, he actually asked me out today" Clover says, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"W-Wait? Ned? My friend Ned? Who can barely string a sentence together in front of you?" Peter says.

"Looks who's talking, Mister Chatter Box." Clover says.

"Wow" Peter says and a loud bang echoes through the air on the other end of the line.

"Pete was that an explosion?"

"N-No, no, no, no. I'm fine, love you bye!"

The line goes dead, Clover left worrying about her cousin and exactly what he's doing in Germany with Mr. Stark. Whatever it is, she doubted Peter honesty. But 'honest Peter' is as much of an oxymoron as 'jumbo shrimp' these days. Little did she know, that Peter is actually in battle with some of the greatest heroes on the planet. Fighting along side Iron Man himself, Peter is kicking ass as much as he's getting his ass kicked.