Fingers Crossed || Peter Parker

Chapter 4

Moving to a new city and completely restarting your life had its perks. For example it was the perfect time to reinvent yourself and try something new. That's exactly what Emma was thinking as she woke up for her second day of school. While Emma had a few friends back in Seattle she had always been on the shy side. Emma always figured: why did she need to make new friends if she was already perfectly happy with the same two friends she had since Kindergarten. However after her mom's death, Emma quickly faded from the last remnants of her social life. Her friends hadn't been there for her like they should have, not that Emma blamed them, how was any 15 year old supposed to know how to deal with death. But the whole incident had lead Emma to believe that maybe she was just living her life instead of thriving. So at Midtown high school Emma was determined to make this the fresh new start she wanted and frankly needed.

This kind of thinking is what lead Emma to be standing in front of a bulletin board about the academic decathlon team. Was academic decathlon the coolest thing in the world? Probably not; but Emma didn't exactly care seeing as she wasn't exactly the coolest person in the world either. Emma was actually really excited about joining as she signed her name on the sign up sheet. There was a meeting today and Emma just hoped that it wasn't too late to join.

As Emma walked down the hall to her locker she saw a certain Peter Parker talking with a Hawaiian boy over what appeared to be a Star Wars Lego figurine. Emma smiled to herself over the cute, nerdy behavior of the boy as she walked to her locker. The warning bell rung for first period as Emma was finishing grabbing her books. Everyone remaining the hall quickened their pace to make it to first period on time.

Emma quickly walked to chemistry, plopping down next to her already present lab partner. "I didn't really peg you as a star wars guy, Peter" Emma smirked at her lab partner.

Peter's eyes widened as he realized Emma was talking to him. "What? Star wars total not my thing" Peter stuttered out.

"Oh yeah, totally, that really explains why you and your friend were talking about building that Lego death star earlier" Emma smirked realizing that she had caught Peter. "I totally love star wars by them way, so no shame" Emma continued noticing the boy's embarrassed face.

"Oh thank god," Peter breathed out "I didn't want you to think I was a total nerd"

"Oh I totally still do, but I don' t mind" Emma responded back as the bell rung. Emma was wondering where this extra streak of confidence was coming from. It must be from the extra two cups of coffee she had this morning. Once again thank you to coffee for powering her life.

Emma noticed Peter's now fiery cheeks that were probably matching her own. Emma turned her attention to the front as the teacher began talking about the lab they would be doing today. Emma couldn't help tune out the teacher's boring voice as he talked about mixing chemicals. In her defense, Emma had a lot on her mind and she didn't exactly have the best track record with chemistry. Emma was the real life Seamus Finnigan after she almost blew up her old school in a chemistry experiment gone wrong. How was she supposed to know that she was supposed to add two drops instead of twenty?

"Alright class grab your lab goggles and get started". Crap, she hadn't heard a single word of what the teacher was saying. Great, time to blow up another school and what a shame too because she was staring to like it here, Emma thought to herself as she realized just how doomed she was.

Emma and Peter's hands brushed as they reached for the same pair of goggles. Emma's hand quickly pulled back as the familiar heat rushed to her checks again. Peter grabbed two pairs of goggles handing her one while putting on the other. Dang, Peter even looked cute with lab goggles on, how was that even possible Emma thought to herself as she put her own goggles on.

"Ready to start?" Peter asked holding up two bottles of chemicals.

"Oh yeah, totally!' Emma said enthusiastically as she finished tightening her goggles. Emma was far from being anywhere close to ready and the next hour of class was for sure going to be struggle. Bullshit don't fail her now Emma wished to herself as she crossed her fingers behind her back wishing for good luck.

"Alright we just need to mix the iodine solution with the peroxide" Peter said grabbing a beaker.

"Speak English, Peter" Emma slipped out. Well, there goes the fake it until you make it philosophy Emma was going to go with. "Sorry I just really suck at chemistry and frankly have no idea what is going" Emma continued on at Peter's confused face. Great now he would think that she's an idiot who didn't deserve to go to this advanced school.

"Hey it's okay" Peter reassured noticing Emma's embarrassed face. "I can help you, like Yoda! Your Yoda I will be"

Emma laughed at Peter's horrible joke but was grateful he was so willing to help her. The duo spent the rest of the period working through the lab, Peter showing Emma each step of the way what to do. The pair even managed to get the right reaction in the end and Emma couldn't be happier.

"Alright student's don't forget the lab report is due in a week!" the teacher said as the end of class bell rang. Emma and Peter finished packing up their things as they both went to walk out the door together.

"Hey thanks again Parker, you really saved my butt back there" Emma smiled up to the boy walking next to here.

"No problem Brisbane! Hey by the way we should probably figure out when we are going to get together to work on the lab report" Peter replied, weaving through the mass of students in the hall.

"Oh yeah give me your phone I'll put my number in!" Emma smiled as they came to a stop in front of her locker.

"Oh.. I actually kind of broke my phone" Peter mumbled as he self-consciously rubbed the back of his head. "But we do live right next door so at least its super easy for us to talk"

"Wait, what? Are we are neighbors?" Emma asked surprised as this new piece of information

"Oh yeah! My aunt told me. Said she talked to a girl named Emma Brisbane who went to my school yesterday so I connected the dots" Peter replied half lying. He really knew that him and Emma were next-door neighbors because he had been on her balcony last night but in all fairness his aunt had told them about her conversation.

"Oh May! She is such a sweetie! She was telling me about her nephew Peter, I just never realized it was you!" Emma responded cheerily. "Well I guess that's convenient". As Emma opened her locked the warning bell rung indicating that they only had two minutes to get to their own respective class next period or risk being late.

Peter waved goodbye before rushing off to his locker to get his stuff. Realizing he had forgotten to tell Emma something he yelled back. "Emma! Sit with me at lunch?"

Emma turned to the brown haired boy blushing profusely.

"It's a date" Emma replied instantly regretting how that sounded, "not like a date, date but like a plan" Emma added trying to diffuse the awkward situation she had created for herself.

"See you at lunch!" Peter smiled before rushing off to get to class.

Author's Note:

Hope you all enjoyed this cute chapter! I'm super excited for what I have planned for this story and Emma and Peter's relationship! Please comment or vote to let me now what you think, it means a lot to get any feedback in the beginning phases of this story!