MAGNOLIA ｡PETER PARKER [DISCONTINUED]

07. EILEEN AGAR

chapter seven; eileen agar

"Maggie, you can take your break now," Lucy Stone, Maggie's boss smiled, softly nudging the teen's shoulder. It was the end of the tour so she was practically dragging her feet with exhaustion. The idea of lunch made her mouth water and her heart race, which was why she quickly thanked Lucy and spun around, speed-walking back to the staffroom to grab her bag. Her mind was already whirring regarding what she was going to consume in the next forty five minutes; did she want sushi, pizza, a salad, a sandwich, a burger...

Ultravox softly played through the lobby as Maggie trailed through, eager to get something to eat from down the road. Her fingers made an effort to untangle her headphones and her hair bounced as her paced quickened. She was barely paying attention, which was why she nearly yelped when she ran into someone. 

"Hey, careful!" said a familiar voice, and it took a moment for Maggie's bewildered eyes to focus on the face of Peter Parker. It was the last person she expected to see, especially since she had met him for the first time at the art gallery only a month ago. He didn't really seem the type of person to visit a cultured place more than once a year, and the science fiend appeared relatively out of place. The teenage girl quickly took a step back, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. 

"Peter?" Maggie asked softly as the brunet boy composed himself, fixing his grip on the brown McDonalds bag he was holding. He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. He was wearing a long-sleeved burgundy jumper and jeans, the Autumn chill hardly bothering him. "What're you doing here?"

"I, uh, thought I'd come visit you," he admitted, his eyes flickering to the ground. Maggie felt her stomach drop into her feet, finding it quite unbelievable that someone would take time out of their day to appreciate her. "I didn't know when your break was so I thought I'd just come in and find you..."

"Well, you caught me at the right time," Maggie said, plastering a smile on her face. Peter nervously laughed and proceeded to nod, trying not to make a fool of himself in front of his friend.

"I got some McDonalds...I didn't know what you liked so I got some fries, a salad, a burger and some nuggets," he held up the bag, causing Maggie to giggle and adjust her tote bag on her shoulder. "I-Is that okay?"

"It's perfect," Maggie replied, not being able to resist the bubbly feeling that rose in her. Peter straightened up a bit with a newfound confidence, exhaling excitedly and making eye contact with her. "I-If you want we could walk down the road, they've got a great park bench that faces Gucci. You'd be surprised at the range of people who go in there. It's weird, but pretty entertaining."

"Really?" Peter asked as they left the gallery, him letting her exit through the door first, being the gentleman he was. Maggie then began to babble about the time two teenage boys had gone in once and had come out clad in the brand from head to toe, as well as the time one woman came out with seven handbags and a stressed out husband following her down the street.