STRAY KIDS.

XLIV. ABOUT A GIRL

( STRAY KIDS! )
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR.
❝ about a girl ❞

IN A TIME-OLD TRADITION of mother figures everywhere, aunt may peeks through the crack in his door.

     "hmm, i'd lose that jacket."

     "hey!" peter whirls around, caught off-guard, and his first instinct is to use his web to push the door knob shut but he realizes in due time that his aunt would probably scream or worse, ask him questions.

     "don't i get any privacy?"

   aunt may pushes the door open. "not when you're clearly in some kind of fashion emergency. i don't think i've ever seen you this worried about clothes before."

   peter sighs as he removes the offensive jacket and drops it in a small heap on the floor. he's been trying out his entire meager wardrobe. nothing seems to look good on him, nothing except the suit. but he can't waltz into flash's party like that –much as he'd like to.

     "guys worry about their looks too," he says, turning back to the mirror. "we just hide it better."

     "i know you do, but i for one think you're quite handsome," she says, patting his hair down with a smile.

peter rolls his eyes emphatically and moves out of her reach. "no offense, aunt may, but your opinion in this matter is biased. and no one uses handsome anymore."

   "sure they do, it's slowly making a comeback. why are you getting all worked up for, anyway?"

   "uh, just some party at flash's."

   "flash invited you to a party?"

      "no need to sound surprised. i'm not the biggest loser in that school anymore."

   "oh, hon, you never were. but i thought flash was a pain in the ass."

   "he is."

   "well?"

   peter heaves a sigh. "not to sound like a facebook status, but it's. . . complicated."

aunt may sits down on the lower bunk and clasps her hands together. there's a devious glint in her eye "oh, this is about a girl, isn't it?"

if this was about a "girl", it would honestly be a piece of cake. eli is like the supersonic, subatomic, anti-gravity version of a "girl". the word "girl" is like calling a shark a folksy little fish.

god, is he in love with a shark?

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