𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋

nine

"Hey, Peter! You're just in time, dinner's almost ready."

"Oh, uh, thank you," he says, stumbling over his words as he walks in. He takes a look around and suddenly feels very small in the expensive apartment, nicely decorated with a beach theme with a Cape Cod kind of atmosphere. He's seen stereotypes of people using the beach theme but he honestly thinks it's a great style. "You have a beautiful home."

Ryder shuts the door behind him and takes the compliment. "Thanks, but I'm not the genius behind all this." She then grabs a fruit platter that is sitting on the marble counter. "We can head to my room to start brainstorming for the project before dinner's fully ready, if that's alright."

The boy nods, and realizes he isn't actually saying anything. Stupidly, he blurts: "Yes, yeah that's totally fine."

Ryder looks at him sideways with a small smile as she leads him to her room down the hall. He tries not to hear his heart pounding against his rib cage or his foolish thoughts telling him to turn back now and run home, because he's overwhelmed - so overwhelmed. The thought of them being alone makes his thoughts go haywire, and he can't even form coherent thoughts in his head as he thinks about it.

However, as soon as another figure steps into view at the end of the hallway, he knows that they probably won't get much privacy.

"Ah! You must be Peter," a tall, blonde woman grins, approaching him with her hand stuck out for a shake. He shakes her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Phoenix," Peter replies with a smile, but on the inside his heart is going completely off the charts.

"Nonsense, call me Lisa. Are you thirsty, sweetheart? I could mix you guys some lemonade or something?"

Peter shakes his head politely. "Oh no, I'm alright, thank you though."

Actually, his throat is killing him from yelling at criminals for a couple of hours, so his voice is a little hoarse.

Ryder finds it extremely attractive, as well as the dry fit navy blue shirt he's sporting. She's only ever seen him in jumpers and plaid shirts, but this look, this athletic look, is a great change.

Then suddenly, as if his nerves couldn't get any worse, another women steps out from the end of the hallway, who's shorter and Hispanic with short ebony hair just above her shoulders. Once she sees the boy, her indifferent expression soon turns excited and welcoming, a wide smile appearing on her face.

"Oh Peter! We've heard so much about you!" the shorter woman says cheerfully.

His pink cheeks do not go unnoticed.

"I'm Valeria, it's so nice to finally meet you, hon," she says happily, shaking Peter's hand. "Now, I know you guys have a project to work on, so just keep the door open and we'll call you when dinner's ready, alright?"

"Alright," Ryder agrees, playfully rolling her eyes. She takes Peter's hand as she leads him down the hall, and his heart flutters. "We'll be doing schoolwork, don't you worry."

Ryder leads him into her room, and the stupid blush off his face doesn't seem to go away, especially not when he sees her room that's so her. Decorated fairy lights on the perimeters make him smile and the black comforter with pastel purple walls make him feel at ease. He stands about a step into her room as he takes it in, a small smile planted on his face as he scans the walls and overall theme of her bedroom.

He notices a shit ton of papers and her laptop on her desk, knowing she's busy as she frantically tries to neaten it up.

"Sorry, I was working on something before you came here," she admits sheepishly, the boy glimpsing at construction paper and designs for something he can't make out.