SKYFALL | PETER PARKER [ 1 ]

21: THE CALM

While Ned and Peter took her seat, MJ pulled Eleanor's tray near her and finished eating the rest of her fruit.

"Ned, you and I both know that essay's due Monday. Now she's gonna have a mental breakdown I'll have to take care of." MJ said, eating a grape.

"It is due Monday, we just needed to talk to you without her around," Ned commented, looking at Peter, who had been fidgeting the whole time.

"Yeah, we- I-I need your help, Michelle," Peter commented, moving his hands repeatedly in a nervous manner, making MJ raise an eyebrow. "I-I, I-I-I'm gonna-"

"He's going to ask El out." Ned finished the sentence for his friend.

MJ looked at them unamused. "Thought you guys were already going out."

"I-I mean, we kinda are, but this is more- we're not a couple yet, and I'm going to ask her more formally tomorrow."

MJ smiled at Peter. If he really knew how much Eleanor liked him, and how long she had.

"Nice bud, how can I help?" The girl asked, piling both empty trays one on top of each other.

"Peter told me he wanted to buy her something that meant a lot to her," Ned commented.

"Yeah, and since we're going to MoMA tomorrow, I wanted to ask her there. But we need a girl who knows her well helping us out, that's where you enter."

"Okay," Michelle started, pushing the trays a bit away. "Here's the thing, Pete: Eleanor's not that big on cheesy shit, you know she isn't that talkative about her feelings. But, she does have a soft spot for that type of gift. It's going to be hard." The girl smiled, before continuing. "I'm in."

°°°

After classes ended, Eleanor quickly headed home without Peter, since he seemed busy with Ned and MJ. They agreed to meet on the apartment building's rooftop at 4, giving Eleanor enough time to talk with the guy in her mask, which she hadn't named yet. As she arrived home, she threw her backpack on the couch and approached her room. She took out her mask, and placed it on, sitting on her desk chair.

"Eleanor, welcome back." The voice said, the English accent present.

"Hey... You." The girl replied. "Any news?"

"Police radio transmissions seem to be in order, Eleanor. There's no danger in the area."

"Nice. Hey man, I think it's about time that I name you. You have a British accent, so you deserve a British name." The teen talked, as she walked to the kitchen. She knew her mother would be back in an hour or so.

"As you please, Eleanor." The voice responded.

"Paul?" She asked, thinking of a singer of her favorite British band. "Nah, that just sounds off. And I don't like the name Ringo. How about George?"

As she argued with herself, she poured orange juice in a glass. "I don't like that one either. Voice, can you look up a list of common British male names?"

Eleanor lifted the bottom red half of her mask, drank her orange juice, and pulled the mask back down as her AI did the research.