And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Space? Space?" Betty repeats frantically, playing with the spoon from her cup of frozen yogurt.
"I have to make a decision soon. They leave tonight." I say, taking a bite of cookies and cream fro yo.
"You'd be away all summer..." She says, frowning. "But I want you to find your dad."
"We could still talk all the time," I say hopefully.
"How? I don't have an intergalactic phone plan," She jokes, and I laugh. "Did you talk to your mom about it?"
"No," I answer. "I've been putting it off. I have no idea what she would say."
"What about Peter?"
"I didn't exactly tell him either."
"Well, you're going to have to." She says, and I sigh.
"I know. But I want to talk to my Mom first. If she says no, there's no point in telling him." Betty nods. Her phone buzzes beside her and she picks it up before groaning.
"Ugh, I better go. My boss is bugging me about an article again. God, why is everyone so obsessed with superheroes lately?" She says before picking the phone up. "Yes, Jaime, I'm on my way." I laugh. She stands and waves goodbye as she walks. I wave back.
•—•—•
"Hey, honey." My mom sits at the table, typing away at her computer. She looks up at me as I come in.
"Hey, Mom." I say, smiling.
"How's Betty?"
"Good." I answer, and the talking dies down. My heart is beating way too fast, but I ignore it, and carry on. "Hey, Mom?"
"Mmm?"
"How would you feel about me going away this summer?" She stops typing and looks up.
"Like... to sleep away camp?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Like... to space." I watch as her eyes widen.
"What?" She exclaims.
"Quill - the dude with the weird sideburns - invited me to come with them to space for the summer, to find my dad," I explain. "I'd be incredibly well protected - Thor's coming, and some of the best fighters in the galaxy."
"No, Y/N. You can't be serious."
"Please, Mom," I beg.
"You've never been out of Queens, now you want to leave the planet?" She exclaims, frustratedly running her hands through her hair.
"Mom-"
"Is Peter coming?"
"No."
"Then why do you want to go?" She asks, her voice harsh.
"You don't get it!" I exclaim, collapsing onto the couch.
"No I guess I don't." She says. I sigh, tears welling up in my eyes.
"You got to grow up with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Kelly. I just have you. And I love you and I love the life that you've given me, but I need to find my dad. I feel like a part of me is missing. I have these powers but I don't even know where they come from. If there's someone out there... someone who shares my eye color, and snores, and does this weird snort thing when they laugh... if there's someone out there who does all the things that I do and you don't, someone who could be my dad, isn't he worth finding?" My mom sighs and sits down next to me.
"I've never been away from you for longer than six days," She sighs. "I cant imagine you being away all summer."
"I know."
"How will I know you're okay? How will I talk to you?"
"Because I'm always okay." I reply. "And I don't know, I don't really know how contact with people here works when I'm out there."
"Y/N..." I can tell she's not going for the idea. "How much time do you have to decide?"
"They leave tonight."
"That's such short notice!"
"I know this is a hard ask, and it's a lot to ask for, but please. I need to do this. I need to find my father." My mom smiles, tears welling in her eyes.
"Well, I guess you better start packing, then."
•—•—•
I pace back and forth in my bedroom, waiting for Peter to swing by. How do I tell him? How do I tell him that I'm leaving for the entire summer to go to space?
I hear a knock on my window and open it hurriedly, watching as Peter climbs inside my bedroom. He removed his mask, revealing a grin.
"Hey," He says, breathing heavily.
"Hey," I respond, forcing a smile. He frowns. Shit. How did I think I could fool him?
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I reply, shrugging.
"Y/N, come on. I know you," He says, grabbing my arm. He pulls me closer to him. "What's wrong?"
"I... Quill made me a proposition," I start slowly. "That I could go with them on their ship... to space. For the summer. To find my dad." I say, and I watch Peter's grin wipe off his face. "...And I said yes." Peter let's go of my arm, pulling backwards.
"You said what?" I thought he would be more hurt, but he just sounds... angry.
"Peter-"
"I don't understand."
"I'm going to space. To find my dad, to find out where my powers come from." I explain.
"And you've just decided? Like that's it? Final answer?" He asks, but it's more of a statement than a question.
"I need to, Peter."
"I don't get you. Things are so good right now, and- and you're leaving?"
"For three months! I'll be back before school starts."
"When do you leave?" He asks quietly.
"Tonight."
"Tonight?!" He exclaims. "Y/N, I can't believe you."
"Peter, I have an opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do. Don't you get that?"
"Yeah, of course I do, but- you can't just leave." He exclaims.
"We have a couple hours together," I say. He scoffs.
"A couple hours?" He moves towards the window. "Y/N, I have to go."
"Peter, wait!"
"I'm going!" He exclaims, and before I can reason with him, he's out the door.