𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟎𝟎𝟏: 𝐄𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭
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The clock's ticking noise felt louder than humanly possible. Watching the minute hand on the clock move one number at a time. Tick, tick, tick. It was obnoxious. She wanted to take her converse shoe off and throw it at the clock to make it stop its insipid ticking. It was the last period of the school day, thank goodness. Davina sat in her seat in Physics—she was bored out of her right mind. Today was an exam day, but Davina finished seventeen minutes ago. Cell phones were prohibited from being in use while other exams were still out, and much to her dismay, one individual was still test taking, so no one was allowed to get out their phones, school issued laptops, or even a book.
Davina sighed as she fixed her position in her chair. Her hand curled under her chin as she leaned forward a little bit. A few strands of her loose, straightened hair fell to the side of her face, but she didn't tuck it behind her ear again. Instead, her gaze remained on the whiteboard, which Ms. Martin, the Physics teacher, had written "no cell phones, laptops, books, food or drinks of any kind." Davina's gaze wandered around the length of the whiteboard. She saw the pink, red, and green expo markers in the magnetized basket on the board. She was so bored that drawing on the whiteboard with those colors excited her.
Davina's focus snapped elsewhere when she felt something lightly tap her shoulder. Davina turned her head to see her closest friend, besides Peter, Marlene Watson. Or as the strawberry blonde girl also went by, Mary Jane. Marlene's full name was Marlene Jane Watson, but when Marlene was younger, she couldn't pronounce her name, so she called herself Mary, which just stuck. Although once she entered high school, rumors spread, and Mary Jane's name, "Mary," was now referring to the virgin Mary. So Mary Jane went back and forth between being called Mary Jane and Marlene. But, of course, it all depended on who she was with.
Mary Jane had tapped Davina's shoulder with her pen. A tightly folded piece of paper was clipped onto the end of the pen. Davina slipped the piece of paper out from the pen's clip. Mary Jane's genial smile lightened Davina's mood—her apathy slowly faded. Mary Jane leaned back in her chair and set her pen down. Davina turned around to face the front of the class. She unfolded the piece of paper. Inside it read, "why's Peter harassing me about getting tickets for the play?" Davina looked over her shoulder and saw Peter resting his head on his arms, which he folded under his head as a pillow.
Before an answer could be written out, the bell rang—finally. Davina stood up and grabbed her book bag, which had been leaning on the side of her desk, from the ground. Mary Jane sprung up from her desk and stood beside Davina in seconds. "My best guess?" Davina said, referring to what Mary Jane had asked her. "He forgot about the play and knows I'll kill him if he doesn't go." Davina responded, knowing Peter was walking over to the pair and heard what she'd said. Mary Jane turned to face Peter and shot him a glare for forgetting and not wanting to go to her play.
"I've been meaning to, I swear. I just kept getting sidetracked." Peter told the pair, sighing, and ran his hand through his hair. Davina shifted her attention towards Peter. "I can't kill you, 'cause then what does that leave Thompson?" Davina asked rhetorically. Her tease was enough to lighten the mood before Mary Jane's faux glare turned into genuine hurt over being forgotten. Davina walked out of the classroom with Peter walking behind her, as Mary Jane had been beside her, and he couldn't catch up with how quickly Mary Jane was walking down the hall with Davina matching her pace.
"Thank you so much for that vote of confidence, Vi," Peter said, finally having caught up. He was now walking beside Davina. "Look, all I'm saying is that if I kill you for forgetting Marls' play, then Eugene won't have any reason to look forward to coming to school," Davina told him, scrunching her nose as she glanced at him. "And Lord knows he needs it." Mary Jane murmured under her breath. "Is he still trying to pick a fight with you over the other day in class?" she asked, drawing Peter's attention away from Davina.
Two days ago, on Tuesday, Eugene Thompson had been called on by their math teacher to go to the front of the board and solve the problem. This is because Eugene had not been paying attention in class but instead was numerically rating the girls in the classroom with one of his football friends. Eugene could not solve a math problem without googling it to save his life; the teacher knew this, which is another reason the teacher called on him. Peter had commented on such, causing the class to burst into laughter and causing Eugene's rage towards Peter to grow.
It was safe to assume Flash was now looking for a fight with Peter over the slightest remark. Flash? Oh, yeah, that's still Eugene Thompson. Like Mary Jane, Eugene also had different names he would be called. Eugene, or Flash, as he preferred, was given his nickname because of his speed on the football team and his ability to run the mile in gym class faster than anyone else. Davina was never fond of the nickname, but that was because of her minor obsession with Barry Allen, the comic book character she read about whose alias was indeed The Flash.
"Have you met the guy?" Peter asked rhetorically. Mary Jane's lips curled downwards as she nodded, her facial expression emphasizing the answer was "yes." Peter wasn't focused on Eugene wanting to fight him. Peter had grown used to that by now. Eugene often repeated, "looks like you were born to take a beating, Parker." It was engraved in Peter's memory, and he could never shake it. Davina noticed the look in Peter's eye, a look of vengefulness. Although Peter always kept the fact that Eugene would one day get what was coming to him in the back of his mind, that look gave it away.
"Oh!" Mary Jane's voice snapped both Davina and Peter back to reality. They simultaneously glanced back at her. "I forgot I have to stay after school for a fitting." Mary Jane said and stopped walking before continuing towards the exit. "Do you want me to stay with you, so you don't have to walk home alone?" Davina asked. Most days that Mary Jane would stay after school for rehearsals, Davina would sit in the auditorium doing homework so they could walk home without worrying about each other. Although Mary Jane's mom was often able to pick her up from school, which meant Davina would walk home with Peter.
"It shouldn't take long," Mary Jane said with a half smile. She loved it when Davina would stay in the auditorium with her. Sure, she was seen as a more popular figure, but Mary Jane only had a handful of real friends. Davina being her closest one made it even better, as Davina always tried to be there for everyone in her life one way or another. Davina glanced over to Peter, who was listening even with his gaze wandering everywhere but Davina and Mary Jane. "Let's go," Davina said, knowing Peter wouldn't mind; he never did.
"Mind if I join?" asked Lydia Scarlett Blaine. The fourth member of the friend group. Well, sort of. Lydia came and went. She was friends with Davina long before she knew of Peter Parker and Mary Jane's existence. Davina never tokened herself as the type of person people wanted to become friends with just because, but that's how Lydia did it—anything Lydia chose to do or anyone she decided to befriend or date was just because she could. Peter was civil with Lydia and vice versa. They had no interest in spending time together unless Davina was involved, which was almost always the case.
"Sure! The more, the merrier, yeah?" Mary Jane responded, hoping if she masked her tone with enough enthusiasm, it would hide any slight disappointment. Like Peter, Mary Jane was civil with Lydia but didn't qualify her as a friend. Lydia scared her. Lydia was popular. Not like Mary Jane, who was popular amongst some. Lydia Blaine was one of Midtown High's "It Girls." Davina didn't see it that way, nor did Peter, but Mary Jane did. Oh, and Lydia very clearly did. Although she tried her best to keep it humble, that came off wrong occasionally.
Lydia raised an eyebrow. She brought her brunette hair forward so it lay perfectly over her shoulders. "You know, Mary, if you're going to enthuse so fakely, just come out and say it directly; you don't want me there. Saves you the hassle." Lydia scoffed. Mary Jane's faint smile faded entirely. Lydia's emphasis on "Mary" was no doubt over the "Virgin Mary" remarks from Freshman year. "I do not want you there, Lydia." Mary Jane told her, matter-of-fact. "There you go. Better, yeah?" Lydia scrunched her nose, shaking her head, before walking away towards her boyfriend.
"Remind me again why we're friends with her?" Mary Jane turned to ask Davina, who had been putting her earbuds in her ears and scrolling to find her playlist on her phone. Mary Jane commonly asked this question. Davina glanced over to Mary Jane. "Because outside of school, you know she's a great person. She was there for you when-" Davina's sentence cut off, "when my dad left; yeah, you're right." Mary Jane murmured. Peter had taken the opportunity to go to his locker while the two girls talked. Besides Davina and Mary Jane, he had one other friend, but he hadn't shown his face during the seven-hour school day.
Davina glanced over her shoulder to see Peter shoving his school books in his locker. He looked focused on other things, though. Davina wanted to ask where his mind had wandered to, but Mary Jane was still going on and on about Lydia Blaine; who was Davina to cut her off to talk to another friend? Mary Jane continued her rant, although it shifted between subjects as they walked down the school and to the drama room. Mary Jane walked backward so she could adequately face Davina as she spoke. Davina subtly nodded now and then so Mary Jane knew she was paying attention.
Mary Jane pressed her back against the door to the drama room and walked backward, pushing the door open and standing while Davina stepped inside. Mary Jane then sprung off the door and hurried off to where the drama teacher was waiting on stage. Just as the door was about to shut, it pushed open. Davina's gaze was focused on Mary Jane. Well, that was until she saw Peter standing beside her again. "Really?" Davina asked, fighting back a smile—she loved Peter just being with her, even if he preferred not to be involved in anything drama related.
"Yes. See, Vi, I don't know if you've noticed," Peter said and swung his arm over Davina's shoulders. Davina jokingly rolled her eyes. "But I go anywhere I'm allowed to go with you. It's my form of entertainment, seeing as there's nothing to do around here," he told her, matter-of-fact. Davina glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. "There's nothing to do in New York City after school? So you would rather wait for Mary Jane to be done with her fitting, really?" Davina's response matched his exaggerated tone, which he found amusing.
"Mhm." Peter hummed in response. Davina then remembered the real reason Peter had to be more involved in the play and its star actress, Marlene Jane Watson—he was helping cover it for the school paper. "You forgot you had to submit more photos to Colter, didn't you?" Davina asked—Mr. Colter was the photography teacher and also the head of the school newspaper. "You've caught me, Danvers," Peter said, putting his arms up in defeat. Then, letting out a faint laugh, he pulled his camera, which had been around his neck on a lanyard, up to his face.
Mary Jane walked up from behind the stage curtain in her costume, unaware that Peter had decided to join them. Peter snapped a quick candid picture of Mary Jane, causing her to stare blankly. Peter looked down at the photo he had taken. "You're not supposed to see the actors in their costumes before the show." Mary Jane pouted, folding her arms over her chest. Peter let out a chuckle. "Sorry," he said, shaking his head subtly as he brought his camera up to take another picture. Mary Jane covered her face with her hands, sticking her middle fingers up.
Davina walked over to Peter. He tilted his camera towards her so she could see the two photos he'd taken. Peter was never one to take more than one photo of the same thing; he nailed it in one take. "I love it," Davina said, referring to the second picture Peter had taken. "But I don't think it's the best for the school paper's front page," she added shortly after. Mary Jane shook her head at the pair talking about the pictures. "Well? Does the dress look good, or am I going to have a meltdown about it on opening night?" Mary Jane asked.
Peter held up a thumbs up as he glanced up at Mary Jane. "Really? That's it? All I get is a measly thumbs up?" Mary Jane murmured. Mary Jane was always one to expect more comments from people. She craved feedback, preferably positive. "You look great, Marls. You always look great." Davina told her. This comment was just what Mary Jane was looking for. A smile beamed upon Mary Jane's lips before she twirled around, causing her dress to flow with her. Mary Jane's smile hadn't faded, and Peter quickly snapped another candid photo of the actress.
Peter glanced down at his camera to see this photo but almost dropped the camera after being shoved forward. Luckily the camera was still attached to the lanyard, so when it slipped out of his grasp, it managed not to hit the ground. Davina and Peter both turned around at the sound of clapping. Mary Jane looked up after being done twirling. Eugene Thompson stood behind Peter and Davina, eyeing Mary Jane from the doorway. Davina rolled her eyes once she caught sight of him. "What the hell are you doing here, Eugene?" Davina asked.
"I'm here for Mary," Eugene responded, looking past Davina and to Mary Jane, whose smile vanished on the spot. Mary Jane folded her arms over her chest. "I don't want you here." Mary Jane stated. She hated how quickly her mood shifted. The drama teacher had stepped out of the room a moment ago, so it was just the four teenagers. Eugene didn't move, despite the glare Mary Jane was shooting at him. "I don't think so. I'm perfectly fine here." Eugene said as he brought his hands forward and cracked his knuckles before resting his hands behind his head.
"She told you to leave, Flash," Peter told him, hiding the annoyance that naturally came when he talked to Eugene Thompson. Peter had to hold back the urge to throw a punch. He never won a fight against Flash Thompson, but that never stopped him from trying. Though with Davina and Mary Jane both there, he decided against it. Eugene tilted his head and let out a faint laugh. "Funny, I don't recall her telling me that." he scoffed, shifting his attention back to Mary Jane, who was walking over to Davina. Mary Jane ignored his following gaze.
Peter looked over at the pair but said nothing. Mary Jane whispered something into Davina's ear. Davina glanced over to Eugene and let out a faint laugh at the comment Mary Jane had whispered to her. Eugene did not take that very well, though—he hated others laughing at him in any context. Eugene's gaze hardened to a glare as he took a step toward Davina, but Peter stepped in front of her before Eugene got too close. Mary Jane wrapped her hand around Davina's wrist and pulled her back. Davina freed herself from Mary Jane's grasp but didn't move further or back.
"Boundaries. Are you aware of them?" Peter asked rhetorically, causing Eugene's glare to fall back on him. "I would assume so, given how many restraining orders girls have against you." Peter scoffed, fighting back a grin bound to form on his lips. Mary Jane's eyes widened upon hearing that sentence. It didn't take long for Euegene to react to that comment. The reaction was not verbal, but instead, being harshly pushed back. Peter stumbled back but wasn't phased. He shook his head, and a grin fully formed. "Oh, come on. You've done better than that for nothing before; wanna try again?" Peter ridiculed.
"Peter," Mary Jane said, shaking her head. Peter didn't respond. He wasn't allowed to, as Eugene had punched him in the face. Peter wiped the blood off his nose with his sleeve, ignoring the stinging sensation he felt from the hit. Davina knew better than to try and get involved, so she didn't. Mary Jane found that ridiculous and tried to intervene, but Davina grabbed her wrist and pulled her back before she could. Eugene tried throwing another punch, but Peter dodged that one. "Okay, enough!" shouted the drama teacher as she stepped into the room.
"Whatever," Eugene scoffed before turning around and walking out of the classroom. Peter wanted to shout a vulgar comment as Eugene left, but the teacher was tapping her foot on the ground with her arms crossed, so it was clear she wanted Peter to go as well. "I'll meet you out front so we can walk home," Peter told Davina and Mary Jane. They nodded in agreement, and then he walked out of the classroom. "I'm gonna get him some ice from the nurse," Davina told Mary Jane. "That's probably for the best, yeah." she sighed.
Davina walked out of the classroom and towards the infirmary. Mary Jane turned around to see her teacher shaking her head in disapproval. Mary Jane apologetically smiled and then made her way over to change out of her costume. Davina entered the infirmary. Luckily, the nurse hadn't bolted out of the school when classes ended like most other teachers. Instead, she gave Davina an ice pack without questioning it. While Peter was sitting on the school steps' railing, Davina then took the ice pack outside. Peter heard the door open and shut from behind him and looked over to see Davina approaching him.
Davina leaned her lower back against the railing rather than sitting on it. Then, sighing, she handed Peter the ice pack without glancing up at him. "Thanks, Vi," Peter murmured, taking the ice pack from her hand and placing it on his nose. Davina bit her lip, then stopped after a minute. "You're such an idiot, Parker; you know that?" Davina asked, looking up to face him—he was already looking at her. "Oh, trust me, I know. May never fails to remind me after she sees me come home with some injury." Peter responded with a faint chuckle.
Davina couldn't fight the faint smile that appeared on her lips. Peter smiled in response to seeing her smile. "You're getting better at dodging punches, minus that first one, so that's a plus," Davina commented, breaking the silence. Peter laughed faintly and nodded in agreement. "Definitely a plus, but next time I'll be the one throwing the punch," Peter told her. "Oh, so there's going to be a next time? Let me know so I can get my camera out." Davina said and imitated snapping pictures of Peter while he pretended to throw punches at Eugene.
The conversation soon shifted away from Eugene and any possibility of starting yet another brief fight with him. Instead, they talked about Peter's photos and Mary Jane's play. As they waited for Mary Jane, the conversation spiraled from one topic to the next. After a few minutes, Peter slid down the railing. Davina mimicked his action, and for the following ten minutes, they slid down the banister while the other talked and walked up and down the stairs. A natural flow of conversation followed them even when they did the most random actions. They found it entertaining.
***
author's note: ew. cringe.