Peter POV
I stood outside the restaurant Emma had texted us to go to in a group chat. It was a nice Chinese restaurant. I take in a deep breathe before exhaling and entering the place.
What wasn't so surprising is that I was the last one to show up. Emma's eyes left the menu and then met mine.
"Finally," The words escaped her lips, "Now that we're all here. We can order." She smiles.
I sit down next to Ned, we were in a booth. The girls on one side and the guys on the other side. I was sitting in front of Emma.
"Sorry I am late. My Aunt May needed my helping in fixing out printer." I lied.
Yes, I lied. I wasn't helping Aunt May. No. There was some Spider-Man business to take care of. I was kind of hoping to run into Static, but I guess another time.
Emma shakes her head, "That's fine. Just figure out what you want and order." She still smiles.
I nod. Looking at the menu to figure out what I'd like to eat until finally I made up my mind. As if on cue, the waitress arrives with a smile. The old Asian women had placed a glass of ice water down for me.
"Thank you, ma'am." I say.
"Are you ready to order?" The women asks.
Emma nods, "Shì de nǚshì." She smiles.
The older Asian women smiles, "Nǐ rènshì zhōngguó rén ma?"
Emma nods, "Duìle." Emma smiles, "I'd like to have the Sweet and Sour Chicken."
The women nods taking the order.
"I would like the Wonton Soup." MJ said.
Ned nods, "Same."
"Uh," I was still shocked from hearing Emma speak Chinese, "I would like the Orange Chicken."
The women nods after taking our order and walked off. I took a sip of my cold water and glanced at Emma, she was getting looks from Ned and MJ.
"What did you say and what did she say?" Ned asks.
"I first day 'yes ma'am', to her question. Then she asked that I know Chinese. To which I replied with that's right." Emma said.
MJ looks at Emma as she points her chopsticks at her, "And how did you learn Chinese?"
"My last school offered it," Emma admitted, "I kind of wanted to see if I could hold a conversation still. It's been a while."
I mess with my straw in my drink and look at Emma, "I thought it was cool."
All eyes shift to me. I see that Emma smiles.
"Thanks, Peter." She says.
After that, we just talked. Some of it was about our interests like movies, music, etc. Then some was about school. It went on until our meals arrived. Emma used some of her knowledge of the language and thanked the waitress.
It was nice. Being a teenager.
As we ate, it was mostly silent because we were so hungry. I kept glancing up to notice Emma and I would make eye contact. We would quickly turn away, and I swear she was blushing, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was the lighting.
After we ate out meal, we all paid for our own meal. As each of us paid for our meal and walked out, we all were saying goodbye.
"See you at school," Ned said, "Today was fun."
MJ nods, "Yeah. Next time we get tacos."
Emma smiles, "Alright."
I waves at my friends goodbye, MJ and Ned went one way and Emma went the same direction as me. At first we didn't speak, until Emma's hand brushed against mine.
"Ops, sorry." Emma said.
I shake my head, "Its okay."
The was a awkward moment of silence before either of us spoke again.
"So you live with your Aunt May?" Emma started.
I nod, "I lost my parents at a young age. I- uh barely remember them, actually. I was sent to live with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben."
"Oh- you have an Uncle?" Emma asks
"Had." I said looking down, "He- He died a year ago."
I see Emma frown, "Oh- Oh I am so sorry, Peter."
I glance at her, "No- No it's okay. It's not your fault." I said.
Emma had a frown, "Still I know what it's like to loose someone close." She started, "When I was eight my grandma died. We were super close, she- meant a lot to me."
I look at her, "I'm sorry."
Emma looks at me, "It's okay."
We walk a bit more. I would at some point look at her and then look forward.
"So only child?" I ask.
Emma nods, "Afraid so." She said.
"Same," I said.
Emma looks at me, "You have any place to be at the moment?"
I look at her, "Uh- no? Why?"
A small smile appears on her lips, "I need help with some unpacking. And my dad is busy with his job, and mom has weird hours. So it'd mean a lot, Peter."
I seemed a bit shocked, "Uh- um- let me check with my Aunt May."
She nods, "Oh sure. Yeah."
Emma POV
Stupid! I cannot believe I just went out there and asked him over to my place. A place with no adults around. He must be thinking the worst of me at the moment. I made him all nervous and embarrassed.
I face palmed as I shook my head.
"Em?" I hear Peter's voice.
I look up, "Huh?"
"My Aunt May said sure." He said.
I smile, "Alright. Let's go!"
What was lucky about the spot where we had dinner was, it was a few blocks from my apartment. Peter and I walked but then had to run when it started raining. As we reached my apartment building, I opened it and motioned for Peter to get in.
"That was close," Peter said to me.
I nod, "I'll say."
Then the rain came down harder. We look at each other for a moment before Peter motions to the stairs. A smile escaped my lips and I led the way.
We walked up to the fourth floor and I led him to our door. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door.
"I'm home," I called out.
Nothing.
I turn to Peter, "Well it's just us." I said.
Peter awkwardly enters, "I noticed."
"I can take your jacket," I say, "My room is the one on the left."
He nods.
He hands me his jacket, I go and hang his and mine on the coat rack. When I came back to where Peter was, he was looking at old family photos.
"This your grandma?" He asks.
I nod, "Her name was Sylvia," I said, "I said when I have kids I'd name my first daughter after her."
Peter smiles, "That's sweet." He said.
I then turn to my room, "So wanna help me out? I need to put my dresser together and hang some of my clothes up and put them in said dresser."
He chuckles, "Might as well get started." He said.
Peter POV
We managed to get the dresser up. I helped unpack some of her stuff. Emma would tell me to toss it on her bed. She was in the closet hanging some of her things up.
I open one box and noticed they had books in them.
"Alice in Wonderland?" I spoke.
Her eyes snapped in my direction, "Uh- Yeah."
"So there is something you like that isn't nerdy." I tease.
She came over and snatched the book, "I love fairy tales. I mean what's wrong with escaping from reality just for a bit to go somewhere else, pretend to be someone else."
Boy, could I agree with her. I listened to her. She rambled on and on, but I didn't seem to mind. She placed the book down on her bed and then pulled out another one.
"This one is my favorite." She said.
I looked at the book, "Wizard of Oz?"
She nods, "My grandma use to read it to me a lot as a kid." She rambled with a smile on her face, "I use to pretend I was Dorthy and all my toys were the other characters in the book."
I smile as I listen to her. She sounds so passionate about it. She hugs the book before putting it on top of the Alice book.
"I would assume there was something you and your Uncle Ben did together that you loved?" She said.
I nod, "We mostly talked. We were close in that sense to just tell each other what was on our mind. Sometimes he'd help with my school work, but then he'd get frustrated when he doesn't understand it."
Emma had a smile on her face.
"I remember one time, I must have been nine or ten at the time and I asked Ben to help with my math homework. He being the sweet and caring man ever agrees to it. After one whole minute of attempting to help, he just sent me away." I said.
Giggling Emma asks, "Why?"
"He claimed that the math is not the math he learned when he was in school. Ben got so frustrated that he just told me, 'you're on your own, Pete'." I said.
Emma smiles, "He sounded like a true father figure." She said.
I nod, "He was."
Then we both stopped talking when we heard the door open. Emma steps away from her bed to her bedroom door, she opened it to reveal an adult male. He had striking similarities as Emma, but his hair was much darker.
"Oh- Em, I didn't know you were home," He smiles at her and then noticed me, "And you have a boy in your room."
Emma waves her hands in front of her dad, "It's not like that, dad. This is Peter. He's a friend of mine, actually my first friend I made here. He- is just helping me unpack."
Her dad stepped into the room. He noticed the dresser finally put together as well as most of Emma's boxes folded down and empty.
"I see you've been busy." Her dad said.
That is when he stepped closer to me. I felt a bit freaked, the last time I met a girl's dad he turned out to be a super villain. I mean her dad was rather large. Not overweight but muscular.
"So Peter, huh?" Her dad addressed me as he held his hand out for me to shake.
I nod, "Peter Parker, yes- uh sir." I was so nervous.
He had a smile, "No need to be nervous, son. I am Michael Sterling, it's nice to see my Emma has made a friend." He said.
I relaxed a bit, "Uh- She's great." I said.
I see Emma walk over and stood next to me, "Dad, you're making him nervous."
I see Michael chuckle again and then began to leave the room, "I'll leave you kids to your business, just keep the door open."
He was gone. Emma quickly returned to folding her clothes and putting them in the dresser. I needed a moment. For a moment I was still on edge, and it seemed Emma noticed.
"Don't worry about my dad," She said, "He's harmless."
And with that said we went back to work.
Third POV
A phone rang. None other than Michael Sterling stepped out of the apartment to take the phone call once he saw the caller ID.
"What?" Michael asks.
"We need you back," The voice on the phone said, "It's time to make our announcement."
Michael frowns, "I haven't seen my daughter in days." He says.
"This is for your daughter. This is to protect her. To protect everyone." The voice on the phone said.
Michael sighs and looks at the apartment door. He ran a hand through his hair as he paced briefly.
"Alright, I'm on my way." Michael said and hung up.
Michael stepped into the apartment. At this moment, Emma and Peter stepped out of her room. She had handed Peter a bottle of water and had one for herself. Her eyes quickly met with her dad.
"I am officially moved in, dad." Emma said smiling then dropped seeing her dad's expression.
He nod but doesn't say anything at first.
"You have to go back to work don't you?" She asks.
He nods, "Yeah, Em."
She looks at him all upset, "What kind of construction are you doing pass six in the evening?"
He looks at her, "I'm sorry, dear."
Emma sighs, "Just go, dad. I'll see you later."
Michael looks at her, "I love you." Then he looks at Peter, "Nice to meet you again, Peter."
Peter nods, "Same to you Mr Sterling."
And with that said, Michael left the apartment. He walked down the steps and outside the apartment building. He walked down an alley and then put his hood up as it was still raining and walked down the darkness of the alley.