four
CHAPTER FOUR
TALK SCIENCE TO ME
WARREN HOWARD AND MIA SHEPHERD GIGGLED. Myra Jean was sitting by their side, looking across the room, waiting for Peter Parker to enter the classroom. After their encounter the night before, Myra Jean had been waiting all day to see him again. Warren and Mia were leaning over to look at Mia's laptop, where a video of a kid in the year below was playing. It was supposed to be funny- a kid who was learning to skateboard falling off multiple times in a matter of 50 seconds. Myra Jean had rolled her eyes, electing to ignore the offer to watch along. Mia lets out a howling laugh and Mr Hawkins frowns as he enters the classroom. Mr Hawkins was an old man who was strict and often grumpy, but Myra Jean had found his soft side. He was actually really sweet and kind, he often proof-read little pieces of Myra Jean's articles before they were submitted. Mr Hawkins writes on his whiteboard, writing out some questions for the students to ponder in todays lesson.
Then the door opens and Peter steps inside. He looked tired, drained even, as if he had been awake all night. Myra Jean's face softens at the sight of him. He glances around the classroom before he takes his seat, but doesn't even meet Myra Jean's eye. She sinks back in her chair. Her heart was beating hard and fast. Had she done something wrong? Was her asking him to call her MJ a little too personal?
"You okay, Myra Jean?" Warren asks from his seat beside her. She looks over at him and forces a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," She says quickly, nodding her head multiple times to try and emphasis how absolutely fine she was. Warren looks at her worriedly, but turns his attention quickly back to Mr Hawkins. Now Warren had his internship at the Daily Bugle, he had not stopped bugging Mr Hawkins for a place on the gifted and talented student piece that decorated the left wall, by the door. Upon it were the faces of the best students in Midtown High School in the English department. Myra Jean looks over, seeing her own smiling face centred in the middle.
The lesson is spent not concentrating on the actual work, and instead staring at the back of Peter Parker's head willing him to turn around and at least look at her. But his head keeps facing forwards. When the school bell rings, signalling the end of the day, Peter packs his bag slowly.
"I'll catch up with you," Myra Jean says to Warren, who had invited her and Mia out for a coffee date. Warren and Mia nod, heading out of the classroom.
Myra Jean grabs her satchel and steps up beside Peter Parker. He was looking at a journal, scribbled notes swirled all over the pages. Myra Jean announces herself with a cough. He looks up, meeting her eyes.
"Hey," Myra Jean says, breathing deeply afterwards. She felt so breathless around him, it was strange, how he made her feel. Now they had more of a connection than Myra Jean had ever had with anyone.
"Hi," He replies, closing the journal and putting it in his backpack. "Don't you have coffee to be getting?"
Myra Jean's brows lift and she glances to the desk she usually sat at. Of course. She almost physically facepalms, his hearing was heightened by whatever was in those spiders.
"I wanted to talk to you," Myra Jean smiles softly, "I want us to be friends, Peter,"
Peter nods his head slowly, "Myra Jean, we're not that much alike,"
"We're more alike than you think," Myra Jean mutters, eyes fluttering to look at the floor. "I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out at mine later, you know, after my coffee date,"
"Are you and Warren, like, dating?" Peter asks, scratching the back of his head.
"What? No...Warren is gay," Myra Jean says, eyebrows furrowing, "I thought everyone knew that?"
"Oh, oh right," Peter croaks, he definitely didn't get that memo. "Sure,"
"Sure, what?"
"I'll go to yours after your coffee thing...But be warned, I'm got a bunch of homework to do," He says. He was lying. He had no homework, but he was busy outside of school, trying to learn more about his father. Maybe MJ could help...?
"Oh, great. Thats fine...I have an article to write up anyway," She shrugs, "Study buddies?"
"Sure," Peter chuckles, his smile wide and welcoming. Myra Jean returns the smile and then looks away.
"Meet me at my house for 6?" She asks, he nods and they walk out of the classroom together.
Myra Jean looks along the corridor and see's Gwen Stacy by her locker. She was grabbing her textbooks and worksheets. Myra Jean still hadn't talked to her about star pupil of the month. The deadline for the article's submission was only a couple of weeks away, she'd have to step it up in order to get it done on time. The thought of talking to Gwen after all this time, made her feel sick.
Gwen's head lifts, as if somehow she knew Myra Jean was thinking about her. But she's not looking at MJ, no, she's looking beside her, at Peter Parker...and...oh...she's waving at him...gesturing for him to go to her.
"Right, urm, I'll see you later," Myra Jean mutters, pushing a strand of fallen red hair behind her ear. Peter nods his head.
"Later, MJ,"
The clock struck 6:10pm and Peter Parker was still not here. Myra Jean had heard of being fashionably late, but Peter Parker had always seemed the type of boy to get to places early, like, super early. Her feet were tapping on the hardwood of her bedroom floor, it was making her nervous, the fact he still wasn't here. Then she heard the doorbell ring and Myra Jean shot out of her bedroom, down the stairs and she was pulling the door open faster than ever.
"Oh," She mutters at the sight of her worn out father. He smiles grimly at her and holds out a bouquet of flowers.
"These were your mother's favourites, I thought I'd get you some. To apologise for the other day," He says, his smile softens when Myra Jean takes the large bouquet of white lilies into her arms.
"Thank you," She says calmly, she was still angry with her father, it had been bubbling beneath her skin since she'd left Oscorp a few days prior.
"What happened to the door?" Her father asks, looking at the cardboard that still covered the area where she'd broken the glass.
"It was an accident, I slammed the door really hard the other morning and the glass just...smashed," She lies, she didn't like lying, but sometimes it was the best thing to do. Like how she often lied that she was fine or doing well, when in fact her life was crumbling before her very eyes.
"So, are you busy?" He asks, glancing towards the television that hadn't been used in months.
Myra Jean sighs as she takes a vase from a cupboard and fills it with water. She opens the packaging and begins putting the lilies and the other leafy plants into the vase. "I was actually waiting for someone to come over, for a school project,"
"Oh, right," Jack Watson nods, "And they haven't showed?"
"Not yet, its actually rather annoy-"
The doorbell rings and Myra Jean instantly feels her cheeks getting warmer. She tells herself to walk to the door but her feet seem unable to, nerves wash over her.
"Do you want me to get it?" Her dad asks and Myra Jean shakes her head rapidly, swallows her anxiety and approaches the door.
She twists the knob and Peter Parker stands on her doorstep with a taped up skateboard and his tattered backpack.
"Hi," She says, smiling softly.
"Hi," He says, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Come in," Myra Jean says, stepping back and letting him inside. Peter Parker's heart races at the sight of Dr Jack Watson standing tall and dishevelled in the living room.
"Mr Watson," Peter smiles, "Pleasure to meet you,"
"Its Doctor, actually," Jack replies, glancing to his daughter with a frown and back, "And you are?"
"Peter Parker, sir," Peter says and a hint of sadness and recognition crosses Dr Watson's face. He had known Peter's father, had worked with him many times.
"Nice to meet you, Peter," Jack says, voice a little softer now.
"Peter is here to do the school project, right Peter?" Myra Jean asks, meeting the taller teenagers eyes. Peter nods his head, trying to look convincing. "Lets go upstairs,"
"Okay," Peter nods, and takes his first few steps up. Myra Jean looks at her father, who has a brow raised.
"What?" Myra Jean asks, frowning.
"You and that boy, you're being safe aren't you?"
"What?!" Myra Jean almost dies on the spot, how embarrassing. It was times like this she really missed her mother, because she knows that her mother would be stood beside her father, laughing her head off.
"You heard me, miss, now go on and do some school work," Jack chuckles.
Myra Jean shakes her head, mortified as she rushes upstairs and closes her bedroom door behind her. Peter Parker is sprawled on her bed, flicking through a journal that Myra Jean had left on her bedside table.
"Urm, excuse me? Thats private," Myra Jean glares, her bottom lip pouting out.
"I thought you and Warren were friends?" He asks, closing the book and putting it back on the side. Myra Jean frowns, sitting down on the bed beside Peter.
"Firstly, you should apologise,"
"I'm sorry, that was really shitty of me. I don't really know why I did it," Peter says, sitting up and putting a hand on Myra Jean's shoulder, "Please forgive me,"
She meets his eye and he pulls a puppy-dog face. Myra Jean laughs and nods, "You're forgiven, I guess,"
"So...Whats going on with Warren?" Peter asks, trying too hard to sound casual.
"He's just...He's a dick. He treats everyone who's not in his social circle like shit. I think the only reason he talks to me is because I'm on the newspaper team. Plus he got the internship at the Bugle and I didn't, and I can't stop feeling jealous. Sometimes I get so jealous I get angry and want to hurt someone...Not that I ever would of course,"
"Of course," Peter smiles.
Myra Jean sticks her tongue out at him and then continues, "I just feel like shit. I feel like I'm not good enough, but Mr Hawkins has always said I'm the best writer in our year group, possibly the whole school, and I just...I need to do this,"
Peter sighs, nodding his head, "You are a good writer, MJ. I only read the school newspaper for your section,"
Her heart flutters in her chest, "You're just saying that,"
"No, I'm dead serious," Peter laughs, MJ smiles back.
"Whatever," Myra Jean shrugs, "Did you bring your homework?"
"Actually...It's not really homework. It's something I've been trying to figure out. Something from my father," Peter explains. Peter takes the folder from his backpack and splays it out over the floor below them. Myra Jean looks at it with raised brows.
"Uh...You know my father is the scientist, not me, right?" She asks, chuckling.
"C'mon, Myra Jean. Talk science to me," He laughs with a wink. Myra Jean looks away, fearing her cheeks were turning red.
"I'm seriously awful at science, Peter," Myra Jean sighs, "But I guess I could try?"
"Thats the spirit," Peter says, he sits down on the carpet and Myra Jean joins him, "Lets do this,"
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