So today was the last day of my summer class, and I finished all our projects, so my teacher said I could do whatever, so I watched HOCO again😂 and I'm shocked that people don't appreciate Ned's contact pic for Peter as much!

Word count: 1670

Your arm hung out of the window, fingers fanned out, feeling the warm summer breeze. Relaxing your head on the back of the passenger's seat, you hummed along to the Grease soundtrack, faintly playing in the background.

"You're excited right?" Your mother asked you, for the billionth time, "Because if you don't want to stay with your father just tell me - that's how this arrangement works, you only have to stay with him if you want to."

"I know Mom. And I'm looking forward to it, chill," you muttered, looking back out the window. Your parents had divorced last summer, and because of the custody agreement, you spent most of your time upstate with your mother. While your mother ran a business up there, your father worked whatever job he could find. Mom was the breadwinner of the family, and the divorce hit him hard. Alimony could only provide so much after all.

It's not like you hadn't seen your father. When your mom went to the city on business, you would always visit him. But this time, you were staying with him for two whole months. And to be honest, you were thrilled. Your mother had some idea in her mind, that her hatred for the man had been passed onto you too. But after spending nearly nine straight months with her, and barely seeing your dad, you were in need of a break.

He had gotten an apartment in Queens, and was trying to turn his life back around. After he got sacked from his job, he took to hard drinking, the main cause of the divorce. But he was sober now, or so he says.

"And if you see him pick up a liquor bottle - tell me. It's for his own good you know," Mom added, but you hardly believed her. She wanted you all to herself, any reason to prove he was an unfit parent.

"Mom, it's gonna be fine. I know the divorce has been hard on you... but it's been hard on all of us. It's not fair to keep me from dad, just like it's not fair to keep dad from me." You sighed, patting the hand that rested on the clutch. "Really, I'm seventeen, I can take care of myself as well."

"I know you can... I'm just gonna miss you," she said as we pulled up in front of an apartment complex on Queen's Boulevard.

"I'll miss you too Mom. But I'll see you in two months. It's really not that long," you smiled, getting out of the car to grab your bags.

Your dad came booming out of the building, pulling you into a large hug. "Oh Y/n I've missed you so much sweetie!" He chuckled, spinning you around. "Laura..." he said, nodding to your mother.

"Scott." She replied primly, shutting the boot of the car.

"Love you mom!" You called to her.

"Love you too Y/n."

That night, you and your dad ate boxed macaroni, in front of the television, while you watched Seinfeld reruns. After you finished, you volunteered to take the rubbish out.

"Really Dad," you insisted, grabbing the bag from him, "If I'm gonna live here for the next two months, I might as well help out with the chores."

Walking out the door, you looked anxiously around the hallway. Turning a random corner, and hoping it led to the trash chute (is that a thing?😂), you bumped into somebody.

"Oh shi- I'm so sorry," you apologised, picking up the bag you dropped.

"No that's me," He said, leaning down to help you. As your eyes met, he gave you a crooked smile. "I'm Peter by the way."

"Y/n. Nice to meet you Peter," you smiled back at him.

"Are you new?"

"I'm staying with my dad. Scott L/n, in apartment twenty."

"Oh yeah sure, I know the place! I'm from the Parker residence, right down the hall. I just didn't know Mr. L/n had such a hot daughter - or I mean, sorry... that wasn't supposed to come out like that..." Peter blushed, looking at the ground.

"Well in all fairness... I didn't know Dad had such cute neighbours." You smirked, as he glanced back at you. "But if you could show me to the trash chute, I'd be really grateful."

Peter led you down the hallway, into a small room.

"So how old are you?" You asked him, stuffing the rubbish into the bin.

"Seventeen. You?"

"Seventeen," You said, a slow smile creeping onto your face.

"Listen this mag be a long shot, but would you like to, maybe, go to the beach with me tomorrow? If you're not busy," he added hastily.

"Yeah, maybe. If I'm not busy," you laughed, walking back out into the hallway.

"Great, so I'll come by around ten?"

"Sounds perfect."

The next morning, you made eggs for you and your dad, and before he left for work, called out to him, "I'm gonna go to the beach today!"

"Alone?"

"No..."

"With who?"

"Peter from down the hall. I met him last night, and he asked me to go with him."

"So ya said yes?" Your dad poked his head back inside the door.

"Yeah. He's cute and seems nice. So why not?" You stated bluntly.

"Alright. Just be safe. I dunno him too well."

"Dad, he seemed as harmless as a bunny." You chuckled, recalling the shy, nervous, mess that had asked you out the previous night.

"Fine, fine. Have fun."

"Thanks, I will."

You tried on all of your swimsuits, before settling on a red and white polka-dot bikini, with high waisted bottoms. Slipping on a light dress over it, you lathered yourself in sunblock, and gathered your belongings.

Right as the screen on your phone clicked to ten, someone knocked on your door. If you didn't know any better, you'd have guessed Peter had been waiting outside the door since 9:55.

"Hey," You said, opening the door to see Peter in swim trunks and a tee shirt. His hair wasn't slicked back like it was last night. No, instead his caramel locks bounced around his head carelessly in curls. Scratching the back of his neck, he looked up at you.

"Hey. Hi. Uh, so do you wanna... wanna go?"

"Yeah," you smiled back at him. Picking up the keys your dad had left behind for your use, you made your way to the old Audi station wagon.

"Hop in Parker."

It took you a while to get to Coney Island, but once you did, you and Peter grabbed your stuff and headed out onto the beach.

"Wow, um, that's a lot of people," you whispered, inching back towards Peter.

"Yeah... is something wrong?"

"I just... I just don't like crowds." You admitted, trying your best not to think of all the people there.

"I don't like a few things about this beach either, if I'm being completely honest... too many memories." Peter gazed at the Cyclone roller coaster, before he gave you a sort of half smile, one that reassured you.

"Well if we don't like the beach, then let's just go in the ocean." You decided, setting your stuff down in the nearest clear-ish space.

Getting into the water, Peter immediately splashed you, making you scream. "Oh my gosh stop that!" You laughed, shoving water back to him.

After about an hour or so in the water, the two of you made your way back to the beach. You hadn't noticed before, but Peter's chest was hard and flat, nearly took your breath away.

"Wow," you whispered under your breath. The two of you got snacks, and relaxed in an empty area under the shade.

You laughed and chatted, and the more you got to know Peter, the more you fell for him. And when he finally, albeit hesitantly, leaned in to kiss you, you didn't flinch. Bringing your hand up to his jawline, you pulled his face to yours, enjoying every second of the kiss that tasted of ice cream and lemonade.

When he finally moved his face back, grinning widely. "Sorry," he said, although he didn't look sorry in the least, "I couldn't help myself."

"It's fine... I can't either," you said, leaning in to kiss him again.

For the next two months, you and Peter hung out nearly every day, exploring either this or that. To be honest, you didn't quite know what your relationship status was with him. You'd had a few heated make-out sessions with him, as well as an innocent kiss here and there. But it's not like you guys had made it official or anything.

It was the day before you were supposed to head back upstate, and you and Peter were in a booth at an old fashioned dinner. Taking slow sips from your milkshake, you looked up at him.

"Listen Peter... you remember I'm going back tomorrow... right?" You asked him, meeting his eyes.

"I remember," he said tightly, "It's just I, well, I really like you."

"I know. And I really like you too. But how are we supposed to have a relationship if we're a hundred and fifty miles away?"

"We can call. Or FaceTime. But all I know is that I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Okay. Let's do it then. Go long distance. And who knows what the future will bring? For all we know, my parents could have joint custody of me. Or we could wind up at the same university." You reaches out to grasp his hand. And that was the truth. You didn't know what the future would bring. Good, bad, happy, sad. But you knew that it was going to involve Peter. And that was as much security as you needed.