ELEVEN - ALL THAT THINKING
Tony and Killian Stark were getting home to New York in about three hours. The two males have been gone for about a week, and having come up with nothing on Doctor Strange, both decided to just head home. As Eliza waited for their return, she sat on the edge of an apartment building where she could easily look throughout the city. She wasn't dressed in her vigilante outfit but rather her regular clothes. Her family would be home soon and she didn't want to be in the middle of a fight when she should be greeting both her dad and brother.
Her mind was too preoccupied with thinking, that she didn't even notice another person on the roof with her. She was beginning to get angry that she couldn't figure out who the ancestor was, along with what was the Riving Crystal exactly? Eliza hasn't found any books yet, and between work and school she has yet to look through he book she stole from that weirdly dressed man. It frustrated her. It wasn't until she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye that she finally realized someone was on the roof. She slowly turned her head and looked up at the person, relaxing the slightest bit at seeing Peter Parker stand there with confusion written across his face.
Eliza, remembering that he wasn't exactly happy with her, refrained from showing any emotion towards him and turned back around. She did feel guilty for being so mean. And she realized Mary Jane was right when the redhead said that she liked Peter, too; but it's in a friend way. It took a bit of time for Eliza to actually realize it and be okay with it.
"What are you doing up here?" Peter asked slowly, almost afraid to speak.
Eliza shrugged. "Thinking," was her answer.
He nodded even though she wasn't look at him and shifted on his feet. "How'd you get up here?"
"Fire escape," she answered. She turned and gave him a look as if it was obvious.
"Oh. Yeah, same," he stuttered.
A moment of silence came over the two teens then, and it was very awkward. Eliza could just tell Peter was still pissed at her, and that he was. Peter wasn't expecting to run into the girl that said they weren't friends in one of the bitchiest ways possible on some random rooftop. Eliza looked down at her lap as she tried to conjure something up in her head to speak. Only, nothing came to mind. She bit the inside of her cheek as she thought harder. The situation she was in wasn't good, and she thought that maybe talking would help. That, or Peter could sit instead of awkwardly stand some odd feet behind her.
And she was about to tell him that, but that sharp pain was suddenly back in her head. Eliza's face contorted into pain. Her hands flew to her forehead. The pain only lasted for a split second but there was also a vision – Josh Meyers lying in own blood; it reminded her of the nightmare she had a couple nights ago. Peter, at seeing Eliza wince in pain, quickly stepped forward and bent down beside her. He gently put his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her with concern.
"Whoa, are you okay?" He asked quickly.
Eliza hesitantly nodded. "I'm fine," she forced out a lie. "Just... It's just a bad headache."
Peter didn't look convinced. But that didn't stop him from making a smart ass remark to her. "Maybe it's all that thinking."
"Ha ha," she said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes, "Hilarious." Though, there was a small, faint smile on her lips as she looked back at Peter. Slowly it disappeared and in return there was a frown. "I'm a bitch."
Peter raised his eyebrows, and moved to where he was comfortably sitting beside Eliza as he asked, "What makes you say that?"
"Because I am," Eliza stated, "I'm a bitch. I especially was when I said we weren't friends." She paused, "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You were just being nice, and really I think of you as a friend, too. But it's weird for me, ya know? I don't- I'm not usually one to befriend someone so quickly, and it just feels odd. And, again, I'm sorry, Peter. I shouldn't have been so rude."
He stared at her for a moment. Another blanket of silence covered them as he thought about what she had told him. Eventually his eyes narrowed the slightest bit and a small smirk was seen on his lips. "Wow, you're actually being nice," he said.
"Wow, second smart ass comment. A new record!"
"There she is," Peter laughed. Eliza just smiled, rolling her eyes at him. As his laughter died down, he sighed. "So, what's gonna happen if I forgive you?"
"I'll try to be a good friend," Eliza told him. "You deserve it."
He nodded and looked down at his hands. "And if I don't?"
"I'll try to keep my cool."
Peter licked his lips as he thought, and Eliza simply waited for him to say something. Finally, he did, "I forgive you. But this means we actually have to be friends, got it? I mean, you did say you wanted to be friends."
Eliza sighed and nodded. "Got it, yeah."
"And friends make sure the other is okay," Peter said cautiously, acting as if he was near a wild animal with he was about to say to Eliza. "Normal people don't sit on top of a building."
The girl eyed Peter for a second. She wanted to tell him to buzz off – she would say the same thing to Jaz and Josh – but she told that she would try to be a good friend. Good friends don't lie. A sigh escaped her lips and she looked back over the city. "There's been a lot on my mind recently," she admitted.
"Like what?"
"We're not that close just yet, Peter Parker," Eliza quickly stated and leaned back on her hands. She gave a dramatic sigh as she told him, "You have to be a level four friend to unlock the tragedies in my life."
"Are Josh and Jaz level for friends?" He inquired, partially being serious and partially joking along.
"Level three and a half."
Peter laughed, as did Eliza, at their bantering. Then silence fell over them again and the two stayed seated beside each other as they watched the sun set in the distance, casting shadows in some places and golden light to shine in other places. But the silence didn't last long. Because eventually, Peter was asking another question.
"Do you know what happened back on the subway? You know, when you passed out?" He asked, genuinely curious. "What- What did that woman do to you?"
Eliza looked at him thoughtfully. A second passed before she decided to answer, "I actually don't know. I think-." She suddenly stopped talking, eyes widening dramatically. Something clicked in her head, something important and vital to her life at the moment. "Shit," she whispered. Eliza scrambled to stand up and rushed to the fire escape. Peter, thoroughly confused, quickly rushed after her.
"Eliza-," he tried to call after her.
"I gotta go- I just," she swiftly turned back around to face him, but the close proximity made her stumble backwards. He grabbed her elbow to make sure she didn't fall. "I just remembered something," she explained, forming a lie on the spot, "My parents will be home soon and I never did my chores. Sorry, Pete, but I gotta go."
Peter blinked and nodded despite the fact that he was still confused; though, that confusion was slowly disappearing as he processed Eliza's explanation. "Yeah, no, that's fine. Don't need to get grounded," he told her.
She smiled at him. It was a genuine, nice smile and Peter was taken back by not only that, but the fact that she said "Pete" and not his full name. And Eliza left him like that. She rushed down the fire escape and ran to the tower; she wasn't too far away and if any person was watching her they would just think that she was late for work as she ran in. Eliza rushed to the elevator and pressed the up arrow. Once she got in the elevator she commanded FRIDAY to take her a specific floor once the doors close. Eliza rushed out of the elevator before the door could open fully after the elevator stopped, and ran to Pepper's office.
The redhead lifted her head quickly at the sound of her door swinging open. "Eliza, what- did you run here?" She asked. She looked slightly worried at seeing the young girl so out of breath.
"Too many people to create a portal," she breathed out, "But, Pepper, I figured out who my ancestor is."
The woman shot up from her seat and quickly walked to leave, motioning Eliza to follow her. "We need to call Tony and Killian."
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[unedited]
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