Tower of Secrets

Peter Parker

SilentGreekArcher  said "i-"

Okay, I admit, I'm an idiot when sleep-deprived.

But, like, how was I supposed to not immediately show Mr. Rogers and Percy their new phones? I had put blood, sweat, and tears into making them! I was just too excited to keep the prototypes to myself for even just a moment longer!

Anyways, Mr. Rogers got me in bed before I could do anything too embarrassing, which I was totally thankful for when I woke up and realized that I never actually fell asleep in my bed. Somehow I had made it to the ceiling. A spark of worry ignited, and I tumbled right down to the floor, hoping that Percy hadn't seen me. I could have totally given away that we weren't government operatives!

Then I remembered that we had told him who we really were on Saturday and all my unwarranted anxiety went away.

Hey, don't give me that look! I had just woken up! Cut me some slack!

Please?

Thank you, now moving on...

I woke up to my stomach rumbling. Groaning and rubbing my head due to my aforementioned fall, I glanced around. There was a blanket tangled in my mess of limbs, so I briefly wondered if I had crawled to the ceiling in the middle of my slumber or if Captain America was secretly really good at tucking people in. I really hoped it was the former. The latter would have been... embarrassing, to say the least.

I wrestled with my cover before succeeding in separating myself from the fabric, stumbling to my feet and tossing the blanket to, well, wherever it landed. I honestly didn't care. I strode right out of my room and to the kitchen, blearily making myself a bowl of cereal. What kind of cereal I had selected was beyond me, it was too early to function as far as I was concerned. I shoveled the breakfast into my mouth, practically inhaling the sugary bits right up until Percy sauntered into the kitchen, fully awake. I took in his readiness as he took in my unkempt self.

It was a school day. Crap.

"We have to leave in five minutes," he whispered in horror, immediately understanding my predicament.

Holy crap.

I bolted out of the room, frantically finding my Midtown High sweatshirt and throwing on a pair of underwear that smelled clean and a pair of pants. Somewhere along the line, I had acquired shoes and socks. While I wasn't sure how, I knew I didn't have time to question it as a scrubbed furiously at my teeth.

Exactly four minutes later, I was fully ready and back in the kitchen. Percy tossed a banana peel and half-eaten apple in the garbage bin and followed my lead, only leaving to take the stairs, which he still insisted he used.

Five minutes after my initial panic, Happy had us out of the parking lot and on our way to school.

_/\_

"Hey, Parker." I looked up and froze, taking in the smooth chocolate skin and the lips attached to said skin. My eyes travelled upwards to meet her dark irises. I stared for an uncomfortable amount of time, pretty much breathless.

We have a code red! I repeat: we have a code red!

"H-hey, um, MJ," I finally greeted. Percy and Ned exchanged a look from where they sat near me, obviously feeling the second-hand embarrassment. Red heat creeped up my neck, through my ears, and settled onto my cheeks. "How-how are you?"

"Oh, y'know, dying on the inside," she said nonchalantly, setting her lunch tray in front of me and taking a seat. Distantly, I noted how she set her thick book down out of range of any drinks. "You?"

"I-I-I'm great."

"Oh my gods," Percy whispered, an amused expression taking over his features. He did his best to hide it with a hand over his mouth.

"Uh, anything you need?" I squeaked out.

"Did you know that our birthdays are only nine days apart?"

"I did, a-actually."

"We should do something together. Maybe catch a movie and eat dinner."

Another awkward pause encompassed the table. "Who-who d-did you have in mind to invite?"

"Just you."

"S-so like-like a-"

"A date? Yeah, basically. You in?"

I didn't know what to say! What do you even say when your crush asks you out? Oh my gosh, I was making such a full of myself! I mean, the expression about having ingested butterflies or whatever didn't even do justice to the amount of panic coursing through my radioactive brain. What should I say? All I knew was that I needed to stop gaping! Oh gosh, I didn't want her to think I was a goldfish! Oh, I was probably making an absolutely horrible impression! She would change her mind in just a moment after seeing how much of-of a mess I was! There was no way I could ever-

"Aw man, you broke him Michelle," Percy snickered. "Yeah, the doofus would love to, even if he's undergoing too much of a social shock to say so himself."

"Hey!" Ned protested. "I'm supposed to be the wingman!"

"Then wingman away, dude. I'm not tryna steal your thunder," Percy ushered with a wave of his hand.

"Peter's in, MJ," Ned restated, turning back to the girl.

"Y-yeah," I swallowed, finally having rebooted my system enough to continue the conversation for the time being. "I can't wait. Thanks for inviting me. D-did you have a movie in mind?"

Her expression may have been stoic, but her eyes twinkled with delight. "I'm into psychological thrillers, how about you?"

"I'm good with whatever. I watch a variety of genres."

"You like to keep things interesting," she deduced.

"Y-yeah, something like that."

"Well, we'll have to text more about it later. I wouldn't want to bore the rest of your nerd table with our plans."

"For your information," Percy smirked, "I'm literally the farthest thing from a nerd. My girlfriend, however is. It's her influence that seems to keep my grades afloat."

"How sweet," MJ remarked, "she cares about your future."

"I would also like to point out," Percy plowed on, "that Ned and I were actually enjoying watching good ol' Petey here crash and burn." She laughed her small, cute little laugh as I elbowed my friend in the side.

A/N life is crap lately, but 2021 is upon us!! I had to stop for a while considering I actually didn't have time to write, but now that I'm remembering how to get into the zone again, it's been super therapeutic lately! I actually wrote this entire chapter in a single sitting, and it was super nice!!

Merry belated Christmas and happy New Year!!!!