LOUD MOUTH → PETER PARKER ✓

Chapter Two: Edelstein Interlude

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎: EDELSTEIN INTERLUDE

As they had been for nearly a decade, Peter and Callie walked each other home from school. They lived relatively close to each other and took the same streets, so it would be nothing but awkward if they were to ignore each other the whole way back anyway.

As they walked, Callie squinted up at the sky, where a layer of pristine white clouds blanketed New York. "I can't believe it didn't rain. The weather channel said there was a ninety percent chance! I even brought my umbrella!" she said, holding up a polka-dotted umbrella.

Peter laughed, "You actually wanted it to rain? On national milkshake day, of all days."

"You can celebrate anything with a little rain." she said. "My cousin in Oklahoma said they had last year's Fourth of July parade outside during a tornado warning."

"That's why I'm never visiting Oklahoma."

"Agreed. Who wants to visit Oklahoma anyway? What's there? Besides tornadoes, of course."

"People who are way too passionate about the Fourth of July, clearly."

Callie nodded and shrugged. "Good musical, though."

"Fair point."

Callie squinted up at Peter, noticing a dark purple bruise that had formed on his jaw. "May's gonna interrogate you so hard." she said.

"Wouldn't be the first time, but I'll think of some excuse." he shrugged. "You want to stay for dinner?"

"I wish. But alas, I have to watch Mrs. Edelstein's dog tonight, she's going to see a show. And another one on Saturday. And another one on Sunday. I swear she's going to blow all of her money on Broadway tickets." she scoffed.

Callie stopped in front of her house. "See ya." she said before holding her hand out for their elaborate handshake.

"Bye." Peter took her hand for the handshake―which was a confusing mess of fist bumps and finger guns―and walked away. "Loud Mouth." he muttered quietly as he walked away.

"I heard that!" Callie yelled, making him smile.

               CALLIE HAD BEEN taking care of Mrs. Edelstein's dog every other weekend for a few years, so she just about knew the drill whenever she was called upon. Rose Edelstein was as posh and rich as they came, and as a widowed woman, her dog was the love of her life. Lovingly called Peggy, the little dachsund was as spoiled as a dog could be. 

After she was fed with the most expensive dog food money could buy, Peggy had to be washed with expensive dog shampoo, brushed with an expensive dog comb, and put to bed in the fanciest dog bed Callie had ever seen.

On weekends like these, where Mrs. Edelstein was on a bit of a Broadway kick, she often spiced up the routine in small ways, such as asking Callie to get her (admittedly very specific) coffee order from a (very specific) coffee shop a few blocks away from her downtown penthouse apartment. 

The walk was terrible, but she always payed Callie extra. Sometimes she had Callie come in a bit early, just to talk to her for a while. Callie supposed that Mrs. Edelstein didn't see her children or grandchildren―if she even had any―very much, because she often asked Callie to tell her how school was going.

Callie was used to giving the same responses; school is fine, the class election is getting closer but she's hopeful, the clubs she was thinking of joining. These answers seemed to satisfy Mrs. Edelstein just fine, up until one afternoon when she stopped Callie in the middle of a sentence.

"Darling, don't toy with me please." she said, sounding slightly exhausted. "When I ask you about how your life is going, don't give me the boring, vanilla answer―it does nothing for either of us when you talk in such vague terms. I want to know what you really do, what you really want."

A little stunned, Callie laughed. "I don't understand what you mean."

"I'm a romantic, dear, that's not a hard thing to understand." Mrs. Edelstein exclaimed. "I want to hear something real and honest! A young thing like you has got to have some passion! Some romance, even! So go on, tell me about someone―a boy, a girl, a teacher, a stuffed animal, anything. Anyone you'd like to take by the face and smooch until you can't breathe."

Now Callie was really taken aback. She had never heard Mrs. Edelstein talk like this, and she felt like now she had to say something worthy of her approval. "Well, I don't really want to disappoint you, but I don't really think there's anyone I want to smooch right now."

Mrs. Edelstein rolled her eyes and scoffed like that was the craziest thing she had ever heard Callie say. "Sweetheart, there's always someone. I don't care if it's Leonardo DiCaprio or Joe Pesci. There's always someone."

Callie blinked. "I guess Leonardo DiCaprio is nice looking."

"Exactly. But if there's no one at school like Leo, tell me about something different. Tell me about a friend."

That I can do, Callie thought. "I suppose I've never told you about Peter, have I?"

At this, Mrs. Edelstein smiled. "I don't believe you have."

"Okay, well," Callie started, "I guess we've been best friends since the beginning. I can't really remember a time when we weren't. I would say he's like my brother, but that doesn't really fit it, you know? It's more broad than that. I guess he's just like my . . my person, if that makes any sense."

By now, Mrs. Edelstein's eyes were sparkling with interest, but she let Callie keep going instead of prodding her.

"He's just . . someone I can rely on. My mom is a police officer, so I remember being told when I was little that there's always the possibility she won't come home. No matter how small it is, there's always that chance. And my dad's been gone for . . I don't know how long, at this point, but I guess it doesn't really matter, I mean . . " she trailed, off, staring into space. "H-He kinda left us, so, that's . . that's that, I guess." she laughed quietly, but it was somewhat strained.

"But it's like, when my mom is late coming home from work and forgets to call, or when I look at that one picture of my dad that my mom refuses to take off the wall, and I think about how everyone could just . . leave all of a sudden, I just know that Peter's gonna be there." 

She took a deep breath in, suddenly noticing the tears that had welled in her eyes. "You know, and his Aunt May and Uncle Ben and . . them." she said. "But that's . . he's . . yeah, that's-that's it."

She remembered Mrs. Edelstein pausing in that moment, her eyes bright. A smile stretched onto her lips. "Now that's more like it."