~Marching Through The Eye Of The Storm~

Chapter 15

October 25, 2017

Peter and Harper were woken up by FRIDAY at what they would consider unnecessary hours of the day. They had never moved from their spot against the couch the night before when watching Lilo and Stitch, so everyone was woken up with them and some were very unhappy, specifically Tony and Sam.

"Ugh!" Sam groaned sitting up and Tony walked to the kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee, claiming it was all for himself.

The others got up and went to the kitchen to find food or caffeine.

Cooper was already gone and a note was left saying that he had to get back to Maryland before inspection.

Peter and Harper had to quickly get ready for school or they would be late.

Happy drove them to the school and the two made their way through the hall so to their lockers.

Skylar and Hunter were talking quietly to Ned and MJ.

"Hey, guys," Peter greeted and Harper waved to their friends.

They entered the school after Happy dropped them off and they made their way to their lockers that sat with only one in between.

Skylar, Hunter, Ned and MJ were talking in front of the lockers and didn't notice them walk up.

"Hey, guys," Peter and Harper greeted their friends with smiles as they opened their lockers and shoved their unneeded books inside.

"Oh, hey," Skylar stumbled a little.

Harper turned back to her friends, her smile covered her face, she felt like she was buzzing with energy.

"You're like the polar opposite of yesterday," Hunter told her then looked to Peter who had a very similar look of excitement on his face, "both of you are."

"Yeah," Ned agreed, "you okay, man?"

Peter nodded excitedly, "I feel like I'm-"

"Surging with electricity," Harper finished his sentence.

"Exactly!" Peter exclaimed.

"It feels both weird and cool," Harper smiled at Peter, "Do think that we can-"

"That would be so cool!" Peter laughed, almost like he could read her mind.

"Is that how it works though?"

"I want to ask tonight."

"I feel like going there yesterday like-"

"Activated something," Peter agreed.

They turned back to their friends who looked very concerned.

"Are you guys high or something?" MJ asked in what seemed to be total seriousness.

"No, just happier that ever," Peter told her.

Harper nodded in agreement.

Their friends watched them as they continued through the halls talking about something, but they couldn't pick up what it was about because they seemed to cut each other off before it could be said.

"I'm concerned for their mood swings," Skylar said, "seriously concerned."

"I can agree there," Hunter managed to speak, "We should watch them though."

"Make sure they aren't on something," Ned added.

"Definitely," MJ agreed.

The day ran smoothly, it kind of sucked because Peter and Harper had to separate for more than half the day. At lunch, like usual, Peter and Harper sat next to each other.

They were talking with their friends about everything and nothing. The topic of fall break came up and the two seemed to flinch when they were asked what they did.

"I went to Maine to visit my cousins," Hunter told them.

"I worked on the coding for my engineering project," Ned added.

"I read," MJ said simply with her face still in a book.

"I did nothing," Skylar decided.

"What about you two?" Hunter asked.

"What?" Harper asked, she had been zoning out, remembering Jane's face and the anger when she yelled at them to get out.

"What did you do over fall break?" Skylar asked again.

"Uh," Harper hesitated, trying to come up with a plausible lie and went with the obvious, "nothing much."

The group looked hesitant and suspicious about her response, but moved their attention to Peter who looked just as hesitant.

"I hung out with Harper a little," Peter came up with, then the bully had to show up, apparently not having got enough the day before.

"What, you finally got a girlfriend, Parker?" Flash asked, Peter flinched at his false last name.

"Flash, go away," Harper demanded.

"You think you're so smart, Anderson?" Harper flinched at the name.

"You don't like that? Being called out?" Flash taunted.

"Flash, what's your problem?" Peter demanded.

"Getting defensive of your girlfriend," Flash continued, "you're so pathetic."

Harper fumed, her friends could have sworn they saw steam rolling out of her ears and nose. She felt the electricity surge through her faster than before.

Peter looked down at his sister and saw sparks flashing across her fingers. He wasn't the only one who noticed the sparks though. Peter noticed Skylar staring at Harper's hands while nobody else had noticed. Peter swore lightly under his breath so nobody would hear his panic.

Harper went to lunge at the bully only to be pulled back by Peter and Flash ran away like a little girl.

Harper hadn't realized what she was trying to do until that moment and after a quick moment of eye contact with Peter, the two ran out of the lunch room and to the hall, with Skylar hesitating to go after the pair.

Harper collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe properly, she looked down to her hands that were still sparking and her panic only seemed to make it worse. Peter sat down next to her and hugged her tight to his chest to try and calm her down.

"I'm so sorry, Peter," she apologized, "I don't know what happened back there."

"It's okay, just breathe, Harper."

As she got her breathing to calm down, the sparks fizzled out with a slight pop and sizzle.

"You didn't have to stand up for me like that," Peter told her as she wriggled out of his arms to sit next him as they leaned against the lockers.

"I'm your older sister, it's my job isn't it?"

"Six minutes, Harper, six minutes!" Peter sighed and threw his head back then turned to face Harper again but something caught his eye. Skylar was standing there staring with wide eyes.

"I have the right to the older twin, I get to use it to my advanta-" Harper also noticed her friend, but after she had said too much.

Skylar went to run back to the cafeteria but Peter called for her.

"Skylar, wait!"

Skylar hesitated but stopped and turned to face them again.

"What's going on?" she asked in a small and concerned voice.

"We can explain it later, but not now, not here," Harper told her.

Skylar nodded hesitantly.

"Are you doing anything after band tomorrow?" Peter asked.

She shook her head.

"We'll pick you and Hunter up from band tomorrow and we'll explain everything, okay?" Harper asked.

She nodded.