My Love, My Hero

1: How it started

It all began on that field trip. Peter was bitten by that spider, I was shocked by a machine, and somehow that spiraled into this. Two teenagers acting as hero's with extra ordinary abilities. How far we've come; both as people and as friends.

"How about...Spider-Boy!"

"Absolutely not! I don't want to sound like a little kid Aph!"

"Come on it would be awesome!"

"No way," This was the 17th idea for a hero name that Parker had shot down in the last 2 hours of me being at his house.

I started spinning in the desk chair, "What about your hero name? We haven't talked about that at all."

"Oh I'm not gonna do this superhero thing Parker." He did a quick spin around from where he was facing. 

"For real? This seems something totally up your alley. You know since your always saving everyone's ass at school." 

I rolled my eyes, "Thats different, I just- I don't know. I feel like I could do so much good, but I'm doing a lot of good from where I am now." My hand started rubbing the back of my neck.

He spun back around continuing the original task he was doing, "Thats fair, I mean I'm not  even sure why I'm doing this. Guess I just feel obligated. I got the powers and I feel like I should do something good with them. Like the Avengers!"

"You've been a hero at heart since we were kids." I started laughing as an old memory popped in my head, "Do you remember that time when we were like eight and those weird fake Iron-Man robot things started attacking, and you tired to blast it with your hand and then Iron-Man actually did!" Not sure if all of that came out in English because of giddy I was talking about it.

Parker started laughing along with me, "Oh yeah! And I had that little helmet May got me for Christmas, I swear she almost killed me herself after that stunt!" After a moment or two he spoke again, "Good memories, anyway we should get back to this hero name situation."

"Alright, I have one final suggestion, and I swear if I get shot down again I'm going to leave to feed myself instead of dealing with the idiot that is you."

He put his hand in the air, "Ok, *cough* maybe if you had any good ideas it wouldn't take this long *cough*" 

"How dare you!" I threw the nearest non lethal object at the back of his head, which he caught with his weird sense thing, "Do you want to hear the idea or not?"

Him, now facing me again, nodded and motioned for me to continue, "My final suggestion is...Spider-Man!" He stayed quite for a moment.

"Parker?"

His face then lit up and he jumped and pointed at me, "Thats it!" He moved his hands as if to show a headline to a news paper, "Spider-Man! The Worlds Next Avenger!"

"Big goals, aye Parker?" I stood up, "Well now that we've finally picked a name can we please get some food, I'm starving and if I don't get food I'm gonna eat this chair." 

"Please don't eat my chair, it was like four hundred dollars and you know I'm always broke." We laughed a little and started towards the door. "Wanna head to your family's pizza place?"

"Sure, free pizza is good pizza. Thats the only thing I've learned from my job there."

"That is why you have a D in chemistry, your terrible learning and cooking." I punched him the arm for that comment. "Hey May, Aph and I are going to head to her family's restaurant, I'll be back in about an hour."

"Ok Peter, be safe."

"I will."

"And don't do drugs."

"I wont, love you."

It was about ten minuets until we got there, "Hello there Father," Parker and I walked inside. I made my way behind the counter to get us food, "How's business been today?"

"Slower then normal, but any money is good money. Right Elaine?" Father's Italian accent has always been very strong, but for some reason it was heavier then usual today.

"Indeed" Parker was still standing awkwardly at the door.

"Are you going to stand there like an idiot or sit down?" 

"Oh right, uh, sorry Mr. Gianni sir." Parker sat down at the first table in front of him.

"Go easy on him Father, I'm pretty sure he was dropped on his head a few times as a baby." 

"Hey!" We both laughed and I brought the pizza over to our newly claimed table.

"Gosh, I love the pizza here." He pointed at me with raised eyebrows, "And not just because its free Aph."A couple minutes into eating a few people walked in and sat down at a table a few down from us. Parker leaned and whispered to me, "Is it just me or do those guys seem a little.. off?" 

I looked over as discreetly as possible. The group was four men in suits, 3 of which also had sunglasses. It did seem a little odd for a group of what appeared to be well off business men to be down in this area, let alone my family's cheap pizza shop. "Yeah, it is giving me a little bit of a weird vibe, but I'm sure it's fine."

We finished out pizza and were throwing our trash away, "Hey Parker, I gotta work a shift in like 15 minutes, so go on and head home. I'll see you in English tomorrow." 

"Alright, see you tomorrow Aphnia." We both waved and he left. I headed to the back room to get my apron.

"I still don't understand why you insist on your friends calling you 'Aphnia'. Why go by your middle name if your first name is so beautiful?" 

"Funny enough it started as a joke." I giggled to myself, "Same way I call my friend 'Parker' instead of 'Peter'." I could hear him sigh something along the lines of a sarcastic 'teenagers'  comment.

I proceeded to work a miserable and surprisingly busy shift. The weird part is that group never left, they didn't talk much either ... or eat. Ok this was a little more concerning then I originally thought. "Excuse me," The men shifted their attention from the nothing on the table to me, "We close in about ten minutes, can I get anything for you anything before then?" One of the men stood up.

He pulled out a business card. "Call us" I took the card and gave them all a confused and mildly concerned look.  "And don't tell your father." As he said that all the man started walking out expect the one, who still stood in front of me, "Lovely to meet you, Elaine." They all left the shop and I quickly walked to the door and closed shop. I took off my apron and as I thought, it didn't have a name tag.

How the hell did he know my first name?