You're my escape- A Peter Parker Love Story

Hysteria

Eliza sat in the back of the town car as she looked up at Midtown High. Her stomach clenched as nerves began to bundle inside of her.

Happy turned around in the driver's seat to look back at her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

She hummed as she watched the front doors. Any minute the final bell would ring and release the students for Christmas Break.

"I've been back for over a month and you and Tony have effectively kept me locked up in the Compound." She looked forward to Happy. "I just want to see my friends after school."

Happy looked toward the school. "Those doors-" he nodded at them. Eliza looked over at the double glass doors. "They're going to open and kids are going to flood out into the streets. They will be hopped up on the Christmas spirit and lack of school. They'll be insane." He looked back at her. "And you're going to be standing out there. They know who you are now, Eliza. It won't be Eliza Broussard, an old classmate they see. It'll be Eliza Broussard, The Raven: newest member of the Avengers. It won't be like it was."

She took in a breath and nodded. "I know." She blinked and turned to him. "But I'll have to face them eventually. Maybe if they see me enough before the new term, it won't be so bad when I come back."

Happy scoffed at the immature thought. "Being near an Avenger never gets old. They'll never get over it."

She frowned and pushed back into her seat. "That's not encouraging."

He raised his shoulders. "I'm not known for my optimism."

She hummed discontentedly. "I've handled torture, killing, threats, and taking down The Red Room." The school's bell rang. A few seconds later the front doors pushed out to let out a stream of students. "I can handle this." She grabbed the door and prepared herself. The nerves doubled in her stomach until she felt nauseous. "Do a quick lap around the block. We might have to make a quick exit."

He nodded. "See you in a minute."

She took in a breath, then held it as she pushed her door open. The December chill seeped into her immediately. The icy wind wove around her neck and caused her hair to flutter over her shoulders. She shuddered and lifted herself from the car. She immediately wove her green scarf around her neck and tightened it to prevent more chill.

She closed the door and made it a single step before a student recognized her.

"Eliza?"

She looked over to see the trickle of students slow on the sidewalk. They looked up from their phones and stopped their chipper conversations to spot her.

She left the traffic to step up on the sidewalk next to them. "Um, have any of you seen Peter?" She looked from startled face to startled face. She saw the recognition in their eyes- and not just because she was a past student. "Peter Parker? About this tall-" she held her hand right above her head. "Brown eyes. Brilliant mind. Usually wears a collared shirt. Smells really good." She dropped her hand as she was met with dead stares. "Nothing?"

More kids stopped in front of her. "Eliza Broussard?"

The use of her full name made her flinch. "Um... yeah."

"Ha!"

"It's her!" A boy turned to yell at some of the other students still up on the stairs. "It's Eliza Broussard! The Raven is at our school!"

"Woah, woah-" she held up her hands defensively. "I'm not wearing the suit." She looked down at her blue jeans, black leather jacket, and scarf. "I'm just Eliza," she defended herself as she lifted her gaze to the crowd. "I just wanted to see my friends. Have you seen them? Peter? MJ? Ned?" She looked from face to face to face and found them all staring at her in pure wonderment. They looked at her as though she were a gift wrapped under their fresh trees. She didn't know Christmas customs very well, but they looked ready to rip into her.