STING [peter parker & betty cooper]

Chapter Two: New Faces

As I walked across the parking lot, I registered only a few students were still outside. The empty parking spaces were rapidly filling up as I approached the entrance of Riverdale High; I was six minutes late for class and when I glanced down at my phone I began having a tiny meltdown. I'm rarely late, in fact, I'm usually one of the first students to get to school, but today my car, my only means of travel, decided to give out and test my patience.

The motor refused to start even though there was plenty of gas in the tank, causing the starter to whir and the engine to freeze. Ultimately, I was able to resolve the issue by pouring hot water on the carburetor, however, that only happened after fifteen minutes of trying to figure out what in Satan's name was going on inside my vehicle.

I didn't have time to change my clothes, so I was walking around the school with grease on my pants and a sweaty forehead. Of course this had to be the day I was supposed to come in earlier to give the new students a school tour.

Well, all I could do now was hope someone else was available to help them around and they didn't wait for me for an excruciatingly long time, though I'm pretty sure they already despise me. No one likes to be kept waiting. The day just started, but it officially needs to be over already.

Mrs. Garcia, my History teacher, looked at me curiously as I slid into the classroom. "Good morning, Elizabeth. Is everything okay?"

"Good morning. Yes, Mrs. Garcia." I said quietly, embarrassed when I saw I was the last person standing.

I was walking between the desks of the classroom when something caught my attention. There was an unfamiliar girl smiling at me and waving me over, pointing to the empty seat next to her. She had shiny jet-black hair and a fancy pearl necklace around her neck. I approached her in concealed agitation while she moved the chair beside her, inviting me to sit.

"Hi, I'm Veronica Lodge." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she extended her small hand. Evidently, the new girl. I took her hand and gave it a weak shake. "Do you mind sitting here with me?"

"No, not at all. I'm Betty, I was actually-" I was about to explain what happened, but the teacher began to speak, starting today's lesson. "I'll explain after class." I whispered and Veronica nodded, comprehending.

Veronica was determined to pay attention in class, so we didn't interact, but I saw her sending me a nod when the teacher distributed the respective sheets for today's contents. I was desperately trying to get rid of a dry stain of grease on my nail when the bell rang again.

"So, what do you have next?" Veronica asked excitedly, gently placing her books inside her expensive-looking bag.

"Biology, you?" I was kind of hoping she would be in my next class. Though we barely said anything to each other, she seemed like a friendly girl.

"Ummm, Spanish." Dammit. "So you're Betty, the Elizabeth Cooper who was supposed to give Peter and me a tour earlier?" She asked, intrigued.

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to explain earlier. I'm so sorry, there was a problem with my car, and I-"

"It's fine, really, you don't have to explain yourself. You can do the tour now if you want." She smiled widely, grabbing my elbow as she gently dragged me out of the classroom. "Shall we begin?"

I was glad she wasn't upset, but I wasn't expecting such a kind reaction. "What about Peter?"

"Peter's not really interested in the tour, trust me. Let's just start." She said quickly after rolling her eyes at something she checked on her phone. Uh okay then.

"Umm sure, okay! So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and--"

"And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently." Veronica cut me off, making me laugh lightly as I continued. She appeared to be genuinely interested as we made our way through the hall and I referenced a few historical facts about Riverdale High. When Veronica made comparisons to her old school, I learned that she previously lived in one of the richest areas of New York and her dad, Hiram Lodge, is the president of Lodge Hotels, a hotel complex located in Manhattan.