The Masks we Hide Behind || Peter Parker [1]

twenty-one: home

"I'm home!" I call as I step into my warm apartment, my eyes landing on my mother, who's sitting on the couch, staring at the TV. She's watching HGTV, again, and this time, it's House Hunters: International, and they're in Italy. Mom's favorite place.

"Look, Mads!" She gushes.

"Yes, Mom." I chuckle, setting my backpack down. I hear a door shut and I watch as Lucas walks down the hallway, watching as Lucas slides on the laminate floors in his socks with a grin.

"We should go out to eat tonight." He says with a grin.

"That's a good idea," Mom says, her eyes still glued to the TV.

"Where?" I ask, dropping my backpack and sliding out of my cardigan. I set it on the counter, wandering over to the cabinet to grab a glass.

"What about that old diner we used to go to all the time?" Lucas asks.

"The one where we used to get free milkshakes on our birthdays?" I ask, filling the glass up with water.

"Yes." Lucas grins. "They had amazing chocolate malt milkshakes." He gushes. I roll my eyes with a grin as Mom sits up.

"Joe's Diner?" She asks.

"Well, when we went consistently, it was just Joe's." Lucas mutters.

"Whatever." Mom says, rolling her eyes and grabbing her purse. "Let's go."

When we arrive at the diner, it's dark, and the neon lights decorating the exterior of the building stand out on the street corner. Joe's Diner! It reads in neon red, cursive letters, and just beside that, in neon yellow letters, it reads BEST BURGERS IN QUEENS. We push through the heavy black doors and enter the bright diner, and it's exactly how I remembered it.

Classic black and white checkered tiles cover the entire floor, and bright red leather booths decorate all around the place. In the front, there's a long counter with bright red singular seats, and just above the counter reads Joe's in bright red, cursive letters. They even have an old, classic jukebox playing old music. I smile as the scent of burgers, fries, and hotdogs hits my nose, and my mouth begins to water. Just like I remember.

A young girl with shiny, dark brown, almost black hair approaches us, blushing as soon as she sets eyes on Lucas. I glance over at my brother, rolling my eyes as I watch him smirk. The girl clears her throat quickly and turns her attention to Mom and I.

"Would you guys like a booth?" She asks, smiling politely.

"Please," Mom replies, and the girl nods and grabs three menus before quietly saying 'Follow me' and leading us through the diner. Lucas throws her a wink and I hit his arm softly, glaring slightly.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" I snap quietly.

"Girlfriend?" Mom asks, her eyebrows raising as she glances at us. The girl sits us down at a booth against the window outlooking the street. She smiles and sets the menus down, and Lucas thanks her as he slides onto the red cushion. I slide in next to him, and Mom sits across from us. The girl disappears into the kitchen and soon comes out with a large plate of food, aiding a different table.

"So, Lucas, who's the lucky girl?" Mom asks as she opens the menu. Lucas turns beet red and I snort, grabbing my own menu and eyeing the shakes.

"Nobody." He says firmly, throwing me a dirty look. I roll my eyes with a wide grin.

"Oh please. Don't act like I didn't see you and Liz Allan at the football game." I chuckle softly.

"Who's Liz?" Mom asks with a smirk. I watch as Lucas's cheeks grow redder and redder.