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〖 prologue ⋆sugar and smoke dreams 〗
— 🌹 —
The boy took the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling and watching the smoke leave his lips. It was almost enticing, drawing him in more as he went for another swing. He looked around the streets of New York, seeing all the people so invested in their own lives as they yelled at others who got in their way or rolled their eyes at them. Such nuisances, humans. People walked with phones to their ears while others tried to hail cabs. Some strolled along lazily with someone by their side as they laughed and smiled along them.
Rarely, in the streets, did anyone talk a pause to just look around. That mostly stemmed from the fact that if they did, someone would yell at them for just stopping in the middle of the sidewalk but they were very interesting to see. At least they were to the teenager smoking his cigarette as he leaned against Patty's Ice Cream Parlor. He still had his work clothes on with the nametag as he was there, outside.
He spent more time just watching them, studying them almost, before smashing the cigarette on the sidewalk with his foot and walking back inside. When he got there, his friend and fellow co-worker from behind the counter asked, "Nice smoke break, Garrett?"
The boy nodded and went back there with her. "Very relaxing after the rush," he told her, "So many people wandering around."
His friend rolled her eyes, "You act like they're animals in a zoo that you're looking at."
He shrugged, as he always did with those comments that she usually gave. Last time it was 'you look at them like they're in an ant farm' and the time before that was 'like a CEO from his window, looking down at all the prospects'. He liked that one the most, probably. It was where he wanted to be but what he would never achieve.
"They're interesting," he defended himself, "Don't you like to people watch, Tati?"
"At water parks where it's actually interesting," she rolled her eyes, "But now just random people walking on the sidewalk."
"What's the difference between watching them walk around a waterpark and walking around New York?" he asked sassily, smiling at a customer politely and asking for their order.
"Only at one do people show off their hideous tattoos and questionable tastes in bikinis," she whispered in his eyes, causing him to smile and shake her off, scooping out the ice cream before handing it to the customer.
"But come on, Garrett, you have to admit that it's a bit creepy just watching people walk down a fucking street," she continued, "I mean, which is some shady guy in his work uniform was just watching you?"
He rolled his eyes, "I don't just stare at one person and watch them, I watch the scene across the street and see as people pass. Now, watching them one-on-one like a stalker is creepy, but me just watching them through one frame isn't."
"How so?" she slit her eyes, training them on him accusingly.
"When they walk out of the frame, my eyes aren't on them anymore," he said, "Plus, I'm watching a multitude of people, not just one person."
"Oh, multitude. Someone's been studying for their exams," she grinned teasingly.
He pushed her a bit, "Shut up. And I've had to seeing as I'm taking it again in two weeks."
She nodded and took the next customer, giving them a smile as they were instructed to do. He watched and looked around the parlor, all the people sitting there. Some were alone and just sitting at the counter while others at one of the tables with friends and two tables on dates if the handholding was any clue.
"You're doing it again," she told him, "It's weird. You work here, stop watching them like some creep. I thought you got all that nonsense out when you were on break."
"I'm just looking around," he defended himself, "And not watching them."
She raised an eyebrow, "Sure..."
He decided it wasn't worth another defense. Every time he tried he failed. It was quiet for a bit as no new customers came in, letting them sit down and relax a bit, him even getting a Coke from the employee fridge to enjoy. It's not like it was really hot in New York, it never was, but it certainly wasn't winter. It was their summer and therefore it was warm enough to warrant ice cream and the Coke he got. But it wasn't even if the parlor was hot, all air-conditioned and cool to keep the ice cream from melting.
Still, he drank his Coke.
The bell from the door rang and the two employees' heads immediately swung to it. There, stood a timid teenager coming up to the counter. His hair was a mess and he wore a graphic tee. He knew who the boy was – Peter Parker – because of one of his friend's constant teasing and bullying of the boy. He was a year younger than him, in the grade below, and insanely smart. Boy genius material. And it sometimes seemed unfair because he was still struggling with Spanish while Peter seemed to flow through it naturally. And for a time he was quite jealous of the boy, but then he came to his common sense and just accepted that Peter was one of the lucky few who were just naturally gifted with smarts, unlike him.
He rose up from his stool, going to the counter and giving the Parker boy a small. "Hi, what can I get for you today?"
hi I realize that this is really short, but it's just an introduction. also, this takes place at the beginning of summer, maybe 2-3 months before the actual story takes place although there will be flashbacks to summer.
