Sunnyvale H.S

13

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Grace had been in the shop for almost 5 hours. She had completely forgotten to text Harry and tell him that she was okay and safe. 

She pulled out her phone, and saw 3 new messages and a missed call from him. 

'You okay?'

'I'll be outside at 6:30' 

'Miss you'

She smiled to herself and messaged back.

'I'm okay Harry. I miss you too sunshine.'

Peter sat on the floor and sat in front of her, a mug in his hands. 

"How did you meet Bucky?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink. 

"He was in the city centre. I go to Sunnyvale and he walked past when I was waiting for my nurse. He spoke to me and said I look like the kind of girl that would like vintage stuff. He gave me a leaflet about the shop and asked me to come down."

"My dad works in Sunnyvale! Bucky is his friend!  I've known him and Steve since I was little. So when I turned 16 I started volunteering."

Grace smiled and drank some of her own drink. 

"What's your dads name?" 

"Tony Stark. But everybody just calls him Kelson because it's his middle name. He's been called that since high school."

"No way! Kelson!" Grace exclaimed and stared at Peter astonished.

"You know my dad?" he asked and she nodded quickly, moving into Peter.

"Yeah! He was my therapist since I was 8!" 

"No way! Grace Lancaster! Summer 09!" Peter had begun to shout with excitement. 

She was entirely shocked, words failing to escape her lips. 

"You were the kid who went swimming with me almost everyday! I thought I would never see you again after that summer." 

Peter rolled up his sleeve to show a small spider tattoo on his wrist. She rolled her up her own to show a spider, that looked the exact same.

"The stick and poke girl," he said surely. 

She was in disbelief.

"I used to call you spider-boy. You would climb absolutely everything."

He smiled fondly at the memory, his dimples showing.

"Yeah! We used to run away to the lake together. We would hide from your dad and tell each-other stories. I can't believe you're here."

Grace sat forward and grabbed his wrist, examining the tattoo. The design had began to wear away, yet it was clear it was a spider. Peter had drew it on a napkin in the canteen at the camp Kelson took them to. It was their friendship symbol that reminded them of each other and that summer. 

She still had the napkin somewhere in her room, with the spider scribbled in blue ink. 

"I got this done on my 17th birthday. My mum almost killed me."

"Bucky did mine. I was 16."

"Bucky did it!" 

Grace had never felt so giddy. 

Peter seemed the exact same, but she was amazed at how different he looked. He was an excited kid who would bounce around camp telling jokes to Grace and they would sneak out all the time and swim in the lake. The camp shut down years ago and Grace didn't think she would see him again, yet here he was in front of her.

"Hey you two can go early if you want, Bucks got something to give you Grace."

Steve stood in the doorway of the back room looking down at the two teemagers sat on the floor.

"Thanks Steve. I'll be out in a minute," she waved as he nodded and walked back to wherever he had been. 

"Hey when is your next shift?" 

Peter picked his and Grace's cups off the ground and shoved them in his arms. He placed them in the sink and they both headed towards the main desk. 

"I'm pretty sure I'm working in two days, so  Thursday!" she smiled and he nodded picking up a piece of paper off the counter. He fiddled with a pen before scribbling his number down. 

"You could have just put it in my phone?" she suggested and he laughed and shook his head.

"I'm an old school kind of man."

"Man? God you've gotten brave."

He nudged her shoulder playfully as she laughed gleefully.

"Hey what's all the laughter about in here guys?" Bucky walked towards them a smile on his face. 

"It's nothing Mr Bucky, me and Grace actually knew each-other growing up."

"Did you really? Small world huh?" Bucky grinned and Steve walked in a cd case in his hands.#

"Are you two kids okay to make your own way home?" Steve asked and placed his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, I have somebody picking me up," Grace smiled and Steve nodded.

"What about you Peter?" 

"I'll hang back and sort some junk out upstairs."

Grace paused and turned to Peter.

"I can stay back and help out if you'd like?" 

"That would be great but it's fine honest. If we do it all now, there won't be much else for us to do next shift."

"Isn't that better though Parker? Do you actually want to work next time?" Bucky laughed and he shrugged.

"I like working. You know that Mr Bucky."

Grace smiled at the way he said 'Mr' before his name. He had always done that as a kid. 

"You will need my contact number Grace, and Steve's too."

She nodded and pulled out her phone. 

She swiped the messages away from Harry and passed her phone to Bucky. 

He typed in his number quickly and then put in Steve's after it.

"You've been a magnificent help Grace love."

"Thanks, it's a pleasure."

Steve handed her the disc. 

"Its an ABBA cd. You have a beautiful voice. Not so much for Peter over there," Steve laughed and threw his hand over his chest, clearly finding himself amusing. 

"Thankyou for this really. I'll play it loudly on my way home." 

"You should head off, I think there's a car outside for you."

She nodded, realising Harry would be waiting. 

"I'll see you on Thursday. Call or text if you need anything doll," Bucky smiled politely and Steve agreed.

"I'll see you guys later." 

She nodded goodbye before Steve pulled her in for a hug. 

"Ahh, I'll catch you later Grace. Keep being cool until then." 

She smiled widely and hugged Bucky and Peter before waving to them. 

"I'll see you later Black Widow!" 

Peter joked and she rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips.

"Catch you later Spider-man."

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