Teen Spirit

1: Contacts

Butterflies made their way into my stomach, leaving me to wonder how exactly they had gotten there. It wasn't as though I wouldn't know anybody at high school, but there were a lot of people I wouldn't know, and that is scary. Or maybe it's okay. Who knows?

The day prior had been orientation, which was nothing special and left no time for actual socialization within our class. Instead, everyone rushed us through the half-day, getting us out before twelve-thirty.

But today, we would be socializing and mixing with the grades. It was going to be hectic but possibly exciting. I walked into the door, grasping my schedule tightly with my ancient bag slung over my shoulder.

Michelle stood with me; she's my foster sister, the actual daughter of the family I live with. I have to say, of all the families, I like this one the best. Michelle and I are the same age, and I'm relieved to say that we get along really well.

"Do you remember anything from yesterday?" I asked her softly as we worked through the hallways.

MJ looked at me and shrugged. "I don't know, do I?"

"MJ, come on."

Her laugh was so relaxed as it escaped her mouth, and she grinned at me. "We go to first-period geometry," I sighed and nodded, walking with her to our class.

In that class, there was a group of people divided. At the front of the room was the popular kids, I never understood the love affair with the front of the classroom. In the back were the shallow-faced druggies and their pushers, I knew instantly that area was not a place I wanted to be. That left the middle, which was where Peter Parker, a guy from middle school, sat with his friend Ned.

They always seemed nice enough.

"Want to sit over here?" I asked MJ quietly. All I got was a shrug as she threw her bag down roughly and pulled out her sketchbook. So I took the seat between her and Peter. "This seat isn't taken, right?" I asked before sitting my stuff down.

Peter looked at me with wide eyes. "Uh, no. No, not at all."

"Great. How was your summer?" I asked him softly as some of the sophomores filtered in as well. Geometry was a sophomore-level class, but I was a grade level ahead in math, which was fairly nice.

So we started talking; Peter, Ned, and myself, about almost everything, with MJ interjecting a comment every once in a while. It was nice, until Flash came up to me, more like sauntered. I always assumed that sauntering was something that was only done in books, but I guess I was proven to be wrong.

"Hey." He said, his eyes blinked in an overly exaggerated movement. Was that an attempt at a wink?

I shot a look at MJ, but she was of no use, laughing her ass off silently at my taken aback face. "Uhm, hi?"

He waved me off, which was shocking. I sent a look to Peter and mouthed help to him; he found this just as funny as MJ, however, the cheeky little traitor. "So, I wanted to get to you before I was swarmed by all of the girls in the school and forgot about you," my eyebrows shot up, "but we're going to homecoming together."

I blinked, in a normal fashion, and then started laughing. "No, we aren't," I said in between laughs.

"What do you mean?" It's sad that he looked genuinely confused by my rejection.

"I mean, I don't want to go to homecoming with you, but thanks for the offer," I said, leaning forward slightly as I spoke with him, actually winking at him before waving him off. "Bye."

"You'll regret that."

"No, don't think I will."

And so started our feud. That would last a long time, but I don't care too much, or at all. Instead, I focused on my classes and did my best in all of them. At lunch, MJ and I ate with Peter and Ned before we walked home.

Halfway through the walk, I felt odd and stopped in my tracks. "Hey, you good?" MJ called back to me. She was worried; I knew why too. I had terrible PTSD and panic attacks from a select few triggers. Manageable, but MJ didn't know how to.

"I'm fine; I just remembered I have to get something for school. Why don't you go home and I'll catch up."

MJ stared at me before nodding. "Be careful."

I merely nodded then slipped down an alleyway when she turned back around. This was a stupid idea; I was going to die. I don't know why I'm so stupid, but I am, and this is one of those times where it really shows. We had to pass through a bad part of town to get home, and here I was, going exploring in that bad part of town in New York because that's smart.

Granted, I knew how to defend myself but still.

As I walked, areas became familiar, and then, I stopped dead in my tracks. It was creaking, the wood was rotting, and there was a condemnation sign posted on it. I noticed a few things still in the front yard that I didn't have time to grab or didn't remember. I was staring right at my childhood home. The place where my mother died.

I had an option than to go home and forget about this place, but once again, I chose wrong and jumped the fence before walking into the house cautiously. I could tell some people had been there, but not for a few years. It was likely an abandoned crack house or something like that. I wandered to the back, where my room was left untouched. I grabbed the stuffed animal my mom gave me for Christmas on one of the few years she remembered it and held it gently.

Then I wandered to my mom's room, wherein an old flip phone sat on the charger still. I laughed and picked it up, hitting the power button. To my absolute shock, the phone turned on.

"Holy shit." I cursed softly, going through her contacts.

I got to "T" when I stopped in shock. "Tony Stark? What the hell was he doing associating with you?"

"My Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like-" My hands fumbled to get out my phone, and I hastily answered it. "Hello?" I asked softly.

"Why are you whispering?" MJ asked me in confusion on the other line.

Shit, now I needed to explain why I was whispering. "I'm in a library."

"Why?"

"What is it, MJ?" I asked, avoiding her question.

A muffled sigh came from over the phone, MJ's speaker not picking up all the sound in her release of breath. "Dad's coming home in like thirty minutes. You should probably get here."

"Shit, yeah, on my way. See ya."

"Later."

The house seemed too quiet, I wanted to get out of here immediately, so I slipped the phone into my pocket and ran, getting google maps pulled up on my phone to lead me home.