Adventures in Babysitting ↠ Peter Parker [1] ✓

22 | Cool

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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
xxii. COOL

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   RILEY WAS BEGINNING TO understand why everyone hated high school. Between the tedious homework, the constant stench of B.O., and questionable cafeteria food, she was convinced that her brain was actually starting to rot and decay the longer she stuck with this mission.

   Riley often thought about dropping out for the sake of going back to normal missions, but part of her wanted to stay enrolled in high school. She wanted to experience the alleged best few years of one's childhood. If she couldn't have a normal life, she could at least have a somewhat normal high school life, right?

   Just like any other day, she was doing what she always did during 2nd period algebra: going to the bathroom for an unnecessarily long amount of time. The math was far too easy for her, and every time she tried to nap during lectures, she'd get woken up by someone next to her snoring.

   Hall pass in hand, Riley stared blankly at the bulletin board wedged near the bathrooms. She'd read it so many times that she must've memorized every little word and every poorly drawn dick by now. But that was somehow more interesting than explaining to the kid beside her what the Pythagorean theorem was.

   "Hey."

   Riley's ears perked up at the sound. She turned her head, only to find Peter standing a few feet away from her. He stood there wearing a sweater that had the school's name and logo on it, a hall pass similar to Riley's in his hands.

   She wore a small smile. "Hi. I haven't heard from you since..."

   "Since we got back from D.C."

   "Yeah."

   Riley couldn't remember the last time she was nervous to talk to someone. Intimidation was one thing, but innocent nervousness wasn't something she was used to. She fidgeted with the pass, picking at the corner of it while Peter pretended to read the bulletin board for a moment. They ended up speaking at the same time.

   "So, how are—?"

   "Are you—?"

   They awkwardly laughed. "You go first," Peter said.

   "I was just wondering if you're okay," Riley said. "Tony... told me about the ferry."

   His face fell. "So, you know he took away the suit, then?"

   "...Yeah. I'm sorry." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to find the right string of words to say. She didn't know when they'd speak again after this, with him keeping his distance and all—