Cool Kids [p. parker] || SLOW UPDATES

FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
( "THERAPY ISN'T A BAD THING." )

MONDAY NIGHT WITH FLASH was actually decent, almost fun, Nick had to admit. The two boys kicked a ball around outside in the backyard for a bit after doing most of their homework, explaining whatever the other didn't understand if needed, and ate the Subway sandwiches Dan brought home. The got to know each other a bit better, but Nick still wouldn't consider them good friends for the simple fact that Flash wasn't exactly the nicest towards Peter. When night fell and after they made a little pallet on the floor in Nick's room, Flash came out of the bathroom without the makeup covering the bruise but Nick didn't say anything about it, but they did lay in their respective beds and talked mostly about spots since that's the main thing they have in common, and because neither exactly wanted to fall asleep just yet in that moment.

Tuesday was fine. Not perfect, but fine, which seemed to be a constant feeling throughout the day for Nick recently when days weren't terrible. It was either fine or terrible, and he was getting tired of it; he was getting tired of a lot of things really. Like the day before when he was playing one on one soccer – his favorite sport – with Flash, Nick got pretty tired of it quickly. Not physically tired, though, because he could have played for hours and hours if that had been the case. He had stopped playing piano every once in a while, though he was pretty sure that had more to do with his mom leaving since he used to play with her all the time, and the keyboard he had gotten one year for his birthday was stuffed under his bed collecting dust. He was tired of everything really, but somehow always had trouble falling asleep at night despite easily passing out during classes. He was even tired of spending time with his friends; it sounded wrong, but he just didn't want to be around anyone. Subconsciously, he was starting to pull away from Marty and Anita again already. Which was why the two dragged him out to eat after school let out.

Nick wanted to go home and be by himself, to do nothing despite having told Marty and Anita that he would do whatever homework they had due the next day. But they didn't let him. So, there the three sat at a table in Subway, the same one where Dr. Connors, as a giant lizard, crashed trough the large windows. They were fixed now and apparently Tony Stark had given some impenetrable glass – actually, there was no 'apparently' about it, James had told Nick the rumors of that were true. Nick didn't want to tell them he had Subway the day before because both of them really wanted it, so he kept quiet about along the way there and while they ate. He slouched in his seat, picking a few pieces of lettuce from his barley even half eaten sandwich, mind elsewhere. Marty was nearly done with his, and Anita had more left than Marty but a lot less that Nick.

"So," Anita started and took a sip of her root beer, breaking the silence. "How was the night with Flash?"

Nick gave a small shrug. "Fine," he said.