Romeo And Julius

Chapter 2

-During summer-

Peter's POV

I need some fresh air... I get up from my bed and walk out of my room.

"Hey, honey. Where are you going?" Aunt May asks.

I shrug. "Probably to the park. I need to be outside."

Aunt May smiles. "That's my boy. Just be back in time for dinner. I'm experimenting with pickle pizza and you're gonna be my guinea pig."

I try not to grimace. "Sounds delicious. I'm gonna go now."

She dismisses me with her hand. "Yes! Go. You've been inside almost all summer. Go and smell the roses!"

I smile and walk out the door. The trek to the park isn't too long, but I make sure to enjoy it. I listen for any nature sounds I can hear over the cars zooming across the streets.

When I get to the park, I sit on one of the swings for nostalgia's sake. I just hope that no one from school sees me.

"Hey! Parker!"

Well, shoot. I jinxed that one, didn't I? I quickly stand up off the swing to face whoever called my name.

Harley?!

Harley smiles when I look at him. "Oh, hey, Keener!" I reply.

He sits down on the swing next to the one I was using. "Aren't you gonna sit down?"

"Oh, um, yeah." I sit back down on my swing.

"I didn't realize you lived in Queens, Parker."

"Yeah, I do. I have for a while," I say. "I feel like I would've seen you around. Did you just move here?"

Harley nods. "Yeah. But, Queens is a big place. Wouldn't it be easy to miss someone?"

Remember, he doesn't know you're Spiderman. He doesn't know that I see all the parts of Queens a lot of the time. What do I say? Think fast, think fast. "True, but I get around." Heck yeah, I do. "So what brings you to the park, Keener?"

"My sister," he says. "You?"

I smile. "Fresh air."

He stares into my eyes. I stare back no matter how uncomfortable I feel. I want to look away but I can't.

"Harley!" A voice calls.

He looks away and I'm finally free of the trap of those blue eyes.

"Yeah, Charlotte?"

I look over to see a girl with short brown hair that looks like a younger version of Harley.

"You should come hang with me," she says.

I stand up. "I should go," I say. I start to walk away.

A hand grabs my wrist. "No. Wait."

I glance back. Harley is now standing and holding onto my wrist as if his life depends on it.

I smile slightly. "Yeah?"

He lets go of me and pulls out his phone. "I need your phone number."

"Oh! Yeah!" I give him my number and he taps it out onto the screen.

Just as I'm about to leave again he says, "You could stay longer. I'm sure CharLATTE wouldn't mind you hanging with us."

"That's not my name Har Fart," Charlotte chimes in.

"Shut it, Latte." Harley looks back at me, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

I smile. "I would, but my aunt is making pickle pizza for dinner and she's expecting me back soon."

Harley makes a face. "That sounds disgusting."

"Right? She likes to experiment and I'm her guinea pig. " I grimace.

Harley chuckles. "Well, I guess I better let you get home to your pickle pizza."

"Yeah. Bye, Keener!" I start to walk off again.

"See ya, Parker!" he calls after me.

I turn around briefly to look at him, then walk home.

...

Harley's POV

A big smile grows on my face as I stare at "Pretty Peter Parker" walk off. Yes, I gave him a nickname. Don't judge me.

"Who was that hottie?" My 15-year-old sister, Charlotte, asks. Why she wanted to come to the park? I don't know. I thought teenage girls hated the outdoors.

"It's none of your business," I snap.

She raises her eyebrows with a sly smile. "Well, you're totally into him and he's totally NOT into you."

I raise my hand to silence her. "Shut it."

"So, I see I'm right then. Well, if he IS straight, I might go for him 'cause daaaaaangg!!!"

I grab her shoulder. "If you go for him, I will personally strangle you into oblivion."

She smiles. "Geez. Chill. I was joking. I know that you can turn any straight man gay with the power of love, if you try hard enough."

I let go of her, smiling. "You know what? You're right, I'll make Peter Parker fall for me. Even if it's the last thing I do."

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