voltage » peter parker/marvel au

chapter one

Valentina wasn't staring at Peter Parker. She was just admiring the way he smiles when Ned tells a stupid joke, how he always blushes when someone brings up something dumb he did two weeks ago, and how he fiddles his fingers when there's an awkward silence.

So she likes Peter Parker. Big deal.

Lots of girls like Peter Parker. Actually, only two girls like Peter Parker. Her and MJ. And MJ doesn't even know if she really likes Peter. It could've just been an off day for her.

But Val knows she likes him. She's liked him since 3rd grade when he came to school with an animal themed bandaid on his chin after falling off his bike.

Of course, she doesn't spend all her time thinking about Peter Parker. She reads, plays the saxophone, and helps her batshit crazy dad electrocute things. It's been his life long passion to become the Dr. Frankenstein of the 21st Century.

His goal is to be able to bring back a person from the dead after more than 24 hours with an electric current. His current test subjects? Rats collected from Queens very own subways. She finds the whole "coming back from the dead" part weird, but she figures it could be worse.

Her gaze leaves Peter and falls down to her buzzing cellphone.

Pa [11:52am]:
Be home on time today. I got some exciting stuff.

Val [11:53am]:
k u freakin weirdo

Pa [11:53am]:
Love you spawn.

Any other teenage girl would be mortified to spend most of their time with their dad, especially when their dad loves to play with hundreds of volts of electricity. It's not Val's favorite thing, but her and her dad stick together, they always have ever since Val's mom died, and they promised they would never let each other down.

"Why don't you just TALK to him already?" Tia groaned as she plopped down next to Val, snapping her out of her trance.

"Yeah, and say what? 'Hi Peter I know you don't know me, but I love the way the light glistens in your eyes, you look like an angel on earth!'" Val flatly responded.

Tia rolled her eyes, "Stop being so dramatic. Introducing yourself to another person isn't that hard..."

"It is when you have zero people skills." She responded

Ti shot Val a glare before smiling, "So, any exciting plans after school? It is Friday you know, football game? You should totally go! I'm always there with the girls!"

The girls and Val did not get along. Tia was friends with a lot of people, including girls who dislike Val for being Val.

"Can't T, Dad needs my help today."

"Seriously Val, just one day...for me?" Tia said, sticking out her bottom lip.

Val scratched her head in thought, "Hmm, sweaty teens, shouting adults, shitty football team? I'll pass."

Tia opened her mouth but the bell rang just as she was about to say something.

"Thanks for the invite Tia, but it's just not my thing. I appreciate you thinking about me, and we should definitely hang out soon!" And with that she walked away, leaving an annoyed Tia behind.

*

4th Block Physics with Mr. Brown. And with Val and Peter Parker sitting only tables away.

She could hear Ned whispering to Peter, well everyone could hear Ned whispering something to Peter. Even Mr. brown could and he was starting to get fed up.

"Coulomb's Law. Can anyone tell me the definition of this term?" Brown asked.

"Right. It was crazy! And I couldn't believe-" Ned was interrupted by a sharp voice.

"LEEDS! How many times must I ask you to shut your trap in one class?" Brown questioned.

The class chuckled as Ned turned bright red, "Sorry sir."

Brown looked at both Ned and Peter, and it was almost as if a lightning bulb went off in his head

"Leeds, switch with Martinez."

Martinez.

Val looked at Brown and he made a motion for her to get up.

In her 11 years of going to school with Peter Parker not once had she sat next to him. She would've remembered it if it actually had happened.

She could feel the gaze from her classmates burning holes into the back of her head as she hurried across one side of the room to the other. Peter gave her a weak smile as she sat down next to him.

"Sorry about that." He said.

Val returned a nervous, giddy smile, "It's okay, it's not your fault."

He nodded and turned his attention back to Brown, who was droning on and on about whatever the hell a coulomb was. Val turned to a page to start taking notes, but she could feel Peter staring at her notebook. She looked over at him and saw his eyes focused on one of her doodles.

"Do you like Spider-Man?" He asked, pointing to her drawing of the spider that's on Spider-Man's suit.

"He's pretty cool I'd say."

He laughed, "Yeah, he is isn't he?"

With that, Peter turned his attention back up to Brown for good, gazing at Ned every once in a while, who was making weird hand movements trying to communicate with him from across the classroom.

Val's focus on anything disappeared the second Peter Parker told her he was sorry.