Romanova [COMPLETED STORY]

35

FINALE PART FIVE
-PETER-

"Hey, Peter, you have a minute?"

"Hey, Niki. Yeah, what's up?"

"Well, you've probably heard, I'm going to be gone for a while. Six month placement in Brazil."

  "I thought it was just gossip."

  "Wish it was. Anyway, I've been saying goodbye to everyone, personally. I was wondering if you wanted to do something, just the two of us."

  "Like a date?"

  "Well, I uh- I mean.. heh, well I-"

  "I'm just messing with you. But for sure, got any ideas?"

  "I've never really been a teenager, in the twenty-first century at least. Let's be teenagers."

  "Well lucky for you, I'm a great teenager."

  "What are we waiting for then?"
-
"First, coffee."

"Coffee? That's it?"

"Not just any coffee, Dunkin or Starbucks?"

"What?"

"Teenagers cannot survive without caffeine. Dunkin or Starbucks?"

"Which is better?"

"Starbucks is the closest."

"Then Starbucks it is."

And it was good. I haven't had Starbucks before, just Tony's stale cabinet stuff.

  "Now, I'm not one of those varsity football teens, so we won't be going to any parties or doing anything illegal, but i do have some fun things planned."

  "Whatever you say, Parker."

  He then brought us down to mall, which was, by the way, filled with teenagers. God, it felt like I was watching a coming of age movie.

  "No offence, but you dress like a depressed millennial."

  "What? I do not."

  "Come."

  He dragged my by my arm into a store that was filled with the little vultures. "Brandy Melville," read the sign.

  "Alright, I'm going to make you look hot."

  "I'm already hot."

  "Oh definitely, but your clothes say otherwise. Let's go, you have all of these girls to get inspired from."

  "Their asses are hanging out. And they're wearing half of a shirt."

  "That's teenage life as a girl, try this on."

  "Where's the rest of it?"

  "Every girl anyone has ever had a crush on shops here, seriously."

  "I don't need to look hot, I'm going undercover to Brazil for the last months of my life."

  "You aren't gonna die, and you'll need some real person clothes for when you come back. I swiped Tony's card, go wild."

  I had to squeeze into the skirts and the shirts were practically bikini tops, but I found some things that weren't totally horrible. The prices though... burned a hole in Tony's card.

  "Run to the bathroom and get changed, I feel like I'm walking around with my grandma."

  "Hey, if I look too good I'll scare all of the girls your own age away, and I am old enough to be your grandma anyway."

  "Yeah, don't say that. To anyone. You look 17, just be 17."

  "Fine."

  I got changed and we left the mall for our next destination. Central Park.

  "This is essential. Photoshoot in Central Park."

  "No."

  "Yes."

  "I let you play dress up with me already."

  "Ooh! Stand over there!"

  "Peter, I-"

  He shoved me in front of him so the background was the surround skyscrapers. I posed, just to give him the satisfaction. This was one of my last days, I guess I could let loose a little.

  "Very nice. We have one more thing to do."

  "And that is?"

  "Times Square!"

  This had to be the best part of the whole day. Times Square was busy, people everywhere, but it was gorgeous. The lights, the music, the crowds, it all came together so nicely. The sun was beginning to set but the night had so much more to offer.

  "Pretty cool, huh?"

  "It's beautiful."

  "You could see this every day, you know."

  "Wouldn't be as special."

  "Niki," he grabbed my arm.

  "I- I know I don't have to go, and hell, the closer it gets the less I want to leave."

  "So don't, call Fury right now. Call it off."

  "I don't think I can."

  "Why? We just became friends, I never even knew you before today! I don't know about you but I had the best time, I love having someone else my age to hang out with."

  "It was amazing, thank you. And I'm going to miss everyone so much, but I promised. I don't quit."

  "You aren't quitting. You're a kid, you shouldn't have this assignment anyway."

  "As much as you want to think I'm your age Peter, I'm not. I've seen things, I know things, I've done things. And even if I don't make it back, at least I got to be a teenager, for real this time."

  "This could be every day though."

  "I know."

  "Think about it."