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YOU WOULDN'T think the world has just gone through hell. Everything seemed normal, nothing out of place. There were no more tears of sadness, no more screams of agony, no more loneliness. The threat that shook the world, remained nothing but a mere whisper to the ear of the people. But to Lonnie, it was a scream.
Everyday she continued to breathe was a constant reminder of those who had stopped. There was no escape for her, no silencing the demons that haunt her at every waking moment of the day, taking the form of PTSD. The world had beaten her to her to her knees, every strike tearing at her soul until there was nothing left to break. And Lonnie...Lonnie hasn't even tried to pick up the pieces.
She was broken, shattered completely to the very core. But to the naked eye, she was completely and utterly happy. She is an actress playing a part. Hiding behind a mask so that no one else has to carry the heavy burden of her pain.
But this was going to be a new beginning for Lonnie, a new chapter in her life. She could be whoever she wanted to be and feel whatever she wanted to feel. Or that's what Clint Barton says at least. Having taken custody of Lonnie after her mothers horrific demise, Clint thought it would be a good idea to give her a normal teenage life. But he should have known that normal is just an illusion for people like them, a dream that was completely out of reach no matter how hard you tried to obtain it.
"E-excuse me, would uh..would you mind switching seats with m-my friend?"
Lonnie looked up from the book she had been reading to be met with the faces of two boys. One with brown curly hair wearing a blue and white flannel with a gray shirt and the other wearing a navy hat with red, white, and green stripes as well as a maroon t-shirt with gold and white stripes.
"This is my seat." Lonnie stated as she raised her left brow.
"I know, but my seats just back there." The guy in the striped shirt said as he pointed behind Lonnie. Lonnie let out a heavy sigh and turned to see where he was pointing to see an empty seat near a girl with blonde hair and a gray headband near the middle of the plane. "Would you mind if we switched?"
"I'm staying here." Lonnie declared as she turned back to her book. "Thanks for the offer though."
Lonnie could feel their disappointed stares on her like the slap of cold in the warmth. The silence that had taken over the three was one Lonnie found quite awkward, but she still stood with her decision. Besides, she was quite comfy in her chair.
"A-alright." The one in the flannel finally spoke. "I-I guess I'll see you a-after we land."
"I guess." The other spoke, disappointment lacing his words as one final desperate attempt guilt trip Lonnie to move. But little does he know, Lonnie's already carrying too much guilt to allow his feeble attempt to make her feel even the slightest bit guilty for him.
"You're...You're t-the new student, r-right?" The guy in the flannel asked as he took his seat beside Lonnie.
Lonnie looked up from her book once again to face the guy, forcing a smile as she did so. "Lonnie Romanoff." She introduced as she held her hand out to him.
"P-Peter Parker." He introduced himself as he shook her hand, stuttering on his words like he had before. Lonnie picked up on it quickly, marking it as something he did when he was nervous or around others he didn't know.
"Nice to meet you." Lonnie said before pulling her hand away from his and returning to her book once more.
Peter on the other hand, kept his hand where it had been when he shook Lonnie's. His eyes roamed all over her, examining her, marking every little detail he could find. She was different than anyone he'd ever met but yet exactly same. And beneath it all, something about her rang familiar in his head.
"So, are you just going to sit there and stare at me the entire plane ride?" Lonnie didn't bother to look up from her book as she spoke.
"Oh...uh....S-sorry." Peter stuttered out, a blush painting across his cheeks. "Uh, h-have we met before."
"I'm new here, remember?"
"R-right, dum-dumb question." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yo, Parker!"
Lonnie looked up from her book to see a man with black curly hair that went a little past his ears and facial hair wearing a blue polo shirt standing outside of the first class cabin where the two sections met. Lonnie noted the drink in his hand and guessed it to be some type of liquor.
"This is called an airplane." He smugly stated, talking to Peter like he was some preschooler. "It's like the buses you're used to except it flies over the poor neighborhoods instead of driving through them."
Lonnie knew already this guy was an asshole. She concluded he is rich based on his clothing and well, the words he had just thrown at Peter. But the way his posture slouched slightly at the glint deep within his eyes of loneliness suggested that something messed with his head and if she had to guess she'd think it to be some type of parental issues.
Peter looked down to his hands, embarrassment written all over his face. In truth, Lonnie felt bad for Peter. From the few minutes she'd known him she found it hard to believe that he'd ever purposely hurt anybody and she knew he did not have enough self confidence to stand up for himself on occasions like this.
"M'am? He blipped, so technically he's 16 not 21." A girl who appeared in the isle next to Peter's seat pointed to the guy who had insulted Peter as she spoke.
The girl had curly brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a chunk of it hanging out in the front. She wore a white t-shirt with an image of doves on it and a green jacket over it. The woman stood tall, confident. Lonnie had no doubt this woman was fierce and she wanted nothing more than to suddenly be friends with her.
"She's lying I don't even know this girl!" The guy argued as the flight attendant took his drink.
The girl smirked at Peter before she walked off and Lonnie made note of the way Peter's cheeks reddened as he watched her walk away. But whatever butterflies he felt were suddenly abruptly halted as the guy behind the girl, MJ, spoke. "Classic MJ right?"
A look of confusion formed on Peter's face as he watched the man follow MJ to her seat. His smile faded quickly at the realization that their seats were beside one another and a pang of jealous shot through him.
Lonnie looked away from Peter, not wanting to get to invested in his teenage drama and instead turned to look out the small oval window. The rise of the sun painted the sky a beautiful purple that faded into a light pink. The sight was one that always took Lonnie's breath away. It was a slight freeze on her constant guilt and nagging sorrow. The colors seemed to dare to challenge any that tried to darken them. But like the darkness that haunts the sun, Lonnie too is fighting to break free from the surrounding darkness.
