Soooo Not Normal

T E S S A

"Peter, where are we going?" I whisper. We were on a bus heading down to where all the big office buildings were. Where my parents were. He looks nervous and his eyes keep looking around as if he's expecting something to pop out. He jumps when I whisper to him as if he forgot I was there.

"Um... just wait till we get there, it's a surprise."

"Okay, but you seem... on edge. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm fine."

"Ooookay then." But I still worry. As I watch the city go by, my eyelids start to feel heavy. Don't go to sleep, not here! Truth was, I hated having people see me sleep, it felt wrong. I didn't get how Emma did it. But I was so tired of everything I couldn't keep my eyes open. I need to start talking, that will keep me awake.

"Hey Peter, what's your favorite color?" He looks at me quizzically, but I ignore it.

"Um... red and blue."

"You can't have two! Choose your favorite!" He looks flustered.

"I don't know... I mean, I like both of them equally." I let out a pretend huff of exasperation and smile.

"Fine, don't tell me."

"I'm not- I mean- that's not-" he stutters. I laugh.

"I wasn't being serious! I use sarcasm occasionally."

"Please don't tell me you're turning into Emma." He begs.

"Never!" I say with mock horror. We laugh to the point where I think the bus driver might throw us out.

"Oh, here's our stop!" Peter says suddenly and stands up. As we're walking off the bus the driver stops us.

"Hey, next time, you and your girlfriend be a little quieter, will ya." He says gruffly.

"Oh no, she's- we're not dating!" He says quickly.

I decided to embarrass him a little bit. "Wait, what do you mean we're not dating?" He looks at me, horrified, and I start to laugh. I see him visibly relax before he starts laughing along with me. The bus driver looks at us like we're crazy before he opens the doors and gestures for us to leave. Peter and I walk up to a building. It's pretty hard to miss, seeing as it's the Avengers compound. A building with a large A on the top. I wouldn't call it a tourist spot, but many people who visit New York try to catch a glimpse of it. Never mind, it's definitely a tourist spot.

"Peter, what are we doing here?" I whisper as we walk into the busy building. It's swarming with agents and engineers and scientists. They all look serious, and I felt out of place. "Are we supposed to be here?"

"Probably not, but it's fine. As long as no one pays attention to us, we're good." As if on cue, I hear someone shout Peter's name.

"Peter, what are you doing here?!" I turn to the voice and see a man who looks about 30ish. I couldn't tell. He had a potbelly and looked tired, like a mom who kept having to deal with a kid who wouldn't stop crying.

"Oh, heyyyy, Happy. Didn't see you there." Peter says innocently

"Who is this?" The man says, pointing to me.

"Oh, um, that's Tessa, my friend."

"Why is she here?" He asks, looking at me suspiciously.

"I just needed to get something, we'll be out soon."

"What do you need?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just this thing from upstairs. You've probably never seen it."

"Try me."

"Its um-a um... its a pencil..." Peter says weakly. Wow, Peter. Even I could do better than that.

"It's my friend's pencil, and she'll kill Peter if he doesn't get it back for her." I surprise myself by speaking. It came out so naturally. That must be what it's like being Emma.

Peter looks at in surprise. I don't think I've ever lied on purpose in my life, and definitely not in front of a guy. But I can see he's thankful for my quick thinking, so I don't feel as bad.

"Fine. But you better come right back, got it?!" The man demands.

"Okay." And we quickly walk away. I turn to Peter, looking at him expectantly for an answer on what just happened. He doesn't get it.

"Peter, what just happened?"

"Oh, um, what, with Happy? It's okay, he's just strict."

"Okay." We walk in silence, which is pretty awkward, seeing as he is looking at the ground. Suddenly he looks up.

"Are you afraid of heights?" What kind of question is that?

"Umm, it depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not there is solid ground beneath me."

"Okay." He breathes a sigh of relief.

"Why?"

"Cause I want to show you something, but I wasn't sure how you would react."

"Okay, now I'm scared."

"Don't be. Now close your eyes."

"What? Umm, okay." I closed my eyes, and Peter grabbed my hand and started to guide me across the room. He opened a door and led me up a flight of stairs before opening another door. Inside, I'm freaking out. Okay, a boy is holding my hand. Is he trying to tell me something or is he just being nice?

He opens another door, and I feel a blast of cold air on my face.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Peter says.

I open my eyes and inhale sharply. It's a beautiful sight. The dwindling light is gorgeous, and I can't stop staring. The pops of light against the night sky make the whole thing that much more amazing. I turn to look at Peter and I wrap my arms around him in a quick hug. "Thank you. Sooo much. This is just what I needed after today."

He hesitates before wrapping his arms around me. "You're welcome. I go up here sometimes when I'm stressed. I hoped it would help you, I don't know, feel better or something."

I smile. "Well, it did. So thank you." He smiles at me, and I'm suddenly struck by how different he looks when he smiles. More confident, and I can't help thinking about how attractive he looks. I know I've seen him smile before, but for some reason, this seemed different, more meaningful. I can feel butterflies come to life in my stomach and I can feel my face heating up. I quickly turn away, the rush of emotions too overwhelming for me to handle. I just broke up with my boyfriend and I'm already falling for another guy?! What is wrong with me?!

"Sorry, I just needed a minute alone," I mumble, trying to hide the blush.

"Oh, um, okay, I'll just go get Emma's pencil." I can tell he's trying to make me smile, but my face stays as still as stone. Then he awkwardly walks off the roof.