Starboy
Gwen groaned, looking out the car window, her hands intertwined with her boyfriend’s- Hobie Brown. She’s trying to tune out Pavitr’s voice, as the boy goes on and on about his cool friend, who’s concert they were going to.
“Come on guys, it’ll be fun!” Pav had said. She lifted her head from Hobie’s arms and let him return to strumming his guitar to look over at Pav with a bored expression.
“Why are you so eager to go anyway? You usually don’t like loud places.” It was true. Pav would often wake up in the middle of the night, just to tell Hobie and Gwen to stop their band practice. He hardly ever went to their concerts (unless he was also performing) and if he really wanted to see them, he’d just look back at the videos, with his volume down.
“Don’t mean to be a party-pooper, but she’s right mate. What’s so special about this one anyway?” Hobie said, barely looking up from his guitar.
Pav grinned, pacing around the room, speaking very fast.
“It’s my friend! He’s very very cool, and he invited me to his concert! I’ve always wanted to go!” His accent gets thicker, which usually only happens if he’s angry or very excited.
So after a lot of negotiating and getting dragged to the store for new outfits, they are now in Pav’s car, driving to a concert of a boy that they barely know.
Pav's car abruptly stops, sending Gwen’s head almost flying towards the seat in front of her, luckily being caught by Hobie. She shoots daggers at Pav with her eyes, but the boy is too busy nudging his girlfriend, Gayatri, awake to even notice. He jumps out of his door and goes to open theirs, and is skipping around the street. Hobie chuckles and shrugs and helps Gwen out of the car as well.
Gwen and Hobie have been dating for a year now, they both love each other, probably more than anything. Maybe not the way Pav loves Gayatri (but they’re almost certain it’s impossible to be that obsessed), but they still mean a lot to each other.
When they both get out of the car, they spot a guy, who seems to be their age talking to Pav. He notices the trio behind him and goes to shake their hands.
“You guys friends of Pav?” He says and Pav quickly jumps in front of him, his eyes gleaming.
“Guys, this is Ganke Lee, Ganke, this is Hobie, his girlfriend Gwen, and you already know Gayatri.”
The boy- Ganke, mouths an “Oooh” and motions for them to follow him, through a door with a star on it.
Gwen stares at Hobie as he looks around, she can’t tell if he’s impressed, or happy to be there, considering he didn’t really care about what they did most of the time. They’re led into a packed room, they have a spot in the front where they can see the stage from a good angle.
Hobie sighs, and swings his guitar over his shoulder, and puts his elbow up on Gwen’s shoulder as he usually does.
He opens his mouth to say something but before he can, his eyes widen, watching someone walk up onto the stage.
“Starboy! Starboy! Starboy!” They hear. Gwen looks over to Pav, who’s also screaming, and Gayatri, doing the same. As he steps onto the stage fully, Gwen’s eyes widen too. He’s tall, not taller than Hobie, but still tall. He’s wearing big pants, with a belt sticking out from his also over-sized shirt, a small chain, star earrings and red, white and black jordan 1’s.
The chanting continues, while all she can do is stare at him. His afro slightly bounces with every movement, and he’s wearing a big smile, mic in hand. The light changes to a dark blue, and smoke fills the stage. The loud music drowns out the chants but what shocks Gwen most, and clearly Hobie too, is his voice.
“I can tell you’re not a fan..”
* * *
By the third song, Pav has probably exhausted his vocal chords from all the screaming.
“I can tell, I can tell, I can tell, certain people don’t like me no more” The boy starts, while walking down from the stage to walk through the people.
When he passes by them, he slightly waves to Pav and then his eyes flicker between Hobie and Gwen.
“Oh-oh.. trust issues..” He sings. The boy winks at both Gwen and Hobie before walking through more people, taking hands and smiling. Gwen notes that he doesn’t wink at anybody else.
Her cheeks heat and she hates how happy she feels about it.
* * *
Gwen Stacy has always had her eyes on Hobie. She was too focused on the sounds of crashing drums and Hobie’s loud but beautiful voice to notice anything else anyway. So when a boy that she’s never met before winks at her while singing (and rapping) songs that she has never heard before, and has never been into, she can’t help but be confused as to why her cheeks keep heating up. It must be hot in here, she tells herself. I mean there’s lots of people after all.
“I’m a motherfuckin starboy.” The boy finishes, smiling. Everybody screams, she does too, and he bows, and she swears she sees his eyes flicker towards her.
When all the screaming is over and the boy finally exits the stage, Ganke leads them to another room to meet him.
He’s panting and enters the room, and Pav almost immediately jumps on him.
“You did so good!!” He yells. Gayatri laughs and covers her ears a bit, pulling her boyfriend off of him.
“Thank you Pav!” he says before quickly returning his attention to Hobie and her. He’s staring at me. She thinks, before shaking her head. Woa, that should not have increased her heart rate.
“Starboy ey?” Hobie says, a smirk on his face. Hobie’s smirking. His cheeks are a bit pink too? Odd. Gwen thinks, but her thoughts are interrupted by a laugh.
“Ha, that’s just what they call me, I’m not sure why. The name’s Miles Morales.” He says, extending a hand. Instead of taking it, Gwen watched Hobie put his arms around Miles. Hobie’s always been a touchy person, but never to new people. She couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.
“I’m Gwen Stacy.” She offers, then motions to Hobie, “That’s my boyfriend, Hobie Brown.” She’s not sure why she emphasizes her boyfriend, but Miles doesn’t seem to mind it. Instead he nods and flashes her another smile. He’s got to stop doing that, she thinks, clutching her chest.
Before they can say anything else, the door swings open. Revealing a girl, dressed in a crop top and baggy pants, matching Miles’ outfit. Pav’s smile widens and he goes to dab her up.
“Pav!” she exclaims
“Margo!!” He yells back. They do a small handshake and hug and she goes back to standing next to Miles. Clinging on his arm. Which makes Hobie step back. Gwen watches as she nods at Gayatri and Gayatri nods back. What is up with them knowing everybody?
Miles jumps to step between them, also putting an arm around her. Gwen grits her teeth, and she’s not sure why.
“My bad guys. Margo, this is Gwen Stacy and her boyfriend, Hobie Brown.” He emphasizes on boyfriend just like Gwen did and shoots her a wink that almost makes Gwen’s heart jump out of her body. He then motions back to Margo, who in return leans on his shoulder. “Guys, this is Margo Kess.”
Gwen’s expecting more. She wants to know what she is to him. Once more, she doesn’t know why.
Margo nods and clucks her tongue and turns to Miles. “Well, Starboy, we’ve got to go. Your parents called by the way. Asking where you were.”
Miles’ eyes widen, and Gwen swears it’s the cutest thing she’s ever seen. Wait, what?
He slips out of Margo’s arms and jumps to grab his stuff, while Margo leaves the room laughing.
“I’m so sorry, so so sorry, Pav, we can hang out another time!” He says. He’s rambling, it’s so fast that Gwen can barely make out what he’s saying. He quickly scribbles something on a piece of paper and rips it in two. Handing one to Hobie, and one to Gwen.
Hobie perks up, his smirk returning. “Oh?” he says, and Miles smiles.
“Here you go, if you lose it, Pav can just give it to you.” Gwen doesn’t know what to do, so she just stares at him.
“Miles!” they hear. He rolls his eyes and quickly runs out the room.
Gwen looks down at the paper, leaning into Hobie’s touch. He wrote his number. She thinks two things.
1. She’s going to get to talk to Miles!!
but 2. It should not be making her feel like this.