Chapter 4
"I told you I never saw her coming out of the building!" I flutter my eyes hearing Happy's altered voice
"Then where the fricking fork is her?" my dad shouts back
I walk to the living room where the shouts were coming from and scratch my eyes, the drowsy feeling makes me stumble with my own feet
"What time is it?" I say between yawns
"wha... hey! where were you, missy?" my dad comes running at me
"on the I+D floor, working but I obviously fall asleep there, my back is killing me," I say without opening my eyes "now if you don't mind, I need my bed" I slowly stroll my way to my room and shut the door behind me
"She's going to become you" Happy whispers at the other side of the door before I doze off again
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I quickly run downstairs, I take a donut and head to the lift
"what about your lunch?!!" my mom snorts surprised it's the first time I stayed asleep
"I'm running late, I'll buy something there!" I shout back and get inside the lift
When I find Happy at the street I nudge him and he starts driving to Midtown, I almost choked with the donut but survived. I close the door behind me and wave goodbye, I quickly walk to my locker and see that the guy from yesterday was trying to open it, I just stop some meters away from him.
"mmm hi!" I raise a little my voice for him to listen "what are you doing? huh?"
He turns at me and smiles "oh hey! it's you! well... I'm trying to open it but I think it's stuck" he continues to force the lock
"well..." I step closer "maybe because it's my locker?"
He squints his eyes making a confused face "what? no, they even wrote me down the number... look" he hands me a paper and I look at it
"yeah... mine is 896 and maybe if we turn this paper the other way... we have... 968... here" I give back the paper and he looks at it and sighs in embarrassment
He touches his messy hair "well, this is awkward... I almost ruin your locker... and mine is just across from yours..." he points to the other wall with lockers
"oh well, what a coincidence, go and break that lock...go on" I laugh
I open my locker and watch as he opens his and laughs, I take out my books and someone pokes my shoulder, the boy is now beside me.
"Hello again" he mutters "my name is-" but he was interrupted by Morita
"Classes are beginning! come on everyone! with energy!" he cheerfully claps and I look at the boy who rolls his eyes and then looks at me
"Need to go, running late" he smiles and starts walking away
"hey! what year are you in?!!" I shout at him
"JUNIOR!!!" he shouts opening the door of his classroom
Mmmm junior, he is 16...I stop the thoughts and walk to English. All the class was boring, just a debate about if love is the main topic in Romeo and Juliet, I avoid talking and so as Peter. Next was Biology with Harrington which consisted of a freaking show of plants and a talk about dinosaurs where most of the boys allow their inner child out. Then at Chemistry, I'm dangerous, I know that. Because I love to experiment with everything I can. I was beside Flash much to my disappointment so we started working but one of the Petri glasses fall so I spin to grab it and spot Peter experimenting with some mysterious liquids, he notices me eyeing the weird mix and he hardly gulps stopping everything and nervously smiled at me.
"what's that?" I whisper pointing at the weird mixture
"it's just ummm, nothing actually. I was bored" he whispers back
"hey! Penis Parker just close your mouth" Flash turns to him and whispers
"something you want to share Eugene?" Cobbwell raise his voice, making us turn and do our work
In the end, I see Peter running quickly the other way. So I ramble to the cafeteria, I'm starving. When I step there, all eyes were on me, but the look everyone was giving me it wasn't a look of good attention... it was resentment, angry looks, I knew it was about Sokovia, the topic it's kinda fresh. I walk to the food counters and start picking what I wanted, the cafeteria was now more silent than ever but eh, can't please everyone, it's not my fault, it's not my fault. Then someone pokes my left shoulder so I sigh and turn around, preparing to hear a speech of hate but it was that boy from earlier.
"Hey, you" He smiles with a tray of food in his hands
"hey," I happily say and shake the serious face "how were your first classes?"
"I loved them, I really like school, to be honest" he shrugs "so umm, I have nowhere to sit and people here already have friends so... would you like to sit with me?"
"ReallY' Oh, best decision you could ever make... I... yeah sure, let's go I have a good place for us"
I walk in front of him leading the way. Before I could open the doors I turn my face and see a bunch of girls sitting around a crying girl... oh... it's Natalie Spencer, sister of Charlie Spencer... a casualty of the Sokovia accident, from what I heard... he was building sustainable houses there.
I gulp, a sting of sadness outpours me. It's not my fault, it's not my fault.
The cool air hits my face, I walk across the damp grass and slump in the benches in front of the field, my usual spot.
"What a view!" he examines all around and sits beside me "it's like we are VIP" He grabs his burger and starts eating, not questioning me why I'm not presenting him to other people "I never told you my name by the way..."
"you look like amm a... Stephen?" I start eating my pizza
"am I a joke to you?" he touches his heart"
"all right! tell me your name then"
"I'm Harley Keener but Harley is ok" he kindly smiles
"nice to meet you Harley...pizza?" I offer and he nods
"maybe half a slice..." he cuts the pizza "you never told me your name... you want some fries?"
"Tannie, my name is Tannie and yes, I was staring at your fries..." I snort
"never heard that name before, I like it"
All the recess we talked about ourselves and what we like, my sense of humour was complemented with his, with so little time we already began a fight of witty comments, we laughed too hard that I even think that now I just have a six-pack like Steve now. We walk back, he has Chemistry, and I have music.
"So Rose Hill, Tennessee, that was a big change huh?" I ask feeling a Deja-vu, I heard that name before...
"It was, but I'm happy here now. It's just my sister, my mom and me so..." he steps in front of his classroom "see you later maybe?"
"of course! bye, Harley!" I wave goodbye and walk to music
When I enter the classroom I see everyone already holding their respective instruments, I see Peter with his flute and I internally laugh, he's so bad that I need to tell him...
"Hey Tannie!" he flashes a thin smile and I lower myself
"You're holding your flute so wrong Peter" I gently snatch it from his hands and demonstrate him the proper way "like this, see?"
"oh, uh... I've been doing it so wrong... thanks! I suck at this" he stutters and I squeeze his shoulder
"It's the first time someone touches your flute, Parker??!!!" Flash mockingly shouts from the other corner of the classroom and I almost choke when I hear his double sense so I turn to him and fulminate Flash with my stare
"oh! I didn't see you there Tannie...umm you are not... touching... umm Peter's flute of course..." he nervously says, trying to fix it but making it worse
I snort and turn to look at Peter who's ears are red and cheeks are blushed. I just hand him his flute without saying anything. Music and Art were bearable enough, then I head to Robotics and sigh when the only decent person skipped the club, again... so now I have to socialize. Minutes later I begin designing the official blueprints of the EMMA project, my concentration was broken when someone pokes my shoulder. So I spin.
"well, are you stalking me?" I quirk my brow at Harley who's carrying a bunch of papers
"You wish, you are the one stalking me!" he replies slumping beside me
"here, let me help you" I stand up and grab some papers that were almost falling "maybe you need a binder?"
"Probably but my kind of organization is disorganization" He shrugs and all those papers fly all over my desk
"Harley, this is cool" I grab one of his blueprints and raise it "I like how you fusion this part with this one" I point out
"really?" He leans to look at the paper "I like it too! you know, I got this inspiration since I was little, a friend of mine help me with super-advanced tools and yeah..."
"What a friend" I answer listening to his story "You know, if you ever need to work with more super-advanced tools, you can come to my place" I absentmindedly say
"Thanks, Tannie!" he then starts collecting all his papers and begin working
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"and then I just ran to the river, the bees were all over me and my adrenaline was over the top" Harvey walks with me to the entrance
"and never got stung?"
"never! but I learned my lesson, not eating honey outside" he scratches his neck, I see Happy and wave at him
"that's me" I point to the car
he laughs "so the desperate driver is your desperate driver?"
"that's the one" I huff "you need a ride?"
"oh no! I just walk don't worry, thanks though"
"come onnnn!! I insist" and I insisted too much because grab his backpack frogmarching Harvey to the car and Happy's expression is priceless "Hey!"
"Hello Miss" Happy pretends to professional, he grabs his dark glasses and puts them on, I know he's staring at Harley "hello Mr....?"
"Keener but please call me Harley" he smiles at Happy shifting his backpack to his lap
Harley told me he lives in Queens near Highland Park so we were heading there, all the drive we were joking and talking about our robotics ideas.
"Sorry to interrupt but Cooper Ave and local streets are closed because of an accident" Happy announces
"well... what about if we go to my place?" I offer "maybe streets will open in some hours?"
"I don't want to be a burden," Harley says
"good..." Happy whispers but I manage to listen to that
"come on, I can show you everything I have for building robotic things" I throw my hands in the air and he chuckles
"just a for a little while then..." he nods and Happy grunts driving to the tower
When we arrive at the tower I see three trucks of U-haul full of boxes and furniture, the moving was faster than dad told me. I step inside waving at the daytime workers inside and Harley is eyeing everything in awe, when we enter the complex it was almost empty, I stroll to the kitchen and Harley behind me.
"want something? there are frozen vegetables, a weird dish that says paprikash and waffles..." I close the fridge "or take out?"
"last option sounds more appealing," he says leaving his stuff at the counter
We start talking, Harley is trying his best not to blurt a bunch of questions about my home. Then, I hear someone coming in, it's my dad that jogs directly to the bar and pours himself a glass of something, he looks up sensing a pair of eyes watching him and he smirks at me.
"Hey kiddo" he approaches me and instantly catches Harley at the other end of the kitchen "and hello male kiddo..." he says the last thing awkwardly
I see how the face of Harley changes to a surprise one, he totally knows who is Tony Stark and then I notice my dad's face changing as well and he covers his mouth.
"wait there..." my dad points at Harley
"Tony The mechanic!!" Harley shouts sliding from the high bench
"kid Keener!" my dad also shouts "I thought you were throwing potatoes at Rose Hill?" he excitedly palms the back of Harley and I just watch the scene quietly and confused
"still a hobby but after what you did for me... I improved my stuff"
"Can someone explain to me what is happening?" I finally speak and both turn to me
"well, honey... wait how you are here... with her?" my dad points between us waiting for an answer
"He just transferred to Midtown and we just met" I explain and my dad nods
"and Rogers was right, it's a small world after all" he mutters
"so you are his daughter?" Harley talks to me
"Better and improved" I proudly nod making y dad laugh "so... how you two met?"
"You know the story, about your mom's weird ex"
"Killian..."
"and the fact that I had to fake my death for a while"
"yeah... I was pretty traumatized..."
"while doing so, this fine kid or teenager I must say now... gave me asylum in his garage"
"he is the friend I told you who gave me those fancy super-advanced tools" Harley now speaks
"well, I wasn't expecting that" I honestly say while scratching my nose
"but hey! you grew up!" my dad turns to Harley
"yeah that is life ya know," Harley remarks making me laugh
"Are we still connected??" my dad touches his heart and makes a funny face
"shut up," Harley says and my dad laughs even harder, I'm feeling like the third wheel here
"is this lady offered you something?" my dad then points at me "you want a drink?" he says bringing his drink to his lips and I quirk my brow at him "I mean...like Minute Maid or a Capri Sun?"
"it's fine, we just order some take out" Harley sits beside me and my dad approaches us
"T, watch out for this kid, he's a pain in the a-"
"dad!!!!" I interrupt him
"Do you still have panic attacks?" Harley asks suppressing a smile making my dad spin to me
"I'm telling you T, a pain in the private parts" he grabs his glass and walks to his office "I'll be there if you need me. Not throwing potatoes please!" he shouts and closes his office door
"well... that was so bizarre" I finally add
The take out came and we ate at my room, we really had a great time laughing, joking and we begin designing a prototype of a machine, he was really smart and witty, a weird sense of humour. The highlight of the day was his face lighting up when he saw the robotics lab at the tower so we stayed there some minutes but in the end, it wasn't minutes, we were there for three hours. Finally, it was time for him to go so I told Happy if he could drive him and he refused but I blackmailed him with a video I took at the summer of him dancing to the Backstreet Boys so he reluctantly drove Harley.
From my room, I spot Uncle Rhodey walking to my dad. Nat, Steve, and Vision following him minutes later. Everyone with a tired face... no Scrabble today I see, so I decided the only thing to do is homework. I went to bed drooling all over the pillow
---I totally know it's a Peter Parker Fanfic but PATIENCE MIDGARDIANS! some drama and confusion is necessary---