Limerence

In the days leading up to homecoming, Peter rarely talked to me outside of class, and if he did, it was to ask about homework. I didn’t bring up homecoming. I assumed he was still mad at me, so it was probably a moot point. “Hey, something happen with you and Peter?” Michelle asked as she took a seat next to me and Ned at lunch.

“We kinda got into an argument the other day. I’m hoping it won’t make homecoming awkward tomorrow.” I shrugged and pushed my potatoes around on the lunch tray.

“Oh… I heard that he asked Liz to go with him.” M.J. looked down at her lunch. “I’m sorry, C.C.”

“Oh… it’s fine. It was stupid of me to think we’d still be going. It was pretty bad.” It was silent as Ned and Michelle stared at me, waiting for more. “Well, I’m not really hungry. I’m gonna go to the library.” I took my tray and emptied it before heading towards the school’s library. I should have known Peter would change his mind. Why would he want to go with me after that? I had just hoped that maybe it wouldn’t have changed our plans.

“Hey, Callie.” Ned ran up to me in the hall and I turned to face him. “I was just wondering… about homecoming. Do you want to go with Michelle and I? Since Peter’s going with Liz and—”

“I’d love to, Ned. It sounds great.” I cut him off. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Cool.” He smiled and walked back towards the cafeteria. Maybe I’ll have more fun with them anyway.

~*~

The next day was spent mostly in my room getting ready for the dance with Michelle. “Believe it or not, it takes a lot to look like I didn’t try, so I’m pretty great at doing makeup.”

“I’m putting my trust and faith in you, M.J.” I sat down at my desk in front of my mirror. “Please don’t put me on one of those ‘worst makeup fails’ lists.” I shut my eyes and let Michelle curl my hair, contour my face, and line my eyes. She explained everything as she did it, and I just grunted in agreement. I had no idea what any of it meant.

“Done!” She smiled and showed me her work in the mirror. “And if I might say, it’s some of my best work yet.”

“Michelle! I’m impressed.”

“Girls?” My dad knocked on my door. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, dad. You can come in.” I stood up and straightened out my dress and walked over to my bed to put my shoes on.

“There’s some kid at the door saying he’s here to pick you guys up.”

“Thanks, dad.” I put my shoes on and stood up and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Oh, Callie… you look amazing. And so much like your mother.”

“Dad I moved away hoping to get away from that nonsense.” He pulled out his phone and smiled. “Dad, no.”

“Come on, C.C. One picture won’t kill you.” M.J. put her arm around me and smiled, posing for the picture.

Thirty-two (yes, I counted) pictures later, Michelle, Ned and I were on our way to the school for the dance. “I told you it wouldn’t just be one picture, Michelle.” I sighed as we piled onto the subway.

“I like your dad. He’s scary.” Ned laughed nervously. “He told me to keep an eye on you, or he’ll hurt me.”

“Of course he did.” I laughed and grabbed onto one of the poles. “I’m not twelve anymore.”

“Fifteen. Wow. Big difference.” Michelle nudged me and laughed.

“Hey, I had a One Direction phase. Three years makes a huge difference.”

~*~

The school was packed when we got there, and the music was loud and thumping. “This is going to be so much fun!” Michelle laughed and ran up the stairs.

“That was… weird.” I crossed my arms and watched her run inside the school.

“Yeah, very.” Ned offered his arm to me. “Let’s go in.” I hooked my arm through his. “We’re gonna have a kickass time.”

“Hey, guys!” Liz smiled and threw her arm over my shoulder .

“Hey, where’s Peter?”

“Oh, he’s in the car talking to my dad. I’m sure he’s getting an earful.” She laughed. “See you guys inside!” Liz ran off to her group of friends.

“I hate that she’s so nice.” I groaned and walked into the school gym with Ned on my arm. “Okay… this looks amazing.” I walked up to Michelle by the punch bowl. “Having fun?”

“It’s not too bad. Peter just walked in.” M.J. nodded towards the door.

“I don’t care.” I looked back and waved at Peter, who looked panicked. “Hey, does he look okay—Michelle!” I looked over as she was flipping Peter the bird and slapped her hand down. “Not necessary.”

“Kinda. He’s a jackass, dude.”

“Hey Michelle. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is… fine…” I looked back and Peter was running away from Michelle and out of the gym. “I… I gotta… pee.” I ran out of the gym after him. “Peter!”

“Not now, Callie!” He lifted some lockers and grabbed red and blue clothes from under it. “Get Ned, tell him to track my phone!” He rounded a corner and disappeared.

“Tell Ned, my ass.” I ran to the computer lab and plopped into a chair, pulling up a ‘find my phone’ site and putting in Peter’s phone number. It was moving down the streets and far away from the school. “Where are you going Peter?”

“Callie!?” I turned off the computer monitor and turned to find Ned in the doorway of the computer lab. “What are you doing in here!?”

“I’m… looking at… p-porn.” I groaned at the horrible lie I came up with.

“Yeah. Callie’s in here. She says she’s looking at porn…” Ned spoke into his Bluetooth earpiece.

“Who’s on the phone?”

“Uh… no one?”

“Ned…”

“Okay, it’s… what?” He held his finger over his earpiece and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Here.” He took his phone and disconnected his earpiece before handing the phone to me. “It’s Spider-Man.” Ned smiled widely as I took the phone from him. “Yeah, I know him. It’s pretty cool.” I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, Peter.” I said as I put the phone to my ear and Ned gasped dramatically.

“I thought I told you to ask Ned to—”

“I know. Sounded urgent, so I got a head start. Figured you needed help.” I sat down at the computer and turned the screen back on. “Where are you?” I put him on speaker phone.

“Tell Ned to try and call Happy. You track the phone number I’m calling from.”

“On it!” Ned said and sat down at the computer behind me. “What do I tell him?”

“Tell him the bird-man is going to steal Mr. Stark’s plane.” Ned started typing into the computer as I entered the new number into the website.

“Okay, it looks like your phone stopped moving by an abandoned warehouse… take a left now!” Tires screeched and horns honked on the other end.

“Peter, Happy isn’t answering.” I pushed back to the computer next to Ned’s and logged into my video chat account.

“Try my account. He might answer from someone different.” I pushed back to the other computer. “Peter take a right. Now!”

“So… how did you know Peter was Spider-Man.”

“Oh, he saved me from falling off the roof on our date the other night.”

“You guys went on a date!? I don’t even know my best friend anymore.”

“Shut up.. and—Peter right!”

“Guys, focus. Please.” Peter begged after the screeching stopped.

“Take the second left.”

“Second left?”

“Jesus Christ. Turn left. Now!” More screeching tires. “God, I could drive better than you.”

“Shut up, Callie.”

“Rude. Turn right into a parking lot and—oh that sounds bad.” I cringed as I heard a nasty scraping of metal. “Peter are you okay!?” Ned rolled up beside me and waited for an answer.

“Yeah. Flash’s car isn’t, though.”

“Peter, Happy answered, but he doesn’t seem to like you very much.” Ned explained and sighed.

“Yeah, no kidding. Did you tell him?”

“No, he refused to listen to me as soon as I brought up your name.”

“Crap.”

“What are you kids doing in here?” Ned connected Peter back to the Bluetooth and we shot up out of our seats, turning off the computer behind me.

“Uh. We were just uh… looking…” Ned looked at me for help as he stumbled for an explanation. “Looking at—” I grabbed Ned’s face and pressed my lips against his to shut him up. He placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed me back… or tried to anyway.

“Okay you two. Get out of here.” I parted from Ned and shut the other two computers off. “Get back to the dance. Come on. This isn’t the make-out closet.” Ned and I shuffled out of the computer lab as he put Peter back on speaker phone.

“What happened? What’s going on?” A car door shut on the other end and I grabbed it from Ned’s hand. “Guys?”

“Did you make it, Peter?”

“Yeah, I just pulled up to the warehouse. Did you guys kiss?”

“Be safe, Peter!”

“Did you guys kiss or not!?”

“Bye, Peter!” I hung up and handed Ned the phone back. I took a deep breath and wiped my mouth.

“So uh… Callie.” Ned put his arm over my shoulders.

“No.” I shrugged his arm off.

“Okay.”