Status: Work-In-Progress
Limerence
Keep Your Fingers Clear of the Saw
“So,” I walked up to Peter in the hall the day after the party. “You know Spider-Man?” I leaned against the locker next to his and crossed my arms.
“What?”
“Everyone was talking about it in homeroom. You said you knew him and he never showed up to the party or something.” I tried not to pay attention to gossip, but when it came to Spider-Man, I had grown interested.
“Oh… yeah. It was kind of embarrassing.” He shrugged and adjusted his backpack over his shoulder. “It's not a big deal, though. I kinda dipped out before he was supposed to come. I was tired of the party scene.”
“Oh… well he did show up right after you left.” I smiled. “I got a picture of him on Liz's roof. Want to see it?” He nodded enthusiastically and I pulled my camera out of my bag. “See? He's right there.” Peter took the camera in his hands.
“This is amazing, Callie.” He smiled and flipped through the pictures I took of that night. “Can… you email these to me?” I nodded and took my camera back.
“Absolutely. I can show these to everyone if you’d like. Proof that Spider-Man really was there.”
“You’d do that?” I nodded and glanced down at the pictures again.
“Yeah, of course. I think I could be close to figuring out who he is, too.” I zoomed in. “See? He left a t-shirt and a backpack on the roof. If I can figure out who has the same t-shirt and backpack, I could figure out who he is.”
“Wait… what?”
“Yeah! I mean, I wouldn’t tell anyone, of course. He’s obviously kept his identity a secret for a reason. But it would be really wicked to know who he is.” I looked up and Peter had run off down the hall. “Peter?”
“Gotta go, bye! Don’t show anyone those pictures!” He pulled his phone out as he ran and held it up to his ear. “Ned! We have an emergency…” His voice trailed off as he rounded a corner.
“Weirdo.” I muttered to myself and zoomed in on the picture once more. “Huh…” The backpack looked like… Peter’s? I was going crazy. It’s only two pieces of evidence pointing to Peter. A lot of people had the same shirt and backpack. And I’m sure… plenty of people left right before Spider-Man showed up. Peter Parker couldn’t pull that kind of stunt off… could he?
I had free period this hour, so I decided to do some snooping. I followed Peter to the shop class around the corner. “I think she might be onto me.” I pressed up against the lockers when I heard Peter’s voice coming from beside them.
“What do you mean?” That was definitely Ned.
“Callie. I think she’s going to figure out… my secret.”
“There’s no way. You’re way too careful about that. She won’t figure out that you’re—“ The bell rang, cutting Ned off. I peeked around the corner and the two were huddled together, whispering as they walked into the classroom. There’s no way out of this… I have to follow them in. I took a deep breath and grabbed my camera from my backpack.
“Hi, Mr. Martin. I have free period and the yearbook committee asked me to come in and take pictures for—“
“Yeah, just keep your fingers clear of the electric saw.” The older man waved me off and I went about my business, taking pictures of students working on treehouses and clocks.
“Hey, Callie!” Ned smiled and waved at me before Peter punched his shoulder. “Ouch!”
“Hey, guys. Mind if I get a picture for the yearbook?” I held up my camera with a smile and Peter quickly shoved something in his bag.
“Sure. No problem.” They both faked a smile as I snapped the picture.
“So… what are you guys working on?” I asked and leaned on the table. “Clock? Birdhouse? Shelf?” They gave each other a side-eye look.
“All three.” Ned piped up as I looked at their empty table. “We’re… going to. A birdhouse that’s a clock… on… a shelf…” Peter groaned and brought his hand to his forehead.
“Cool! Well, whenever it’s finished, you should let me take a picture of it for the yearbook. It’ll be awesome.” Ned gave me a thumbs up as I walked to the next student’s table to take a picture. I kept looking back at their station and saw Peter pull a purple gem type-thing out of his backpack. I turned around and tried to sneakily snap a picture as they hit it with a hammer, causing the whole room to shake.
“Keep your fingers clear of the saw.” Mr. Martin said from his desk without looking up. Peter and Ned continued to look at the glowing rock as they did some handshake. I ducked out of the room and looked over the few pictures I got of them with the gem.
“What are you hiding, Peter Parker?” I mumbled to myself in the hallway. I don’t know why, but I knew this wasn’t going to be easy to get off my mind. I needed to find out… and soon.
“What?”
“Everyone was talking about it in homeroom. You said you knew him and he never showed up to the party or something.” I tried not to pay attention to gossip, but when it came to Spider-Man, I had grown interested.
“Oh… yeah. It was kind of embarrassing.” He shrugged and adjusted his backpack over his shoulder. “It's not a big deal, though. I kinda dipped out before he was supposed to come. I was tired of the party scene.”
“Oh… well he did show up right after you left.” I smiled. “I got a picture of him on Liz's roof. Want to see it?” He nodded enthusiastically and I pulled my camera out of my bag. “See? He's right there.” Peter took the camera in his hands.
“This is amazing, Callie.” He smiled and flipped through the pictures I took of that night. “Can… you email these to me?” I nodded and took my camera back.
“Absolutely. I can show these to everyone if you’d like. Proof that Spider-Man really was there.”
“You’d do that?” I nodded and glanced down at the pictures again.
“Yeah, of course. I think I could be close to figuring out who he is, too.” I zoomed in. “See? He left a t-shirt and a backpack on the roof. If I can figure out who has the same t-shirt and backpack, I could figure out who he is.”
“Wait… what?”
“Yeah! I mean, I wouldn’t tell anyone, of course. He’s obviously kept his identity a secret for a reason. But it would be really wicked to know who he is.” I looked up and Peter had run off down the hall. “Peter?”
“Gotta go, bye! Don’t show anyone those pictures!” He pulled his phone out as he ran and held it up to his ear. “Ned! We have an emergency…” His voice trailed off as he rounded a corner.
“Weirdo.” I muttered to myself and zoomed in on the picture once more. “Huh…” The backpack looked like… Peter’s? I was going crazy. It’s only two pieces of evidence pointing to Peter. A lot of people had the same shirt and backpack. And I’m sure… plenty of people left right before Spider-Man showed up. Peter Parker couldn’t pull that kind of stunt off… could he?
I had free period this hour, so I decided to do some snooping. I followed Peter to the shop class around the corner. “I think she might be onto me.” I pressed up against the lockers when I heard Peter’s voice coming from beside them.
“What do you mean?” That was definitely Ned.
“Callie. I think she’s going to figure out… my secret.”
“There’s no way. You’re way too careful about that. She won’t figure out that you’re—“ The bell rang, cutting Ned off. I peeked around the corner and the two were huddled together, whispering as they walked into the classroom. There’s no way out of this… I have to follow them in. I took a deep breath and grabbed my camera from my backpack.
“Hi, Mr. Martin. I have free period and the yearbook committee asked me to come in and take pictures for—“
“Yeah, just keep your fingers clear of the electric saw.” The older man waved me off and I went about my business, taking pictures of students working on treehouses and clocks.
“Hey, Callie!” Ned smiled and waved at me before Peter punched his shoulder. “Ouch!”
“Hey, guys. Mind if I get a picture for the yearbook?” I held up my camera with a smile and Peter quickly shoved something in his bag.
“Sure. No problem.” They both faked a smile as I snapped the picture.
“So… what are you guys working on?” I asked and leaned on the table. “Clock? Birdhouse? Shelf?” They gave each other a side-eye look.
“All three.” Ned piped up as I looked at their empty table. “We’re… going to. A birdhouse that’s a clock… on… a shelf…” Peter groaned and brought his hand to his forehead.
“Cool! Well, whenever it’s finished, you should let me take a picture of it for the yearbook. It’ll be awesome.” Ned gave me a thumbs up as I walked to the next student’s table to take a picture. I kept looking back at their station and saw Peter pull a purple gem type-thing out of his backpack. I turned around and tried to sneakily snap a picture as they hit it with a hammer, causing the whole room to shake.
“Keep your fingers clear of the saw.” Mr. Martin said from his desk without looking up. Peter and Ned continued to look at the glowing rock as they did some handshake. I ducked out of the room and looked over the few pictures I got of them with the gem.
“What are you hiding, Peter Parker?” I mumbled to myself in the hallway. I don’t know why, but I knew this wasn’t going to be easy to get off my mind. I needed to find out… and soon.