Status: Work-In-Progress
Limerence
The Usual
“Hey, baby sis. What are you up to?” My older brother Christian took a swig from the milk carton before offering me some.
“No, thanks.” I politely declined as I shut the front door behind me and throwing my backpack on the ground. “And you know, homework, working on my photography portfolio… oh! And working on finding Spider-Man's real identity.”
“Oh, so the usual.” he laughed and sat down on the couch. “How are you adjusting?” I sighed and sat down next to him.
“It’s not too bad, I guess.” I shrugged and turned on the T.V. “You know I miss Nashville and Lea… mom, sometimes. Even her stupid boyfriend.” I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes. Mom’s boyfriend could be a real pain in my ass, and he was only seven years older than me, but he was part of home.
“Nah, I get it. I miss mom too, sometimes. But dad’s cool. Doesn’t… hover much.” Christian propped his feet up on the coffee table. “What about friends? Got any friends?”
“Gah, what are you? My dad?” I laughed and flipped through the channels. “I mean, yes? Maybe? People are nice to me because I’m your sister.” Christian was on the football team and really close with Flash, meaning he was popular, which, in turn, made people like me. High school was one giant popularity contest. “I sometimes talk to Michelle… Peter and Ned are alright, but—“
“Yo, Penis Parker!? That guy is so much fun.”
“Yeah… don’t really think he likes being called Penis Parker.”
“Ah, it’s all in good fun.”
“Right… well homework awaits… and I need to get ready for the D.C. trip next week.” I stood up and threw the remote at him. “Have fun.”
“The academic… thing? You’re on that team?”
“Yearbook, Christian.” I walked towards my room, picking up my backpack on the way
“Right, right.”
I shut the door behind me and sat down at my desk, trying to focus on my algebra homework, but it was impossible. I kept looking over at my window, hoping I would catch a glimpse of Spider-Man. “Ugh, this is ridiculous!” I stood up and shut my blinds. I couldn’t keep obsessing over him! I had to focus on school! My portfolio! Spider-Man would just have to wait until the end of the semester. At least.
~*~
The academic decathlon snuck up on me faster than I was ready for, and the night before, I was rushing to get my camera equipment together. “Okay, so you’ve got your tripod? Printer? Lens cap? Bag? Extra film?” Lea helped me go through my checklist.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, and it’s digital, so no need for film.”
"Charger?”
“Charger!” I searched my room for my camera charger and grabbed it from under my desk. “Got it!”
“You should be set, then! As long as you remember your clothes and phone charger… and laptop, you should be good!”
“Yeah, I think I’ve got everything.” I looked over my bags laid out on my bed, checking over everything in my head. “Yeah, I have everything.”
“Callie, you ready?” Christian knocked on my door. “We gotta go.”
“Coming! Gotta go, Lea. Christian is taking me to the school. Talk to you later.” I hung up and grabbed my bags. “Hey, can you grab my laptop bag off the bed?” Christian nodded as he typed out a text on his phone.
We pulled up to the school and I grabbed my bags before running up to the bus with all the other students. “Hey Michelle, Ned.”
“Hey Callie!” Ned smiled and waved at me.
“C.C.” Michelle nodded and I cocked my head at her. “It’s your initials. Easier than saying Callie.”
“Okay… M.J.”
“No.”
“Too late.” Michelle scoffed and opened her book just as Peter came running up to the bus. Great. There goes my focus on this trip. He couldn’t just expect to be welcomed back that easy.
“Peter! Welcome back!” Of course. “Alright everyone, let’s pile in!” This was going to be a long trip.
The students all went back and forth, answering questions as a practice run for the decathlon while I sat in the back taking pictures of the scenery we were passing by. The drive was actually really gorgeous. Michelle plopped down beside me, making me jump. “Please stop doing that.” I groaned and put my camera down.
“You’re into photography?” I nodded and pointed to the camera sitting in my lap.
“Obviously.”
“Cool. Can I see?”
“Oh… sure.” I opened the gallery and handed my camera over. “Be careful. That’s my most prized possession.” She gave me a thumbs up and flipped through the pictures. I looked up as Peter and Ned broke away from the group and sat in two different seats, looking at something red and glowing. I leaned forward to try and get a better look.
“These are amazing, C.C.” Michelle pulled my concentration away from Peter and Ned.
“Thank, M.J.”
“What’s this?”
“Oh, those are some of the places around Nashville I used to photograph almost daily when I lived there.”
“You lived that far south?” I nodded in response. “You don’t have an accent.”
“You don’t have a New York accent.” I shot back, much harsher than I intended. “Sorry.”
“No worries… touché.”
“Hey… what do you think Peter and Ned are talking about? They’ve been really weird lately.”
“Yeah. Peter quit this and robotics lab, too.” I looked at her in silence before she finally looked up from my camera. “What? I’m not obsessed. I’m just very observant.”
“Right…”
The rest of the ride was silent, for me, and long. When we finally reached the hotel, I was too tired and too hungry to care about anything other than getting to my room and ordering a pizza.
“Okay, everyone. Pair up and grab your keycards!”
“C.C. You’re with me.” Michelle put her arm over my shoulders and grabbed a pair of keycards from the teacher before leading me to the elevators. “Wanna order a pizza? Room service is on the school."
“You read my mind.”
“Pineapple?”
“Gross.”
“Thank God.”
“No, thanks.” I politely declined as I shut the front door behind me and throwing my backpack on the ground. “And you know, homework, working on my photography portfolio… oh! And working on finding Spider-Man's real identity.”
“Oh, so the usual.” he laughed and sat down on the couch. “How are you adjusting?” I sighed and sat down next to him.
“It’s not too bad, I guess.” I shrugged and turned on the T.V. “You know I miss Nashville and Lea… mom, sometimes. Even her stupid boyfriend.” I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes. Mom’s boyfriend could be a real pain in my ass, and he was only seven years older than me, but he was part of home.
“Nah, I get it. I miss mom too, sometimes. But dad’s cool. Doesn’t… hover much.” Christian propped his feet up on the coffee table. “What about friends? Got any friends?”
“Gah, what are you? My dad?” I laughed and flipped through the channels. “I mean, yes? Maybe? People are nice to me because I’m your sister.” Christian was on the football team and really close with Flash, meaning he was popular, which, in turn, made people like me. High school was one giant popularity contest. “I sometimes talk to Michelle… Peter and Ned are alright, but—“
“Yo, Penis Parker!? That guy is so much fun.”
“Yeah… don’t really think he likes being called Penis Parker.”
“Ah, it’s all in good fun.”
“Right… well homework awaits… and I need to get ready for the D.C. trip next week.” I stood up and threw the remote at him. “Have fun.”
“The academic… thing? You’re on that team?”
“Yearbook, Christian.” I walked towards my room, picking up my backpack on the way
“Right, right.”
I shut the door behind me and sat down at my desk, trying to focus on my algebra homework, but it was impossible. I kept looking over at my window, hoping I would catch a glimpse of Spider-Man. “Ugh, this is ridiculous!” I stood up and shut my blinds. I couldn’t keep obsessing over him! I had to focus on school! My portfolio! Spider-Man would just have to wait until the end of the semester. At least.
~*~
The academic decathlon snuck up on me faster than I was ready for, and the night before, I was rushing to get my camera equipment together. “Okay, so you’ve got your tripod? Printer? Lens cap? Bag? Extra film?” Lea helped me go through my checklist.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, and it’s digital, so no need for film.”
"Charger?”
“Charger!” I searched my room for my camera charger and grabbed it from under my desk. “Got it!”
“You should be set, then! As long as you remember your clothes and phone charger… and laptop, you should be good!”
“Yeah, I think I’ve got everything.” I looked over my bags laid out on my bed, checking over everything in my head. “Yeah, I have everything.”
“Callie, you ready?” Christian knocked on my door. “We gotta go.”
“Coming! Gotta go, Lea. Christian is taking me to the school. Talk to you later.” I hung up and grabbed my bags. “Hey, can you grab my laptop bag off the bed?” Christian nodded as he typed out a text on his phone.
We pulled up to the school and I grabbed my bags before running up to the bus with all the other students. “Hey Michelle, Ned.”
“Hey Callie!” Ned smiled and waved at me.
“C.C.” Michelle nodded and I cocked my head at her. “It’s your initials. Easier than saying Callie.”
“Okay… M.J.”
“No.”
“Too late.” Michelle scoffed and opened her book just as Peter came running up to the bus. Great. There goes my focus on this trip. He couldn’t just expect to be welcomed back that easy.
“Peter! Welcome back!” Of course. “Alright everyone, let’s pile in!” This was going to be a long trip.
The students all went back and forth, answering questions as a practice run for the decathlon while I sat in the back taking pictures of the scenery we were passing by. The drive was actually really gorgeous. Michelle plopped down beside me, making me jump. “Please stop doing that.” I groaned and put my camera down.
“You’re into photography?” I nodded and pointed to the camera sitting in my lap.
“Obviously.”
“Cool. Can I see?”
“Oh… sure.” I opened the gallery and handed my camera over. “Be careful. That’s my most prized possession.” She gave me a thumbs up and flipped through the pictures. I looked up as Peter and Ned broke away from the group and sat in two different seats, looking at something red and glowing. I leaned forward to try and get a better look.
“These are amazing, C.C.” Michelle pulled my concentration away from Peter and Ned.
“Thank, M.J.”
“What’s this?”
“Oh, those are some of the places around Nashville I used to photograph almost daily when I lived there.”
“You lived that far south?” I nodded in response. “You don’t have an accent.”
“You don’t have a New York accent.” I shot back, much harsher than I intended. “Sorry.”
“No worries… touché.”
“Hey… what do you think Peter and Ned are talking about? They’ve been really weird lately.”
“Yeah. Peter quit this and robotics lab, too.” I looked at her in silence before she finally looked up from my camera. “What? I’m not obsessed. I’m just very observant.”
“Right…”
The rest of the ride was silent, for me, and long. When we finally reached the hotel, I was too tired and too hungry to care about anything other than getting to my room and ordering a pizza.
“Okay, everyone. Pair up and grab your keycards!”
“C.C. You’re with me.” Michelle put her arm over my shoulders and grabbed a pair of keycards from the teacher before leading me to the elevators. “Wanna order a pizza? Room service is on the school."
“You read my mind.”
“Pineapple?”
“Gross.”
“Thank God.”