readingtoescapethisworld

[readingtoescapethisworld]

Becoming Heroes Chapter 3

~ Peter ~

After a month of being back to school, I had learned to accept that Rory wasn't going to be my friend again. We have a majority of our classes together, and yet Rory had refused to talk to me. She only would talk when we had to do something in chemistry, we are lab partners after all.

I couldn't help but look over at Rory. She leaned against her locker; her red converse pushed against the metal behind her. Rory's locker seemed to be the hub for her friends to meet. Every morning Rory got to school with Harry and there was Gwen Stacy, and Gwen's new boyfriend, Tyrone Johnson waiting by her locker for her. I wasn't stalking her; she was just the talk of our grade.

I tried my hardest not to roll my eyes as Harry Osborne put his arm around Rory's shoulder. Rory looked at Harry and smiled. I continued to tune Ned out as he talked about a new Lego set, he wanted us to put together after school. I was so lost at how Rory and Harry got so close.

"Peter you're staring again." I shook out of this haze and pushed my glasses farther up the bridge of my nose out of habit.

"Oh, sorry."

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Ned asked in concern. I knew that Ned was worried, he had never seen me interested in girls at all, and I might have made it a little too obvious that I miss Rory. All I could do is shake my head at Ned because all I'd done is try and talk about everything. Rory was just more in the mood to run any time I got close.

I was really starting to believe that it was time to give up because people were catching on and I worried that I was starting to annoy Rory. I stopped asking her what happened and now my solution was just to kill her with kindness which was more of a fail than asking questions.

"You guys are creepy." Ned and I looked over to see MJ standing beside us, she was now looking over at Rory too.

"Then why are you staring too?" Ned challenged.

"I'm not," MJ said before walking off towards Rory herself.

"No, no, no," I muttered, watching as MJ walked straight over to Rory and her friends.

"Hey, Rory," MJ said to the blonde. Rory smiled at MJ and responded with,

"Hey MJ. How are you?"

Rory was generally nice to everyone she met, whether she knew it or not everyone loved her. Most of the people in our grade knew who she was at this point. She had changed a lot over the summer, and everyone noticed. I knew Rory had more of a negative view of herself and didn't even realize how people talked about her.

"I'm good! Just judging Parker over there for staring." Rory looked over to where Ned and I were standing. My eyes grew wide, and I whipped around to look back at my locker. My face was growing hot. I could only assume my pale face was now a bright shade of red. I looked over at Ned who was now waving at the group as if he had no shame.

"Maybe we should get to class," Harry stated in an aggravated tone.

"Yeah..." Rory muttered, making me want to hit my head against my locker.

"Okay, well we'll see you on the bus?" Gwen asked. Rory responded, but all I could think about was how embarrassing this was for me.

I turned to Ned and although I didn't want the answer I asked, "How bad was it?"

"Uhh not too bad... I think Harry might try to kill you, but other than that Rory looked just as embarrassed as you!" Ned said with a smile. I fought the urge to slap my own forehead at his tone, how could he think that was a good thing?

I looked over just as Rory and Harry were passing my locker, Harry's arm still around the shoulder of my childhood best friend. Harry went to lunge at me, I couldn't help but jump backward, hitting my back against my locker. I had no doubt that he'd fight me, he never did like me for some reason. Rory grabbed the back of Harry's jacket before he could get to me, and yanked him back. He was surprised by this action and stated,

"I wasn't actually gonna do anything."

"Yeah, okay. Let's go." Rory looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile. I don't understand why she was always so confusing. She never talked to me, didn't like me, but she helped me? Why?

Unfortunately, Rory and Harry appeared to be the hot gossip of the school. Everyone wanted to know if they were together or not, Betty even talked about it on our school news program which was weird.

I couldn't picture Rory and Harry together. Rory was too good for Harry Osborne. Harry also had a bad reputation. I try not to keep up with gossip or believe it for that matter, but it's rumored that Harry had lost his virginity over the summer, and ever since then it was as if he was posting a new girl on his social media every day. Maybe that was all to make Rory jealous or maybe he was just too flirtatious for his own good.

All I knew was that Rory shouldn't date Harry, not that I'd ever tell her that.

[readingtoescapethisworld]

Becoming Heroes Chapter 2

~Peter~

I walked into homeroom just as the bell rang for first period. I didn't quite know what to expect from high school. I had no older siblings or friends to guide me through this process. I'd admit, I'm slightly jealous of those that did have that form of guidance. I was hopeful though, just as I tried to be about everything.

What I didn't expect to see was Rory Payne sitting here in my homeroom. She sat in the back with her feet up on her desk. Her black converse matched the ones I was wearing. Rory sat there with a book in her hand. I couldn't see what it was that she was reading from my spot in the room, but I wasn't surprised by the sight. Rory always seemed to have her nose stuck in a book.

"Hey." I managed to squeak out after making my way over to the blonde. Rory looked up from her book, her blue eyes instantly meeting mine. I watched as she forced a smile, then looked back down to her book, at closer inspection I could see she was reading '1984' by George Orwell. "Is anyone sitting here?" I asked motioning to the seat next to her.

"Not that I know of," Rory said, without looking up from her page. All I wanted to know was what she was thinking about. Why wouldn't she just look up at me? Talk to me? Tell me I did something wrong. Tell me she hated me if she did. Instead, she just avoided me.

"How are you?" I asked after a moment of silence. I sat in the seat beside her; my eyes locked on her. She seemed so cool to me, so calm and collected all of the time. Nothing seemed to phase her, but perhaps that was an act she was putting on for the rest of the world.

"Is there something you wanted, Parker?" She asked, finally looking up from her book. She tilted her head at me, her blue eyes were wide and began to darken. She had always been intimidating and she used this to her advantage. She was always able to make those around her uncomfortable if she wanted to. She was never afraid and always spoke her mind. She had that habit of not thinking, but It was one of my favorite things about her.

"Just wanted to catch up with an old friend." My voice didn't waver, I knew how Rory was and I knew her games better than anyone. I wouldn't back down or give up until I knew what happened.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm reading." Rory then looked straight back to her book. I couldn't help but sigh, I just didn't understand. Maybe I never would understand where our friendship went wrong.

After a long moment of silence, I finally got up the courage to whisper, "Did I do something to make you hate me?" Rory shut her book, she didn't even save the page she had been on. She put the book on the desk in front of her and turned to me slowly. It was as if the world had slowed down for a moment as Rory regained her composure. I couldn't even look her in the eye at this point. This was a question that had circled in my mind for years, it was the question I'd beg for the answer to because nothing made sense.

"No Peter. You didn't do anything and I don't hate you." I looked up, finally locking eyes with Rory. So many more questions circled in my head, but before I could ask the bell rang signaling that it was time to move to the next class. Rory wasted no time in standing up and leaving, she left me shocked sitting at my desk, a million new questions spinning around in my mind.

~Rory~

I quickly ran to first period, chemistry. I was thankful to get out of homeroom. I didn't realize how much it bothered Peter that we weren't friends, I didn't realize that he had blamed himself. I'd never be able to admit it out loud, but I pushed him away because of how much he made me think of my mom. I thought it was obvious that I had pushed him away because of my mother's death, but perhaps not. Maybe he deserved an explanation, but the thought of being that vulnerable with anyone again was too much for me to think about.

Not a lot scares me but putting my guard down... That was something that I hadn't been able to do in a long time. I was supposed to be the strong one, I was supposed to take care of everyone, and the thought of letting someone know how bothered and hurt I've been all this time scared me more than anything else ever could.

"You okay, sunshine?" I looked up to see Gwen standing next to my table. Gwen was the nicest person that I had ever known, and the only person that could truly read my emotions. I knew it wasn't ever in my best interest to lie to Gwen about how I felt; she'd only call me out. I didn't let Gwen in on my most personal secrets, but she knew enough.

"Not really," I told her. Gwen sat down in the seat beside me and put her notebooks on the table in front of her.

"What happened? You look flushed."

"Peter Parker." Gwen couldn't help but let out an uncomfortable laugh. Gwen always told me that one day everything with Peter Parker would catch up to me, that one day it would bite me in the ass and he'd come around asking questions. I didn't want to listen, I never listened.

Gwen was close with Peter Parker when we were younger as well. After my mom died Gwen and I grew closer. Gwen didn't try to distance herself from Peter, but I guess it was inevitable since I never wanted to be around him. Gwen still spoke to Peter from time to time, but it wasn't like it once was.

"I'm sure you knew he'd eventually try and talk to you right...?"

"I thought I had more time," I replied after putting my head down over my crossed arms. Gwen rubbed my back lightly in an attempt to comfort me.

"Uh oh."

"What?" I asked, picking my head up and looking around. Gwen grabbed my arm so that I'd look at her instead of scanning the room.

"Don't look now but Peter is in this class." The fact that Gwen thought I would listen is more surprising than Peter being in the same class as us. I turned around quickly, my long blonde hair whacking the side of my face as I did. I locked eyes with Peter as he entered the room. As clique as it might be, time stood still for a second. Peter stood in the entryway frozen in his spot and I stared right back from my seat. It was as if we both were too shocked to break eye contact.

But every moment must have its end. Flash Thompson was, in my eyes, the devil. Flash was able to break the trance by slapping the books right out of Peter Parker's hands. They made a loud slam as they hit the ground, and now it seemed like everyone in the class was looking at Peter.

"Come on Penis Parker, watch where you're going." Flash taunted. Peter's face turned a bright shade of red as the whole class watched the scene.

"I can't watch this," Gwen stated before walking up to the boys. Gwen bent down and began to help Peter pick up his belongings. Peter kneeled on the ground, recovering his lost books, and pushed his rounded glasses up his nose.

Gwen was always the nicest one around. Everyone loved her, and for good reason. She did things like this. She was the good samaritan in every story.

"Ooo Peter has a girlfriend."

"That's enough, Flash." Gwen snapped. She wasn't ever the mean one, and her tone caught the attention of many. I couldn't help but look down, as selfish as it was I wanted to stay out of Gwen's fight and out of Peter's way.

Flash went to speak but didn't get the chance. The teacher, Mr. Hawthorne, came into the class and ushered everyone to sit. Gwen handed Peter back his books and made her way back to the seat beside me.

"You know you could just stay out of it for once," I couldn't help but whisper to my brunette friend. Gwen couldn't hold back her smile,

"What fun would that be?"

"Alright everyone if you look at the board you'll see your new seating arrangements." Mr. Hawthorne said as the projector flickered slightly before presenting the seating chart upon the board. The only problem is, I knew what assigned seats meant, it was the same as always

Peter Parker and Aurora Payne, partners again.

I groaned loudly, unable to hold it in. I didn't care who heard it. Gwen couldn't help but snicker beside me. I knew Gwen wanted Peter and me to be friends again, but I just didn't see that happening.

"Please can you switch with me?"

"You'd really rather be with Flash?" Gwen asked with a chuckle.

"Yes," I exclaimed. Gwen gave me a look that read 'you're such a liar'. "I'm serious!" I whined. Gwen laughed at me again and gave me a slight push towards the table Peter sat at.

"Go. You'll be fine."

I huffed and puffed, but made my way over to Peter anyways. There was an awkward silence between the two of us for a few moments. I could tell that Peter wanted to say something, but he didn't know what and I just hoped I could get through the year without saying a single word to the boy beside me.

"Get used to these seats. This is your new seat for the rest of the year." Mr. Hawthorne announced to the class. I couldn't hold myself back, I shot my hand up in the air like a rocket. "Yes?"

"What if we want to switch seats?"

"Can you see the board?" He asked.

"Well... yeah?" I responded, confused.

"Then no switching. Now here's a little about me..." I groaned in frustration and began to just tune the teacher out. I don't think I've ever been so frustrated. I should have lied and said that I couldn't see, especially since we were in the back. I put my head down on the desk. All I wanted was to get out of this class as soon as possible, but I knew I still had a long way to go.

"Hey," Peter whispered. I rolled my eyes and kept looking at the slide Mr. Hawthrone had on the screen. He had his family photos displayed to the class and was going on and on about where they went on vacation this summer. "Rory come on talk to me."

"Peter I really don't wanna talk," I whispered without even looking at him. I knew I was making things difficult for him, but I just didn't care.

"I miss you," Peter whispered without thinking. It felt as if my heart was being crushed. The thought of him missing me hurt, but the thought of being his friend again hurt more.

"I'm sorry."

[readingtoescapethisworld]

Becoming Heroes Chapter 1

~Rory~

For anyone, the first day of school can be a nerve-racking experience. For me, however, I rarely got scared. I guess that must be the trauma though. When you're forced to face a world of darkness so young, I suppose you learn to adapt.

When I was eleven years old I lived through one of the darkest moments a child could ever witness, their own mother's death. Watching her die seemed to put some things into perspective for me. I learned to live every day as my last. I learned to always say what I feel and what I mean. I learned not to obsess and worry about situations that are out of my control, a concept most teenagers could learn.

I didn't fear the worst scenarios because I had already faced the worst thing that could ever happen to me and my family. It didn't seem like anything could ever be that bad compared to that day.

"Are you ready yet?" My older brother, Atlas asked as he peeked around my bedroom door.

"Knock much?" Atlas, as always rolled his eyes at me. I wasn't much of a morning person and everyone knew it, he especially was used to this routine.

"Hurry up. Dad won't let me leave without you. He thinks you'll get lost." It was then my turn to roll my eyes at the boy. Our father, although loving, was also too overprotective for his own good. He didn't learn to not worry about what was out of his control when my mother died. In fact, he was taught the opposite, he feared and worried about my siblings and me every time we left our small apartment in Queens.

I threw my backpack over my shoulder and headed out of my room, with Atlas following close behind me. I knew that my dad had asked Atlas to look out for me at school. I wasn't the type of person that needed protection, but I was declared the hothead of the family. I knew how to get myself in trouble without trying to. Trouble seemed to follow me wherever I went.

"Lunches!" Dad screamed as Atlas and I almost left without our lunch. We turned around, only to be faced with brown paper bags full of food being tossed in our direction. Atlas's lunch fell to the floor, the contents spilling everywhere. I, however, caught my lunch with ease which wasn't a surprise to the family.

"You have to stop throwing stuff at him," I stated before bending over to help Atlas collect his lunch. Dad just shrugged and went back to making breakfast for the youngest of the bunch, Allison.

"Where are you going?" Allison asked.

"School." I sassed. Ally rolled her eyes and grabbed the camera off the kitchen counter.

"Picture." She sassed back.

"Do we have to?" Atlas whined.

"Mom always took our picture on the first day of school." Ally reminded. I felt a slight pain in my heart at the mention of mom, and by the look on my dad's face, he felt it too. Ally was the most like our mom out of all of us. She also was the glue that held the family together. Although young, she made sure the family traditions that our mom started never went away.

Ally handed the camera to dad and stood in front of Atlas and me. Atlas and Ally smiled as always, but I couldn't help but stick my tongue out. "I swear if you ruin another family photo." Ally spat whipping back to look at me, she knew me all too well. Ally used to find my antics funny when she was little, but without mom there, there was no one to make sure everything went perfect. Ally should have never taken on that role in the family, but it was too late. I just wanted my baby sister to be a kid again, but I also knew that it was too late for any of us to go back to how we once were.

"Fine, sorry. One more photo." We took another photo and I made sure to smile this time. I just wanted Ally to be happy. Dad had a pained look on his face, the one that told me he was thinking about mom again. I wished I could help him, but he just didn't talk about her anymore. It made him too sad. I knew the three of us reminded him so much of mom, and it killed him every day, but he just kept pushing on for us.

"Love you!" Dad screamed as the two of us left the apartment. When we got to the lobby of the apartment complex, there was my best friend waiting.

"Harry!" I screamed as I ran to my tall friend. I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight embrace.

"Let's go!" Atlas snapped. I knew he wasn't fond of Harry, but he also had similar overprotective tendencies that our dad had.

"Just go! We can get there on our own." I told him. Atlas looked hesitant to leave. I knew he didn't like it when I was alone with Harry, and I guess I didn't blame him. Atlas rolled his eyes and finally left the two of us. I knew he just couldn't stand to be around Harry Osborn, the boy's presence annoyed Atlas to no end. "How excited are you for today?"

"It's just school." Harry laughed.

"This isn't just school," I told him with a laugh. I was far too hopeful about how high school was going to go, but I just couldn't help it. Something good had to happen for once, right? "This is our time! This is where we meet our first loves, make our best friends, and find out who we want to be, Harry."

"Luckily for me, I've already met my first and only love." Harry teased. I couldn't help but roll my blue eyes at my friend. He was always very flirtatious and was known for attempting to get with any girl that moved, and in his defense, it often worked.

"Oh yeah? Lucky her."

"Seriously Ror when are you going to let me take you on our first date?" He asked. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. A small part of me did always secretly hope that Harry Osborn thought of me in that way, but I knew I could never let him know that. It would give him too much power over me.

"Hmm tell you what; when I meet Iron Man you can take me on a date." Harry stopped as if he was deep in thought as I strutted ahead of him, a smirk clear on my face.

"You know I can make that happen right!" He exclaimed before rushing back to my side. Harry and his mother had more money than anyone ever needed. I thought Harry needed some guidance in life. His father died when he was young, and his mother was barely around to care for the boy.

I hoped Harry would be able to get that guidance that I knew he craved from my father or even my brother, but his constant flirting got him banned from my apartment. My dad declared that he didn't care for Harry and that he didn't want me to be alone with him. This was a rule that was often broken, however.

"You can't be serious."

"I am. I will get Iron Man to meet you if you agree to a date." I could tell that he was being serious, but honestly, If you need to bribe someone in that way it just wasn't the same. I didn't understand why he was always so quick to throw money at everything.

"Gwen!" I yelled as I ran up to my friend Gwen Stacy. I felt as though I had been saved from the conversation by my bubbly brunette friend standing on the steps of Midtown High. Gwen had promised to wait for Harry and me to get to school before heading in.

"Rory!" The girl screamed back. We quickly hugged as if we hadn't seen each other all summer, even though we went shopping together to pick out our back-to-school outfits yesterday.

I went simple as always, I bought a new pair of dark blue high-waisted jeans with tears covering my legs and a black crop top. I, of course, pulled the outfit together with my classic red leather jacket, the one my aunt had given me on my fifteenth birthday. I also threw on a pair of beat-up black converse that I wore everywhere.

Gwen, as always went all out. New shoes, a dress that fit her perfectly, a nice gray cardigan, and the gold jewelry she borrowed from her mom. We seemed like polar opposites, but Gwen understood me better than anyone.

I looked over, just in time to see Peter Parker walking past us, his best friend Ned on his left. Peter looked up and made eye contact for a split second. It felt as though my heart stopped in its tracks. I looked back at Gwen who was talking about the new bracelet her mom gave her, but I couldn't focus; not when I knew Peter Parker was still looking. It felt as though he was burning a hole in the side of my head with his gaze.

Peter Parker had been through his own form of hell over the years. When his parents died, he clung to me, I was his best friend and I did my best to help him through those hard times. Peter tried so hard to be that same support system for me when my mother died, but I couldn't help but push him away. Peter often tried asking me about what happened, he didn't seem to understand where we went wrong.

The whole situation between Peter and I was awkward. I was thankful for Harry, anytime Peter got close enough to ask, Harry, shut down the conversation for me. I don't think Harry actually understood why I didn't want Peter around, but he didn't seem to care. He was always happy to keep boys away from me. All I could hope for was a lack of drama this year. Unfortunately, that was too hopeful of a wish.

[readingtoescapethisworld]

Becoming Heroes (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/317588498-becoming-heroes?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=readtoescape22&wp_originator=q%2BMOImjh1d1mzOjCIU2nYIQRIj7%2FwOLK%2FRcGhVpPDck6IzOdv7xCIG5oU5DFhp3IRVvhrJlrU4IF2ZBjPGMXJc6BEUmiAH6X%2BFFbsgzjdE6UpOlKkM5Y1mNiMENBK38r In our world heroes stand. In our world, we are protected even when we don't deserve it. The last thing Rory Payne and Peter Parker ever expected was for them to become the impossible. For them to become heroes. The two kids from Queens were complete opposites. Peter Parker, the hopeful hero who wants nothing but to help people, and Rory Payne, the girl with logic, only wants to run from her past. Peter Parker runs towards danger and runs towards the opportunity to be someone else. He wants to look out for the little guys. Whereas Rory's goal was never to become a hero, and often has a hard time doing the right thing. [begins before civil war] Disclaimer: this might not perfectly line up with the movies.