#slurping solutions in the lab with the boys (the voices in my head)

[no-eyes-yet-but-vibing]

I could not work in a laboratory, you expect me to be in a room full of chemicals and expect me not to drink them? What if they have a nice texture and taste?

[lunalovvvess]

Driving Me Crazy (teaser)

A/N: Hello everyone! I’m not dead and I wanted to give you guys a sneak peak of what I’ve been working on!! This is part of my (super late) entry to @uglypastels 1K challenge (congrats!!)!!! Let me know what you guys think!!!

Warnings: swearing and mild violence

•••

Peter Parker was your nemesis. He beat you out for the Stark internship, had a gpa one point above you, and was the poster boy for your major. Everything you did, he seemed to do quicker, smarter, and better.

He drove you crazy.

What made you even more pissed off is that he didn’t even notice. Peter didn’t even give you the courtesy of acknowledging your rivalry. It’s like he didn’t even see you as a threat!

•••

You’re sitting at a bar near campus, your friends giving you space to stew over your latest exam results. You placed second in class, again, and you know the person that scored above you. You don’t even realize you’re glaring into your drink until you hear a voice next to you.

“What did that cocktail do to make you look at it like that?”

Speak of the devil.

•••

Peter Parker. Your nemesis. The bane of your existence. Unfairly attractive , your buzzed brain added unhelpfully. You turn to face Peter fully, taking a long sip from your drink.

“Parker. I didn’t know you existed outside of the science building.”

He gives you a boyish grin and shrugs, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Guess even us lab rats got to get air sometime. Nice to see you out of a lab coat and goggles.”

You smirk around your straw, looking at him from beneath your lashes.

“Are you hitting on me Parker?”

Peter turns red, much to your amusement, stuttering and fidgeting with something in his pocket. You gleefully watch him flail for a few moments before you take mercy.

“I’m kidding. Chill out dude.”

Turning back to the bar, you take the last, watery sip of your drink, scanning for a bartender. Peter seems to take your silence as an invitation to sit. You side-eye him for a second before returning to your search.

One finally strolls over, a peppy blonde with a high ponytail. You perk up, mouth already open to order, but she zeroes in on Peter.

“Hi sugar, can I get you something?”

You roll your eyes as Peter unhelpfully holds up his still-full pint.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“You sure you don’t me to top that off for you?”

You huff, irritated that she apparently couldn’t see you (not because she was obviously hitting on Peter), and you just wanted a drink.

Standing from the stool, you make sure you have all your shit before heading over to the other end of the bar. There was another bartender there, a woman who looks she’d know how to make you a strong drink. You plop down in front of her and rest your head onto the bar with a groan. She throws you a concerned glance, setting the glass that she was cleaning down.

“You good?”

Sighing, you lift your head.

“Life, you know?”

The bartender chuckles.

“Yeah, I know. Want a drink for your troubles?”

You smiled brightly.

“I thought you would never ask.”

•••

You’re three (four) drinks in, and cackling as you tell the story of how accidentally walked into the wrong dorm room. Your new friend, the bartender (call me Chavez), is laughing right with you.

“So you didn’t even notice you were in the wrong room?”

You shake your head.

“No! I tripped over a rug on my way in. I don’t even have a rug!”

Chavez throws her head back, her curls shaking as she howls with laughter.

You laugh with her, slurping the last of your drink. The ice rattles obnoxiously, and you set the empty glass on the bar. Another customer had grabbed Chavez’s attention, and the bar was starting to mellow out.

You glance around the room, spotting your friends chatting at a table. They smile at you when they see you looking, and you blow them a kiss. You’re about to turn back to the bar when a familiar mop of brown hair catches your eye. He hadn’t noticed you yet, laughing with a group of people you recognized as his friends. The girl beside him was obviously teasing him, and you watched in interest as a blush traveled up his neck. Peter looks up and catches your eye, smiling. You whip around to face the bar again, hands shaking. When he smiled at you, you could have sworn your heart... beat faster. Like you liked him or something!

Wrapped up in your thoughts, you didn’t notice the person next to you until they spoke up.

“Hey, are you in my History class?”

You glance at the guy from the corner of your eye.

“No. I’m not taking any history classes.”

“I recognize you from somewhere. How about English? You taking any English courses?”

He pressed on, beginning to lean into your personal space. Huffing in annoyance, you scooted back.

“Listen dude, I don’t know you. I don’t want to get to know you. Leave me alone.”

His eyes narrows and his hand grabbed your arm, quicker than you could react.

“I was just tryna be friendly. You don’t need to act like such a bitch.”

You hissed in discomfort as his grip grew tighter.

“What the fuck are you doing, let me go!”

He didn’t, squeezing your arm to the point of bruising.

“You should learn so damn manners.”

You could see the people at the bar taking notice, and a couple people making their way over. But your arm really hurt, so your (not entirely sober) brain thought of a quick solution to fix that. You punched him in the face. Hard. His shout of pain was pretty loud over the music, and he fell off his stool. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t let go of your arm, so you were dragged down with him. Bystanders quickly separated the two of you, and you feel a hand at your elbow helping you up. Straightening your clothes, you turn to thank the person, only to be surprised by a serious-faced Peter. Jaw-clenched, he was glaring over your shoulder at the guy who grabbed you. Clearing your throat to get his attention, you watched his eyes soften when they landed on you.

“Are you alright?”

You shrugged.

“My hand’s probably going to be sore, but that’s the worst of it. Thanks for the help up.”

You’re only able to see him nod before your surrounded by a swarm of your friends. Their worried voices wash over you, and you lean your head on one of their shoulders tiredly. You can hear your friend Kate in the background, her voice dropping to a threatening hiss as she leans towards the guy that grabbed you. The rest of the group steers you towards the exit, only stopping to pay off the tab for the night.

As you step out of the bar, the air hits your face in a rush. It’s late, and the stillness of night is soothing compared to inside.

•••

Sun shines through your window, and you bury yourself deeper under your covers. You don’t remember getting home. You remember the feel of your friend’s hands in yours, the sound of cars going by, lights passing through a window, but you don’t remember how you got into your dorm. Apparently you were able to do your nighttime routine, because your face feels clean and you definitely brushed your teeth. Your roommate moves quietly in the background. Everything is still.

•••

Monday rolls around and nothing has changed much. Well, one thing has changed. Peter Parker is everywhere.

When you’re grabbing food from the café on campus? Peter just happens to be there, and walks with you to class afterwards.

Studying in the library? What a coincidence! Peter was just about to start studying for the chem test, and wanted your help on the bonus question.

Late night convenience store run? Well Peter happened to be visiting a friend in your dorm, but now that you mention it, he was feeling a bit hungry. Then he carried your bags.

•••

He was driving you crazy. But, you were into it. Not because you liked him or anything! Peter’s constant presence meant that you could study with him, and your grades never looked better.

Still, you needed a break. You had been attached at the hip to Peter for almost 2 weeks now, and you needed space to breath. So when your friend texts you about house party nearby, you jump at the chance.