Inhale Courage...Exhale Fear

~*~

*beep...beep...beep...beep...click* sighing lightly before rolling over onto her side, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Another day in the life of a high school sophomore student. Spring break had only been two weeks, which wasn't enough for the girl getting out of bed having bed hair. Walking towards the shower, yawning minutes later coming out, having styled her long wavy brown hair into an edgy braid. Wearing a dark flannel, gray graphic t-shirt in white print reading New York: City of Dreams, faded denim shorts, and white converses. Quickly heading downstairs into the kitchen, grabbing an apple danish to go, taking a bit before locking the back door to her apartment. Making to the subway station to get to Midtown High, where she would go every day from Forest Hill, Queens.

You would think to be a teenager in high school to figure out who you before heading out into the real world would be the scariest thing ever, right? Well, you'd be wrong since there was more than just figuring out your life to have a "game plan" set in motion before graduating. In life, a high school student finding out what social circle you belong in was "important" because you belonged or outcast. Waiting for the subway always being a drag since she had to be there at 7 am only to leave school at 2:45 pm. Taking out her phone to see she had received a text from her best friend Peter Parker, yes, the wall-crawler. Of course, the young teen didn't know her friend being the masked vigilante on youtube everyone has been talking about.

Reading the text: what's up? Jessie just wanted to let you I'm headed towards the subway station. Hold the train for me before I get there. Haha ;)

Jessica Atkins had met Peter when they were 6th-grade students at the time Jess was the new girl. She tended to be an introvert despite the fact she still was but not like before when going to Midtown Middle School. The students would find Jess to be strange and weird with her hanging out in the library, along with being shy and timid around people. Until one day, while in the middle of the school year during lunchtime Jess sat away from the other students while drawing a comic book character. Flash walked over to Peter, starting to bother him with Peter telling Flash to leave him alone, but it didn't work. It only escalated. Jessica ended up looking over in their general direction, watching what was happening, wondering if she should get up or not? Of course, Jess didn't like bullying since she understood what it was like to deal with a bully during her time as an elementary student.

Flash ended up calling him a stupid name, which happened to be immature, and she didn't know what came over her, but she found herself walking over to them. Jessica folded her arms, telling Flash to knock it off with him turning his attention towards her before looking down at Peter. Who happened to be sitting at the table next to Ned, Flash calling the new girl Parker's girlfriend only to have Jess roll his eyes. Jess narrowed her eyes at Flash before pulling out a chair sitting down next to Peter wrapping her arm over his shoulder. Telling Flash, she definitely was, and if he ever messed with him ever again, he would regret it. Leaving everyone, including Flash, of course, he didn't stop only laughing at this, knowing she was in love with a nerd.

Rolling her eyes at his comment, not phased by it at all, before telling Flash that at least he wasn't a jerk. Oh, she wasn't just getting started with this going on by saying that a real man doesn't pick fights with people no matter how much they probably want to. Going on further by saying he was the guy here with common sense and brains; she was geek and nerd. There's no shame in being a geek or nerd; it just means they are smart than the rest of them and appreciated them, acknowledging them for being smart. Giving him a smug grin that spread across her face with Peter and Ned, shocked at what she just said. Flash, blown away by this, didn't know what else to say to her other than walking away from them once out of view.

Jess removed her arm before looking over at Peter and Ned, smiling at them both, telling them he wouldn't be bothering them both any time soon. Introducing herself to them, and that's pretty much how it started with them ending up becoming friends in the end. Honestly, Jess couldn't admit the fact she developed a huge crush on Peter though why not? Peter happened to be different from the other guys going to high school, with him being a dorky nerd. She cared about glad no matter how many times Flash would pick on him, it never changed the person he was as an individual. Knowing he was a true friend to her, she admired him, not sure how she got this lucky with finding someone like Peter.

Texting him back: I'll try Pete though I can't make any promises I can't keep. See ya soon :)

Putting it back into her pocket, folding her arms, then hearing footsteps quickening up towards her turning her head in the direction. Smiling brightly upon seeing her best friend Peter coming over to her starting to giggle at what she said, thinking, he ran the rest of the way. After reading her text message deciding to get here on time for once without being late to school since she had been getting on top of that with him.

"Well, someone is here on time for once without being late. Did you decide to run the rest of the way here?" teased Jessica before getting on the train sitting down.

With Peter sitting down next to her chuckling and shaking his head, knowing he had been crushing on her for a while, but he didn't want to ruin their friendship. Yeah, I know what you are thinking; why do people have to say things like that? Why do they think it wouldn't work out if they were already friends from the start? Sometimes, there are relationships where two friends start dating, and after a while, they realize they were better off as friends. Or they end up growing apart with just going their separate ways, never to get or understand why they even enjoyed each other's company? Peter and Jess didn't want that to happen with each other either since they both enjoyed each other's company and didn't want anything to take that away. Yes, it's a pain in the butt, but when the cards fall, they would still be friends even if they never were together, together.

Everyone else thought they were together despite their explanation of them just being close friends saying they were like sister and brother. Some of them could see it except Ned, who felt like it wasn't true since he knew something Jess didn't know: Peter has a crush on his best friend. Simultaneously, Peter had a crush on Liz's senior girl, which Jess knew he did; of course, she would get jealous off and on. A girl just had to know when to fight or flight; Jess planned on fighting for him, but at the same time, she would put Peter's feelings before her own. Mostly, if he ended up dating Liz, she wouldn't try to separate them no matter how much it would sting. She cared about him enough to let him go and move on, but she wouldn't stop being his friend knowing certain things didn't need to change.

Peter laughed at what Jess said to him, "Yeah, it might have had something to do with the text you sent me."

"I thought so mostly because I know you've always been late for a while until I started to make you get on top of things. Since you late having to be cut off at some point, you know," Jess explained to him, arching her brow while smiling.

While shaking his head, Peter chuckling, "Yeah, yeah, okay, I got it, Jessie."

"Good glad we're on the same page then," Jess said back before taking out her phone, deciding to listen to her music but with on earbud in her right ear.

They both got off the subway once they made it to Midtown Tech High School, heading inside, thinking it was just another of wanting to get out of there. Jess walked with Peter across the street only for Peter to notice Flash making a false attempt to hit him in his father's car. Peter moving Jess away from the car only to look over to see Flash rolling her eyes, mumbling "jerk" underneath her breath. Peter heard it and would agree with that, to be honest, hearing the TVs broadcasting the school news about homecoming. Jess didn't know if she would even go without someone taking her to the dance and secretly hoped Peter would ask her. They both went their separate ways until lunch since their lockers weren't next to each other, unfortunately.

Ned came up behind Peter placing a Lego Empire from Star Wars on Peter's left shoulder, talking about building his 3000 piece Lego Death Star. Walking towards their class, listening to Ned until he spotted Liz heading towards her class with her friends. Staring at her with big eyes agreeing to Ned coming over without realizing it before walking into his Math class. Thinking about homecoming having troubles going with his childhood friend or his crush While watching a video on YouTube of him stopping some thugs of another video someone posted on here. Before breaking from his thoughts when his teacher asked him a question about figuring mass and sin. Of course, Peter got the answer right, outshining Flash again only to have a blind threat to be given by him. Which never bothered Peter any more other than being annoyed by it honestly since it didn't make any sense what he did to start Flash to pick on him? Then hearing the bell ringing for them to head to his Chem class, which had Ned knowing at the end of the day, Jess would have Gym and English together.