𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞- 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫

Prologue

    As the 4th period bell rang, Peter shot up from his seat and went straight to his locker. He twisted his combination with ease and snatched his camera from the corner of it. He slammed the metal gray door shut and fixed some settings on the camera.

It was his first day as a junior in high school. He didn't have many friends, but he preferred to spend time alone anyway. He had plenty of conversations with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben right when he arrived at home.

The sky was gloomy and dark. The air smelled of rain although it hasn't rained all day yet. He scanned the area for any potential shots on his new camera. He got a new camera sophomore year, but he lost inspiration and just started up again this year.

Finally his eyes stopped on a girl with her nose practically in her book. She was sitting with her friends, but wasn't paying attention to their conversation. She had chestnut brown hair, short curtain bangs, and was wearing a sweatshirt and sweats.

Peter lifted his camera, zoomed in, and took the shot. Up close he noticed she had freckles that dotted her face and hazel eyes that matched her hair perfectly. Almost as if she sensed it, she suddenly looked up in his direction. The boy almost dropped his camera on the ground as he scrambled to lower it.

He refused to look back up as he flicked through the pictures he took. He acted out fixing his camera and fixing the light settings. When he did muster the courage to look back up, she was gone and so were her friends. Their trays were gone and any sort of evidence that they were there was erased from the table.

Peter mentally slapped himself. She had noticed his stupid attempt of capturing her beauty and was scared off by it. He stuffed his camera into his backpack and headed back into the cafeteria to finish up lunch.

Minutes later the bell rang again. This time it was for 6th period science class. He climbed the stairs to the second floor, shoving his hands into his pockets as he entered the room. He went straight to the back of the class and waited for the class to start.

"Alright class, I made a seating chart for the beginning of the year. Just so I can learn your names better." Mrs. Smith announced.

Peter stood up from his seat he wished to keep. That's when his eyes landed on the girl with the freckles standing on the other side of the class. She quickly glanced at the wall beside her. Peter's face went red, praying she'd forget about his rude behavior by tomorrow. Possibly a week, no later.

The teacher called name by name, sitting them in their assigned seats. "Makayla Jennings?"

The girl stood up straight and sat in the back of the class where the teacher put her. Peter followed her with his eyes until she faced the front again.

More students were called until Peter's name got closer in the alphabet. "Peter Parker?" Peter raised his hand. The teacher pointed in the back of the class. "Beside Ms. Jennings. Please raise your hand."

Makayla did, shyly. Peter froze, his breath caught in his throat. He slowly sat down, slumping his backpack to the ground. His leg was bouncing up and down, preparing to apologize profoundly. Maybe he shouldn't mention it at all.

Instead he bent over to grab supplies from his bag to distract him from this awkward seating chart. It was the first day, but his backpack was already a mess. He had to take out papers and belongings in order to find a pencil at the bottom of his bag.

"You like photography?"

Her voice was soft and mellow. It fit her perfectly, yet he didn't expect it at all. His heart dropped. "Y-yeah. Um- how did you know?"

He shouldn't of asked. He shouldn't of let her tell him how much of a stalker he is for taking her photo without consent. But she pointed to the camera on his desk he didn't realize he took out in the first place.

"Yeah, it's a hobby, I guess." He informed, grabbing the camera to shove it back in his bag.

"What do you take pictures of?" She asked, curiously. "Are you more of an environment photographer? People? Places? Little of everything?"

Peter gulped. "Anything I find beautiful? I suppose."

There was a small smile that tugged at the girls lips. "Anything?"

"I think everything has a little beauty in it somehow."

"A piece of trash?" She challenged.

"That trash belonged to someone at some point. It possibly made someone happy or could've spun their whole day around." He shrugged, making something up almost on spot.

"I think the same." She said. "People think a decaying flower petal is trash, but it was beautiful once before. It made someone happy, brightened the day up. Sometimes it can show life and how someone used that object before crushing it and throwing it away. A recycled bottle could be used for so much more. A recycled piece of paper could get turned into a love letter in the future. There are things that lose their beauty, and even if it isn't considered perfect anymore, it gives us more of a thought-provoking state of mind around our temporary existence."

Peter gaped at her strange words about trash. The first conversation he's had with this stranger is about trash. Not the picture he took of her, or how his day was going or his classes, not even about their love for science.

Then a smile spread across the boys face. "Exactly."

The girl nodded, dropping her pencil to the table gently. She put her head in her hand and focused on the teachers rules and concerns that were probably important for the the rest of the school year.

And indeed did he learn more important facts throughout the year, but also more incredible perfections about Makayla Jennings.