Adventures in Babysitting ↠ Peter Parker [1] ✓

01 | The Good Life

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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
i. THE GOOD LIFE

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   RILEY STARK WAS STARING.

   The feeling of her intense gape was comparable to the sun wrapping its blanket of warmth around his body. Peter Parker could feel Riley Stark's gaze burning into his face. He could picture her big, brown eyes observing his every single move as he penetrated his plastic fork into the food on his styrofoam lunch tray. He knew that the second he looked up to meet Riley's eyes, he would collapse right then and there and explain everything that was on his mind, everything he was feeling in that moment. That seemed to be how much power Riley Stark had over the boy... probably because she was one of Peter's many childhood heroes.

   "Do you wanna talk about it?"

   Peter shook his head.

   Her concerned gaze remained. "Aw, c'mon, Pete," she insisted softly. "Talking about it might make you feel better." He just shook his head, silent like before.

   Ned Leeds approached the duo as Riley spoke. He took a seat beside Peter at the table in the overcrowded school cafeteria. He glanced between the two teenagers he called his closest friends (and, coincidentally, his heroes). His youthful face expressed bewilderment once he sensed the tension between Riley and Peter.

   Hesitant and almost unsure of his own words, Ned asked, "What's... going on...?"

   She continued to stare at Peter, wondering if he would properly respond to his best friend. When he didn't, her gaze shifted to Ned. "Well—"

   "Don't say it," grumblingly interjected Peter. Riley's attention snapped back toward the boy, almost dramatically gasping. This was the first time he had spoken for the past hour and a half, which felt like forever since they had most of their classes together.

   "He speaks!" mocked Riley. When he shook his head and looked back down, she whined, "Come on! He's your best friend and your guy in the chair!"

   "Yeah, I'm your best friend and the guy in the chair!" repeated Ned in agreement.

   "And I'm your babysitter-mentor-second best friend-partner in justice," Riley added.

   "Yeah!"

   Riley and Ned high-fived from across the table with grins on their faces. When Peter continued to give them the silent treatment, Riley sighed. "Fine," she said. She turned to Ned. "There's another meme of Spider-Man."

   "Riley!" whined Peter.

   "Sorry! I had to keep him in the loop!"

   Peter pouted after being exposed. He pointed his plastic fork at Riley. "You know, when you put it like that, it just sounds like I can't take a joke," complained Peter. "I can take jokes! I literally am a joke!"