Cafe Moe’s
POV - Peter
We entered the cafe, it was busy and I mean really busy. Maybe the nearing exams made all the students come here to revise!
‘Damn, it looks like there’s no tables left!’
“Harry looks like this place is too popular, you wanna head out to my home. I know you sent Bernard back but we can just take the bus.”
‘Or a Cab if you can pay for it!’
He looked distraught and a little disappointed.
“Forget what I said.”
‘We’re not gonna get anything done if he keeps on whining about this.Damn his puppy eyes’
We walked up to the counter, despite the place being crowded there was no one to greet us.
‘They must be in the back helping the kitchen.’
The real problem was no one was leaving and it didn’t look like they were going to any time soon.
I was giving Harry the dirty side eye.
We would have been back home by now!
Then suddenly, a familiar red-headed girl came out from the back and stood near the counter. She was dressed in a green apron with ‘Moe’s’ stitched into it!
She was preoccupied with something else, she was stressed out.
She didn’t see us at first but when I coughed politely she looked in our direction.
“Hey MJ!” I say with a wide smile.
“Uh…..” she said with surprise then it clicked in her mind.
“Oh hey Peter, Sorry I didn’t see you there!” She said with a bit of embarrassment.
“Yeah hey MJ.” Harry joined in on the banter.
“Oh….Hey.” She said awkwardly.
“Rush hour huh?” I asked
“Uh Yeah.. this place is getting really popular with high schoolers! I just started working here a week ago, tuition fees for my acting classes and all you know!!” She replied back while twirling her hair!
“Yeah, tell me about it!” I said cheekily
Her face beamed.
“So…are there…..like any tables for us..” Harry asked meekly.
Mary Jane looked over the counter and scanned for any open tables.
“Looks like you guys came at the wrong time, It seems they're all taken. Mind waiting for a couple of minutes.”
I looked at Harry, who was still reluctant to leave.
‘The things I do for my friends!’
I turned to MJ and said, “Sure thing MJ. We could spare a couple of minutes.” She twirled her again with a smile.
A few minutes later a group of five began leaving.
‘Oh look, that group table is leaving, if you guys want to you can share that table instead of waiting!” She said pointing to the particular table.
‘Finally!’
“Hey MJ, it seems like it’s a busy day again!” A soft voice came from the entrance.
It was the blonde girl, Jessica Thompson. Flash’s sister.
She was standing there with the meathead and another girl. I didn’t know her name but if my memory serves correct then she was the girl who didn’t give me the seat in the school bus.
‘Birds of a feather really do flock together, I suppose.’
MJ responded with, “Hey girl, a table just opened up, you guys share it together!” She said pointing at me and harry.
The Flash’s sister, Jessica hid her reaction well but her blue eyes turned bloody when it rested on me.
‘Good lord, why do you keep putting me in these positions.’
“Sure thing MJ.” She responded with a very obvious fake smile.
“I think we could just go to your home? Right Pete-”
Mary Jane Watson realised that not a few days ago, I and Flash had a scuffle. She was about to say something but I intervened.
“No you wanted to try this place right! We’ll take the table MJ.”
I don’t back down. Ever. That’s what made me survive Special Forces Training, it’s what fuelled me as Peter in this life.
‘If they want to, they can leave but I’m not going to!’
MJ looked at me conflicted but smiled sympathetically and said, “Alright you guys can have table 4.”
Harry came near my shoulder and whispered quietly,
“Dude Flash’s there with them! I know I said I wanted to try the coffee but I don’t think the coffee is good enough to get my ass kicked over it!”
“He’s not gonna do a goddamn thing!” I reassured my friend.
‘God I’m so tired of that two bit cliche of a bully. I’ve had it with him trying to intimidate me and my friends!’
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Let’s go sit at our table! Let’s not waste anymore time.”
“Sheesh alright…I don’t know karate or anything like that. So don’t blame me too much if I run away.” He said with a comical but tense smile.
____________________________________________________________________________
POV - Flash Thompson
‘Oh shit it was Parker!’ His mind was a mess.
The last time he saw the nerd was when he leapt from the ground like a freak and kicked him in the head.
His hand balled into a fist. Looking at him made his blood boil. He almost wanted to snatch him by the collar, drag him outside and kick his ass. He knew that he couldn’t do that even if he wanted to but still the thought tempted him!
His sister was watching him silently,
‘I know, I know. I promised you I’ll behave! Stop looking at me like that Jess.’
“Let's go Sarah! C’mon Gene we don’t have all day!” his sister said to the cute girl she brought with her.
The shy girl spoke up,
“Are you sure? Isn’t that him? Didn’t he fight with your…” she looked towards him,
“Oh that, it’s alright. Those were just rumours, aren't they Big brother!” His sister said with a mischievous smile.
“Ahem…yeah you know. I wouldn’t lose to….a scrawny…punk like that!” he said while rubbing his head.
‘Stop teasing me so much Jess!’
The three of them moved to the table, where Parker and his friend Osborn were seated.
Parker was on one side and they on the other.
Neither party initiated a conversation with each other!
____________________________________________________________________________
POV - Sarah Symanski
It was weird to say the least. First it was the fact that Jessica’s brother was a giant loudmouth who kept on asking her things nonstop.
Where did she live? What her hobbies were? What kind of movies did she like?
He wouldn’t stop speaking, she almost wanted to pull her hair out from her head!
‘How were they related? They’re nothing like each other!’ She thought with frustration!
Just when she thought things couldn’t go any worse, they saw the boy, Peter Parker.
The one who fought Jessica’s brother!
‘All I wanted was to spend some time with Jess! Talk about my other sketches!! Get to know her more!!!’
Instead she was stuck at the end of the table drinking a mocha latte and watching Jess teach Flash algebra.
The Parker boy was also teaching his friend!
‘At least the coffee’s good here.’ She consoled herself!
____________________________________________________________________________
POV - Peter
“Don’t just solve it by memorising the formula, try to understand each component!” i chided harry
“Agh…you sound like my dad!” He said with a little bit of frustration.
‘Um this isn’t going anywhere! Take a five minute break.” I sighed in defeat.
‘Maybe I should ask for a raise?’ I thought with humour
Harry looked at some of the brownies on display and then turned to me with eagerness.
I sighed again.
“Okay take ten minutes but after that we’re finishing this chapter without any detours!”
“Yippee.” He raised both of his hands in celebration and left the table running like a kid.
‘It’s just high school trigonometry! I don’t understand why he’s overreacting like that.’
I looked at Flash, he was struggling himself, his sister was patient with him though.
“So n is any number? Man, math is hard.” He scratched his head in confusion.
I almost spit out my coffee, he didn’t know basic algebra.
How the hell did he even make it past 7th grade.
‘Oh that’s right he has sports credits!’
hmm wait a minute then… Why was he studying here today? He should be able to breeze through high school with his sports scholarships.
I looked at his sister, I remembered her words to me “I know you name Peter Parker!”
So far nothing happened, I expected some kind of retribution. I was even prepared with one of them tattling to the teachers but they didn’t do anything.
Perhaps they were more honourable than I gave them credit for.
Everything was going on peacefully but then...
Suddenly my spider senses went crazy. Someone was directing incredible bloodlust towards me.
Time slowed down as my reflexes kicked in and eyes dilated .
My eyes first went to Flash first. He was looking at his book while scratching his head. Then it went to his sister, she was writing down something in her textbook.
I turned to Harry who was still talking to MJ at the counter.
‘No danger anywhere, where was this coming from?’
As my eyes followed back to our table. Then I remembered I forgot about somebody!
I looked at the girl alongside Flash’s sister.
Her eyes met mine. In a single second her hatred for me was conveyed!
‘Jesus, even the kingpin didn’t look at me with so much hatred.’
She made a squeak when she realised that I caught her red handed and averted her eyes.
As she did that, my senses calmed down. In a second my brain went overdrive and began thinking of all the reasons she could hate me!
‘Why did she hate me so much? I don’t remember insulting her or talking mean to her.’
In almost half a second I came up with the most likely answer.
“I’ve hurt her in some way, maybe someone close to her. Of the table the only one….Flash. That’s it. She must be either his girlfriend or have a huge crush on him. Word got around school that I was in a fight with his group! It only makes sense that she hates me, I made him look weak.’
Still that amount of rage was unnatural!
Her squeaking attracted her friend’s attention!
“What’s the matter Sarah!” Flash’s sister asked her.
“Yeah what’s up Sarah!” The idiot repeated his sister.
She kept looking down, mumbling something to herself.
“He…was…looking at you!” She said meekly.
‘I don’t know if you exist God! I don’t even know if you can hear me speaking now but if you can then why? Why do you put me in these troublesome situations? Is my suffering that enjoyable to you?’ I thought with self-defeat.
Well it was good until it lasted, Its Flash Vs Peter round 2.
I mentally prepared for Flash’s outburst.
“Who, this nerd’s been staring at you?” Flash said with his classic rising temper.
‘Man this guy was as predictable as a Power rangers Villain! No!!!! At least they had great costumes and killer one liners, this clown had nothing going for him.’
“No he was looking at Jess!” She said playing up the meek girl act.
‘Oooh look at the little American psycho here stoking the flames!’
Flash’s nostrils flared,
*Sigh*
“You ogling my sister, punk!” He said with his teeth grinding, barely containing his rage.
“No…..I was just trying to think why she was helping you! Why study now? I’m sure you have a sports scholarship. You’ll get into a good college no matter how you look at it. So why start studying now?”
His rage subsided for a second, He looked blankly at me.
“That’s because-” He was interrupted by his sister.
“We don’t have to tell you anything. Please don’t disturb us by speaking or looking at us!” Flash’s sister said with cold finality.
I glanced at the girl next to her. She still kept her head down looking at the floor.
“Hey I’m the one talking to you. Not her.” Jessica Thompson spat out.
I turn my gaze back to her and reply with a simple,
“Okay. I won’t disturb you!”
I looked back into my notebook, preparing some questions for harry.
I could feel all three glancing at me with suspicion.
Harry came back five minutes late.
“You’re five minutes late harry.
“Oh me, I was just chatting with MJ.” He said with a big smile on his face.
“Quick start solving these problems!” I pushed the notebook to him.
He rolled his eyes and said in an exaggerated way, “Yes Mom.”
“That’s my boy!”
A couple of minutes passed and I could still feel the other girl’s gaze on me.
“Hey Osborn, you guys are revising trigonometry right?” Flash said to Harry.
“Yeah that’s right! You guys are working on….algebra? Isn’t that last grade level.”
Actually, the module he was working on was way too easy to be even considered ninth grade level but whatever.
They started talking. I didn’t want to interrupt Harry but the longer they’re conversation went. The surer I became, he wouldn't do his work without my intrusion.
“Focus on your questions Harry!” - “Don’t get distracted Gene.”
Me and the Blonde spoke at the same time.
“Oh shoot my bad Jess.” Flash went back to his work while Harry was idly smiling at the girls.
I looked at him and he looked back at me blankly.
I squinted my eyes.
“What?”
I tapped his notebook.
.
.
.
.
“Oh right…Studying!!!”