22 9 o'clock

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9 o'clock

The rain was slowing down. It was only drizzling slightly now.

'Oh God thank you!'

Things cooled down since before, Harry was still a bit too chummy with Flash.

Jessica and Sarah opened up to him in the last hour!

First Jessica and then the quiet girl.

His persistence must have been endearing to them and they finally gave in to his efforts.

'Harry was always the people pleaser!'

Perhaps being groomed to take over a billion dollar corporation helped!

He tried to bring me into the conversation but I politely refused.

The shorthand of my watch was inching close to 8. It was 7:45 now!

The only reason I wasn't freaking out was because my home was relatively close. It was a 20 minute walk, so a 5 minute full sprint for me!

The problem was that I hated getting wet and didn't want to risk catching a cold.

Especially since I had to be up early for early morning practice.

"You're applying to ESU. Damn! I didn't take you for a straight A student!" Harry said to Jessica Thompson.

"Yeah…they have great science courses." she replied with a gentle smile.

'Woah she was hissing at him just a moment ago and now she's talking to him like he was her best friend. Damn Harry really got his social networking genes from his billionaire father.'

Her brother took this as a cue to start boasting about how smart and beautiful his little sister was!

The topic shifted into pop culture, cartoons and TV shows.

"It's getting late, let's jet from here Jess, Sarah." Flash said with his chest out looking in my direction.

I ignored the idiot.

"Isn't it still raining, won't you guys get wet?" Harry asked him earnestly.

He spun a key with his finger. A car key.

He wasn't looking at me but I'm sure that he was bragging.

"Oh cool you're dad lets you drive around! That must be nice!"

"It sure is. Let's go Jess, Sarah."

They packed their stuff and got up to leave.

'Finally some peace and quiet.'

"Oh yeah Osborn, since you were so nice to my sister. You're welcome to ride with us." He smirked.

His sister looked at him in distress, she understood what he was getting at.

"Really oh thanks dude. Pete hates getting wet. You're a lifesaver dude!"

'He was anything but that!'

Harry didn't understand the implication of the offer, he always did miss the forest for the trees.

He looked at me and said, "Dude let's go, I told you they were nice!"

"Parker wasn't inv-"

I didn't give him the satisfaction of finishing that sentence!

"I'd rather walk, it's just a slight drizzle…I have to finish some assignments anyways. Thanks for the offer though!"

Harry looked glum. He didn't like how I wasn't being the perfect wingman for him.

Flash on the other hand, looked irritated. I'm sure he was frustrated that he couldn't faze me with his wealth.

'Oh you have a car! Bitch I have people who genuinely love me.'

"Oh…..okay." Harry accepted my excuse.

'I'm sorry dude. I just can't….i don't have it in me to forgive him.'

"C'mon Osborn, let's go. Hey MOE, thanks for the biscuits. We'll come back later." the meathead yelled out. Everyone cringed at Flash loud outburst.

'Doesn't this guy have voice modulation. I would go deaf if I was around him all the time!"

Harry looked conflicted about leaving me. It wasn't a big deal to me though, as long as he got home safely I couldn't care less.

"You…sure? Peter!" He asked me once more not understanding that even if I agreed to come along with him, Flash wouldn't!

"I'm sure! Now go before I buy more pizza slices and fork you the bill!"

Harry swung his bag to his back and gave me the finger with a friendly smile!

Good to see he wasn't sulking anymore!

"See ya Pete!" He left with them, he tried to be a gentleman by opening the door for Sarah and was trying to cozy up to her.

'Never change dude. Never change!'

Slowly one by one people in the cafe left and the place became emptier by the second.

Guess all of them had cars or an extra pair of umbrellas.

'I should make a habit of watching the weather forecast. Still life without smartphones sucks!'

Soon I was the only one sitting. I could still hear the staff talking inside the kitchen, no one at the front counter though!

The rain completely stopped after ten more minutes.

"Okay let's head back home!" I say out loud.

"Before you go, may I ask you a few things?" an elderly voice called out.

It was Moe. He had a tablecloth hanging over his shoulder.

"Umm…yes?"

'What did he want?'

"It won't take long, just a couple of minutes tops."

"Okay but I'm late. So please make it fast! If it's about before-"

He raised his hand to stop me and gestured to me to sit down.

I wanted to leave as soon as possible but my instincts told me to sit down.

He sat at the opposite end of the table.

"..."

"..."

He poured himself a cup of coffee and said in a raspy voice,

"It's surreal isn't it? Living in this world. Living as a comic book character I mean!"

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POV - Jessica Thompson

'What was that kid's problem?' She thought as they walked to her brother's car.

Dad brought him that one after he became the team's quarterback.

'Dad always expressed his love for us through money! He wouldn't get caught dead spending time with us though. In his mind his role as a father ended with buying us expensive things!'

She looked at Harry Osborn, one of, if not the richest kid in all of Midtown High.

He was very popular with everyone as a freshman but in sophomore year, he stopped flashing his wealth and disappeared from his usual circles. He began hanging out with Peter Parker exclusively!

'MJ might have said it as a joke but now I think about it makes sense…for them to be….involved'

She felt her cheeks heating up.

'What am I even thinking about?'

She snapped back to the present moment.

He was hitting on Sarah and her before. so that possibility was out of the window.

'He's like a dog. It's kinda endearing to be honest.'

He was still trying his best to warm up to Sarah. Sarah was following behind her, they were holding hands. In case he pulls anything with Sarah she could always just ask Gene to beat the boy up.

'What am I even thinking? I'm the one who asked him to stop fighting. I don't want to be a hypocrite.'

The good news was that she might not have needed to ask at all!

Her brother had a thing for Sarah! Behind all that Goth makeup there was an extremely beautiful girl!

'She's going through a rough time maybe!'

Hopefully she dates neither of them and someone more normal.

The thought of Peter Parker came to her mind, he was as normal looking as it gets. On the outside at least!

She thought of his devil may care attitude and his blank face.

'Still that boy, Peter Parker? What arrogance! My brother even asked for his help? Sure I know he can be handful but…..he would have apologized eventually' She thought to herself in frustration.

They reached Eugene's car, a brand new black 1987 Porsche 944 S1.

"You girls sit in the back!"

'Ever since that fight everyones looking at him differently, they're keeping their distance. Even his teammates don't want to hang out with him as much.'

She looked at the Harry Osborn and thought,

'Maybe he's what my brother needs, a good friend who doesn't stay by his side for his popularity. It also helps that his father is a billionaire. If my brother's NFL career doesn't work out, then having a powerful friend like that could help.'

They were talking about some ridiculous Action movie about a cyborg sent from the future! They were just boys after all!

"How do you like my ride? Osborn! Cool isn't it!" her brother beamed.

"Yeah…it's nice dude!!"

Her brother laughed loudly at that and slapped Harry's back strongly.

"I see you have good taste! My dad got me this ride for making it as the team's premier quarterback. It wasn't easy, you know? Don't let the losers tell you I'm a rich spoiled brat!!I worked my ass off for it!"

'Gene, his best friend probably thinks you're a rich spoiled loser! Besides, Harry's rich enough to buy 1000 of those cars. Don't brag too much!' She thought with a wry smile.

That made her ask the next question,

"So Harry, why don't you have a car! You can drive right?"

"Oh…that. My dad doesn't want me to. He thinks I'm too immature! I have my butler pick me up….well he's more of a friend than a butler at this point. He practically raised me from childhood when dad was busy with uh….stuff." He said with a little bit of sadness.

'Poor thing! He must have had a rough childhood.'

"Yeah believe me I know, I'm a proud man but even I'll admit that it took a lot of begging from my side to get this baby!" Eugene tapped the steering wheel with a huge smile on his face.

'Now wasn't the time Gene!!! He's sharing something important with us!! You need to listen to him if you want him to be your friend!'

She loved her brother but she wasn't blind to his faults. Loud, obnoxious and self-conceited.

She thought back to what that boy spat out venomously!

"Who…..the fuck do you think your brother is? A saint? Some kind of tragic hero! Nah girly He's the fucking villain in this story."

'Maybe he was? I don't know! I don't know what he did to that boy to make him so angry but…..he's my brother and I will always defend and protect no matter what! He's my blood…my family! I won't ever give up on my brother.'

Gene picked up two cans from the dashboard.

"Here you go, I had some left from a party I went to!"

'Wasn't that…'

"Oh nice! Been some time since I had some beer! Pete's not the drinking type you know!"

"Eugene, you're not drinking that are you? You're driving remember."

Her brother looked at her with a tense smile.

"You idiot, you can't be drinking and driving! What was dad's one rule!" She repeated agitatedly.

The mention of their dad seemingly triggered his fight response,

"Fuck Dad's rules!"

He opened the can of beer and began to chug it, Harry was content with sipping it little by little.

"Eugene…God….you're so….idiot….what if you get a DUI…no more importantly what if you hurt anyone."

"Relax Lil sis, a little bit of beer hurts no one. Besides, I could chug an entire barrel of this light stuff and drive fine."

'It's the principle you idiot! You don't drink and drive!' she screamed inside her head.

There was no use arguing with him once he set his mind, it's too late now. I just want Sarah to get back home…thankfully it's nearby and the rain's stopped!

"Take it easy Jess, I'll drive slow okay. Besides, Sarah is here so I wouldn't risk doing anything stupid!" He said while winking at Sarah.

'Is that what this is? You're trying to impress her by putting us all in danger! You idiot!'

She looked at Harry for support but he was looking at his feet!

Peter Parker's words echoed through her head once more.

"... A saint? Some kind of tragic hero! Nah girly He's the fucking villain in this story."

'No he's not…..he's not a bad guy. He's.....my brother.'

She couldn't give up on him, not now when he's genuinely trying! He'll change! I believe in him.

The car started and began moving. She made sure to make everyone wear their seatbelts at least!

'Nothing bad will happen, millions of people drink beer and drive. Nothing will happen!'

"So what's the deal with you and Parker anyways. Like MJ said are you two fags or what?"

Harry almost spit out his drink.

"What….no. I told you it wasn't like that!"

"Then why was he all pissy there! He didn't like that you were talking to me."

"Oh that..that he…you know he's going through some things right now."

"Like what?"

"His uncle was hospitalized recently…he was attacked. He's going through other things too, you know. He's not like us rich kids! He has to worry about bills and everything. So he's kind of prickly lately!"

When no one spoke, Harry continued..

"You don't make his life easier either so there's that…."

The only thing she could hear was the sound of the transmission changing, no one said anything.

"So what are you saying that I shouldn't protect my sister!" Gene said in a serious tone.

"Protect your sister?"

"Yeah, that slimeball said something nasty to my sister."

Harry Osborn turned from his seat to look at her once and then turned back again.

"Peter doesn't talk to girls like that! Shit I even tried to convince him to go on a double date once and he flat out told me to get lost." Harry said with a light laugh.

"Oh so he is a fag!" Gene laughed.

"I TOLD YOU IT"S NOT LIKE THAT!!!" Harry shouted, she almost flinched at the unexpected outburst.

Eugene didn't say a word, he just turned to the side and looked at him for a few seconds.

'Gene watch the road!' she panicked.

Harry couldn't meet her brothers eye but he talked again,

"He's just busy, he doesn't have time like we do! He's a good guy"

"He's not a good guy, he's a prick!" her brother raged, the car sped up even faster.

The windows were open so she couldn't hear what harry mumbled to himself but she make out some of the words he said,

"...look who's.."

"Hey, that's my house!" Sarah pointed to a Blue house.

Gene didn't hear her as the car kept on moving past her home.

"Eugene, Stop, that's her house!" she said loudly

"Oh…sorry I didn't see that." He took a sudden U-turn, spinning them around in one quick motion.

'I'm gonna smack him once we reach home!'

He stopped the vehicle right near her house.

The girl got out and closed the door gently.

"Take care sweetheart..If you wanna hang out again don't be a stranger!" Gene said with his handsome smile.

'Why can't you be sweet like this all the time? Why don't you treat everyone like that!'

"Yeah take care Sarah!" Harry yelled out from the side.

Sarah smiled and waved at them.

'She's such a nice person. Humoring my dumb idiot brother like that!'

"See ya later sarah!"

"See..ya..Jess."

'Oh god she was so cute! I could hug her forever!!'

They waited until she unlocked the door with her keys and got inside the home.

Once she did, Gene stepped on the gas and sped away.

"So where was I…uh yeah Parker is a giant asshole!"

'Ugh not this again!'

This time though Harry didn't say anything. Instead he chose to remain quiet, not even bothering to drink his beer anymore.

Eugene kept on ranting and complaining. Harry's grip on the can was getting tighter!

'This is not good! I need to change the topic before they start arguing again! Quick think of something'

"So… Harry, you want to hang out in the cafe with us. You could study with us…I'm sure your friend wouldn't mind us too much."

His face lit up,

"Yeah sure thing Jess! Peter will come around, I'm sure he will! It'll be really fun with all of us studying together. It'l be like a study group. The five of us I mean."

Gene grunted at that.

She kept her smile up but she was sure neither Eugene or Peter Parker would like to hang out with each other. However the most important thing was to keep the peace and get home safely.

'Who knows maybe Gene might make some real friends!'