| sparks + butterflies | a peter parker fanfiction |

-01-

[1441 words]

____

THEADORA DREWITT WAS NOT A FAN OF MORNINGS. She didn't like the obnoxious buzzing of her alarm, the bright sunlight frying her eyeballs, or the impossible task of taming her wild hair. She didn't like the rush to get out the door, she didn't like the beeping and bustle of Queens.

But today, Thea had no choice but to embrace it. Today, Thea started high school, something entirely foreign to the girl. And although she was a dedicated bookworm, academics were certainly not her forte, which was probably due to the fact that her previous education consisted of grade 1, some scattered lessons from her older sister, and whatever she could glean from the seven books Thea raised herself on.

Thea's older sister, Katrin, was sprawled on the couch, obviously not even making it to her bed before she collapsed from exhaustion. The twenty-five-year-old worked two-day shifts and one night to support the two of them, and Thea couldn't shake the heavy feeling of guilt from the pit of her stomach. Thea hated being a burden. She pulled a blanket over the older girl, writing her a quick note before leaving the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind her out of habit.

Her new school, Midtown High, was just a few blocks away from her apartment, so it was a short enough walk for the girl to manage. It felt odd, walking for twenty minutes when she could just blink herself there without a second thought. But she had to get used to not using her enhancements.

When she reached the school, Thea couldn't help but feel undeniably small. A huge arch curved over the entranceway, MIDTOWN SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES emblazoned on it. The kids spilling in radiated rich child genius energy, and Thea tightened the grip on her backpack straps. Why Katrin had chosen a high-education school for her sister, who'd never be taught beyond basic multiplication was unknown to Thea, but after everything Katrin had done for her, Thea couldn't doubt her.

She still had ten minutes before her first class, so Thea dedicated herself to locating her locker and her classes. Her locker was on the second floor, and most of her classes were scattered around the campus, meaning she'd be doing an irritatingly large amount of walking.

The bell rang, startling Thea. The hallway flooded with students and noise, and she struggled to not freak out at the sudden influx of noise and colour that was assaulting her enhanced senses.

A pair of boys stood out amongst the crowd, their voices enthusiastically much louder than the rest of the students, earning them some dirty looks. They were trailed by a tall girl with a bored expression and frizzy brown hair. The girl bumped into them both, interrupting their conversation about something called 'Star Wars?

'Chemistry's this way, losers. Wouldn't want you to be late for nerd-central' The girl said, walking down the opposite corridor than the boys had absent-mindedly wandered down. The pair quickly chased after her, and Thea tailed them too, hoping that their Chemistry class was the same one as hers. A few students gave Thea curious looks as she walked down the hall. New kids must be rare.

After checking the sign on the door with her schedule, Thea slipped into the classroom, hoping for a seat at the back, as far away from everyone as possible. Unfortunately, the class was already mostly seated, the only two seats next to a guy with slicked-back hair, kind of like Draco Malfoy's first year, but worse, because his dark hair was long and formed a greasy mullet. Thea could tell from a glance that he was a douche.

The only other available seat was next to the brunette from the hall and behind the taller of the 'Star Wars' enthusiasts. After debating for a moment, Thea silently slid into the empty seat behind the Star Wars dudes. The brunette studied Thea for a moment, before returning to doodle in the margins of her notebook.