Just A Kid ◇ Peter Parker

1◇ LESSONS IN PHOTOGRAPHY

RILEY WAITED PATIENTLY on the sofa for her friend. Her only real friend. That geek at school with the camera and glasses, who spends most of his time hiding from Flash and building Lego Star Wars planets with his friend Ned.

Course, she had other friends. Sort of. She had Gwen and Harry. Two of the most popular people at school. She just somehow managed to weave her way into their friendship and they began to hang out at school. But they weren't close enough to hang out outside of school. Not like this one boy.

This person was Peter Parker.

Riley had known Peter since she started Midtown. They didn't hit it off at first because she was the quiet one at the back of class who spoke to no one. And Peter was the geek who had Ned and was bullied by Flash. Pretty similar, you might say. But not so much.

But here they are. Two similar but different people, hanging out together outside of school. Who would have thought it? If anyone from school saw her with Peter, they'd be confused. They would expect her to be with Gwen or Harry. No. She wants to be with Peter.

And that's how it's going to go.

"Riley, do you want something to eat?" Her mom calls from the kitchen. She's currently making a late lunch for herself and the girl, if she wants some. It's around two in the afternoon and only now is she making lunch.

"No thanks. I'm catching up with Peter so I'll just get something on the way." She tells the woman. She doesn't tell her that she isn't thinking of getting food, because she would probably kill her.

Her mom can be slightly over protective. You know, in that way where the parents are always like "Eat all of your food!", "I want you checking in every 15 minutes." Kinda like that.

"Alright. Make sure you get something though!" Her mom tells her and peers around the edge of the room.

"I will mom." She rolls her eyes as a black mass jumps onto her lap.

"Woah there, Tessa!" She tells the staffy.

Tessa is a blackish grey staffordshire bull terrier dog. And she was the closest thing Riley had to a friend after her father died.

The dog is only two to three years old at the most, but she's the best thing to ever happen to the teenager. Tessa was a present from her dad.

"Mom. I'm gonna take Tessa with me." She calls to the woman as she strokes her dogs ears.

"Alright, love." She calls back.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" The girl asks her small friend. In reply, she gets a bark and the dog leaps off of her lap and runs somewhere in the house.

Riley knew exactly where her dog was going, as her father had trained her to do it.

Tessa scampers back in with her black lead in between her jaws. She drops it at the feet of her owner and sits.

"Im never gonna know how dad taught you that." The girl laughs. The doorbell rings at the same time.

"Okay, mom! I'm going!" Riley calls as she jumps from the sofa, her phone and credit card in her case in her hand, the lead in the other, Tessa at her heals.

"Be safe! Text me where you are!" Her mom calls back from the kitchen.

Riley mumbles a "sure" and pulls open the front door, grabbing her bomber jacket as she leaves. She steps out quickly and pulls on the jacket, clipping Tessa to her lead after, and races down the steps to meet her friend.

"Whats up, Parker?" She smiles at the boy with his hair to the side and glasses covering most of his face.

"Not much, you?" He smiles and watches her bounce the last step. To him, she was mesmerising. But he would never tell her. Not yet.