Walking the Wire | PETER PARKER [1]

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Midtown School of Science and Technology was Elosie's parents' dream high school. They always gawked at the tall building, the perfectly trimmed green football fields, and the prodigious students that attend the high school with admiration. They worked hard for years with aspirations for her, their only child, to go to that school when she was old enough. They made her go over flash cards and do equations before she was allowed eat dinner. They made sure that she knew that academics always came first, then everything else that a normal child was supposed to enjoy. Like friends. Toys. Fun.

Little did Eloise's parents know that forcing all this knowledge in her head since before she could walk made a resentment for learning and school grow deep in her. It made her purposely fail tests in elementary school and refuse to turn in homework.

It'd be an understatement to say that her parents were disappointed.

Not being the prodigy her parents raised her to be, she wasn't accepted into Midtown in the luxurious Forest Hills, New York. She was, however, able to attend a different high school just a town over: Park East High. It's not full of rich, brainy kids like her parents wanted. They always talk down about the students at Park East, but they don't understand that the majority of the students are either disabled, from rough families and neighborhoods in Queens, or financially unstable. It isn't the students' fault that they don't have high hopes for the future and rich parents to ensure that their dreams come true.

Despite the school not having fancy lunches, vending machines, teachers who stay longer than a year, or a gymnasium with all the floor boards attached to the floor, Eloise wouldn't trade it for Midtown. She'd rather be surrounded by students with stories and personality than students who are privileged beyond their understanding and complain about every little thing that doesn't go their way.

As Eloise is closing her squeaky locker door at the end of the school day, she tucks her brown hair behind her ear. She turns at the sound of people walking by.

It's Luis and Elena Rodrìguez. Eloise has Luis in her world geography class and Elena in her chemistry class. Eloise smiles at the twins and waves.

"See you guys tomorrow," She says friendly.

Elena waves and Luis just nods.

"Yeah, see ya."

"Have a good one, Eloise," Elena smiles back.

"You too."

They disappear around the corner, and she pulls her backpack over her shoulders and heads out.

Her sneakers hit the cracked linoleum floors. She passes a few more students, nodding and smiling at each of them. They all smile back.

She steps out of the front doors and enters the breezy Queens outdoors. Looking up at the blue, cloudless sky, she thanks God for the bright shining sun because it feels so good on the skin her shorts are exposing. It isn't every day she's able to wear shorts outdoors.

Her walk home is somewhat long, taking up just short of an hour, but she has no room to complain. Some kids have to take the rocky bus and others have to walk through the rough streets. She's lucky that she lives on a nice enough street where there's a mugging about twice a week instead of every few minutes.

Eloise makes it to her apartment building and goes up the elevator to the sixth floor, straight down the hall towards her parents' apartment.

As she's taking out the keys from her back pocket, the elevator dings and the doors open again. A teenager walks out into the hall. He's holding a large LEGO Death Star and heads her way.

"That's cool," She says as he passes.

He stops in his tracks and glances behind him, checking to make sure that Eloise is talking to him. It's kind of weird, since they're the only ones in the hall. But she don't point that out.

He looks back at her and kind of freezes. He doesn't know what to say.

Eloise tucks her hair behind her ear. "How long did it take to build that?" She asks.

He snaps out of his stupor and stutters, "O-oh, uh, it ... it didn't take too long. Just a few hours." He nods to the door neighboring hers. "I came to finish it with P-Peter, my friend."

She nods and smiles kindly, trying to ease his awkwardness. It doesn't really work.

"Okay, well I'll see you around. I'm Eloise, by the way."

His lips spread in an awkward smile. "I'm Ned."

"Well, Ned, it was nice meeting you." Eloise unlocks the door and opens it. "Have fun finishing your Death Star with your friend."

"Yeah, y-you too."

As soon as she shuts the door, she hears Ned on the other side mutter to himself.

"You too? Ugh, why am I so bad at talking to girls?"

Eloise chuckles lightly, amused, and walks further into the apartment. She passes by the kitchen and grabs a package of M&M's on her way to her room.

She's home alone until dinner, but even when her parents come home from work, she doesn't see them because they immediately go out for dinner. The rest of the night is full of cheesy pop songs that were cool a few years ago and ice cream for dinner.

She's scooping herself a second serving of vanilla goodness when there's a crash from next door. She frowns and glances at the wall separating the two apartments, but doesn't give it a second thought and goes back to her ice cream.

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Attached Song: Catch Fire by 5 Seconds of Summer

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