The Butterfly Effect: a Peter Parker Fan Fic

Part 7; Ned and MJ

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it ~ Charles R. Swindoll

My eyes feel heavy and I feel them closing... I pull my head up from the cool lunch tables in the cafeteria, trying to keep myself awake despite the lack of sleep I got last night. After talking with Peter for a while, I went to bed early but tossed and turned for hours. Am I really selfish? I'd like to think not.

Eyes stare in my direction, probably thinking of what a freak I am for sleeping in the cafeteria. Like wow, what a big deal, yet you're all still judging me for it. A group of girls walk past and exchange giggles and whispers while looking at me. One icy glare from me cuts them off. They walk faster and one nearly stumbles over as she tries to hurry away from me.

Even if I'm a freak, I'm an intimidating freak which means that I can actually be left alone.

I pull out my earphones and begin to play rap music to keep me awake. The iced coffee resting on my tray calls my name and so I pick it up in one swift movement. It feels cool and refreshing as it travels down my throat. I already feel more awake.

My bag is slightly unzipped and rests at my feet. A novel I had begun to read pokes out, inviting me. I give in to the temptation and pull it out, flicking to the page the bookmark sticks out of. The words all flow into my head and I immediately become oblivious to the surrounding chitchat.

It's nice to read without being interrupted, all peaceful and--

"Hey Raven."

My insides scream with annoyance and I exaggerate a smile as I turn to see Peter standing there with a tray in his hands. A boy with black hair and tanned skin stands on his right and the girl I had been laughing at Pinell with on his left.

"Hi," I reply.

The girl cocks her head, "you're in my calculus class, right? With Pinell?"

I nod, "yep."

The corners of her mouth tilt into a large grin and she slides into the seat beside me, "great, I'll just sit here."

"You're just going to interrupt me and my reading?" I say sarcastically even though I do mean it a little.

She shrugs and pulls out a book from her own bag, "I'm not interrupting. I'm MJ by the way."

"Raven," I genuinely smile back at her.

Peter and the other guy take the seats across from MJ and I. She begins to protest, "hey, hey, hey no. You can't sit here if you don't read."

"I will read," Peter insists.

"Oh, yeah?" she raises an eyebrow, "what are you going to read?"

"I am going to read..." he drums his fingers on the table and an idea passes through his brain, "I will read some people!"

A disgusted expression falls upon MJ's face. "You do that," she says and goes down to continue reading.

"See there?" Peter says, pointing to a girl standing in line peering over the shoulders of everybody else, "she's hungry and she is worried her daily garlic bread won't be available."

MJ peers up from her book and growls, "can't you read silently?"

He puts his hands up in defeat and goes back to eating. The boy and I exchange a glance and he rolls his eyes. I try to conceal a snicker.

He extends his hand from across the table, "I'm Ned. Ned Leeds."

"Raven," I say and take his hand.