Chapter 12 : Where They Travel

"Everything has beauty,
but not everyone sees it."
- Confucius

It was Saturday morning when the decathlon team from Midtown High stood next to a ready to leave for Washington D.C. The kids were talking as they waited for the remaining members to arrive, they all stood together talking excitedly about the trip . The only two who weren't talking were two teenage girls sitting in the steps a few feet away from the rest of the team, one was lost on her book while the other one was lost in her music, both girls in their own little world where no one bothered them.

Ember sat there with closed eyes listening to her music as the memory of a certain young boy hunted her mind. Her mind went from trying to picture the exact brown of his eyes to the way he managed to make her laugh with just a single thought. The blonde hadn't even realized how far she had drifted away until someone pulled her right headphone.

"Didn't you hear anything?" asked Michelle as Ember put her headphones away. The blonde only shook her head indicating her friend she had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Michelle let out a frustrated sigh, carefully closing her book. "Mr. Harrington said we're almost leaving and that we're taking a group picture"

The blonde groaned as her tall best friend dragged her to the side of the bis were all the team was getting ready for the picture. Michelle looked like taking a picture was the last thing she wanted, and Ember very much agreed with her, but it wasn't like either of them had a choice. The whole team gathered around, Ember trying to hide in the back only for Betty to call her out and moving her to the very front, where the shorter kids were. The blonde girl just put in a fake smile as the torture went on, they took around five pictures because Liz claimed she didn't look good enough.

"You're hair looks fine Liz, can we just go now?" Flash exclaimed quite annoyed as Liz asked Betty for a sixth shot, and for once in her life Ember actually agreed with him. Finally, the senior decided to let them go as Mr. Harrington began loading the trunk.

"Finally! My mouth was starting to hurt" Michelle complained as she reached Ember "Smiling is hard you know?"

Ember rolled her eyes at her friend's comment "Please, you barely smiled"

Michelle shrugged, holding her book tight to her chest "So how did it go with Peter last night?"

"Seriously, you went out with Penis Parker?" Flash cut in their conversation before the blonde had a chance to answer "I always thought he had a thing for Liz. I mean have you seen the way he looks at her"

"Unlike you I don't stalk Peter twenty four seven Flash" Ember said through gritted teeth. Of course she had noticed the way Peter stared at Liz, she hated those stares, those were the kind of things that reminded her that her feelings will never be reciprocated.

"I'm just saying, maybe he is just using you to make Liz jealous" said Flash holding his hands up defensively while grinning mockingly at the short blonde, who was trying to appear unbothered by his comments. "And the way I see it, you think way to highly of him, he is just an attention seeker. I can beat him at anything"

"It's not like I care about your opinion Eugene" Ember said, bumping onto his shoulder as she walked past him to get into the bus. Michelle right behind her only stopping briefly to flip off the Thompson boy.

"Please, tell me you're not actually listening to Flash Thompson" groaned Michelle as she sat next to Ember, watching as her friend looked out the window with frown adorning her face.

Ember rolled her green eyes, turning to look at her best friend, putting on what she hopped would be a convincing smile "Don't be ridiculous, the day I listen to Flash Thompson will be the day I die"

"Great, so you would have no problem on talking to Parker?" Michelle questioned, raising one eyebrow unsure of wether Ember was being honest or not.

"Of course not!" Ember argued, maybe she did feel a bit hurt and who was she kidding she was definitely jealous.
'At least I won't have to deal with Peter making googly eyes at Liz for the whole weekend.' she thought, her eyes drifting for a second towards the senior who was still outside the bus with the rest of the team. As if on cue the blonde caught sight of the boy if the hour, trotting to stand next to the rest of the team.

"Hey, it's Peter" Abraham announced, bringing everyone's attention to the young boy.

"Guys" Peter greeted with a sheepish smile. His eyes involuntarily searching for the petite blonde he was so fond of, but he couldn't find her anywhere in the crowd "I was hoping I could rejoin the team" the boy continued after giving up on his search, looking at everyone.

"No, no way. You can't quit on us" Flash snapped making his way past the crowd to stand face to face with Peter, just as Ember and Michelle arrived and watched from the bus doors. "stroll up and be welcomed back by everyone" he finished, arms flying around looking at the rest of the team waiting for someone to side with him.

"Hey, welcome back!" Mr. Harrington greeted Peter as he appeared behind the two best friends "Flash, you're back to first alternate" he announced unbothered by Flash's offended expression, as the whole team snickered at the whole situation.

"He's taking your place" Abraham mocked, followed by many giggles, clearly everyone was happy with the turn of events, well everyone except Flash.

"Excuse me, can we go already?" Michelle cut in, everyone turning to look at the odd brunette who hardly ever looked away from her books unless it was to talk to Ember Snow. "I was hoping to get in some protesting in front of an embassy before dinner."

"Protesting is patriotic." Mr. Harrington agreed before ordering everyone to get on the bus.

Ember and Michelle walked back to their sits as everyone finished getting ready. "If what Flash said didn't bother you, then why aren't you talking to him?" asked Michelle, nodding her head at Peter who was just getting in the bus, and was not so subtly staring at the girl beside her.

Ember instead of answering just stood up and walked to the free seats infront of Michelle, quickly intersecting Peter's path. The boy immediately stopped, Ned crashing onto his back, but Peter dully noted it as he smiled at the small blonde.

"You came" Ember greeted, fiddling nervously with her hands, she wanted to prove a point to Michelle and Flash but now that she was infront of Peter she couldn't think of anything to say.

"Mhm" he sighed, his voice barely audible and his brain not even registering until Ned slapped his back snapping him out if his trance "this was a pretty big deal I didn't want to let you down" Ember felt the color raise to her cheeks, the two teenagers didn't even realize that they now had a little crowd behind them, until they heard their snickering "I meant the team. I didn't want to let the team down, you know Liz has worked so hard on this" And just like that the little spell broke, Ember dropping her gaze at the reminder that he was here for Liz not her. The thing was Ember didn't mind Liz, she thought Liz was a great girl but for once she wanted Peter to think of her instead of the senior.

Ned pinched his friend's back , annoyed by his obliviousness as he watched how the blonde looked like someone just punched her. Peter opened and closed his mouth, unsure if how to save the situation, he could practically hear Michelle's colorful words as she glared at him like he was the stupidest person she'd ever met and in that moment he definitely felt like it.

"Told you" Ember heard Flash cough a few seats behind Peter, her eyes hardening at the sight of his teasing smirk.

"That's great!" She finally said, trying to push her jealousy aside, smiling a little at Peter, who seemed kind of relieved to hear her speak again. "Actually, I needed your help with, uh, biology! So maybe you could uh," Ember continued, pointing to the two seats next to her.

"Sure" Peter quickly answered, happy to have an excuse to spend time with Ember. His mind completely forgetting the real reason he came as he sat next to the blonde beauty.

"Peter!" Ned whispered shouted, Peter turned to face his friend as Ember started taking out some food from her backpack, pretending like she wasn't hearing the two friends. Ned moved his hands frantically pointing to himself as if saying what about me?

Peter turned to look around, before his eyes finally stopped on Michelle, who was sitting a couple rows behind them with her nose stuck in a book "Sit with Michelle" he answered, before turning around to give Ember his full attention, not interested on hearing his friend's protest.

"Bu-" Ned started, trying to remind his best friend about the bad guys they were chasing, but in the end he decided to let it go realizing Peter was to busy giving googly eyes to Ember. He hurried to the free sit next to Michelle, just as the bus began to move.

"Can you believe those two?" Ned complained taking the sit next to Michelle but the girl gave him a blank stare before going back to her reading. "They're not even dating yet and they're already ditching us, not cool" Ned added, turning to the brunette next to him, expecting an answer. This time Michelle didn't even turn to look at him, she just read as he kept fussing about their best friends, the boy took her silence as an invitation to keep talking "Well, at least it's for a good cause, if Ember understands biology, we have more chances at winning. I like to win"

Finally, Michelle looked at him weirdly, he was smiling anxiously as he stared at Ember and Peter sitting close together, both smiling brightly as they shared some cookies. "Ember never gets lower than A+ in biology"

"Then why... Oh!" His eyes widened in surprise as he realized Ember really did return Peter's feelings, and he couldn't deny that he felt very happy and proud. He had a hunch Ember liked Peter but Michelle has just confirmed it "They look cute together" he stated, also watching the two interact. It was quite amusing how Ember would look at Peter when he wasn't looking and the boy would do the exact same thing with her, almost like they were taking turns. Both of them smitten with each other but never realizing how the other felt.

"It's sickening" Michelle said, looking at her best friend who was giggling at something Peter said. And in that moment Michelle couldn't stop the tiny smile that crept over her resting bitch face, and even Ned noticed it. Both parties shared the same thought, if their friends were happy, so were they.

❅

"What was that about?" Ember asked, watching Ned running to sit next to Michelle, extending her arm to offer Peter some cookies Angela baked for the trip.

"Nothing, just Ned being Ned" Peter shrugged it off, accepting her cookies and smiling in thanks.

"Of you want to sit with him, it's alright, I understand" Ember said, smiling to show she meant it, but silently hoping he would choose to stay with her.

"I like spending time with you" Peter admitted, feeling as his face reddened. He watched as she nervously bit her lower lip, giggling softly, and he couldn't stop his eyes from drifting down to her full, pink lips, his mind suddenly drifting back to their little moment the night before, how easy it would be to just lean in and close the distance. Peter snapped back to reality, remembering that not only were they on a bus filled with their classmates but he couldn't just kiss her without even knowing if she wanted him to. "So, uhh, biology right?"  Peter changed the subject, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck.

"What?" Ember asked, knitting her brows in confusion about what biology had to do with their current conversation, until it downed to her that was the excuse she used to get him to sit with her. Truth was biology was her best subject, she aced everything that came with it but it was the first thing that popped into her mind, and she just went along with it. "Oh, right. Do you, uh, mind if we do it later?" We have a couple hours to study and Liz will want us to practice, so maybe we should do something else for a bit?"

Peter nodded nervously, did he mind just talking to her? No, he was happy with just being with her, but Peter Parker was utterly lost when it came to girls and a three hour trip was quite enough time for him to mess everything up. "Well what do you want to do?"

And that's how the two teenagers ended up playing I spy, maybe they looked a bit childish to others but they were having fun and that was all that mattered. They laughed and Ember was a bit of a cheat, changing objects every time he guessed right.
"Stop cheating!" Peter argued in between laughs as the girl stopped to try to think of something blue that he hadn't mentioned yet.

"I'm not!" She responded, chuckling quietly. Peter raised his eyebrows challengingly, his eyes glancing briefly at the rest of the passengers, most of them sleeping or doing something in their devices. Then, he leaped forward and began tickling the girl's side, quite pleased with himself as her giggles reached his ears "Alright, y-you w-win!" she announced, desperately trying to push his hands away but the smile never leaving her face.
Their laughter died down as they realized how close they were, Peter's hands on her waist, as Ember's were froze on his chest, were she was once trying to push him off, he leaned a bit on top of her as she rested her back on the side of the bus, their foreheads almost touching and their breaths tangling together. Neither of them said anything, nor they do anything for a few seconds, they just stayed there trying to catch their breaths, lost in the others eyes.

"I spy with my little eye, a breathtaking beauty" Peter broke the silence, his boy's low and raspy, his hand  tucking a platinum blonde lock behind Ember's ear.

"Lies" she answered, in the same soft voice, cheeks flaming red, as her insecurities ate her awake, the little voice in her ear telling her there was no way he actually meant that.

"I never lie" he stated, eyes drifting to her lips asking for permission, she just stared back at his as they both began to lean in, eyes fluttering shut.

In that moments they forgot where they were, they forgot they were on a school bus full with their classmates who weren't even noticing them. Right there and then as their lips almost touched they were just to teenagers about to live their first kiss. That was until Peter's ringtone brought them back to reality and both teenagers immediately shied away. Peter sprinted out of his seat, accepting the call and silently cursing Happy Hogan for his terrible timing. "Hello?" Peter answered the phone a bit bitterly, as he walked away from Ember.

After a brief conversation, Peter headed back to his sit, nervously fiddling with his phone as he approached the blonde. Ember was looking out the window, her mind all over the place, her cheeks still red and her heart still beating loudly in her chest.

Peter silently watched her and then he remembered something, he opened up his camera before calling out her name. She turned to look at him just as he took a picture, then he looked at it, his lips pulling up to a fond smile. Ember gave the boy a confused stare, as he sat down next to her handing her his phone "See, I told you" he said as the blonde looked at the phone.

There was a picture, he took it just in the exact time her head whipped around to look at him, her platinum blonde hair flying around and a cute smile adorning her face. Maybe she wasn't perfect, you could see the light freckles sprinkled on the bridge of her nose, her lower teeth were a bit crooked, her lips were a bit dry and you could see a little pimple that was forming on her chin, but still to him she was beautiful, a breathtaking beauty. Ember's face flushed even more and her heart beat so loud she was certain everyone would hear it, she smiled at Peter staring fondly at his brown eyes as she intertwined her fingers with his.

❅
[word count: 2888]
A/n: After ages I'm back and ready to finish this book, I don't even know of anyone's still reading but I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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