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HOSTAGE IN HIGH SCHOOL

"Storm in her eyes, fire in her soul,
she was half but seemed whole."
—Hemsis
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Midtown School of Science and Technology

Location: Queens, New York City

August 8, 2016

"ANY tips for surviving high school? Or how I would like to call it... hell." Aurora jokingly questioned Darcy who parked in the school parking lot. Glancing out the passenger window to see a crowd of students heading inside like it was a normal first day. She turned her head to face her guardian, while Lewis was pondering what good advice she could give to the teenager. Although she already recommended the girl plenty of source material to watch, aka teen high school movies.

"Hey, it's not all that bad. But definitely don't be a know-it-all, everyone hates that but at least pay attention. Do show off when no one else knows the answer." The woman suggested while handing Aurora some cash for cafeteria food or whatever she wanted for later. Pocketing the money in her jacket pocket, she tried to recall if everything she needed was in her backpack.

"Noted." The young Stark acknowledged with a curt nod, taking out her phone as she connected it to her headphones. Half serious and half bored since she was going to be given a tour around the school. Even if she was about half an hour early when class actually began. It was something Principal Morita's idea to have a student show her around although Aurora really wanted to skip that.

"I know you have super strength or whatever but don't show off how good you are during PE. Just do your 'best' but enough so you don't seem lazy." Darcy told her, using her fingers to emphasize 'best' while the girl just blankly stared.

"Okay, anything else?" Aurora asked while making a mental note of that.

"Yes, absolutely no boys. Well... that's what Mr. Stark told me but honestly, you're a teenager. You should have fun. So... when you do find a boy, let me know so I can buy the necessities." Her guardian grinned in a teasing manner. Immediately, the girl scrunched her face in annoyance, not forgetting her signature eye roll.

"Okay, Lewis, slow down. I'm not looking to hook up. And I'm sure most boys are too fucking immature for sex." The teenager insisted while narrowing her eyes, not believing what she just heard. Tony would kill Darcy and then her if she ever had sex, he definitely didn't want to be a grandfather yet. "Besides, there's the whole 'soulmate' situation I have."

"You know I was just kidding... well, kinda. Fine, you're right... at least make some friends. Then find your soulmate." Darcy resumed her little rant, noticing that some students passing by were glancing at Aurora.

"I don't even know the first step to do that!" The young Stark remarked as she used her left hand to partially cover her face, not believing that this was actually happening. On the outside, she seemed calm and collected but in reality, she was on the verge of having a mental breakdown. Sure she's done worse things than this but now she was going to be surrounded by hormonal teenagers.

"Simple, just say hello, compliment their outfit, and smile. Now, you just made a friend. As for the soulmate situation... I have no clue." Lewis declared in a nonchalant reply.

"No offense but that sounds too easy... and stupid. It's never gonna work!" Aurora pointed out that she was doubtful of Darcy's advice. Now it was Darcy's turn to grumble under her breath, wondering why the girl was such a cynic.

"Oh come on, don't you sometimes want friends?" Her guardian tried to encourage the girl with a sweet smile as Aurora thought about it. She was a bit curious about having a friend but what if they viewed her differently once they found who she truly is?

"Why...? So they don't understand anything about me?" The girl whispered to the woman, masking her emotions as she shook her head in an attempt to get rid of her thoughts. Gently gripping the backpack strap and took a few breaths to calm herself, her hands shaking momentarily.

"Trust me, kid, we all need friends in our lives," Darcy admitted as she took out her phone and pointed it in Aurora's direction. A few clicks can be heard from the device causing the young Stark to stare at Lewis with a peculiar expression.

"Now what are you doing?" Aurora demanded as slightly glared at the camera while lifting her right hand to display her middle finger. The woman rolled her eyes at the teenager's attitude while the girl proudly flipped her off playfully.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a picture of your first day. You'll thank me later when you look back at the memories." Darcy stated as if it was a normal thing to do, taking several more but each time Aurora moved to blur the images.

"Well this is one memory I won't be fond of... please don't make me go." Aurora pleaded in a last-ditch effort to skip school, her eyes staring at the woman with a small frown and furrowed eyebrows. But it was all an act to convince Darcy, mentally cringing at herself for doing something so juvenile.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark is the one calling the shots. Now give me a smile before you go." Darcy insisted with a firm expression. Eventually, Aurora gave in as she gave a convincing smile for a few seconds before opening the passenger door. Seeing the woman still recording as she pretended to give a small wave before deciding to say something for the video.

"Hey dad, I just want to say... I hate you for this. I can't believe you're sending me to an insane asylum! I hope you're happy that they are about to torture me!" The young Stark hissed quietly as Darcy turned the video around to face her, briefly reassuring the billionaire that the girl was being dramatic. Ending the video log, Aurora shut the door but her guardian shouted to text her when she was heading back home. The teenager lifted her arm to wave as a sign of confirmation.

"Let's get this shitshow on the road," Aurora muttered under her breath, taking the backpack over her shoulder, and started walking towards the school. Putting in her headphones before she shuffled through her playlist as 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC started to play. She couldn't believe that she let Darcy decide what to wear for the first day of school. Thankfully she was able to convince her not to wear a skirt or else it would have been a bloodbath.

Aurora's attire consisted of an oversized leather jacket with a white ruffle blouse, high-waisted jeans, and Doc Martens' platform oxford shoes. The only thing that made her look different was the subtle makeup she had on her face, enhancing her sharp features. A bit different from her usual style since it had a more 'feminine' touch thanks to Darcy. Whispers were heard throughout the hallway, trying to ignore the attention she was receiving. It was already the first day and many were talking about her as she walked towards the Administration Office.

Remembering to put on the 'good girl' act, Aurora pretended to be kind and smile to anyone around her. Although the girl mentally wanted to throw up, she never tried to be friendly to so many strangers in her life. Principal Morita took her to his office to debrief her on the school guidelines. Then he handed her locker number and anything else she needed for the year. However, her guide was running late so she decided to take the time to memorize her class schedule.

"I'm sorry for uh, coming l-late! I had to—!" A boy came through the door unannounced, a bit out of breath. He looked rather tall, a lean boy underneath his loose clothes, and a somewhat boyish charm on his face. And yet when Aurora noticed him, he didn't appear sweaty nor fatigued as if he really did run to the Principal's Office.

"It's alright, Mr. Parker. You still have time to show Miss Hunter around before class begins." Principal Morita reassured, allowing her to be dismissed. She got up from her seat to follow the nameless boy who couldn't decide where to go first.

The boy in question looked somewhat scrawny but it could be from his loose jacket. Taking off his earbuds while wiping the sweat from his forehead, he was a few inches taller than her. Yet he somehow managed to look neat, like he actually put the effort into looking decent. What made him stand out was his lack of confidence but the boy did look... cute? Like in a shy and dorky way if that made sense. Wait— what the hell was she even thinking about?! Aurora never really considered anyone cute or attractive, so why now?

"T-The name's Peter... Peter Parker. And yours?" The boy introduced himself after mentally debating how to start the conversation. He really didn't know how to interact with her since he wasn't aware until a few days ago that he would be her school guide.

What neither of them knew was that Tony was the one to assign Peter to show Aurora around.

"Aurora Hunter." She told him, keeping her answer short and sweet. Their eyes met for the first time as they both sensed something... magnetic between them. The boy was the first to look away as she thought it was strange but acted like it was nothing. She placed her headphones around her neck as they walked beside each other throughout the hallway. Not forgetting to give a small smile as the boy only nodded.

"So uh, where are you from?" Peter asked the very question Aurora didn't want to answer. She had no problem making up a lie, her issue was that he might be too nosy for his own good. Some students in the hallway murmured around them while Parker didn't like the attention he was getting from the new girl. Hoping he won't get teased or bullied later for being with a girl out of his league.

"Was born here but over the years it was between Athens and New York." The female teenager told a white lie with ease.

"T-That's cool. I have never really been anywhere. I uh... recently went to Europe this, this summer." The boy wanted to make himself sound interesting, gently gripping his backpack strap as he indicated some places. Like the library to the right, computer labs to the left, and the cafeteria at the back of the building.

"That's nice...." Aurora flatly answered as she acted like she was interested in him. She just wanted to get this over with, mentally memorizing the layout of the school. Heading up the stairway, it seemed like the classes were all on the upper level of the school.

"Um... why d-don't I show you to your locker?" Peter mentioned as she stiffly agreed, getting the paper she received from Principal Morita. Her locker number was 928 so she glanced around to find it while noticing that they had about seven minutes left before school began. Eventually, she found the top locker and inputted the combination lock to unlock the door. She put some books inside while hearing some whistles echo through the corridor, rolling her eyes discreetly. "My-y locker is on the left side, it's a c-couple of sections down."

"Noted," Aurora answered briefly, nodding her head softly as a few strands of her long hair fell over her shoulder. She tugged it behind her ear before looking through her folder to find the class schedule.

"Mind if I see, uh your class schedule?" He asked kindly, seeing the piece of paper in her hand. She wanted to remark saying it was none of his business but instead, she simply handed it to him without resisting. He also took out his class schedule, a bit wrinkled like he stuffed it in his backpack. A faint smile appeared on his lips before realizing what he was doing, blushing as he told her, "Looks like w-we have some, some of the same classes."

"Did you hear about the new girl?" A tall chubby boy interrupted as he excitedly came up to Peter. Like if this was the first time he was part of a juicy gossip. At first, Aurora didn't hear him since she was momentarily distracted by the messages she received on her phone. Peter, who was beside Aurora, widened his eyes and motioned to his best friend to shut up. Yet Ned unfortunately didn't as he continued with his rant, "Some say she's a French model. Haven't seen her yet but they all say–."

"She's right here..." Peter whispered to Ned but he was entirely focused trying to imagine how the girl looked until Aurora turned around. A sly smile was on her lips as she glanced up at the chubby boy who was almost the same height as Parker. Ned did a double-take as he realized that Peter was with the new girl, chuckling softly to ease his embarrassment.

"Oh... hi, I'm Ned." The boy sheepishly greeted her as he fidgeted his fingers nervously as she observed him. She maintained a neutral expression before he asked her, "Is it true that you're a French model?"

"Do I look French to you?" Aurora remarked with a slightly harsh tone at the ridiculous rumor the boy heard. Slamming her locker door shut as she casually crossed her arms above her chest, but her mannerisms appeared apprehensive.

"Uh... n-no. Just curious..." Ned Leeds stammered nervously, glancing between his best friend and the new girl. Rather intimidated by her piercing gaze as she held a small smirk, resisting the urge to take it step further. It was entertaining to see them all react that way, nervous and threatened.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or can I go to class?" Hunter asked him while tilting her head to mock Ned. The school bell rang and he realized that they would be late for class. Students were heading to their respective classrooms as she outstretched her hand to Peter so he could hand back her class schedule.

"R-Right... sorry. See you later, Peter." Ned waved as she walked away from him, heading to her first class World History. Turns out Peter was in the same class so they went together but neither of them uttered a word. He kindly opened the door for her when they arrived, however, Aurora took a moment to think. She quickly took a deep breath before heading inside yet silently thanked him for holding the door.

Teenagers were either crowded around each other's desks or leaning against the wall as they chatted or laughed. Everyone seemed to ask each other the same boring question about what they did during the summer. She glanced at the whiteboard to see some instructions before trying to figure out where she could sit. A couple of seats were open next to a group of athletes who were just arm wrestling against each other. The girl immediately refused to be with them before she saw one seat to the left but was next to some girls giggling and showing off their vacation photos.

"Y-You know, maybe you can–," Peter told her but was interrupted by a voice in the back of the classroom.

"Hey, Rory! Over here! You can sit with me!" Levi hollered to Aurora, gaining everyone's attention as they all glanced at the girl standing in front. The group of girls stopped giggling as they observed the new girl before their faces changed from cheerful to envious. Not that she cared since she smiled softly at Warren until their female teacher arrived, immediately the students went to their respective seats while she stood there by the teacher's desk. Aurora went up to hand a slip from the Principal to Mrs. Jennings, a woman around her fifties with a rather unusual fashion sense.

The girl silently prayed that she didn't have to introduce herself to the class but instead was told to find a seat. Peter sat in the middle section where there was an empty seat next to him. She debated who to sit with until another student came in late and sat beside Parker. Therefore, she went towards the back to Levi who greeted her with a small smirk. Settling down on her chair, she dropped her backpack on the floor without a care as he was sitting on her left side. It was a long table that could fit two students, hence they sat close to each other.

"What were you doing with Parker?" Levi whispered when he leaned towards her, curiously why she was with Peter.

"He's my school guide the Principal assigned," Aurora responded truthfully, shrugging her shoulders since she didn't think it was a big deal. He wanted to ask her something else but Mrs. Jennings started to read the class syllabus and everything that was required for the school year. If only the girl could kill herself for having to stay put for one hour just listening to the teacher talk nonstop. What only made it worse was the fact she brought headphones instead of her earbuds to listen to music until class ended.

Turns out that she shared most of her classes with Levi and Peter. Her first class was World History with both boys, her second was Trigonometry and third was Psychology both by herself. Her fourth class was Chemistry with both of them before having lunch. Although there were some free periods, that was only on Wednesdays and Fridays. Nonetheless, she was now grateful that she had a forty-five-minute lunch break since she was exhausted from hearing teachers talk all the time or interacting with teenagers.

There were some options to eat since the cafeteria food actually looked decent, Aurora got a chicken club sandwich, potato chips, an apple, and Fruit Punch Gatorade. Now she just had to find a place to sit, not hard right? Turns out everyone knew where to go while she stood out like a sore thumb. With confidence, she walked through the corridor while scanning around to find a place to sit. Not minding if she sat alone, it just meant she would now have time to herself. Seeing an empty table nearby, without hesitation she went towards it to sit down and placed her tray on the surface.

"I sit there," A female voice called out to her, holding her food tray with both hands while a thick book was under her right arm. Aurora evaluated the girl standing in front of her, wearing baggy clothes, no makeup on, with slightly frizzy brunette hair. The girl's skin was a mocha color and appeared to be slightly taller than Aurora, who continued to stare at her waiting for a response.

"Really? Didn't see your name on here. Or that I asked for your permission." Hunter countered as she took a big bite from the club sandwich. She knew that the girl observed her, especially when her tray was filled to the brim with food. Aurora just had a fast metabolism and needed to maintain her physique from years of training.

"Huh... I've never seen you before. I would remember seeing you around here last year." The girl noted as she placed her tray on the table before sitting down to the side.

"That's because I just moved here. I'm Aurora Hunter." Aurora answered nonchalantly, a tiny smirk on her lips while crossing her legs underneath the table.

"Where did you move from?" The nameless girl quickly interrogated her, narrowing her eyes as a form of intimidation. Which wasn't working but she didn't know that.

"Athens." Hunter swiftly replied, matching the girl's tone.

"You don't look Greek," She commented, tilting her head to the side as if she had an assumption about her. If Aurora found Peter annoying by asking her questions, this girl undoubtedly beat him.

"How would you know? Ever been to Greece?" Aurora declared firmly, her hand gently tapping against the table while maintaining eye contact. Neither of them wavering their gaze but didn't realize that someone else joined them.

"Give her a break, Jones." Levi beckoned the tall girl beside him, dropping his backpack between his feet. The nameless girl rolled her eyes at his declaration, not moving an inch from her spot.

"Make me, Warren." She talked back, causing the young Stark to glance between the two. Their mannerisms suggested that they knew each other but their body language seemed hostile, presumably rivals. The boy muttered something under his breath while he took out his lunch from inside his backpack.

"Are you two friends or something?" Aurora retorted as this caught the attention of both of them. Levi was the first to shake his head in disagreement while the girl turned her gaze to her book to read.

"I don't have friends," Jones stated, shrugging her shoulders without care. This somewhat perplexed Aurora, if she really didn't have friends why sit with her?

"You choose not to. Don't mind her, she's always like this." The boy explained as he got his protein shake while unwrapping a homemade Italian wrap with cut vegetables. The girl beside him snorted once she took a glimpse of his lunch, momentarily shutting her book.

"What are you, still five? Why bring your own lunch?" The girl interjected, casting a side eye at him who just took a bite from his wrap. He slightly narrowed his gaze but purposely took his time to eat much to the girl's annoyance.

"Because the cafeteria food is shitty. I suggest you don't get the tuna casserole." Levi mentioned the last part to Aurora, causing her to glance down at her food. She was already halfway through her meal as the boy widened his eyes slightly in amusement. "Damn, most girls I know would just get a salad and water."

"Only popular girls do that, idiot. By the way, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with your popular friends?" The nameless girl remarked, curious why he deliberately chose to sit with them.

"So, how's your first day at school?" Levi completely ignored Jones' question, his lips curved into a radiant smile. In truth, the popular kids were only discussing things that didn't interest him. Or the upcoming Decathlon competition, which he didn't want to be constantly reminded of by Liz Allan.

"Alright so far... you know, I still haven't got your name." Aurora hinted to the girl, who briefly glanced up from her book with a raised eyebrow. The young Stark read the title of the front cover, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Oddly enough, she did guess that the tall girl liked through types of novels from the way she first introduced herself.

"Oh, her? Her name is Michelle Jones." Warren introduced calmly. Michelle lightly smacked him with the book, causing him to chuckle at the girl's lame effort. Even Aurora was amused by their interactions, cracking a small smile between the two.

"What? Rory asked. You know you can always just leave." He defended himself, not caring if she was upset with him. Turning his attention to Hunter with a teasing smile on his face, "You'll get used to her. Considering she's been sitting here for this long means something...."

"Do guys not have new students every year or something?" Aurora asked him, trying to understand why she was still receiving some glances from other students.

"Nah, not really. Everyone has known everyone since middle school. So hearing there is a new student, half the student body wants to know who it is. It'll die down in a week." Levi reassured her kindly yet Michelle gave him an incredulous look.

"You wish, you're practically a foreign exchange student." Michelle retaliated, occasionally getting a bite of her lunch before going back to reading. She sure was one odd girl but at least was better than the other girls who constantly had to make themselves relevant. "I already heard some people trying to compare you with Liz or Betty."

"Who?" Aurora questioned with a puzzled expression, both Michelle and Levi realized that she was still new at school. She tried to process everything she was learning from them, assuming that they were the popular ones.

"Liz Allan is a senior and the captain of the Decathlon team. Betty Brant is a sophomore and also a Decathlon member, both best friends. And only the two most popular girls in school." The girl explained to Hunter, who only softly nodded like she had a clue of whatever she was saying. "Don't forget we have practice after school, Warren."

"Fuck... forgot about that." Levi groaned as he munched on his lunch, Aurora raised her left eyebrow slightly once she heard him curse. At least now she had someone who wasn't afraid to speak his mind. "We're both on the Decathlon team. Hey, maybe you can join me one day to see how I beat those losers."

"Like that ever happened," Michelle rebuttal his statement until the school bell rang. Students started to pick up their trash and head to their next class, the trio got up from the table. Aurora finished her Gatorade before tossing it to the trash, along with her tray that she put in its respective bin. Levi was kind enough to take her to her next class since it was near his. She was already halfway through the day and she was desperate to leave and took a long nap.

Although she will admit that some of the classes she was looking forward to. For example, Chemistry and Engineering, both of which involved creating formulas or projects. Which can also be a great excuse for using the school's laboratory for her own experiments. Perhaps English if it depended on what the teacher decided to assign for reading, the same goes for Psychology. But all her other classes... not so much. She already knew World History thanks to HYDRA and American Sign Language because of All-Tongue. And don't even get started on Trigonometry and Gym, she sucked at math and she couldn't 'show off' how good she is in fitness.

Accidentally bumping shoulders with someone, glancing up to see Peter Parker with his friend again. His eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled with his words to apologize to her yet she only told him it was fine. Now that he got a closer look at the girl, she was pretty. Like exceptionally pretty but he still liked Liz. It was when she stared at him that his breath hitched and his heart skipped a beat. Her hazel-green eyes basically sparkled from the bright lights and wavy hair framed her soft features. At that moment, he felt like he met her before, but that was impossible. He only just met her. Aurora briefly smiled before walking away, not realizing that a spark lit between them.

'Maybe high school wasn't all that bad.' Aurora wondered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Ahh Peter and Aurora finally meet! I hope you guys like the chapter and don't worry this part of the act will be much longer than the previous ones! Should I do Peter's POV (but still third POV)? How do you feel about Levi? Would you guys like more scenes of them? Let me know and until then everyone and take care!