Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man
ARC III - Spider-Man
Part 2 - The New Girl
Previous Issue
Monday.
Another week of School was in full swing again.
The weather finally broke to full blown autumn as it was now early November. Cool mornings with thick fog that rolled down morning sun soaked streets eventually gave way to raining afternoons and gusty breezes and flying red leaves. However, in the beginning of the school day, 8 am, children packed into school hallways as they always did.
Students in their light coats fill the school hallways with loud talk, teasing, flirting while others hold up their touchscreen phones to their friends, showing them the blurry pictures everyone in New York has been trying to get a hold of.
Walking in the middle of all the commotion that is the High School ambiance, Harry Osborn walks through the hallways with his green backpack slung onto one shoulder, his white sneakers untied, khakis well fitted and un-tucked white button shirt fitting perfectly. He he never thought about what he wore, that was until he came to school. A glance here and there and all at once Harry shot his eyes to the floor as others kids lining the walls glanced at him up and down with whispers:
'Rich boy'
'Who does he think he is?'
‘Well someone shops at the GAP.’
‘I bet he thinks he’s better than the rest of us’.
'I heard his father hates him.'
Trying to block out all the whispers and murmuring, Harry focuses his attention to at the red locker he's been stuffed into for the past year as a high school student, unlocking his combination lock. As much as Harry tried, today the school was more abuzz than normal. Like a beehive filled with bees buzzing to an increased rhythm, the collective school chatter in the hallways became louder and louder with excitement.
~
'He came out of nowhere.' says a passing student.
Harry turns around, glancing at a kid surrounded by other students, watching him hold his arm up towards the ceiling, demonstrating what he saw.
'He like shot out these...these strings and swung over us man!! It was UNBE-FREAKIN’-LIEVABLE!!' says one student.
“I tried to like take quick pic, but he was gone just like that?' says another
'I heard he has six arms’
“No way! He has two arms sicko, but he can stick to walls, I saw him!”
“I heard he beat up some guy robbing a store on East 72nd Street!”
“Nah-uh!” protests another, “He was on West 82nd Street! He was haulin' it to save some girl from a fire! I saw'em smash through a window!”
“But I got on my google alerts on! It says he was on 14th Street,” chimes in another girl, “He stopped a mugging…”
"Did you see the President's tweet? He wants to know if heroes are Republicans or not!"
~
Rummaging through his locker, Harry remains quiet, overhearing the collective gossip from all the students. Rumors of a weird guy dressed in red pants, saving random people had been circulating around the news, the radio, everywhere since Saturday morning.
'See-see! My friend sent me this blur! Look at the blur! This thing is swinging on strings! He must be placing them at night in the city, its the only way” says one girl.
“No no no!" says another, "Its comin' out his hands bro. Straight up. That, thing, is frickin' Tarzan-ing it around New York and running up buildings, HE WAS ON 14th STREET!'
“14th Street.” mumbles Harry, just remembering to check his cellphone.
Opening up his messages and the Peter thread, still no answer from him; Harry simply stuffs the cellphone back in his pocket, frustrated that Peter didn’t respond to any of his texts the whole weekend, let alone, wasn’t home when he dropped by since he needed help passing his science tests as his father made explicitly clear he had to do. Slamming his locker shut in frustration, Harry turns around and accidentally bumps into a young girl who immediately falls to the floor, dropping her book bag.
“Watch it!!!” the girl shouts.
“OH jeeez!” huffs Harry, dropping his book bag and helping the girl onto her feet.
As soon as the brunette with purple highlights lifts her head up, Harry feels as if a ton of bricks hits him on the head as soon as their eyes meet. She was beautiful, to him at least. Totally his type even though he knew he was classified as the, 'Uptight Rich Boy's Kid with the Orange County Background Odor All Over Him', guy.
"So uh, you’re gonna give me my bag or stare at me all day?! " the girl asks sarcastically, smoothing out the wrinkles on her purple t-shirt and green hoodie.
Harry blushes and smiles, "Oh ya, my bad." he says handing her back the bag.
His eyes immediately snap to her purple dyed hair with its brown highlights.
'Genius.' Harry thought to himself. She wasn't slim like the other girls, and she wasn't fat like a slob or someone who didn't care. 'Healthy' is what he thought to himself and that was more than okay. It was right in his eyes. Her lime green glasses fit perfect on her peach colored face.
He loved the purple t-shirt under her green hoodie that read a logo, "Runaway." Harry loved the shirt and the tattered plaid flannel skirt, long torn black and green leggings and black sneakers with the 'peace' symbol on it. If he could tell her how much he liked all this he would, but with a quick witted attitude that he not only craved for at times, but wish he had himself, he knew she probably knew when she looked at him.
Summoning up the courage with a deep breath, "My name is Harry. You’re new here?" he asks, nearly coughing on his words since he took such a deep breath.
"Well I'm not old here." she retorts sharply.
Harry smiles at the quickness of her statement.
"Of course, um. What's your name?" he asks.
The girl slides on her book bag and looks at Harry and up and down before digging into her bookbag, "Aren't you fast! You must not have a girlfriend huh?"
Harry blushes with embarrassment, contemplating if he really likes the quick wittiness now. The girl turns around, noticing his embarrassment as she brushes back her purple hair from her eyes.
“Now don't get all red on me like an apple now because I can see through you like crystal. The name is Gert. Short for Gertrude but don't call me Gertrude." she says, and adds, "And I take it you’re on the welcoming committee for The New Girl or can I rightfully assume, you’re just nose-y?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.
"N-no, just a...uh..."
"Come-come now."
"Well..uh...you see...I'm..."
With a half-smile, she leans on the blue lockers enjoying Harry’s awkwardness.
“If you’re gonna say you’re a small town guy livin' in a small time world, all while wearin' three hundred dollar khakis and one hundred and fifty dollar sneakers, I’m so gonna make fun of that?" she says with a smirk. Harry's eyes nearly bulge out of his head at her nearly psychic deduction.
"OH SNAP A GOTH GIRL!" shouts a voice.
Harry quickly feeling the pressure off of him, sees Gert's eye quickly turn from him to someone else. Turning around also, Harry sees a laughing Eddie Brock and Flash standing a few feet away, pointing at Gert like an idiot.
"I didn't think I'd see a Goth Girl here in Queens?" Flash laughs.
Harry, froze up against the locker doors, ready to be stuffed in his locker, glances to Gert who simply narrows her eyes and folds her arms at the two jocks approaching her. Looking up at the two tall jocks like an animal cornered into a fight, Gertrude glances over to Harry and points her thumb to Flash and Eddie.
“So are these the village idiots?”
Watching Harry try to contain his snorting laugh, Gertrude raises her eyebrow at the two jocks, "Or are you two just the two stupid idiots that abuse the luxury of being stupid, all the time?” she says looking at Eddie and Flash.
Flash points at her, "Why is your hair purple like that? You look like a mutant"
“Hey…” Gert says, pointing to his face, "Why do you wear Halloween masks before hollow, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, that’s just your FACE! Oh…why with all that STUPIDITY all over it, I couldn’t tell it was you underneath!"
Harry's eyes light up in overjoyed happiness at seeing what is unfolding before him as Flash gulps, having for the first time in a long time…someone verbally bite back at him.
At that point, Harry looks around, seeing a hush settled in the hallways as everyone shuts up and watches what unfolds before them as Flash face turns red.
“WELL YOUR FACE…”
“Hey easy there big guy.” Eddie interrupts, pulling Flash back by the shoulder before his reddened face explodes, and turns to the young girl, "Look, here's some advice for you, learn your place here. You’re a newbie, we are..."
"That Lords of the Empty-Headed-Jock-Strap People?" Gert quickly interjects.
Eddie clenches his jaw, "What's your name?!" he demands.
"My name is something only a privilege few can know, like him." she says, nodding to Harry.
Eddie points his finger in Harry’s face, “ TELL ME HER NAME OR DIE FRECKLE FACE!”
Harry’s face turns pale at the sight of Eddie’s finger inches from his nose.
“Oh am I SOOOooo much for you that ‘Mister-Big-Headed-Ego’ Man has to go pick on someone else because he just lost his cahoney’s in a fight faster than…” Gert mockingly looks around and whispers loudly, “…first night with whatever girl you had!”
Everyone’s eyes open wide as Eddie’s face turns red with anger.
“Uh-oh…” Gert says mockingly, “…look at’em Harry! His face so red, his eyes so dilated, his fists shaking…I think we HIT THE NERVE! Everyone watch out, one of these guys are gonna start crying and sucking his thumb!”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!!” Eddie shouts.
“I BET she said THAT too!” Gertrude swiftly retorts, leaving Eddie speechless.
Everyone erupts into laughter as Flash and Eddie look at everyone
Eddie points to Harry, "YOU HANG OUT WITH THIS LOSER…”
“Now-now-now boys…” Gert interrupts, “Let’s not go calling this…” Gertrude looks to Harry who awkwardly grins at her before turning back to them, “…socially inept creature, a ‘loser’, when we both know that in the end, you just want his clothes.” She smirks, “Besides, I don’t hang out with losers or the mentally challenged because, if I did, that would mean I would have to finish this sentence with the both of…”
Suddenly Gertrude turns away, grabbing Harry by the arm, “I’m sorry was I talking to someone?” she laughs, pulling Harry along as he simply looks at her, astonished.
Flash looks at Eddie in confusion as Eddie simply grinds his teeth in anger.
"YOU DIDN’T FINISH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING!” Flash shouts, making Eddie rolls his eyes at him and walk away.
As they walk down the hallway, with everyone staring at Gert in complete shock, Harry looks at her, "Can I just say that if this is the last time I ever see you, I'll remember this moment for the rest of my life."
Gert smiles, "Now don't tell me you plan on leaving me this very minute. We're just getting to be friends." she says.
Harry smiles from ear to ear, "I so got to introduce you to a friend of mine."
Gert nods, "Fine with me. Just as long as I can talk about that strange thing swinging around the city."
Harry eyes open wide, "I KNOW! I HEARD ABOUT IT!"
Gert smiles, "It saved me from a mugging. It totally pulled me up a wall, it can stick to walls too! And, it like beat the crap out of five muggers like he was in some...some...Jackie Chan movie!" she says with contained excitement.
Harry eyes open even wider, if at all possible as his face lights up, "OH.....EM....GEEE!"
Gert nods, "I know."
Harry nods, "We're so gonna be good friends."
to be continued....
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