Chapter 14 : The longest day of my life (Deal)

 

Midtown High’s hallway, Midtown High, Queens, New York, 25th of January, 07:52

 

Still cradling the bundle of confusion in my arms, I am contemplating where everything went wrong.

 

In my mind, I was so sure that once Gwen saw that I was a girl, she would be upset at me and it would be the end of her teenage infatuation.

 

This universe apparently chose to troll me hard because she wouldn’t be crying herself silly in my arms if she wasn’t at least pansexual.

 

Or I am way smoother than I used to be, but I’m not buying it.

 

"[Amusement, hesitation, confusion : I don’t understand why you are so upset, sister.” Iris finally asks, her mental voice still wheezing from her bout of hilarity at my depends.

 

“Because she’s fucking sixteen going on seventeen for crying out loud, I have more than the double of her age mentally, and she’s totally smitten with me !” I yell on the mind-link, the urge to vent too strong.

 

“[Amusement, confusion] : Does it make it less flattering ?” She ponders.

 

“Yes ! No ! I don’t fucking know ! I’m angry at myself because I’ve been as subtle as a bull in a china shop with her, flapping my big mouth like that, and now she’s a mess and I don’t know how to handle the situation !” I ramble upsetly.

 

“[Confidence, amusement] : Why don’t you handle it the way you wished someone would if it happened to you then ?” My blood-sister answers easily.

 

I pause.

 

“You know what, sister ? That’s probably the best advice you could have given me.” I answer back, anger at myself vanishing for something more useful.

 

Compassion.

 

I step back a little, still rocking baby gay Gwen in my arms, until my back hit the locker.

 

She is too busy impersonating a sadly crying koala hanging from my ‘clothes’ to properly register that we moved.

 

My grip shifts, my right arm sliding along the high of her back while my left hand comes on the back of her head in a more soothing gesture.

 

She stiffens for a beat, before relaxing limply.

 

“That’s ok,” I start softly as her arms slowly fall alongside her torso, “This is not the end of the world.”

 

I sigh lightly, gently rubbing her scalp under her hair.

 

“Having feelings for someone of your own sex isn’t a bad thing. Plenty of people pretend that it is, but it is not. Your brain does not get to choose who you like, only your heart, and it rarely lies to you.” I continue gently.

 

Her head shifts a little on my bosom, still downcast.

 

“I don’t know what drew you to me in the first place,” I pause, mulling over my words, “And why you still are, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not going to judge you nor revile you for it. You like who you like, Gwendolyn, and that’s what makes you, you.”

 

Her hands hesitantly reach for the lower end of my back, going for a hug.

 

I arch myself a little to allow it because the poor thing definitely needs it.

 

Gwen’s head shifts again, her right cheek now leaning across my upper torso.

 

Memories from my previous life flashes through my eyes as my upper chin lands softly on her scalp, the silences stretching between us being a little less awkward than before.

 

“Hey, hey, this is not the end of the world.” Marie says soothingly as I’m crying on her shoulder, hugging her for dear life, her smile ever present…

 

I’m ripped off my reminiscence by a quiet mumble.

 

“What is it ?” I gently ask, “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”

 

As the sounds of footsteps getting closer starts to reach us, Gwen repeats herself.

 

“It’s when you act like that.” She answers a little more forcefully.

 

“Like what ?” I ask her archingly.

 

“Like you always know what to say in any given situation to make the other person feel better.”

 

She pauses, and her grip gets a little tighter and higher on my back.

 

I flush a little because she’s hugging me from under my ‘jacket’ and my back is bare.

 

Bad Aria, no horny !

 

I straighten my head, my chin leaving its nest amid her hair.

 

 “You’re older than me, aren’t you ?” Gwen asks.

 

I sigh. We’re finally getting somewhere and I’m not really excited for it.

 

“Yes, I am.” I answer softly.

 

“How much ?” The question comes instantly.

 

“Almost three times your age.” I lamely whisper back.

 

Her head perks up and our gaze meets again. Mine must be awkward as all hell, but hers is piercing despite the red marring the white of her mint green orbs as she dabs at them with her cuff, one of her hands having left my back.

 

My left hand falls from her head, landing on my right arm atop the high of her back.

 

She scrunches her nose once she’s done, focusing.

 

“You don’t act like it, more like twenty-five at best.” She says clinically.

 

“Some would say that I didn’t really start to live before I was twenty.” I answer with a sad smile.

 

Understanding flashes through her eyes.

 

She lands her head on my upper-torso once again, thinking, while her hand instinctively finds back her previous position.

 

A beat passes as other people start to enter the hallway we’re in, forcing me to fine-tune my aura to include Gwendolyn in it.

 

I don’t want the others to see her like that.

 

“It doesn’t matter.” She declares suddenly.

 

What ?

 

“What ?” I blurt out, my focus almost failing me.

 

“I said it doesn’t matter.” Gwen answers at the same time as she turns her head to look at me once again.

 

Eh ?

 

Her green eyes pin me against the locker even harder than her newfound strength ever could.

 

“Because I’m going to make you fall for me.” She declares with more confidence in her than I’ve ever seen.

 

Dumbfounded by her reaction and too focused on my telepathy, I answer without thinking.

 

“I mean, you can always try, but, even if you succeed, I'm not touching you before university.”

 

Her eyes narrow as I realize the massive pile of feces I just threw myself in.

 

Oh shit !

 

“Deal.” She clips before I can retract what I’ve said, the corners of her mouth curling up lightly.

 

No ! Fuck ! What the hell is wrong with me ?!

 

As I start flipping tables mentally in frustration, Gwen lets a little happy sigh escape her lips as she buries herself once more under the fluff of my ‘jacket’.

 

[Amusement] ripples once again on Iris and I’s mind-link, and it is definitely not mine.

 

“This is not funny !” I mentally groan at my sister.

 

“[Amusement, interrogation] : You realize that she’s going to mature way more quickly than a standard teenager, probably catching up mentally to you in one or two years, due to how her brain works now ?” Iris asks.

 

“I do. And I have the feeling that it’s going to be an uphill battle to resist her when surrounded by dumber brats.” I lament.

 

“[Amusement, schadenfreude] : I cannot wait to see you fail, sister.” She chuckles.

 

“You take too much after me.” I mentally scowl.

 

***

 

Midtown High’s hallway, Midtown High, Queens, New York, the same day, 08:00, in Gwen Stacy’s mind

 

As the bell finally rang, there were still a lot of questions running through Gwen’s mind.

 

But, for now, as she started to extricate herself of the confines of the strangely warm jacket belonging to Aria, she was happy.

 

In the characteristic slow motion of her world, she belatedly realized that she must have made a mess of the clothes of the one she had feelings for, but when her attention turned toward them, they remained as pristine as it was before her meltdown.

 

Noting the fact in a corner of her mind for future questioning, Aria had, after all, still a lot to answer, she started to take stock of what was happening around her.

 

In short, nothing. The people were still moving like they would if they were stuck in a tar pit, which was apparently normal, yet no one was giving either Aria or her much attention.

 

Gwen’s cheeks flushed when she remembered how she dared steal another embrace after her declaration.

 

How much the little bit of skin she had felt with her enhanced sense of touch had felt warm and smooth under her fingers.

 

And that voice.

 

Oh god, that voice.

 

“Are you alright ?” Aria asked her.

 

As Gwen turned toward her, she spent a long moment, but only for her, swooning and longing over the caramel and husky tonalities that had been addressed to her and her only.

 

“How are you doing that ?” She asked, composing herself.

 

Aria was looking at her with a slightly complicated expression, worry etched on her face and…

 

Was it remorse maybe ?

 

It probably was. She just admitted to Gwen that she had lied to her and being older than she looked like.

 

But Gwen didn’t really care.

 

She was just beginning to realize that the reason she had fallen for her before, when she was still a mind, a soul, trapped into the body of a stereotypical jock, was because Aria had been and acted wiser than her apparent age.

 

Compared to everyone around them, who acted like the world belonged to them and were taking everything for granted, she had seen and had been through so much more.

 

Intelligence could be a talent as much as it could be cultivated, but it wasn’t true for wisdom.

 

Wisdom was the direct result of the time you’ve spent living, accumulating experiences, mulling over and learning from them, after all.

 

The realization had just hitted Gwen in her hyperactive and focused mind just as Aria answered.

 

“Telepathy,” she answered, expression easing now that they were onto more neutral grounds, “I’m suggesting to them that everything is ok in their mind and so they are not surprised to see me hanging with you and do not pay attention to what we're talking about.”

 

What she felt before wasn’t an illusion, then.

 

That is why her mind had focused on Aria with so much intent, her danger-sense, as she had called it, zeroing onto the discrepancy.

 

As Gwen's expression started to narrow onto the taller girl, her mind went over multiple theories.

 

Had Aria used her telepathy on her already ?

 

That would be a terrible breach of privacy, she would be quite peeved.

 

What was she attempting to do exactly with it ?

 

Did she want to spend the rest of the year camouflaging herself behind it to evade the consequences of her continued presence despite Flash’s, the real one, returns ?

 

“I didn’t use it on you, Gwen,” Aria answered the still pending interrogation, “Or, rather, I cannot. You think too fast for me to register anything properly. If you want, I’ll train you to shield your mind, just in case another telepath decides to hang around.” She rambled.

 

Another ? That meant…

 

Of course, they were others like her and Aria. You just had to pay a closer look at the Baxter Building or, as Aria mentioned it before, the Institute.

 

The world was getting stranger with each realization running through her neurons, Gwen noted.

 

“Are you going to keep doing that the whole year ?” She asked, attempting to answer one of the multiple questions running through her mind.

 

It left more space for the others, after all.

 

She was still asking herself how much exactly she knew about her world, or rather universe, when Aria slowly shaked her head.

 

Gwen’s thoughts halted for a beat, watching the slow ballet of her bouncy locks framing her face gracefully.

 

“No, I’m just waiting for maximum coverage. Once every student and teacher are here, I’ll suggest to them in mass that I’m Flash’s twin and that we were always together in school.” She answered with a tense smile.

 

Why was she tense ?

 

Oh.

 

She was afraid to be judged for what she was about to do.

 

But why would she do it in the first place ?

 

Was she still living with the Thompsons despite Eugene’s comeback ?

 

If that was the case, it was intriguing.

 

Gwen’s thoughts left her mouth before she was able to order them properly.

 

“You’re staying with them ?”

 

Aria’s expression unwinded a bit, features softening.

 

Gwen’s heart missed a beat at that, her thoughts halting once again before her unnatural beauty.

 

Where ‘Flash’ had been handsome, Aria was a work of art made by an obsessive artist, every little motions ending up being graceful.

 

She had been right, as always. Her current body suited her mind, her soul, so much better now.

 

But the fact that she was otherworldly gorgeous was only the cherry on the cake for Gwen.

 

Her hug had been so nice and warm, too.

 

“I am.” Aria answered with a soft smile, “Flashy posed an ultimatum to his father, roughly telling him that the only thing he could do was to say ‘yes’. Harrison was on board before he even finished his sentence.”

 

Understandable, if she had saved his son.

 

She was trying to stay, then.

 

That was good, Gwen thought, they could still get close.

 

She will have to ask her on a date at some point. Maybe pretend it wasn’t one and finagle her way for them to be alone. Aria would probably feel better about it if she downplayed it.

 

Maybe a shopping trip between ‘friends’ ? Aria seemed really good with fashion, if her current outfit was anything to go by.

 

A little too daring for Gwen’s tastes, though, but it was Aria’s choices, not hers.

 

Food for thought, more to compute, but her own answer was already coming.

 

“That’s good.” Gwen answered, the soft smile she had started to draw on her lips while contemplating her future ambush tactics coming to completion, “But what about their parents ?”

 

As she watched Aria shifts awkwardly, her subtext not missed by the taller girl, Gwen started to contemplate what could be her goals.

 

Coming out to her, showing her her own capabilities like that openly and telling her about her origins was only the opening act, there had to be more.

 

“I’ll handle it on a case by case basis later on if they come looking. When enough people believe it, I’ll be left alone.” Aria answered her.

 

Gwen’s mind came back toward what she already knew for sure, validating and excluding propositions, as she wordlessly noded.

 

Aria’s otherworldly origins and knowledge.

 

Her gaining powers through yet unknown means.

 

The undeniable proof they were others like them.

 

“You want to team up, going independent from the already established teams.” Gwen said aloud, realization finally hitting her as her eyes ended their widening motion.

 

She watched Aria’s mouth slowly clamp shuts as she started to blink, now convinced she had hit right on the nail.

 

But with whom ?

 

Her mind started to draw another series of parallels at the same time her vocal cords were asking the taller girl.

 

Aria bringing back Eugene probably hadn’t been easy, maybe something happened ?

 

Was it tied to that alien intervention Aria mentioned earlier ?

 

“With who ? Flash ? Is he like you now ?” She pondered aloud, eyes riveted to Aria’s micro-expressions, trying to decipher her answer before she even said it aloud.

 

Aria’s head started a nodding motion and Gwen knew she had been right.

 

Her own mind coming up short for now, she waited properly for the gorgeous girl in front of her to respond, losing herself a little in her beauty.

 

Aria’s lips had opened a little in surprise, she always tended to do that when Gwen said something clever, and her smile had become pleasant.

 

Granted, it was more than pleasant. It was to Gwen what she imagined Helene of Troy would have been able to casually unleash for wars to be waged on her name.

 

Gwen waited, transfixed by the sight, the slowly coming answer.

 

“Yes and yes,” Aria started to answer as she did that little curling up motion at the corner of her lips that had etched itself in Gwen’s mind, “Him, Jessica Jones, if we can get her away from Parker for more than a second, you, obviously, and the…”

 

Aria’s baby blue eyes started going widder.

 

Gwen still waited, her hyperactive brain still running inconclusive results.

 

“...Other girl that…”

 

Gwen’s mind started running at full clip once more, images of yesterday's events coming back.

 

Her hanging from ‘Flash’ arm.

 

The spider that bit her.

 

“...Got bitten…”

 

Her subsequent yelp and wince.

 

Unconsciously jerking her hand away, the spider getting thrown off.

 

“...Yesterday. Fuck !”

 

Gwen didn’t remember the exact angle her arthropodic projectile had taken, but she remembered something else.

 

Another girl’s yelp of pain and subsequent cursing that followed her own visceral reaction.

 

Her eyes started to widen as the same time Aria’s did.

 

“Cindy Moon.” The both of them called at the same time.

 

In her skewed perception of time, she watched anguish etch itself on Aria’s face.

 

Gwen didn’t know why, but the always calm and collected Aria panicking wasn’t probably a good sign.

 

In remarkable time, to her at least, it disappeared to leave its place to laser-like focus, the same drive to succeed that Aria had shown when studying.

 

Gwen’s heart missed another beat, just a bystander watching Aria’s arms slowly rising from alongside her body and her hands landing on her shoulder.

 

As the same time as a flicker of white light came and passed, Aria, now pinning her gaze into Gwen’s, started to talk.

 

“I have to go check something,” She said as Gwen lost herself in the steel of her baby blue eyes, “This is extremely important, can you cover for me ?”

 

Gwen wanted to sigh and swoon at the same time. Aria could be so bossy at times.

 

But if Aria was getting this worked up over something, this was undoubtedly important.

 

After an eternity spent admiring those orbs evoking a sweet summer sky, Gwen’s head finally ended her own nodding motion.

 

“Of course.” Her answer left her lips, a little dreamily.

 

“Perfect.” Aria declared instantly as her hands started to leave her shoulders, already turning on herself.

 

Gwen watched her starting to strut away, her golden locks following her every motions, the lace of her skirt rippling away as she took her first step.

 

Her eyes landed on the low of her back, and Gwen’s brain crashed.

 

As the heat on her cheeks reared its head back with a vengeance, Aria’s figure quickly rushing away from her side, only one thought circled her frozen mind while her fellow students around her started going to their classes.

 

Aria had, indeed, a very nice ass to look at.

 

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