CHAPTER ONE.
CHANCES.

"I'm telling you Pete, he's gonna notice." Josephine started, the girl briefly glancing at Peter as the two walked side-by-side into school, backpacks resting on their shoulders. "If you haven't noticed, your skateboard isn't exactly invisible."

"I'll deal with that problem when it arises." Peter just shook his head as he continued dragging the edge of his skateboard on the ground, Josephine's eyebrows raising at the words. "Anyway, didn't your mom say your dad was coming back soon?"

Josephine nodded, a grin appearing on her face as she answered. "Yeah, in a few days. He finally has permission to bring all his research down here."

"That's awesome, Jo." Peter smiled at her. "It's been ages since I've seen him, how's he doing?"

"Yeah, you and me both. And the answer is...hopefully fine?" Josephine raised her eyebrows as she met his gaze, the two continuing to walk down one of the school's various hallways as they neared their lockers.

"Mr Parker, if I have to remind you about that skateboard again this week, it will be confiscated." The principal spoke up as the teens passed the classroom he was teaching in, Peter rolling his eyes as he unwillingly tucked the skateboard under his arm.

"Told you." Josephine teasingly smirked at Peter as the two slightly fastened their pace, avoiding another lecture from the principal.

"Whatever." Peter just huffed a chuckle as they approached their lockers, Peter's opposite Josephine's.

Once Josephine put her backpack inside and took her books out, she closed her locker door, the girl walking over to Peter as she held the books to her chest.

"English?" Peter questioned with raised brows as he closed his locker door, the boy already knowing Josephine's timetable by heart.

"Science?" Josephine asked, a small smirk appearing on her face as Peter nodded in confirmation. "See you at lunch."

"See you at lunch." Peter nodded again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he held his hand out and awaited Josephine's.

Josephine grinned as she held her hand out too, the duo doing their little handshake they created when they were kids—Peter gently slapping the back of her hand with his palm (on the side), Josephine then gently slapping the back of his hand with her palm (on the side), both of their hands balling into fists as they gently hit each other's fists (once up and once down), then ending it with a fist-bump.

The two sent each other small smiles as they departed, Josephine going one way, while Peter went the other.

•

Celeste approached Josephine, the girl flashing her best friend a pearly-toothed grin as she plopped down in the seat beside her. "Hey, Josie."

"Hey." Josephine smiled as she met her gaze. "How was Greece?"

"Oh, it was as beautiful as always." Celeste excitedly gushed, resting her forearms on the table as she continued. "We're going to Italy next."

"Ooo, nice." Josephine raised her eyebrows and accompanied the action with a nod of approval.

"So, what did you do over break?" Celeste grinned as she leaned closer to Josephine and slightly lowered her voice, her chin resting on the palm of her hand as she did so. "Getting it on with Peter, I hope."

Josephine widened her eyes at the words, her cheeks slightly heating up at the thought. "What?! No, of course not!"

Celeste just expectedly blew out a breath at the words, the girl rolling her eyes as she slumped back in her seat. "Let me guess, you still haven't told him yet?"

Josephine sighed as she crossed her arms, accompanying the action with a shrug. "I just haven't had the chance."

"You 'haven't had the chance?'" Celeste raised her eyebrows as she incredulously repeated Josephine's words. "Josie, you've had plenty of chances- in fact, I can give you a few right now. One, when your mom was out working late and you and Peter had the house to yourselves. Two, when you and Peter walk home together every single day, oh, and how about every time you're ever alone?!"

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Josephine exclaimed, cutting Celeste off before she could embarrass her further. "Just lower your voice."

"I'm just saying, you've had literally every opportunity to confess, and yet you still haven't...for reasons I will never understand." Celeste scoffed, the girl muttering the last part to herself as she shook her head.

Josephine sent Celeste a brief glare as she replied. "I just don't want to ruin our friendship. I mean, what if he doesn't like me back? It'll just be super awkward."

"You're not wrong about the awkward part." Celeste shrugged, Josephine sending her a frown at the words. "But it's obvious he likes you back, so I don't see the problem."

"I just explained the problem." Josephine furrowed her eyebrows, the girl then releasing an annoyed groan as she slightly tilted her head back. "I hate this."

"I know, sweetie." Celeste sent Josephine a sympathetic, tight-lipped smile as she reached over and squeezed her hand. "You're just gonna have to grow a pair of balls and force the confession."

At this, Josephine's head snapped up to frown at Celeste, the girl scoffing as she tore her hand away from her female best friend's. "Very helpful Celeste. Note the sarcasm."

Celeste just grinned at the words.

"Miss McClain!" The teacher's voice boomed to the back of the classroom, catching the students' attention.

Josephine raised her eyebrows as she glanced at the teacher, noticing the rest of the students turn around to stare at her.

"And what is it that you are doing?" The teacher placed her hands on her hips as she raised her eyebrows and awaited Josephine's answer.

"Uh...my best?" Josephine responded uncertainly, the statement coming off as a question as she raised her eyebrows and slightly cringed at her own answer.

"I'm sure your personal life can wait until lunchtime, Josephine." The teacher sent Josephine a brief glare as she then turned around and faced the board again, beginning to teach the class again.

•

"Finally. God, I thought that class would never end." Celeste blew out a breath as both her and Josephine sat at their usual lunch table, the two sitting across from each other as they waited for Marcus and Peter.

Josephine huffed a chuckle at the words as she took a sip from her water bottle.

Quickly approaching Josephine, Peter put his hands over her eyes, the boy smirking a little as he spoke up. "Guess who."

"Wait, don't tell me..." Josephine joked, a teasing smile appearing on her face as Peter took his hands away from her eyes and sat in the seat next to her. "Hey, I was just about to guess!"

"You took too long." Peter shrugged, his smirk growing as he picked up the apple on his tray and took a bite out of it before continuing. "Besides, I'm hungry."

Josephine just shook her head at the words, the same smile placed on her face as she glanced down at her food.

Celeste's gaze flickered between the two from her position, the girl knowingly smirking at their behaviour.

"Hey, guys." Marcus started as he sat in the seat next to Celeste, his gaze flickering between the group as he continued. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing much." Josephine answered simply, her gaze shifting to Peter, who met it with a playful grin.

Marcus' gaze was trained on Josephine, the boy slightly furrowing his eyebrows at how she smiled back at Peter.

"Hey, did you guys hear about that spider guy?" Celeste spoke up eagerly, catching the group's attention as she glanced between them.

"Spider-Man." Josephine nodded at the girl. "Yeah I did, actually. So bizarre."

At the words, Peter slightly furrowed his eyebrows, the boy glancing at Josephine as he responded. "Bizarre?"

"Not 'weird' bizarre. Bizarre as in woah." Josephine met his gaze with a shrug. "Cool bizarre."

Peter visibly relaxed as he nodded at her response. "Yeah...cool bizarre."

"Nah, he seems stupid." Marcus scoffed, Peter frowning at him as he spoke. "I mean, what guy just swings around beating up random dudes and shooting cobwebs? At this point, he might as well lay eggs."

"But those 'random dudes' were criminals, right? Car thieves and abusers?" Peter spoke up as he picked at his food with his fork, his gaze shifting between his friends and his food as he shrugged. "Seems like they deserved it to me."

"Still doesn't give this guy the right to do the police's job, though." Marcus frowned at Peter, Celeste and Josephine's gazes flickering between the boys as the conversation became more serious, the two not wanting to get involved in whatever direction it was about to go in.

"Maybe he's doing the police's job because they're not, you know?" Peter snapped as he defensively met Marcus' gaze, the fork he was previously holding clattering onto his tray as he did so, the loud sound halting the conversation and catching everyone else's attention.

Josephine furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced at Peter, the girl trying to work out why he was so quick to defend some guy he doesn't even know.

Celeste glanced around at the rest of the students that were in the cafeteria, a few just staring at them, and others erupting into hushed murmurs.

After a momentary silence, Marcus cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. "Well, he should probably stop."

Peter just shook his head as his gaze reverted to his food, the boy picking up his fork again and continuing to eat it in silence, Josephine's puzzled gaze remaining on him as various thoughts flurried around her head.

•

"Hey mom, we're home!" Josephine called out as she opened the front door, the girl walking inside, Peter following close-behind and closing the door behind him.

"Hey, Valerie!" Peter called.

Valerie smiled as she poked her head out from her office, the woman sending Josephine and Peter a small wave. "Hey, kids. Dinner's in the kitchen."

"Actually, I can't stay, I promised Aunt May that I'd help clean the house. She wanted it done yesterday, and I haven't even started yet." Peter explained, the boy following Josephine to the kitchen. "I really wish I could though, Jo promised we'd have a really productive study session."

At the sarcastic tone in the last part, Josephine shot Peter a brief glare. "Ha ha."

"Oh, that's a shame." Valerie furrowed her eyebrows at the first part of Peter's sentence as she approached the teenagers, the woman standing in the doorway as she watched Josephine sit at the table. "Well, say hi to her for me, okay?"

"Will do." Peter sent her a nod, a small smile placed on his face as he did so.

He glanced down at Josephine, the boy's smile growing as he spoke up. "See you tomorrow, Jo."

"Seven o'clock on the dot, Parker." Josephine grinned up at the boy, who nodded and began making his way out of the McClain household.

"See ya!" Peter called as he walked out, the boy throwing up a peace sign as he did so.

"Bye, Peter!" Valerie waved, Peter closing the door behind him as he left.

"He was acting super weird at lunch today." Josephine started, the girl catching her mother's attention as she met her gaze.

"Weird how?" Valerie responded as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "He's a teenage boy, hon, you're going to have to be more specific."

"Well, we were talking about Spider-Man, and all of a sudden he just got super defensive." Josephine explained, her eyebrows slightly furrowing as she continued. "Marcus said something about letting the police do their job, and Peter just snapped."

"Sounds personal." Valerie hummed, Josephine waiting a moment before slightly widening her eyes in realisation, her mother continuing at the action. "I can practically see cogs in your head turning, what's up?"

"Maybe it was personal." Josephine suggested as she glanced at Valerie again. "I mean, the cops never found the guy that killed Ben, maybe that's why Peter likes Spider-Man so much. Because he's trying to do what the police couldn't."

Valerie slowly nodded at the words. "Or maybe he just likes vigilantes."

"Mom." Josephine deadpanned as she sent her mother an exasperated glare at the comment.

Valerie held her hands up in a surrender motion as her eyebrows raised, the woman beginning to walk back to her office as she did so. "Just playing devils advocate, sweetheart."

•

"Just because Peter takes photos of Spider-Man, doesn't mean he is Spider-Man." Celeste scoffed as her and Josephine walked side-by-side towards the school's exit.

"I'm not saying Peter is Spider-Man, that's ridiculous." Josephine shrugged as she spoke, the girl glancing away as she did so. "I'm just saying, he might personally know him...or something."

"I hate to break it to you J, but accusations require proof, which you have absolutely none of." Celeste raised her eyebrows as she caught Josephine's attention.

Josephine frowned at the words.

"Look Josie, you have a huge imagination, and I love that about you." Celeste started, gently placing her hand on Josephine's shoulder as the two looked at each other. "But sometimes you have a tendency to go a little overboard, and make up things out of nothing."

"Might as well twist the knife more." Josephine's frown deepened as she crossed her arms.

"All I'm saying is...maybe you should just take a second to think this through, and then make the decision to act—or not—act on it, okay?" Celeste continued, ignoring Josephine's words.

Josephine blew out a breath as she contemplated Celeste's words, the girl biting her bottom lip in thought.

Usually her gut feelings were always correct.

And when Josephine had a gut feeling, she needed to act on it.

Making the decision to verbally lie to Celeste, Josephine reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I'll just drop it."

"Good." A small smile appeared on Celeste's lips as she gently patted Josephine's shoulder, the girl beginning to walk ahead as she continued speaking. "Come on, let's get coffee."

Josephine blew out a breath as she followed after her.

•

AUTHOR'S NOTE

hey!

sorry this took so long to post, I wanted it to be a good first chapter.

this book may be a little slow at the start, but trust me, once I actually publish a few chapters, it'll get better, and plot lines will start to make sense.

for now, I hope you enjoyed this one.

more coming (hopefully) soon!