The sun shed a warm glow over the park as MJ and I sat on an old wooden bench, the scattered talk of passing giving a melodic backdrop. MJ took out a lunch box containing an array of sandwiches. Don't tell me she would have eaten that many sandwiches alone had I not tagged along with her.
"Well, feast your eyes, Parker. Lunch is served!" She announced dramatically, handing me a sandwich wrapped in foil.
I unwrapped it and bit into the soft bread, savoring the flavors. It tasted amazing. Did she make these? Damn!
"Did you make these sandwiches yourself?" I asked, impressed.
"Who knows? Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Eat up, Parker. Life waits for no one," She smirked as she bit into hers.
"Thanks," I smiled as I ate mine.
"For what?" She asked, confused. "It's just sandwiches."
Humm... This tastes good. "These are amazing! You're a sandwich maestro!"
She smirked. "Well, I am a woman of many talents. Sandwich-making just happens to be one of them." She quickly realized she just said that she made them, "Tsk. Whatever."
I chuckled, "It's okay. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone you make delicious sandwiches."
We spoke and laughed as we ate our unplanned picnic. MJ's witty remarks sprinkled our chat, making every topic more interesting.
"Remember that time when Flash Thompson tried to show off in class but ended up embarrassing himself?" I chuckled as I remembered the encounter.
"Oh, the glorious moment! His face turned redder than a tomato. Classic Flash," MJ chuckled, taking a bite of her sandwich. "But it was even better to see him bully you. Oh, I am missing the old Peter. Shy and always making a fool of himself."
"Oouch. You just had to hurt where it hurts the most," I sighed, shaking my head. "But I guess you're right. Old Peter was a loser."
She raised an eyebrow, "You seem to be okay with it, huh? Why is that? Any plans to turn back time and be the old pushover again?"
I smiled and shook my head, "Nope. I'm good. I like myself as I am now. No more shy Peter. Just a cool guy."
"Hmm... Interesting. Who would have thought Parker would become confident and talkative? Then maybe I will have to watch out for this new Peter," She smirked, sipping her water.
I just grinned and shook my head, sipping my water. I don't have to worry about being the shy nerdy Peter anymore. The first thing I have to do is change my pushover image while keeping myself away from trouble. It's not going to be easy, but I'll make it work. For Peter. For my future.
"Look at us, goofing around and acting like fools. This is not so bad, huh?" MJ asked as we watched the world go by around us. "I don't remember the last time I talked this much and spent this much time with a classmate. Well, at least you never gave me that weird look like everyone even though I made fun of you a couple of times."
"What weird look?" I asked, not understanding.
"That look people give you when they don't want to waste their time on you, like you are a waste of space. That's what I call it. The 'you-are-the-crap-under-my-shoe' look," She sighed. "Anyway, today was a nice change of pace, Parker."
"Agreed," I said, watching some birds land near our spot.
"So, what's the plan now, Mr. Rebirth? We still have a few hours to waste," She asked, leaning back on the bench.
"Let's go toward the lakeside..."
"Sounds like a plan," she said, pulling out a small notebook from her bag and scribbling something down.
"What are you writing?"
"Something unrelated to you. Anyway, let's go," She said, getting up and walking away.
I followed her, and as we walked, we just randomly talked about random things. We came across a couple of street performers, engaging in hilarious conversations with strangers, and getting annoyed by obnoxious tourists. It was like a roller-coaster ride, and I was enjoying every moment.
"Isn't this a bit too much?" I chuckled as we ended up in front of a mime artist doing exaggerated movements.
MJ grinned mischievously, "Oh, come on. It's all part of the experience! Plus, this mime's expressions are priceless."
We observed the performance for a while before continuing our aimless exploration. Eventually, we found ourselves near a small pond teeming with ducks.
"How about a duck race?" MJ suggested, pointing at the quacking creatures.
"A what now?" I raised an eyebrow.
"We each pick a duck, give them fun names, and let them race to the other end of the pond. Winner buys ice cream!" She beamed, already crouching down to inspect the ducks.
I couldn't stop laughing at her ridiculous idea, "Okay, let's do it!"
I never thought I would be spending time with a girl the same day I woke up after my death. And to top that, a duck race of all things. It's hilarious, and I can't help but laugh at how absurd it is. I mean, what would a sane person do after waking up in another person's body after dying? Not a duck race that's for sure.
Well, maybe I'm not the sanest person in the world. But it feels good to have someone to talk to and laugh with. I wanted to talk to someone so badly after lying in that cold lab for God knows how many years. How much have I yearned for someone to see me and talk to me? Maybe I was missing a human touch more than I realized.
"What's with the sad face?" MJ asked, looking over at me from her spot.
I snapped out of my thoughts, "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about... No, forget it. Maybe I will tell you later."
We chose our ducks, gave them crazy names like 'Quack-Attack' and 'Speedy-Feathers,' and released them into the water with a lighthearted countdown. Our feathered competitors paddled poorly, generating a funny race among our applause and laughing.
"You owe me an ice cream, Parker!" She yelled as 'Quack-Attack' edged slightly ahead.
"Let's not count our ducks before they hatch!" I replied, a wide grin on my face.
The race ended in a tie since both ducks crossed the finish line at the same time. We smiled, admitting that there was no clear winner in our race.
"Alright, tiebreaker at the ice cream shop," She said as she led the way out of the park.
I couldn't help but think that the day's activities with MJ were a breath of fresh air in this new existence as we made our way towards the local ice cream shop. She has softened a little and is acting like a child full of energy.
This isn't a bad start, in my opinion... She is now smiling more often. Humm...
As we snuggled into a cozy seat at the ice cream shop, the sun dropped low in the sky, spreading a golden tint across the cityscape. The chime of the bell above the entrance greeted us, and MJ scanned the flavors with exaggerated curiosity.
"So, Mr. Rebirth, what's your pick?" She smirked, her gaze fixed on the menu, as if it contained the keys to the cosmos.
"Decisions, decisions," I murmured as I pretended to examine the flavors carefully, "I'll go with the classic chocolate chip mint."
MJ rolled her eyes amusingly, "Boring option, Parker. But suit yourselves." She ordered, "Sweet strawberry cheesecake delight, please."
"You know, Parker, I've got to admit, you're not as insufferable as I initially thought," she added as she dug her spoon into her ice cream.
"Wow, what a compliment coming from you!" I chuckled, enjoying the ice cream. "I'll take it as a sign of progress in our budding friendship."
"Let's not get carried away now, Parker. I wouldn't want you to start thinking you're tolerable," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
I chuckled, enjoying the comfortable friendship we'd formed throughout the day. MJ seemed to be letting down her guard a little more with each passing minute, exposing a side that wasn't always concealed beneath her cynicism.
I realized how much I was enjoying her company as we finished our ice cream. The day had been an unexpected experience, and being with MJ made it even better. She had a sharp tongue, but underlying that was a genuine person—someone I would like to spend more time with.
"Hey, Parker, don't let it get to your head, but today wasn't entirely terrible," She interrupted my thoughts.
"I'll take that as a glowing praise," I answered, smiling. "Thanks for not making today entirely insufferable for me."
"Don't mention it," she said, a tiny smile on her lips.
With the evening settling in, I realized it was time to head to Stan's Pizza Joint for my part-time job.
"Well, I guess, this is it for today," I said as I checked my watch.
"You got somewhere else to be?" She asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I have a part-time job at a pizza joint," I explained.
She smirked, "Interesting. Who knew Peter Parker had a job on the side? Well, don't let me hold you up. I'll see you around, Parker."
I nodded, "See you at school tomorrow."
She walked away, leaving me with a warm feeling in my heart. I watched her from a distance as she took the bus and disappeared into the sunset.
"Well, Peter, time to deliver some Pizza. Fuck! I need to find a way to earn some quick cash, fast," I mumbled to myself as I walked toward the Pizza joint. If the lottery fails, I will pursue some higher goals that this 'Peter' always wanted but never tried to pursue, but the problem is money and I don't even know if I am gonna get bitten by that spider... If I get my power, it would be a piece of cake to earn some money...
"Haaa... Anyway, time to get to work."
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