On The First Day (August 2004)

Midtown was HUGE compared to the middle school they had been in. The halls were filled with kids and teachers as the newest students, the freshmen searched for their lockers. Once again it appeared that Serena and Theo were given lockers next to one another because their mother registered them one right after the other. They had their combinations but Serena noticed Theo was not focused on his locker. He was looking at the older girls that were dressed to impress. It was like some kind of school fashion show as the girls of different ages, sizes and shapes paraded down the hall past them. His smile and what he was actually looking at was obvious.

“Whoa, did you see that?” Theo said with a smile. Serena also noticed those girls looking at Theo too though he didn’t seem to notice it. Harry suddenly appeared and moved right up to Serena. “Hey gorgeous,” He said as he leaned in and kissed her. The past year and a half had been wonderful with Harry. And her mother and father loved him. Last year he accompanied them on their summer vacation to Europe and they had a great time there together. Harry knew several languages and had served as their unofficial interpreter. “You look awesome,” Harry whispered into her ear and his warm breath in her ear made her flesh prickle. He smiled and backed off before she shoved him back for enticing her like that. It was an ongoing private joke between them. A sign that they had shared more than one private moment together.

“Hey, just remember the field trip today to my father’s lab! Get into the first group...you too Theo. They’re only picking so many students for the science program,” Harry reminded them. Just then a boy that Serena vaguely recognized was being pushed around by 2 very large boys. All three of them noticed it and Serena finally realized who it was. Peter Parker had helped her once and right now he looked like he could use some help.

Serena was thrilled to finally be in Midtown High. She had been anxiously waiting all summer for the first day of school and now it had finally come and high school was already proving to be everything she had hoped it would be. Serena was in all advanced classes, but she was excited to know that she would be in the same lunch hour as Harry and Theo.

Serena had been up very early that morning to get ready. She hadn't seen Harry in a few days and wanted to ensure that she looked good...she didn't want any of the older girls to catch his attention instead...not that she truly questioned his loyalty to her. They had been together for the past year and a half and no other girl had been able to pry him away from her, but they certainly had tried! Serena picked out a cute skirt and top with a lightweight cardigan sweater and a pair of flats. She had recently cut her hair a little and it was about collarbone length. She had used a curling iron to make loose waves and had applied a little makeup (including the lipgloss that Harry really liked).

Serena had been excited to get to school early. She and Theo walked to their lockers, which were side by side, and she couldn't help but grin when Theo took notice of some of the older girls who walked past them. He had clearly gotten over his crush on Natalya. Natalya had continued their trainings and had become more like a mentor to them.

Serena was finishing up putting her books and notebooks into her locker when she suddenly saw Harry. She smiled warmly at him as he walked right up to her and kissed her. She kissed him back and breathed in his familiar scent. His whispered comment about how she looked made her skin prickle and a smile come across her face. Serena did remember the trip to his father's lab and she was excited bout the science program. Suddenly though, her attention was pulled away when she heard a commotion happening nearby. She saw a boy that Serena thought she recognized from middle school being pushed around by two much larger, older boys. She finally realized it was Peter Parker. She quickly walked over to stop what was happening.

"Hey!" she said to get the older boy's attentions. "Leave him alone." She helped Peter back up onto his feet.

The two boys, obviously juniors or seniors did not seem to like Serena butting into their fun. One of them pushed her. Theo and Harry had moved in an instant. “You shouldn’t have done that...You should feel embarrassed by picking on someone smaller than you. I think you should apologize,” Theo ‘suggested’ to the largest boy. The boy looked at him a moment and then color bloomed in his cheeks and he suddenly looked abashed. By then a small crowd had formed. “Uh...I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pick on someone smaller than me,” he said and then stepped away through the crowd. The other boy looked at Theo a moment as if he were deciding on doing something to him but Harry stepped up. “Shows over,” Harry said in a dangerous tone.

Serena ofcourse knew what Theo had done. “Are you alright?” Harry asked her. “Uh...thanks Serena,” Peter said. Theo hadn’t meant to do that but it was done and he couldn’t take it back. “Theo Stark,” Theo said as he extended his hand to Peter. Harry handed him his backpack. “And you’re Harry Osborn,” Peter said. “Yep, I think you’re in our class, why don’t you just hang with us?” Harry asked. That brought Peter’s spirits up and his very blue eyes glittered with happiness.

Serena was not intimidated by the two boys. She knew how to defend herself, thanks to Natalya's training. However, Harry and Theo quickly moved over to where she and Peter were and Theo "suggested" to the larger boy that he feel embarrassed and apologize. Serena glanced at Theo as the boy did apologize, but she didn't say anything.

"Yes, I'm fine," she told Harry as he looked at her with concern in his eyes. She looked over at Peter and smiled a little at him. They figured out he had the same lunch that they did and Serena smiled. "We'd be happy to have you join us."

Later that day Serena, Theo, and Harry sat together in the lunchroom at a table. Serena sat next to Harry with Peter sitting across from her.

“So, are you excited about the trip to Oscorp labs?” she asked Peter.

Besides Ned and MJ, Peter really didn’t have any friends. And only 1 family member, his Aunt May. Ned and MJ were geeks like him but sitting at a table with Serena and Theo Stark! And Harry Osborn! Was something truly special. Ned did watch him from afar as did MJ but they kept their distance though MJ had given Serena some pretty hefty scrutiny. She wasn’t Peter’s ‘girl’ but she felt more than a little bit of jealousy with how Peter looked at Serena. Serena was very pretty and was super rich besides. What did she really have compared to that? She looked down at herself and surreptitiously pushed up her shift and adjusted her breasts so that they looked a bit more perky than they really were. No one noticed her though, no one ever really noticed her or Ned...or Peter, until now.

“I am but...well, I’m in the 3rd group,” he said disappointedly. “I’m pretty certain all the spots will be gone by then,” Peter said in obvious disappointment. Peter had been in Serena’s Algebra class and he was clearly going to give Serena a run for her money at being the top student. She had him in applied sciences and Physics as well after lunch.

“Nonsense,” Harry said. “I’ll get ya into the first group, no problem,” Harry said as he put his arm around her shoulders and touched the back of her neck in that familiar and intimate way he often did. As Theo was about to speak two girls came over to their table. “Hi...a Theo? Theo Stark?” One of them said. She was tall and thin, with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. The other looked half asian with hazel eyes and short, straight black hair. It was her that handed him a folded note. Both appeared to be giddy and smiled as they looked at him.

“This is from Tasha Ruditys, in your Economics class? She asked us to give it to you,” The taller one said and gave him a wink then both girls giggled as they stepped away. Theo’s cheeks had gone pink over the exchange as other people seemed to have taken notice. He didn’t see Tasha but he definitely remembered her. She was of average height with long, dark brown, almost black hair that hung down nearly to the small of her back and large light brown eyes. Beautiful and their eyes had met from across the classroom during class. He smiled and nodded to her and she smiled and looked away. Harry chuckled while Peter looked decidedly confused by the whole thing. He looked at Serena but just held the folded note in his hand as if he forgot about it altogether.

Serena liked Peter. He was kind-hearted and very smart. They were in several classes together and he was already giving her a run for her money. She liked that though. It pushed her. She was rather competitive (she was Tony Stark's daughter after all!). However, any competition between them was friendly. Serena knew that Peter was also friends with Ned and MJ and she noticed that they were in the same lunch. She wondered if she shouldn't invite them to join them as well. She didn't want to alienate Peter from the friends he already had.

When Harry told Peter he would be able to get him into the first group for the field trip Serena smiled at him. She felt that Peter deserved an internship spot. She was hoping to get one as well. She was about to ask Peter if he wanted to invite Ned and MJ to their table when suddenly two girls approached and spoke to Theo. Serena grinned when she saw a note being handed over to him from a girl in one of his classes. She grinned even more to see him rather flustered by the entire exchange. "Well, what does the note say?"

Theo started as if he just recalled there was a note but he looked and felt confused by the whole thing. Theo slowly unfolded the note and noted that it smelled flowery and sweet. The handwriting was elegant and wispful.

‘Theo, I saw you looking at me in class today but you didn’t come up to talk to me. This note is incase you are the shy type. Will you come to the East Commons to talk to me?’

-Tasha

Theo blinked at what Tasha wrote and then read it all again. His cheeks colored more and then he looked up at Serena. “Gotta go!” He said suddenly and hurried away from them. He barely touched his lunch.

The East Commons was large with lots and lots of lockers and tables and chairs. He saw her talking to two other girls that he didn’t know and he stopped short and considered just walking away. That choice was taken from him though when she saw him and he gulped back his shyness and approached them.

“Well, hello...uh, Tasha,” he said as the two girls turned to look at him. They smiled at him and then stepped away.

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Ned and MJ watched from one table over as Peter talked to Serena and Harry. Him talking to them and they, themselves, being Peter’s friend instantly moved them up on the proverbial popularity chain as far as school went. “Wow, Peter’s so lucky!” Ned said and MJ sighed and slurped on her soda. MJ actually had a thing for Peter, she always had but like him she was far too shy to tell him so and she knew he was too shy to make a move on her. It was a terrible situation that they both had relegated one another into the ‘friend’ zone with no foreseeable way out. She didn’t like him talking to Serena, though she wasn’t certain exactly why. Part of her had just assumed eventually things would just happen but clearly she had made the wrong call on that. ‘Things’ didn’t happen by themselves and she contemplated making her move sooner other than later. Waiting would only see him going all bug-eyed for ‘Queen Bee Serena Stark’!

Serena blinked when her brother suddenly jumped to his feet and left after reading the message from Tasha. Her lips then curled up into a smile. She was happy for him. He had been rather miserable after the whole incident with Natalya.

Serena then looked at Peter. “Would you like to invite your friends over to join us? I didn’t realize they were in this lunch period too.”

—————————————-

Tasha has been waiting for Peter. She heard someone in the hallway and smiled at him. He seemed to hesitate a little until her friends left. As he approached she smiled warmly at him.

“I wasn’t sure if you were going to come or not. I’m glad you did though.”

Theo didn’t mean to delve her. It just happened and what he felt...what he gleaned from the surface thoughts in her mind was that she wanted him to kiss her. That she contemplated kissing him but didn’t want to scare him off. She had spent half of her life in Greece before her parents had moved to the US. And she liked Theo’s eyes and his smile. Caught up in her growing emotions and her thoughts Theo just stepped up to her and kissed her...thoroughly. He had kissed Heather Thornton in middle school but that was just kissing. This was something else. He kissed Tasha how he knew she liked to be kissed. He tried not to manipulate people but before he realized what he was doing Tasha had wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body up against him. Her two friends had not gone far and they goggled when they saw what was happening. Goggled and quickly became somewhat curious as to who this Theo Stark really was. Eventually Theo pulled back and saw that Tasha’s eyes were still closed a moment as she appeared to savor the feeling. She also held fast to him as if her knees might buckle and she appeared out of breath.

Theo smiled but his cheeks were beat red which took something away from the sudden bravado he had just displayed. Her large, dark eyes looked up at him and he noticed that she had long eyelashes. Long and lush and dark. How he had missed that before? He wondered.

“I’m sorry, you looked like you were about to say something?” he said. Not quite in a sheepish tone but he was insecure about what he had just done. He noticed she still didn’t let go of him though.

Tasha had never liked anyone the way she liked Theo. She knew that some girls would think that she was after him because of who his parents were, but that wasn't the case at all. There was just something about him that drew her to him. She had wanted him to kiss her, but she wasn't certain if he would or not. They had only just met after all. However, he suddenly stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her! She closed her eyes and immediately kissed him back. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She didn't really know him and they were out in public in the school. However, she realized that she really didn't care. She felt him pull back and she was rather out of breath from the kiss. She opened her eyes and looked up into his. She noticed his cheeks were flushed and something about that made her smile.

"I've rather forgotten what I was going to say," she said with a little grin.

“I’m sorry, you’re...you’re just so beautiful,” Theo said as he looked down at the floor. He tried to think of what Harry would have said in a situation like this. It just sounded right to say. As the emotions inside of him began to normalize, his shy demeanor was creeping back in. He tried to stop it but the more he disconnected himself from Tasha emotionally, the more his own inclinations came to the surface. He was horrified at what he had done just then and if he could run he likely would have. But she held fast to him and noticed that his hands still held her as well. She felt...good standing so close to him like this. It both horrified and excited him.

“Would you...like to go out sometime?” he said as his eyes shifted back up to hers. She had a sexy, exotic look to her and not quite voluptuous in her shape but not far off either.

Tasha could see a bit of shyness creep back into Theo's eyes. Something about that made her smile and like him even more. She was not normally like this with guys, but she really liked Theo. However, she hoped he wouldn't think ill of her for letting him kiss her when they barely knew each other. She smiled when he asked her out.

"I would like that very much," she said. She realized the time and knew the lunch hour was almost over. She gently pulled back from him and got out a sheet of paper and wrote down her number. She smiled as she handed it to him. "I hope you will call me soon," she said as she walked away and towards her next class.

Osborn Labs was a massive complex. Everyone on the bus ooed and awwed as the bus pulled up to the front. There was alot of glass on the outside but no one could see anything inside. The students were given a short orientation by Angela Greer, one of Norman’s Assistants. A renowned scientist in her own right and a woman that many young girls interested in science looked up to. She was very pretty with long, blonde hair tied up into a bun on the back of her head. She had blue-framed glasses that brought out the deep blue in her eyes. Several of the boys, Harry included looked around at one another and smiled as if they knew something everyone else did not.

Badges were given to all of the students and Peter mysteriously made the cut for the first group even though he was near the back of the bus. There would be groups of three for each lab station and Harry asked if Serena would lead theirs. When she agreed she had to pick her team and other students who had wanted her groaned after that happened. They were all led inside.

The complex was a series of hallways with white, tiled floors. The whole building had a clean, sterile feel to it, even the smell and robotic cleaning units moved about and there was a feel in the air that the air was very clean in here. No dust anywhere that they could see or detect. They were led into the animal testing area of the labs shown to their workstations and Greer stood up on a small, metal balcony that wreathed the lab pit everyone was in.

“Ok, if anyone of you do not like insects and arachnids well, you will need to get over those fears. We at Osborn corp are always very concerned about our environment. As there are nuclear weapons still on our planet, we are going to test different nuclear isotopes on different insects,” she said. “Insects and arachnids are at the bottom of the food chain for many species of animals and Osborn Corp want’s to create strains of them that could potentially survive in a radioactive environment. Don’t worry, the isotopes are harmless to humans. Not necessary to our insect friends though. In each tank on your tables there are a number of insects or arachnids. The isotopes are already inside the tanks and you will use the protective, sealed gloves to remove a tiny drop of the isotope and apply it onto the insects. To do this you will hold one with one glove and apply it with the other then store the insect into one of the glass container cubes. Once you’ve done them all, there are 12 in each tank, Label the cubes with the corresponding labels. Later in this study we will be moving to rodents so attention to detail and proper handling and labeling of these samples will be part of your grade,” she explained.

“Please remove the tank covers and get to work,” she said with a nod then stepped down the metal steps. Peter smiled brightly at Serena. All students wore white lab coats and their badges doubled as radiation detectors Peter noticed. When they uncovered their tank there were 12 yellow garden spiders in their tank. Peter grinned at that but Harry winced. “Ofcourse it would have to be spiders!” Harry said with a groan.

Serena was practically giddy with excitement about the trip to Oscorp Labs. Sure, she lived in the Tower and saw Stark Industries Labs all the time, but this was different. Stark Industries and the Tower were...home. They were almost boring to her at this point. Oscorp was something new and exciting that she hadn't experienced before. Serena loved science and math and though she had been to Harry's house, supervised of course, she had never been to Oscorp.

Serena was thrilled to be chosen as a team leader and for her other two lab partners she chose Harry, of course, and Peter. Peter seemed just as excited as she was and that made her even more excited. She listened closely to the instructions that were given as they reached the area where they would be conducting experiments. They put on their lab coats and goggles and Serena had her hair tied back to keep it out of her face. Serena was not squeamish about the insects and arachnids, but she couldn't help but grin at Harry as he became uncomfortable.

"Awww. You're not scared of a few spiders are you Harry?" she teased with a grin.

Harry continued to watch as Serena snaked her hands into the gloves that protruded from the side of the tank. The gloves were light blue and made of a strong rubber material. Serena managed to get a spider in her grasp, holding it gently so it couldn’t get away. From the other side Harry snaked his hands in and prepared the glass cube container. Carefully Serena removed the dropper and as she dipped it into the glowing solution Harry prepared the label. It took alot longer than they thought and it was a good thing that they only had to get 3 done today because that was all they could do in the time they had before they had to get back onto the bus.

Harry sat next to Serena and Peter sat across from them on the isle. Harry smiled at Serena’s enthusiasm and the other kids seemed equally as charged up by the experience including Peter who beamed. This was the first, real scientific study they were involved with and Peter could not contain how happy he was.

“We should all go out after school,” Harry said. “Ya know, celebrate,” He added. Peter’s smiles faded slightly. “Oh...uh, well I can’t. I have ta work,” he said. “But I would go if I could have,” he said and his gaze shifted to Serena though he hadn’t realized that he was looking at her like he was. “Well, maybe next time,” Harry said. And Peter’s spirits seemed to lift up once more. “Spiders though...Ick!” Harry exclaimed and Peter smiled at that too.

“So, did you find anything about what happened with Theo? I know Tasha Ruditys, she’s a greek girl and quite the looker,” Harry said. “Theo will have his hands full with that one for certain,” he added.

Serena was beaming with happiness after they all left the lab. She had helped her father in his lab, but this time she didn’t have him there watching her. She was proud of the work Harry, Peter, and herself had done.

As they got back onto the bus, Serena sat next to Harry and Peter sat across from them. Serena was on the outside seat and closer to Peter than Harry. She grinned at Harry’s suggestion that they go out to celebrate after school. However, she looked over at Peter when he said he couldn’t because he had to work. She wanted to ask him where he worked, but she decided against it. His face lit back up though when Harry invited Peter to join them again in the future.

“He told me that she gave him her number and they are going to go out soon,” she told Harry when he asked about Theo and Tasha. “He didn’t tell me much else but he was grinning so I’m guessing something else happened.”

In the car ride home Theo had said nothing about Tasha nor his ‘meeting’ with her. He looked out the window and his phone was still in his pocket. He looked relaxed with his hands on his thighs. Serena’s phone was in her hand, she and Harry or her other friends loved to text back and forth on the ride home before she had to go and do homework.

[Harry]‘You looked pretty smexy in that lab coat! Maybe add some black-framed glasses for the whole, sexy scientist vibe you got going on’

[Cindy]’Monica said that Lori saw Theo and Tasha kissing. Pretty intense kissing’

Serena sat next to Theo in the car after Happy picked them up. She noticed that he seemed relaxed, but didn’t say anything about what happened. She had her phone out and was texting with Harry and some other friends. She smiled and blushed a little at his sexy scientist comment.

“You looked pretty handsome in yours too! ”

However, she was immediately distracted by Cindy’s text about what Monica had seen earlier that day.

“You and Tasha kissed?!” she practically squealed to Theo.

Theo's eyes bulged and his cheeks colored which gave him away. "How...when...Dang the rumor mill is faster than lightspeed!" he said and frowned almost angrily as he folded his arms across his chest. "That's...that's my business, no one elses," Theo snapped. But then his face softened as he remembered the kiss. The feel of her lips, the feel of her breasts up against him.

"But...yeah...it was good," He admitted as he reached up and touched his bottom lip and Serena would know the admission was only for her. Theo didn't like people to know his business. He was a very private person. "I was thinking of maybe not calling her for a day r so, maybe 2? So i don't seem to eager," Theo said. "Harry's advice," Theo said. "I take it your outing to Oscorp labs went well?" he asked. "Peter has definitely got a thing for you," Theo said with a smile. More than happy to give some of this back on her. And coming from him, she knew it was true.

Serena was pleased to see how happy Theo was. He was her brother after all and she knew how wonderful he was. She was glad another girl had seen it too. She just hoped this girl wasn’t after him because of who their parents were.

Serena was thinking about the outing to the lab when Theo suddenly told her that Peter had feelings for her. She had not realized that.

“He does?”

Theo just have her a bland look. He had a feeling that she liked Peter too but he knew she loved Harry and Harry certainly loved her. There was no mystery there. They were still only 14 years old though almost 15. “Looks like you have 2 boys to juggle sis,” he said in order to tease her a little. Serena was smart. Beautiful and rich. Harry was the same so Theo really thought that they made a good fit. Peter wasn’t particularly beautiful and as pretty poor as poor went but he and his sister didn’t judge people for that. Peter though, he felt...genuine. And it was quite refreshing to feel that these days, from anyone.

“I think I ant to ask dad...some things but, we both read that article about him in that old magazine. He was quite the ladies man before he met mom. I don’t know If I would be like that,” Theo said but all of this was very new to him. He couldn’t know what was going to happen and he liked that for some reason.

Serena didn’t know Peter very well. She knew he was very smart and she could tell he had a kind heart. Money didn’t matter to her. However, she was with Harry and they had been together for a while now. She liked Harry a lot and they had fun together.

“What should I do? I like Peter. I want to be his friend, but I don’t want to hurt him or lead him on.”

"Just be his friend. You have the right to have any friend you want. I don't think Harry has the capacity to feel threatened. I know he doesn't have the same love of science that you do but I think you two being different is not a bad thing," Theo said.

"Besides, he's head over heels for you. And he's the only guy I know that doesn't live in the tower who can say no to you and get away with it," Theo said with a very wide smile.

Serena nodded to what Theo said. She just wouldn’t say anything about his feelings and that way they could still be friends. However, knowing how he felt about her made her start to think about him a little bit more...

However, what Theo said pulled her away from those thoughts and she playfully hit him.

“That is not true!” she said with a grin. She then thought about it and grinned a little more. “Well, maybe it is true.”