418/A Bit of Fresh Air

A Bit of Fresh Air
Date of Scene:	10 March 2020
Location:	Bronx
Synopsis:	A few short days after stumbling into Flash Thompson, Jessica has another unexpected High School reunion when she bumps into Peter Parker.
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Jones, Peter Parker

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Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica has been doing well since her latest marketing, but that also meant more work, and with the way she's being going it's all been done in the worst possible way for her health. To that end, she decided to get some fresh air, so she's gone to a cafe to sit with her laptop. Infront of her is a to-go coffee cup, although anyone with a particularly keen sense of smell might realize there's not a chance in the world there's actually any coffee in that cup. Typing away at the keys, and shifting her fingers across the trackpad, Jessica continues to conduct her research.

Peter Parker has posed:
The usual line of customers file past, talking to the bored-sounding barista.

"Non-fat mocha whip." "Machiatto." "Caramel latte."
And then another voice, one that seems almost crystal clear. "Black coffee..."

"...black coffee."
The skinny freshman stepped back slightly, then looked at Jessica. His cheeks flushed slightly as he saw her looking at him. He carried a backpack stuff with thicker, heavier books, one of them being AP PHYSICS. Short brown hair, alert brown eyes that seemed larger as a result of the Coke-bottle glasses, making him look like an owl."

"Uhm, hi...I'm..."

"...Peter Parker," the young man at the counter said to the barista.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica is focused when she works, so she doesn't quite pick on a voice that should be familiar, as she types away on her laptop. But then Peter actually speaks his name out loud, and Jessica looks up from her work. "Parker...?" She calls out, staring at him outright.

Peter Parker has posed:
The young man blinks, then turns, and...
Wow. The owl is gone. The glasses are gone. Maybe he finally went for the contacts like he kept saying he would "when he could afford them." He wasn't the skinny kid, either - even though the baggy shirt and jeans don't reveal much, he certainly filled out a little.
But when he smiled (he seldom smiled back then), she could see the same intelligence in those eyes.
"...Jessica? Oh my gosh, Jessica JONES..." He looked to the barista as his coffe was provided, then put down a five-dollar bill and walked over to her. "Holy Toledo! I haven't seen you in...jeez, when did you graduate again?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica is rather stunned at how different Peter looks, compared to how she knew him in Midtown High. "It is you, isn't it...?" She asks again, as if she had to double check. "Yeah...it's me, Coma Girl," Jess offers half a smirk as she quips the nickname that used to plague her life in high school. "It's weird that I should stumble across you, just saw Flash Thompson a few days ago..." she doesn't answer his question, but offers a gesture at the empty seat across from her, "you can join me if you like."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter had been about to ask. Polite Peter, stood when a girl approached, never sat down before a girl did. His old-fashioned Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

Peter sat down, putting his cup on the table. "Yes. Of course. Wow. Sophomore year, you were a senior. I'm sorry I hadn't been around much that year."Because Ben had died. Two years ago this month. Uncle Ben had died her senior year, and Peter had...dwindled.
"How are you doing, Jess? What's life after high school?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica stares blankly at PEter when he goes about discussing High School, why in the fuck was she cursed with apparations visiting her to force her to relive the memories. First Flash, and now Peter, just thinking of the time made her skin crawl, nevermind pondering the even worse 'life after high school'. For a moment she ponders putting that happy mock cheerleader face for Peter, but the honesty just forces it's way out of her before she can seriously consider it. "Oh, pure shit, like you'd expect. You still stuck in that hell hole? Wasn't Midtown High the worst place on Earth?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks, startled. What in...
Then he gets a closer look at her. She's...hardened. For some reason. Was it something from school, or afterward?
"Still there...hoping to nail the inter-school science fair in a couple of months so I can get a scholarship. Well...partial scholarship. Hoping to make it to ESU..." He falters. "Well...you know Carl and his whole family up and vanished that year, so it wasn't as hellish as it used to be, but...they're still calling me the 'King of Geeks' and 'the 40-Year-Old-Virgin'..."

Then he can't hide the concern anymore. "...Jessica? What happened?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
"I'm sure you'll get it, you're the smartest kid I ever met," Jessica notes to Peter, not even sounding like she's trying to butter him up. That compliment was as genuine as they come. "You're not even close to 40, and I guess Flash was always great at getting you stuck with a nickname, I'm still 'Coma Girl' to anyone that been to Midtown High with me..."

"What happened?" Jessica looks a bit annoyed at that question, "what do you mean what happened? Do I not look happy enough? How is that any different? Was I ever smiling at Midtown High?" She reaches for her cup and takes a long sip, her gesture amusingly enough like she was drinking some hard liquor. But they wouldn't serve that here, would they?

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looked at her. "Jessica...come on. You look...worn around the edges. You look like I did every time I thought about going to school in the mornings. Like you're waiting for the next punch...or insult. Believe me, after ten years, I know that look too well."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Worn around the edges!? Wow! Thank you so much Mr. Parker, I've been dying to feel like a wrinkly grandma today," Jessica snaps, clearly not appreciating of what Peter had to say about her. But then he elaborates, and she hates Parker all the more for his insight. "Suppose I do? What's it to you if I'm life's personal punching bag?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles ruefully. "Is it so far-fetched that another of life's punching bags might understand what you're going through? You're talking to a guy who got tied to a streetlight and given a bath from Carl King and his urine-filled Super-Soaker."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"You're another of life's punching bags...?" Jessica seems very dubious at the notion, "you're a genius, Peter, you could do whatever the fuck you want...how are you a punching bag?" Jessica clearly has a different level of assessment, as she listens to the story and snorts, "like I didn't get my share of bullying, I already told you Midtown High is the worst hell hole out there. I had my skirt pulled off in the middle of the cafeteria, had my locker raided so I had to stay in gym clothes the whole day. Had garbage cans dumped on me, got dunked in the bathroom, all of the favorite things...." she kind of fades into silence, before finally noting, "then I was finally done with High School, and I found out what true bullying is."

Peter Parker has posed:
And there we go. Folks, news coming in over the wire. "Remember Flash? Flash was a bully, but Carl King was the Beast of the Apocalypse. The urine bath? That stuff's been going on since KINDERGARTEN. Trust me when I say that you get an inkling of how horrible people can be when you find yourself hanging by your belt from the George Washington Bridge because Carl King got a C instead of the A he expecrted from you. He..."

He stopped. What was he doing? Playing I Have It Worse Than You? Nobody wins THAT game. No one ever did.

"Who's been bullying you, Jess?" There is genuine concern there, and something else. Something...almost protective. Jessica had been one of the few people in school that hadn't treated him like a nard that was always good for a little brain-duster with the flat of the hand. So maybe he wants to help her.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"I really feel sorry for you, Peter, and maybe an accident should happen to Carl and he should wind up in a wheelchair like Flash. Maybe karma is a thing..." Jessica murmurs, clearly not happy with what Peter has to share, even if she seemed to downplay it before. But upon hearing Carl presented as the worst humanity has to offer, Jessica gets a detached smile on her lips, as she says to Peter, "I hope he'll always be the worst bully you'll ever encounter, Parker."

"Nobody," Jess apparently was thinking the same as Peter about the 'who got it worst' game, because apparently she's done playing. "I'm just peachy, Peter, I'm good."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks at her. He doesn't believe her for a moment. But he's not going to push. Because Jessica tickles his Spider-Sense JUST enough to let him know that things will go downhill.

"What kind of work are you doing, Jess? I'm still working for the Bugle. Freelance photographer, it would say on mhy business cards...if I had any."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Photographer...?" Jessica sounds surprised, as she reaches into her bag and takes out a Nikon D90 DSLR, showing it to Peter, "I guess we got at least one thing in common." She then reaches to the pocket of her jacket and tosses a business card in Peter's direction (+info jj/more pics -- 3rd link).

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter picks up the card and looks at it. "Alias Inves...you're a DETECTIVE." He absorbs this with a growing smile. "That's...well, I'm not surprised. You may have needed help with the science stuff at times, but you always had a thing about people." He looks from the card to Jessica. "Well...I might know a guy who could use a detective's help...or provide some. He doesn't have a good rep with the police, but I'll bet dollars to donuts he could help you out."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Yup, a fucking honest to god private detective, licensed and everything," Jessica tells Peter, for once her smile seems genuine, she's actually proud of that accomplishment. "Than feel free to pass my card along, nothing I enjoy better than to make assholes who deserves it pay their due. Police doesn't always have the resources or resourcefulness, I make sure they get what's coming. Maybe Flash had something to do with the inspiration," she jokes with Peter, both having felt the pain of his bullying.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "And Carl just up and left about two years ago. I'm sure a few tears were shed somewhere. Right now I hope Carl's got a lifetime residence in the Thorazine Suite at the Rubber Ramada." He pauses for a moment, then continues, "Well, this guy's something of a vigilante himself, but he's been helping me pay the bills when Uncle Ben's pension doesn't measure up to promises."

He takes a deep breath, then says, "...What do you know about Spider-Man?"

Jessica Jones has posed:
"I didn't know you had vigilante friends, Peter, you better watch out...those type of people tend to draw a lot of attention. It could be dangerous for you Peter," Jessica warns, looking like she's actually concerned about Peter.

His question, however, makes her furrow her brow, "Spider-Man? Can't say anyone ever hired me to investigate him, I mean, other than Bugle bullshit, isn't he an all around good guy? At least from what I gather? You want me to investigate him or something? He did anything to you?" Looks like that hunch was correct, Jessica really does seem to care about Peter's well being.