#the amount i have spent on eyewear and things to try and get my body to hurt less is unimaginable

[canonkiller]

if you have not experienced accessibility needs you cannot fuckin imagine how expensive it gets to accomodate even the simplest shit let alone anything related to ""luxuries"" like Hobbies or Pastimes

[elizabeth-234]

Chapter Eight

Someone to Care

Chapter Seven

“You will never guess what happened.” She said as she sat down across from Ned in the lunchroom. Peyton opened her brown sack lunch and pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple with a prominent brown spot. Ned looked up from his chicken salad sandwich and smiled, a piece of lettuce falling from his mouth. Peyton indicated where it rested on his shirt and he hastily picked it off. She had been practically vibrating all morning, waiting for the right time to tell Ned.

“I got accepted to an internship program I applied to.” Peyton smiled wide and Ned stared back.

“For who?”

She knew that’s exactly what he would ask first and casually lifted her hand to her face in order to pretend to examine her nails.

“Oh, just at Stark Industries.”

She would’ve given anything to get a picture of Ned’s expression in that moment. He calmly set his sandwich down, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and leaned across the table. In the most serious tone he said, “Peyton, would you mind repeating that for me? I thought I heard you say that you got an internship with Stark Industries. A company famous for not having interns.”

“Well, my dear friend. I am pleased to say that your hearing is still perfect and I can confirm that is precisely what I said.”

“Dude, no way. That’s awesome!” His quick enthusiasm for her was just one of the many reasons Ned was an amazing best friend.

They did their secret handshake. It started with a fist bump, handshake to elbow touch, and blast off with jazz fingers.  Their original handshake had begun as a simple fist bump but slowly, over their friendship, had become longer and more complicated. It even transformed depending on the occasion, most notably adding a series of claps adapted from The Parent Trap, one of their favorite movies.

She had known objectively that Ned would be happy for her, but still, she worried. He was such a good friend and maybe this was his breaking point. He had been trying all freshman year to get an internship somewhere. They all said that although he had great promise, to come back in a few years. He needed to get some notches on his belt and once he was older, they would welcome him with open arms. It was difficult to watch the excitement in his face turn to disappointment with every letter that came back.  He hadn’t been his normal, happy self all year, adding to Peyton’s guilt of not telling him everything.

“Really, congrats. What are you going to be doing there?”

“Oh, you know, nothing big. I’ll just be cleaning beakers, getting coffee, and paperwork. That sort of thing, probably.”

Peyton felt bad lying to her friend but her resolve stood strong. This was safer for him. Better to not know the real reason or what she was actually going to be doing.  

The bell rang and they headed to English, one of her least favorite subjects. Ned and her sat of opposite sides of an isle. So, although technically easy to pass notes, the gap for the walkway caused some slight problems. This hour Ned was not to be deterred. He passed her the first note.

N: So when does it start? You still coming over to help build the Death Star? Can’t believe you are going to be working with Tony Stark! (That was underlined twice.)

P: This weekend actually! Starting off helping with some sort of convention and I know! More like working for him. Rain check on our plans?

N: That started fast. You better be ready to build away when you get back and you have to tell me everything!

Ned was in the middle of passing his response when it was snatched out of his hand.  

“Hey! Give that back” Peyton whispered furiously. A dull red creeping up her neck. She really didn’t want the news of her internship to spread around the school and, knowing Flash, he would spread the news like wildfire.

“Just hand it over,” Ned chimed in trying to whisper so he wouldn’t bring the teacher’s attention. Flash continued walking to the garbage at the front of the classroom, giving them a smile over his shoulder. He made sure it was hidden in front of Mrs. Roma but as soon as he turned around, opened and read it on his way back to his seat. A frown replaced his smile. Peyton watched, head turning to follow his movements as he passed her. He deftly moved out of the way of her outstretched hand. But did not dodge the second hand that stole the letter out of his fingers. MJ, who sat two seats behind her, brought it up in a kind of salute and slide it into her bag. Hopefully, she would return it later.

Peyton swung her body forward again at a question directed at her.

“And what, Miss Parker, is the significance of Caliban using the language that Prospero taught him, against him in the end?”

“Um. Well, I think. It has to be because. I’m sorry, I don’t know Mrs. Roma.”

“And that class, is why it is important to pay attention to our discussion and not to others. Now, please turn to act one scene two to look at this fascinating interaction.”

She brought her palms under her thighs and squeezed her body tense. Peyton had known the answer, having read the exact scene on the subway to school this morning but Flash had distracted her. She didn’t want him reading their note. It was none of his business and it was rude. But, she should have been paying attention and not let him get under her skin so much.

Although English wasn’t her favorite subject, she still enjoyed being at school. Contrary to popular opinion among teenagers, Peyton loved the classroom setting. She could sit listening all day to her peers spout their knowledge.  Discussions were even better. When two of her classmates might disagree but heard the one another out and learned from it was one of Peyton’s favorites. School was a place where she could be just Peyton and be good at something all herself. It was one of the reasons she worked so hard to get into Midtown. May and Ben had always encouraged her education and it had meant the world to her that she could go to this school.

Peyton didn’t want to worry May if her grades started slipping. So she made sure to pay extra attention the rest of the week. She even raised her hand in English in order to make up for her previous blunder. It had taken all her willpower to move her hand upward and speak in front of the class. Her response lacked the eloquence the rest of her classmates’ had, but she had done it. The coolest thing was that nobody, besides Mrs. Roma, batted an eye. Ned didn’t break from taking a copious amount of notes, Liam was still asleep next to the window, and even Flash was trying to throw paper at the back of her head. She smiled at her small accomplishment.

Later, at the bottom of her bag she found a familiar looking piece of paper. The word “Congratulations” was scrawled across the bottom.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

For the rest of the week she came to the tower after school or when decathlon practice was done. Pushing her patrols to afterward. This was actually helpful because she got to expand her usual area. Once she was exactly three blocks out and one to the right of Stark Towers, she would go into this fairly clean alley and change into her suit. From there she would patrol that area for a bit before making her way home, continuing to be on the lookout. Either way it was worth it because of all the time she was spending with Mr. Stark. They had just put the final touches on her suit yesterday.

It had been amazing to test it knowing how much effort went into the design. The most obvious change was the sleeker design, which was everything that Peyton had dreamed of. Her top and bottom remained the tones of the original but they decided to make her sleeves red and had the blue of her pants come up past her waist. Mirroring her oblique muscles. Mr. Stark had been trying to convince her to go with his gold and red theme but she liked the idea of sticking with her own colors. She had designed the black spider adorning the front. It now had a larger, bulbous body with spindle like legs, stretching out across her chest. The protective eyewear, which contracted and expanded, helped her block out all unnecessary light and distractions. Allowing her to focus her senses on what she needed as opposed to being bombarded with unwanted disturbances.

One thing was bothering Peyton and that was when wearing the new suit an onlooker could tell that she was female. She was small for her age, but the suit was skintight. It wasn’t that big of a deal, Peyton tried telling herself. But there was still a knot in her stomach when she thought about it. What if nobody wanted her as a girl? What if they thought she couldn’t help anymore? The time she spent as Spidergirl had become so vital. Had become an integral part of her. She wasn’t sure she could accept it if people no longer looked to her. She could tell Mr. Stark but she didn’t know if they were even there yet in their relationship and he had enough going she didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily.

She wasn’t even aware of all the extra features embedded in it, Mr. Stark keeping some a secret. But she was surprised over how much freedom Mr. Stark gave her while they were working on it. He valued her input through the whole process and realized that most of the time she would know what she needed. He did add additions based on his experiences, for which she was grateful. Peyton had felt that much safer knowing Mr. Stark had worked on it. He had said there was one more thing that needed to be added but wouldn’t tell her what, no matter how hard she pleaded. She had even pulled out her sad, puppy face, the one that always got May to give in. That still hadn’t worked.

She ran into the building. The subway had been held up and as a result she was really late. Scanning her badge, she took a second to admire the Stark Industries logo and started rushing to the employee elevator. The doors opened and she hurried toward them but wasn’t paying attention and slammed into someone also trying to get into the elevator. Papers flew everywhere and her bag clattered to the floor.

With haste she bent down and started picking up the papers, her hands slightly shaking.

Without looking up she said, “I am so sorry ma’am. I wasn’t watching where I was going and I didn’t mean to run into you.”

A pair of sleek black pumps came into her view but still she wouldn’t look up.

“It’s alright. No harm done.” The pumps disappeared a knee came into Peyton’s view. The lady bent down to help her. Silently they picked the rest of the papers up. As they stood up Peyton continued examining the fancy heels, aware she was just being awkward now. They really were elegant shoes. She opened her mouth to apologize once more when a hand extended her ID badge back to her.

“Please, don’t worry about it Miss Parker.” Cautiously she took the badge back and went to pick up her bag. When she turned back the blonde lady was holding the elevator door open for her.

“Just Peyton, please. Thank you, Miss?” She trailed off uncertainly and the lady laughed.

She was smartly dressed in a light blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes. It had a scoop neck and was slim fitting down to just above her knees. Her blonde hair was gathered on top of her head in a tight bun, bangs resting on her forehead. Peyton imagined that she was someone who was used to getting the job done and looking good while doing it.

“Well, just Peyton, I’m Pepper Potts. But please, call me Pepper. What floor?”

After telling Miss Potts what floor to go to, Peyton was on the receiving end of a searching look. She knew who Pepper Potts was. Everyone knew, but that didn’t make it any easier to talk to her. What was she even supposed to say? You’re so many peoples, including my own, role model for running this huge company and being amazing? That would just sound stupid.

“I wasn’t aware that Tony had any interns.” Miss Potts said continuing to look at Peyton. Her face, she was sure, would never go back to a normal color.

“Oh, um. Yeah, it’s a new position. This is my first week here.”

“Hmm. Well then. Let me be one of many to wish you welcome here.”

“Thank you Miss Potts.”


“Pepper,” she said with a smile.

The elevator’s opened and Miss Potts motioned for Peyton to go first. Peyton stepped off and into the room when she felt Miss Potts leave as well, gracefully walking toward Mr. Stark. His back was toward them as he, she assumed, was working on something.

Peyton cautiously glanced around the lab to see if her suit was lying about but there was no hint of red or blue to be seen. Mr. Stark had promised he wouldn’t tell anyone her secret, until she wanted.

The blonde woman walked forward and began exchanging pleasantries with Mr. Stark. It was entertaining to watch them banter back and forth. Miss Potts could hold her own against the famous Stark sass.

“Pepper. Don’t you look ravishing, as always.”

Miss Potts rolled her eyes and said, “Look who I ran into on the elevator. Quite literally, actually,” giving Peyton a wink.

Mr. Stark turned to see her standing there, awkwardly clutching her backpack. His face beamed when he saw her.

“Hey Kid. How’s it going? Ready to get working?”

Despite her embarrassment, Mr. Stark never failed to make her smile. She felt a warmth ignite in her when he asked her how her day was going. It was such a simple question but Peyton loved it. That question made her imagine that Mr. Stark cared about more than just this mission. It made her feel like he cared.

Peyton could see Miss Potts smiling at them talking. She had just told Mr. Stark about how Flash had tripped in the middle of the hallway, having his books spill all over the floor. She felt bad at laughing but it was pretty funny. Mr. Stark in turn told her about one of the first times Rhodey got into the War Machine suit and had tripped, twisting his feet together. It ignited his flight rockets so he crashed into the side of Stark towers.

“There’s still a Rhodey shaped dent there to this day. I left it because it brings character to the building, plus I can make fun of him for it.” Peyton laughed.

“It can’t be as bad as that one time where you, before you installed the filtration system, had to pee…” Miss Potts started before Mr. Stark interrupted her but it was too late to stop Peyton’s imagination from running wild. 



“And that’s enough of that. Lovely to see you again Pepper. You should definitely wear that color blue again.”

“Yes, yes. Here are the papers you need to sign.”

“Of course, I will be sure to send them to Sloane.”

“Selena and please do.” She gave him a stern look and then turned toward Peyton.

“Don’t let him get you into trouble? It was nice meeting you Peyton.” She smiled and left toward the elevator, leaving just her and Mr. Stark in the room.

He came over and squeezed her shoulder, looking at the closed doors.

“What a woman, kid.”

Thank you :)

Chapter Nine

[morganbelarus]

How Much Do Bachelor Contestants Spend On Clothes? Betches

If there’s one thing I hate most in this world, it’s packing. And every time I watch The Bachelor, my body practically breaks out in hives thinking about how the hell anyone packs for this ridiculous show. Like, these girls don’t know if they’re going to be there for one week or two months. Not to mention, they have to pack for anything and everything: casual, formal, beaches, snow, farm, tornados, the zombie apocalypse, you name it. And, the worst part of all??? Everything has to fit into two bags. TWO BAGS. Like, I took three bags when I went to Miami for a long weekend and I basically spent the whole time in swimsuits! Basically, the packing anxiety alone is enough of a reason for me to never want to go on this show, regardless of how single I am or how many Insta followers I secretly want.

So then naturally, my next question is, how much do Bachelor contestants spend in preparation for the unpredictable amount of time they’ll spend on the show? Like, you don’t want to be overconfident and blow thousands of dollars on gowns you’ll never even get to actually wear. And, at the same time, you don’t want to go into the competition underestimating your time there, just to get to the dramatic season finale wearing your competition’s night one dress. So how much do they actually spend? I had to know.

According to E! News, contestants spend anywhere from $1,800 to $8,000 in preparation for their time on the show. Former contestant Jillian Harris has said in several interviews that she spent $8,000 for her wardrobe and even re-mortgaged her house to do so. Like, sis, how desperate are you for love?

Bekah Martinez, known for being the spunky, short-haired, once-MIA and now-pregnant 23-year-old pixie from Arie’s season, told Glamour magazine that she was broke after competing on the show, and returned everything she hadn’t worn that still had tags on it. Knowing that there was no way she could afford all of the necessary clothes while being out of work for potentially two months, she told Glamour that she managed to borrow outfits from friends, local brands, and a contact in the fashion industry. Even doing so, she said she still spent $800 on heels. This bitch must be Tinkerbell or something if she wasn’t able to borrow any shoes from her friends, sheesh.

And, if you think $800 on shoes is a lot, there were apparently rumors of Olivia Caridi and her gaping mouth spending $40,000 on her wardrobe for her stint on Ben Higgin’s season. She’s since debunked this rumor on her podcast site. She said her bestie, who happens to be a stylist, helped her look that good, but she still didn’t admit to how much she actually spent. So maybe it was just like, a cool $20k???

Reminder, that these girls don’t get paid to be a contestant on The Bachelor. So, all of these expenses are really only worth the investment if they actually get the final rose (or at least get a Diff Eyewear sponsorship at the end). It’s a risky game to play, but hey, anything for love right???

If you’re thinking about going on the show, or more sanely, just need a gown for an upcoming wedding or something, I’ve found a few under $150. But reminder, if you are planning to go on the show, then you’re going to need at least 10 of these.

1. Lovers + Friends Danica Gown ($109)

2. PrettyLittleThing Bandeau Folded Detail Extreme Maxi Dress ($50)

3. Lulu’s So Enchanted Burgundy Off The Shoulder Dress ($128)

4. Missguided Lilac One Shoulder Maxi Dress ($42)

5. Forever21 Glittered Front-Slit Gown ($42)

Fortunately (and unfortunately), with today’s mass production economy, you can find gowns at much more affordable prices. A lot cheaper than back in the day, when I was trying to buy myself a trendy prom dress. No, not salty at all. My $500 dress that’s currently sitting in my closet and worth jack sh*t doesn’t make me mad at all. But hey, if you need another dress for your Bachelor arsenal, you can borrow mine! Please, take it. Please.

Images: Revolve; Pretty Little Thing; Lulus; Missguided; Forever21

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

How Much Do Bachelor Contestants Spend On Clothes? Betches was originally posted by MetNews