SPIDER-MAN: THE HARDEST CHOICE

5.

Newt understood art; it comforted him in a way. A beaten and bruised paintbrush couldn't unravel his inner almost hidden thoughts with just a flick of those almond eyes of that unkempt brown hairstyle. Newt knew better, he knew better than to dream. As the paint brush licked the canvas Newt pondered. This week's assignment was plainly titled 'Euphoria'. Newt wasn't much of a joyest individual, optimistic perhaps, not joyest. The fact that Newt had to abstractly produce a piece of art that represented euphoria was a unbeknownst feeling as of late. His source of happiness came from a gangling boyish boy who seemed to radiate sunshine. Ever since that day in the closet Newt and Thomas were like Italy and Germany with Minho being Switzerland in the equation. Newt didn't like this arrangement all too much, he missed his best friend.

Walking home from school, Newt pondered the existence of a world where Thomas didn't exist. In every variation of thought Newt could never conclude that the obvious fact is that Thomas must exist in every reality where Newt resided - the universe would implode on itself otherwise. The sun slowly dimmed between the buildings as stars slowly took over the sky, cars driving on the road slowly put their lights on to decorate the streets with artificial stars of their own. Newt quite liked the evening; the city seemed more alive that way. Looking up at the tallest buildings Newt almost swore he saw a figure looking down on the world, they seemed to be admiring the lights just like himself. Newt looked down and hobbled his way home.

Thomas watched Newt limp his way home; the city's crime was barren tonight. Dropping down from his current building he got closer to Newt. He wondered if the lights were playing tricks on his mind, Newt almost looked like he was glowing. The wind slowly flirted with Newt's hair as he walked home, this seemed to be quite a nuisance to Newt; he needed to get it cut. Thomas did this most nights. Dependent on each of his friends if they had to walk home late, Thomas trusted Minho; trained in combat and martial arts, he trusted him to walk home safely. Teresa always got picked up by her dad, always, there was never an exception to the rule. Newt on the other hand preferred to walk around the city for a while, admiring it. It was a beautiful city, Thomas concluded.

Newt made his way home, looking over to Thomas's house before going inside his own home. Newt wished he had the courage to walk over to Thomas's house and confront him, to break this terrible silence. It had been 2 weeks without that joyful laugh, 2 weeks without those amber eyes that shined in the right lighting, 2 weeks without that goofball. Newt missed him. Thomas missed him.

Thomas climbed up his building's walls towards his ajar window. He climbed on his ceiling to sneakily sleever into his room. Closing his bedroom door with a quite web sling he descended from his ceiling, taking a deep breath as he turned around-

The slamming of the Lego Death Star vibrated throughout the room as it dropped to the floor.

"What was that?!" Aunt Mary yelled.

"It's nothing! Nothing" Thomas said while gritting his teeth with his eyes bulging out like a cartoon.

"You're the Spider-man, from Youtube" Minho gulped, completely forgetting about the demolished Lego set murdered on the floor.

"I'm not! I'm not" Thomas squeaked while letting his suit flop off him, pooling around his feet.

"You were on the ceiling?!" Minho questioned vigorously while pointing to the ceiling and to the suit tangled around Thomas' ankles.

"No? What are you doing in my room?!" Thomas questioned looking rapidly towards his door and Minho.

"Mary let me in, we were going to finish the Death Star-" Minho explained.

"You can't just bust into my room!" Thomas whispered while gritting his teeth.

"That turkey meatloaf is a disaster. Let's go to dinner. Thai? Ned? You want Thai?" Aunt Mary said while bursting into the room, the smell of smoke followed her every move, the reminisce of a burnt meatloaf.

Thomas leaped towards Minho, kicking the suit to any corner of the room. Thomas thought that he looked more guilty of more adult themes than his actual predicament.

"Yes-"

"No! He's got a thing-"

"A thing to do after"

"Okay?" Mary questioned, teenage boys are so confusing at times Mary thought. Mary also thought that she might have to have a talk with Thomas about why he was practically naked with his best friend. She'll talk to him another time. "Maybe put on some clothes".

Thomas snatched the closest shirt he could find and threw it on.

"Oh! She doesn't know?!" Minho exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Nobody knows!" Thomas hissed. "Mr Stark knows because he made my suit. That's it"

"Jorge Stark made you that?" Minho marveled. "Are you an Avenger?"

"Yeah, basically" Thomas concluded. "You can't tell anybody about this, not even Newt"

"Newt doesn't know?!" Minho yelled.

Thomas covered Minho's mouth with his hands.

"Please keep it a secret, please. The more people that find out the more people I put in danger. I never wanted you to find out, now you're in danger" Thomas sympathized.

"Okay. I'll keep your secret. Newt's going to find out sooner or later, he's a lot smarter than I am" Minho concluded.

"Yeah. He is" Thomas pondered.

"So... Can I try the suit on? How does it work? Is it magnets? How do you shoot webs?" Minho rambled out.

"I'll tell you at school tomorrow" Thomas ushered Minho out his door.

Slamming the door Thomas leaned his back against it, rubbing his eyes and contemplating how to keep Minho from spilling the beans to his Newt- 'his Newt', what was Thomas thinking.

'His Newt' that's absurd.