Life for Torin Porter was never anything special or extraordinary. She's has had her fair share of ups and downs like any regular person should. As she starts her freshmen year at Midtown Tech with her best friend Peter Parker and their close friend...
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"I hate school field trips," Torin groans, rolling over in her bed. She shudders, thinking of the chills and fever she had last night. She sits up, looking at the spider bite she received yesterday on their science field trip to New York City's Science Museum where an exhibit on radiation would be open for a couple of weeks. The spider was part of the exhibit, and Torin desperately wanted to skip out on that part, but Flash Thompson had managed to catch a loose spider and taunt her with it. The spider had not only bit her, but Peter Parker too, who was trying to help kill the spider.
The bite has completely vanished now and Torin squints at it, her eyesight blurring at the corners.
"What the..." Torin rises from her bed, catching her appearance in the mirror. Her dark curly hair is more vibrant than usual, green eyes sharper, freckles stand out on her skin, which is smooth revealing no blemishes or scars she's had before. She takes off her t-shirt, wondering if the scar she has from the car crash years ago is still there.
"Oh, my god," she gaps, shaking her head in confusion. Torin presses a hand against her stomach, which has the faint outline of toned muscles. In fact her whole body looks as if she's been working out—which is definitely not true. She looks older than fourteen. How could she have grown this much in one night? Her stomach rumbles loudly. Torin shudders, putting her t-shirt back on. Dizzily she spins toward her door. Sharp pain spikes behind her eyes and she groans. Torin presses a palm to her forehead, stumbling out of the room.
"Peter's here!" calls her little brother, swinging his legs at the kitchen table. A bowl of Frosted Flakes sits in front of him. Joey's eyes land on his sister. "You look different."
Torin frowns at him. "What? N-no, I don't."
Peter greets Torin at the fridge, pulling out the milk for his own bowl of cereal. He's not wearing his glasses, and he too looks sharper, taller, and broad. His dark hair that curls around his temples is soft and full and he catches Torin's eye. "H-hey," he greets. "Uh...c-can I talk to you?"
Torin's stomach rumbles again and she nods hurriedly. "Food first."
The two of them prepare their cereal and head toward Torin's room. Joey calls after them, "Don't forget we're painting my room today!"
"How could I forget, Joe? It's all you talk about," teases Torin, shooting him a goofy look over her shoulder.
Joey sticks out his tongue at her, freckles dancing across his own face. His red hair is bright in the sunlight that shines through the room. The sweet eight year-old continues swinging his legs back and forth, not paying much attention to Torin and Peter's strange behavior.
Torin shuts the bedroom door behind her, sitting down at her desk to eat her cereal. She turns her chair to face Peter, who sits on the purple bean-bag on her floor, ignoring all the clothes scattered about. The two of them are used to seeing each other's messes. After being friends for four years there's hardly anything the two of them don't know about each other.
