The Spider's Daughter

The Spider's Daughter chapter 24

Hey, y'all! Enjoy!

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Chapter 24

One week later, I was packing for school. Again. I hadn't told Cas yet, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I sat with my cell phone in my hand, trying to decide the best way to tell her, when I heard a clicking on the windowsill.

[Call Friend] Arachne urged. It always amazed me how the spiders seemed to read my mind. Some of them anyways.

"Yeah. I'm going back to the school, and I'm not sure how to tell her. And where have you been for the last month?"

[Cold. Sleep. Call.]

I nodded to the little spider, and lifted the phone.

Ring.

Ring.

Ri-

"Hello?"

"Hi Cas, it's me."

"May! Where've you been all weekend? I've been trying to call you! You didn't answer."

"I know. Listen, there's something I've go to tell you."

"I've got something too." She sounded sad?

"I- I'm going back to Xavier's school."

I heard her take a breath. "I- Great. You really like it there."

That went smoother than I had expected. "So, what's your news?"

"My parents are going on a month long business trip to England. They're taking me with them."

"Uh..." I couldn't think of anything to say! How do you respond to news like that? "Have fun... I guess."

Cas sighed. "Yeah. Well, uh, bye."

"Bye." I clicked the phone closed and sighed. How did this happen?

[Go see her.]

"What?"

[Go see her. She needs a friend.]

I stuttered for a moment before I could talk. "Okay." I said, very intelligently. Smiling, I decided to give my friend a treat.

Ten minutes later, I was swinging fast and low along the suburban streets of Cas' neighborhood, and contemplating my life. I was taking advice on friends from a spider. I couldn't seem to decide what school to go to. A girl had died.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to erase the thoughts, and was rewarded by a sharp blast by my spider-sense. I shot a web and yanked, and my body twisted. I was flying sideways, feet first, my nose practically skimming along the side of a semi. What was a semi doing here?

I landed softly on Cas' roof, watching as the semi drove away. Whatever. I easily scaled the walls, and slid in next to one of the windows leading into Cas' room.

My knuckles thunked against the glass, and I saw Cas start at her desk. I rapped on the window again, and she turned around. A smile lit her face when she saw my masked face in the window.

The latch clicked, and I scrambled in. Cas' room was painted pink, a remnant of her childhood days, an like mine, was a mess. I clung to the white ceiling, flipping my head over so I could see my friend.

"So, May, what are you doing here?"

"You sounded sad." I pulled my mask off. "And I wanted to talk to you." my feet thunked on the floor, and I looked Cas in the eye.

"I'll miss you. But we'll keep in touch, and you'll be back."

She sniffed. "I know. But while I'm there, I'm gonna have to go to school, and it's gonna stink!"

I reached out, and she ran to me. We hugged each other tightly.

I sniffed, and a tear rolled down my face. Why did she have to leave? Why did she have to go to the other side of the world?

"I wish I could stay."

"Yeah. Me to."

She gave a grim smile and looked at me. "You're nit leaving, silly."

"Let me rephrase;" I said, my mouth turning up in response to hers. "I wish you didn't have to go." I hugged her again.

My spider-sense tingled, and I pulled away.

"What is i-"

"Shhh!" I covered Cas' mouth. "Someone's coming!"

"Mom!" she whispered, and I closed my eyes.

"Where can I hide?"

"Uh..."

But I was already gone. My spider-sense urged me out the window. I clung to the wall right underneath the window, and I listened silently as Cas' mom opened the door.

"Who were you talking to?"

I prayed Cas wouldn't mess this up. "I was talking to May."

What!

"So where is she?"

"Oh, she jumped out the window. Really, Mom, I was on the phone."

I winced at Cas' tone. Had I talked to my mother like that, I'd be grounded for weeks.

"Well, keep packing. There's no way your ready for a month long trip!"

"Actually, Mom, I was hoping I could stay here. I mean, I'm seventeen now. I could do it. And the Parkers live just a few blocks away."

"Cas..." her mom warned, but Cas kept going.

"I don't want to go to Europe. I've got a life here. I want to keep it-"

"Cas! You're just a kid!"

"I'll be eighteen in seven months!"

"No. Period."

"But Mo-om! I want to stay here! I'll be a pain in Europe!" she threatened. "I'll complain about everything and I won't have any fun!"

"Fine." her mom sighed. "We'll call every night, and you better be here to pick up the phone."

"I will Mom. Thanks."

I heard the door close, and I pulled myself back up onto the room.

"I was worried you'd give me away for a minute." I smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't do that. And now I'm staying here."

We smiled at each other, and high-fived. I left soon after that, happy with the knowledge that my friend was staying home.

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And just so you don't get worried, I've got a lit of work coming up, so it's unlikely I'll post every day. I'll do my best, and get new chapters up as soon as possible, though!