Hanging by a Thread 🕷 Peter Parker

prologue

8 and a Half Years Ago

Moving to a new city is always difficult, especially for a six year old who has to move all the way across the country for her father's job. Alexandra had always loved her hometown of Ellensberg, Washington. All of her friends were there, all of her memories had been made in her hometown.

When her father, Leonard, told her that they would be moving across the country, all the way to New York City, Alexandra hadn't exactly been happy. Not only would they have to move away from their hometown, but out of the house Alexandra had grown up in and into a small apartment.

"I don't wanna move!" Alexandra whined. She beat her fists against the ground in her bedroom. All of her things had already been packed into cardboard boxes and were being loaded into the moving truck at that moment.

Her father picked the young girl up from the floor and sighed. "Alexandra, baby, I know you don't want to move, but Daddy's job wants him in New York City," He said.

"But I wanna stay here!" Alexandra cried. "With Amy and Isa!" Her two best friends in the world were in Ellensberg, she couldn't just leave them! "I won't have any friends at Daddy's new job!"

Her other father, a tall man with dark hair, peaked into the room with a smile. "Everything okay in here?" He asked.

"Colin, Alexandra doesn't want to move." Leo looked at him.

"Oh, she doesn't now?" He entered the room and scooped Alexandra out of her other father's arms and into his. "Allie doesn't want to move, hm? Well, did I tell you that when we get to New York, Daddy'll be able to spend more time with you and Papa?" He asked her.

Suddenly, the little girl's eyes lit up. "Really?" Alexandra asked, smiling widely. She looked at her other father. "Will Daddy be able to spend more time with us, Papa?" She asked.

"That's right, sweetie." Papa smiled.

Alexandra squirmed and her father set her down. She ran to a few boxes that were still stacked in her room and had yet to be loaded onto the moving truck. She pushed against one filled with her stuffed animals and her parents laughed. "Baby, what are you doing?" Leo asked.

"Moving!" Alexandra exclaimed happily. "I wanna get to New York so Daddy can spend time with us!"

🕷

The drive to New York City was a seemingly endless one, but when the Wallace family finally arrived at their new apartment building in Queens, Leo Wallace sighed in relief. They began to move their boxes into the apartment.

Their neighbors must have heard the ruckus, because a middle aged man and woman came out of their apartment. Leo noticed this and smiled. "Oh, I'm so sorry, have we made a lot of noise?" He asked.

The woman smiled and shook her head. "No, no it's okay! We actually came out to see if you folks needed any help," She admitted. "Hi, I'm May Parker. This is my husband, Ben."

"I'm Leo Wallace, this is my husband, Colin," Leo replied. The couples shook hands and exchanged friendly smiles. "It's awfully nice of you to offer to help, but we wouldn't want to impose."

"Ah, it wouldn't be any trouble." Ben Parker smiled. "I've actually been looking for something to do around here. I know what a pain it can be to move, we'd be happy to help."

Leo and Colin exchanged a glance. "Well... if you really wouldn't mind," Colin replied.

"It wouldn't be any trouble," Ben assured him. "Here, let me give you a hand with that." He offered to take the box Leo had in his arms. Leo smiled gratefully and thanked him. He and Colin entered the apartment with boxes in hand.