MAGNOLIA ｡PETER PARKER [DISCONTINUED]

00.

prologue; the calm before the storm

"C'mon, Maggie. We have to go."

Edward Prince knew his daughter couldn't hear him. Though often passive and soft-spoken, there were times where she was insanely stubborn and irritable. The man stood at the top of the driveway with his arms crossed, a hint of a smile on his bearded face as he observed her obstinance. 

Magnolia Prince's shoulders were hunched and her head was bowed as she concentrated purely on her pad of paper. Her pencil was flying across the paper with what seemed like a limited amount of effort, but to any passerby it would appear that she was creating a masterpiece. Her thick eyebrows were knitted together and her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth as she focused her attention on her artwork. 

She was at peace, sitting on the curb and sketching a portrait of the gigantic St. Bernard dog that sat beside her, panting loudly. Her hearing aids resided in a navy blue case to her left, so all she heard was muted background noise and a faint murmuring. That was how she liked it, she felt like she was shut off in her own little world where she could do whatever she wanted and not have to listen to the crumbling society around her. 

Despite the tranquil expression that graced her exterior, there was a sinking feeling that swayed from her head to her toes, and a swirling sensation in her head. She knew that this was the last time she would sit there in front of her childhood home, a pencil in hand and a notepad in the other. She knew this was the last time she would see the neighbourhood kids ride past on their bicycles, growing older every day. She knew this was the last time she would feel at home. 

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of the daze she had caught herself in, and she released a sigh, knowing that she had to depart. She shut her eyes and soaked in the natural, warm light of Brentwood, her own little realm. 

Marty, her dog, brushed against her side, and she couldn't help the little smile that slithered onto her lips. 

'Home isn't a place, it's the people you love', was something she had been repeating in her head over and over after learning that her father had lost his job. It wasn't his fault that there was a misogynistic pig that started harassing the receptionist, it wasn't his fault that he walked up and punched the customer, drawing blood. It wasn't his fault that he lost his temper. It wasn't his fault. 

Maggie reluctantly got to her feet, picking up her case before she left the ground. She pursed her lips and turned her head, staring up at the beautiful house she had lived in for as long as she could remember. Not even the 'Sold' sign in the front yard could pull her away from the nostalgia and happiness she felt standing three metres from the front door. 

Home isn't a place, it's the people you love.

A quiet beeping caught her attention, and she glanced over, seeing her dad inside the pick-up truck with his hand on the horn. She nodded at him, before sparing one last look at the house. The castle she considered shelter from the world was what she was waving goodbye to fifteen years later. It hurt, but she knew she would have to part at some point. 

"Goodbye." She whispered, so quietly that she couldn't hear herself. It was only the movement of her lips that she knew she had spoken. It was closure, and she averted her eyes from the brick and plaster, climbing into the passenger seat of the truck and placing her belongings to the side, though she unzipped her case and pulled out her hearing aids, putting them into place and adjusting the volume. Marty spread himself across her lap, his fur between her fingers and she held him for comfort. 

"You ready to go, sweetheart?" Edward's eyes were on her, concern written across his face. She nodded, forcing a smile onto her face and allowing her eyes to flicker over to her father's to soothe his conscience. He was full of guilt and regret, having to force her to leave her safe haven and throw her into the deep end in an entirely new place. "Look, I'm sorry about all this. It's just, my pal's offered me a job that I couldn't turn down. I promise I'll make it up to you, alright?"

"You don't have to, dad." Maggie's soft voice filled the car, and Edward frowned a little. He wished she could complain a little more, like normal teenagers. She was so accepting to change, even if she despised it. Sometimes she would put up a fight, but it never lasted long due to her fear of hurting other people. "I understand, and it's okay."

"You shouldn't have to say that, it's my job to comfort you. I'm the dad here." Edward joked as he started the car, pulling out of the driveway. "You should be bothering me, yelling at me and watching those awful romantic comedies."

"I promise I'll do more of that when we get to New York." Maggie smiled, pulling her eyes away from the window as she watched her house fade from view. 

Home isn't a place, it's the people you love.

"I want you to make friends as well, alright?" Edward said a little more bluntly, and Maggie refrained from rolling her eyes. Edward side-glanced her as he turned out of the street. "I'm serious. You aren't gonna be homeschooled anymore, and you'll be surrounded by kids who might actually share the same interests as you."

"Dad, you're putting me in a school that focuses on science and technology." Maggie quirked an eyebrow, reaching forward and picking up Edward's phone, scrolling through his Spotify playlist. "I doubt I'll find any kids interested in hour long conversations about Matisse."

"Maybe you will." Edward shrugged, and chuckled when he noticed his daughter smile a little. "Listen, I know you want to do art, but you're good at science and technology, and being at this school is gonna get you a good career after you graduate. They have clubs that you can sign up for, and you already have the job that you applied for a while ago. Maybe you could think of joining decathlon? You like that sort of thing, right?"

"Yeah, maybe." Maggie muttered, and leaned against the headrest. Music filled the car as the two sat in silence, and the girl furrowed her eyebrows before turning to look at her dad. "What was the guy's name? The one who offered you the job, I mean."

"Adrian Toomes. He's one of my old university pals, you would've met him once or twice as a toddler." Edward responded, pulling onto the highway and accelerating a little. "He's a real good guy, Maggie. When he called to catch up and heard I lost my job, he was quick to offer me another one. He's going to help us out a lot."

"Wow, that's cool of him." Maggie said, absentmindedly stroking the dog on her lap. "What are you gonna be doing?"

"I dunno yet, he mentioned something about sales pitching and being a driver, but I'll probably be told in length when I start on Monday. It means a lot of late nights, but I promise that eventually, I'll get us back on our feet again."

"I know you will, Dad." Maggie reached over and patted his hand, and Edward smiled at his daughter's understanding. It reminded him of his late wife, her mother. Like Maggie, she too was kind and caring, always putting other people first. 

Maggie pulled her hand back and focused on the open road ahead of them. Music filled her ears and her eyes were slowly beginning to shut, the same few words echoing through her head. 

Home isn't a place, it's the people you love.