Little Spy | Peter Parker ✓

[21]

I HAD SLEPT TWENTY MINUTES IN THE LAST TWENTY FOUR HOURS, and those twenty minutes had been spread out between twelve excruciatingly long hours, making me feel like death had grabbed hold of my body and possessed me, leaving me staggering and stumbling around like the undead.

After my victorious return home, Inga had only snapped at me to get to work, commanding me to study everything about the webs along side her and to report back to her every ten minutes. She didn't seem to need sleep; she sat and watched me like a hawk, every so often typing information in and scrutinising her computer screen like there was something extremely important there - maybe there was, but if so, I had no clue or interest in what exactly that was. I had only gotten relief at three in the morning, giving me a full hour of tossing and turning before I was forced awake and taken to school. 

My eyes drooped shut for the millionth time in the past few hours, but I held my head up, blinking away the arms of sleep, trying to beckon me away. I couldn't fall asleep in the middle of class - not that I cared to pay attention anyways - my relief would have to wait until I was finally home and able to collapse, give in to the strong urge to shut my heavy eyes.

Turning my attention away from my exhausted body in hopes of staying awake, I looked around the room, watching the two girls who had confronted me a few days ago. Sally, the girl with daggers for eyes and a tongue like a knife, was giggling to her friend about something, the girl doing her best to look like she was paying attention while she listened closely. I didn't know what she was saying - reading lips had never been my forte - but it was something about me, as I saw the three syllables that made up my persona's name fall from Sally's lips like something repulsive.

Liz mumbled something back, something about 'wrong', and I frowned, watching the girl whisper more things and giggle even more. Whatever it was they were discussing, it was obviously-

"Ms Newman?"

I whirled back to the front, facing the teacher who stood a foot away from my desk, frowning at me. Everyone in the class had stopped and been staring right at me, including the two I had been watching - especially those two. Sally's snide grin said it all, and despite myself, I felt like I had done something wrong, suddenly feeling warm.

"Yes," I murmured, shooting daggers at everyone who took pleasure in the pitiful scene. "Sorry."

She simply clicked her tongue and whirled back around, striding back to the front of the class where she stood, eyes not leaving my reddening face. "Next time, let's actually pay attention, okay? I know that this may not be as exciting as Ms Avril's face-" the entire class erupted into giggles at that "-but it's still important."

I nodded and sunk back down, not daring to turn my gaze. It was more than evident that the two were probably laughing at my misfortune, but I wouldn't be the fool this time.

...

"Emily?"

I snapped out of my dreary state of almost-sleep and looked up at Peter, who was standing over me at my table, surveying my situation with concern. As it turns out, I had fallen asleep at one of the library tables situated in the corner and was left alone floating between dreams and reality, ignored until the Parker boy found me. I wasn't even sure how he did - my table was practically hidden by a large bookshelf and unnoticeable by the casual onlooker - but that didn't really matter much.

"Sorry," I mumbled, ruffling the hair that had just served as a pillow and wiping at my eyes, doing my best to look more awake than my body actually felt. "I wasn't out for long, was I?"

He shrugged, sliding into the chair opposite me and passing me my math textbook, watching me throw them into my bag without a care and have them tumble to the bottom, no doubt crumpling somehow. "I don't know, but it's still lunch if that's what you're asking. I just didn't know where you were and...I figured if I checked, at least I would know you weren't in trouble or anything."