Arachnophobia ⇒ Peter Parker

five: corner store

    "Hello." The store owner greeted me. He kindly smiled with a wrinkled grin. The man had a small beard with patches of white and grey and a thinning hairline. He rubbed his hands gently on the front of a cream and brown bowling shirt that he wore.

     The name of the store was Deli-Grocery and it was located on a lethargic street corner. His store was small and its shelves were sparsely filled. As a whole, the place looked rather new. The owner was standing behind a counter while a small makeshift kitchen was placed behind him. Two strips of plastic that carried assorted crisps framed him and the cash register. Behind the register, a shining grill cooked up warm sandwiches. Two large containers of mustard and mayonnaise sat adjacent to an array of toppings. I was puzzled as to how anyone could sustain a small store like this, even if it was filled with a small myriad of people.

     As if reading my disappointment with the store, he said, "I don't recognize you, mija. If this is your first time at my store, I apologize for the lack of inventory. Our store caught on fire a year ago and business has been down ever since."

     "It's a shame to hear that. This is a beautiful store. Did the fire reach other buildings? My family just moved a block over and I hadn't realized," I replied apologetically.

     "The fire only caught my store," he replied humbly as a smile perched on to his face, "Have you ever heard of Spiderman? He saved as much of the building as he could."

     Spiderman? I was ready to probe him more about the topic, but a man behind handed him the sandwich that I had ordered earlier. Before I could grab it, a cat walked on to the counter, its ginger hair refracted the sunlight that shone through the storefront.

     "How cute!" I replied; the tone of my voice raised. The owner laughed at this and began stroking the cat's head. The cat purred and rubbed his head on my hand. I kindly told the owner, "If you don't mind, I'm going to go grab some water."

     I took his nod as a cue to turn around and walk away. I approached a row of fridges with assorted drinks and reached for the largest bottle of water that I could spot. The cold air of the fridge engulfed my hand. The bottle had a rim of sweat coating it which transferred on to my palm. The fridge shut loudly once I took it out. Its slamming noise synchronized with the ding of an opening door.

     The owner of the store greeted, "Peter!"

     Peter? As in Peter Parker? When Isaac warner me, I hadn't realized that we lived this near in proximity--

     My thoughts were interrupted by a cold stream of air that brushed my ankles. I looked down and realized that a pool of water was collecting under my feet. The water bottle that I had once grasped in my shaking palm was sputtering out on to the ground. I winced and a mortified expression replaced my once calm one. Before Peter had the chance to help me, I grabbed the water bottle.

     I yanked a strand of hair out of the ponytail that rested on my head to partially conceal my profile, slightly turned over to the main counter, and lowered my voice slightly to say, "Sorry!"

     The owner replied by telling me that I could leave the mess. I wrung the tenseness out of my shoulders and walked further down the aisle, knowing that I still had the gaze of the two following me. After a while, I could hear the patter of Peter's wet tennis shoes against the grimmy, white spotted tile. I quickly glanced over, realizing that he had walked away from the cash register and was approaching my direction. I quickly shuffled over to the owner before Peter could reach me, throwing a $10 bill at the man and grabbing the sandwich he had made for me. I muttered a curt 'thank you' and glanced back one last time.

     The boy was only visible in a flash, but I was able to catch his prominent dark brown hair and the navy sweatshirt that he wore.

     "Would you like your chang--"

     Before the owner could finish he was interrupted by the metal door near him swinging shut. I turned the corner and my pace quickened until I was almost at a run. Once I reached my apartment, which was one block down, I sunk on to the ground.

     I reasoned my reaction to the situation by enforcing the fact that I couldn't introduce myself just yet. The power of first impressions had always lasted with me. Worry overwhelmed me as I hoped that I hadn't blown my shot with him. My breath was quick and forced. My family's and friend's lives were in my hands and I could do nothing about it. I felt as though this whole situation was out of my control, and I was the switch that could activate eternal damnation. The switch on a control panel that was operated by Isaac.

     I struggled upwards and made my way to the table. The hardwood pressed up uncomfortably against my sore back. I glanced outward, my eyes meeting the painting positioned on the wall opposite me. Broad paint strokes created a woman that gaped outwards with an expression of melancholy, cradling a child in her arms. I shook my head and began unwrapping my sandwich, vetting the contents.

     I snorted at the irony. The sandwich bread was covered in sesame seeds. It's a shame that I'm allergic.

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Just a small chapter, but the rising action of this story begins next chapter, when Amalia pays a trip to Midtown High School. I would like to thank you all so much for the fact that this book has reached 50 reads, that is absolutely mind-blowing. Anyways, did you like this chapter? Please let me know by commenting and liking below. Until next chapter!