The Masks we Hide Behind || Peter Parker [1]

fourteen: broken

My eyes flutter open as I slowly wake up to a soft knock on my door. I glance at my alarm clock.

Oh my god. School started an hour ago.

I hear my door open and I look up to see my mom walk into my room, smiling softly once she sees me.

"I slept in. I know. I'll-" I start.

"No. You and Lucas are staying home today." She says quietly. All of the memories come flooding back. Dad. Avalanche. The Spider-Man.

None of this seems real.

"W-what?" I️ pretended to be confused. She inhales deeply before answering me, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I got a phone call last night. Your dad..." she starts. Tears start to slide down her cheeks.

"Is he okay?" I ask. No. He's anything but okay.

"He...he's dead, Madelyn." She whispers. Even though I️ already know this, my eyes widen and a lump starts to form in my throat. It's real now. It's real. It wasn't just a dream. This doesn't feel real at all.

"How?" I️ ask, my voice cracking.

"Remember the earthquakes the other night?" She asks. I️ nod, silent tears rolling down my cheeks.

"The man...thing, the thing that creates them calls himself Avalanche. He was there last night, when Dad was coming home from work. He...he killed him." She says softly, before letting out a sob and covering her face. She looks up at me and sees that I'm crying, too, and she opens her arms, motioning for me to hug her. I️ do, and we sit there for awhile, holding each other and crying.

~~~

Pete
Hey, where are you today?

Mads
Home.

Pete
How come?

Mads
Something happened.

Pete
You okay?

Mads
No.
I'll tell you everything later.

Pete
Okay.

~~~

Later that evening, Mom had left to go to the police station. Lucas was locked in his room all day, just like I was. I eventually left my room to go grab something to eat (hoping that we had ice cream left in all honesty). As I️ opened the freezer side of the fridge, I heard a soft knock on our door. I closed the freezer and walked over to it, tightening my messy ponytail and wiping my eyes. I look through the peephole, and see my very own best friend standing at the door. I immediately open it, seeing a worried expression on his face.

"I heard what happened." He says. I don't even care that I'm in a baggy tee shirt, with no bra on, stained pajama shorts, and huge bags under my eyes. The second he opens his arms, I just crash into him and start crying again. He holds me and just lets me cry, and we stand there in my doorway for awhile. My face is buried in his chest as I cry, and his hand rubs up and down on my back as he holds me. Once I pull away, he slides his backpack off and unzips it. He pulls out a bottle of coke and a Hershey's bar. I sniff and wipe my eyes.

"You are the best person on the face of the earth," I say, my voice cracking.

"Go sit down," He says softly. I️ sniff again as he hands me the Coke and the Hershey's, then walk over and collapse onto the couch. He shuts the door and joins me on the couch, watching as I️ open the Hershey's and start devouring it. I crack off two pieces and hand them to him, in which he gladly takes with a small smile.

"I am so, so sorry." He says after awhile of silence. I take a deep breath, wishing I could tell him everything. That I'm the Spider-Woman. And that it's my fault my father is dead. And how I can't even tell my mom what really happened. I️ crumble the Hershey's wrapper up in my hand and lean back, staring at my feet.

"It...it just doesn't seem real." I whisper. I look over at him, and I see tears crowd his eyes. He opens up his arm again, and I lean into him and we hold each other. As tears roll down my own cheeks, I hear Peter sniff.

"Where's Lucas?" He whispers after a bit of silence. I pull away and lean back against the couch.

"In his room," I reply.

"Do you know what happened to him yet?" He asks. I exhale a shaky breath.

"No." Yes.

"Mads, I don't even know what to say. I am so sorry." He murmurs.

"Thank you." I say quietly. "You're literally the best friend anybody could ever ask for."

"That's not true. And please don't thank me." He says.

"It is true," I say, my voice cracking. "thank you." He doesn't reply, he just takes a deep breath. Dad always liked Peter. He thought he was really smart, he was certain he has a future. Which is true. Peter was his favorite out of all of my friends. And Peter knew it. At times, he was there for Peter, being the father that Peter doesn't have.

"How did this even happen?" He whispers.

"It just doesn't seem real," I reply. Soon, we hear the door open and we look up, watching my mom walk in.

"Hey, Pete." She says softly with a small smile. She sets her purse onto the counter and Peter gets up to go wrap her in a hug. I watch as they hold each other tight, and I watch as tears continue to fall down Mom's cheeks. I stand up and walk down the small hallway, over to Lucas's room. I knock on the door softly.

"Not know, Mom." I hear his voice crack.

"It's not Mom."

"I'm really not in the mood, Madelyn."

"Can you just come out? Just for a little bit?" I ask quietly.

"Please, just leave." I hear him say. I sigh and walk back into the kitchen, watching as Peter asks Mom if there's anything he can do to help for about the third time.

"Peter, sweetheart." Mom chuckles, closing her eyes. "You are possibly the most kind, polite boy I've ever met. But really, we're okay."

He looks at me and I smile softly. "You can go home."

"I feel like I can't just leave," he says. Mom chuckles quietly and collapses onto the couch.

"Go home, Pete. Thank you." She says. He smiles softly, and with that, he leaves. I slowly make my way back to my room and collapse onto my bed. Everything is going to be different. Everything feels...

Empty.