Walking the Wire | PETER PARKER [1]

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After dumping out her homework and replacing it with a few necessities and money into her backpack, Eloise magnets a note onto the fridge for her parents so they don't completely freak out when they don't see her home. Of course, she didn't write that she's going to be across the country to save the world from a man that's planning on using a wormhole the government is hiding for time travel, but she did put that she's going down south on a school field trip for a few days. Eloise just prays that they don't contact the school and ask about it.

Eloise reaches for the doorknob, but then pauses in thought before opening the front door to leave. Her time of the month is nearing, so she should probably pack some feminine items just in case Mother Nature decides to pay an early visit.

She turns on her heel and backtracks into her bedroom where she keeps the extra boxes of pads and tampons. Eloise shuffles through her drawers in search, and when she lies her eyes on a package, movement causes her focus to dart up. On the top surface of her dresser is a small black spider. It crawls across the flat top and pauses in front of Eloise.

Eloise doesn't have a fear of spiders, so she brings her hand up to flick it away. Just as she's about to send it flying, it propels itself forward onto the back of her hand. A sharp pain erupts where the spider landed and, letting out a shriek, Eloise frantically shakes her hand. The spider is flung across the room and hits the window before scurrying off and disappearing.

The pain in her hand subsides. She peers down at the back of the hand the spider was on and notices the small red bump in the center. That little bugger must've bit her.

Eloise rubs the bite and carries on packing her feminine products.

Once the bag is finally packed, Eloise meets up with Peter and Ned at Ned's house. She's never been inside before, but under the circumstances, she doesn't get to really have a good look at the space.

A woman that shares Ned's same dark skin answers the door when Eloise knocks. Her hair is dark like Ned's too, but instead of straight and a little choppy, it's puffy and full of curls. Her smile causes the skin near her eyes to wrinkle.

"Hi," Eloise greets, trying not to sound as rushed as she is. "I'm Eloise—"

"Oh!" The woman cuts the girl off with a clap of her hands. "Ned said you'd be over! He and Peter are down the hall in Ned's room," she chirps as she steps back and holds the door open wide for Eloise to enter.

Eloise tugs at the straps of her backpack and smiles at the woman as she passes her in the doorway, then books it to the hall where she said Ned's room would be. Luckily Eloise doesn't have to search every room down the hall because a door at the very end swings open. Ned and Peter emerge from it, both carrying their bags. Peter's no longer in his Spider-Man suit, but he's wearing his normal Star Wars tee with jeans, his feet clad in converses.

The boys don't even acknowledge Eloise as they pass her in the hall, but they don't have to; they all have thoughts weighing them down. So, without a word, Eloise turns and follows Ned and Peter out the front door. The woman whom Eloise assumes is Ned's mother is no longer in the entry way, so they exit the house without another exchange.

As soon as the three teenagers are outside, Ned speaks up.

"Where are the Avengers going to pick us up?"

Peter stops in his tracks. Eloise almost runs into his back.

"He didn't believe me," Peter sighs.