Take My Hand | Peter Parker

Chapter 15

Spider-Man twiddled his thumbs as I tried to gain confidence to gather my words together. In this moment, I realized my emotions were flying around and I couldn't control them.

For example, wanting to give him a friendly hello or a slap in the face for almost murdering me.

"So... what's up?" He pointed his lame finger guns at me.

I shuffled on my bed. "Just the sky."

"I figured it's been a while since I visited, and I wanted to see how you were doing-"

"I almost died!" I exploded at him, receiving a flinch. Ouch. "But, at least I'm here right? My chance of survival was 0%. Apparently I'm some sort of living miracle according to doctors,"

Spider-Man nods and continues listening to my nervous rambles. 

"I'm freaked out. Big time." I ran a shaky hand through my thick hair.

At that moment, Angel ran into the room and barked once before sniffing around Spider-Man.

"No, Angel-" She nuzzled her face into his outstretched hand. 

Angel always barks at strangers as a precaution. This was strange because she was snuggling up to him instead of defending me.

"Your dog is really friendly," He rubs her ears softly, a thing that Angel loves.

I was becoming suspicious. Spider-Man and Angel, becoming best friends? Already? This was becoming way too personal. Instead of giving him heck, I was practically bawling my eyes out for this cute moment between a dog and a superhero.

"She always barks at strangers," I clenched my hand. "And you're certainly a stranger. To her."

He scratches his neck, anxiously, a classic Peter Parker move. Why was this habit awfully similar to his? Wait. Could they be the same person? 

No. No. NO. Never. Peter's shy and clumsy, quite the opposite of this slightly arrogant but big-hearted Queens hero. 

He smiles, or what I think is, under the mask. "I'm very good with dogs."

I narrowed my eyes. "Angel is only friendly with people she's met before. Several times."

I can tell that he's trying to think of something to say. Anything that would get him out of this mess. He stops petting her, and she runs out of the room, probably going to eat some dog food.

Sirens blared in the distance.

"Do you think we could talk tonight?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Of course. Duty calls,"

He waves happily before shooting a web and taking off in the distance.

I sink back into my desk chair and pause. It was hard to be pissed and happy with Spider-Man at the same time. 

Since I've missed schoolwork, I decide to start working on some of the easier parts to lessen my workload. I breeze through my math homework in an hour.

On the other hand, science was a challenge. 

Nora mentioned that our teacher started a new unit. It was just the beginning, thankfully, but I'd already have to study for a quiz coming up soon. Someone would have to help me study, but Nora's been really busy and barely had time for me to copy her notes.

I run to the kitchen and grab my phone from the table. There's two messages from Nora, but I ignore them and text Peter about science. 

I'm glad that we have a whole bunch of classes together. It makes homework and school easier.

Then I work on history. I hear the door crack open, and peek my head around the wall to see Nora setting her instrument on the floor. 

"Hey, how was school today?" I ask, crossing my arms.

She chuckles. "Actually fun for once."

"Sorry, are you Nora or an imposter?" I smile and laugh at her comment about school. 

She never imagines school as fun.

"Today at lunch, Peter gave me some pictures of Spider-Man that he took himself. They're such good quality, too!" She gushes.

They all looked very real, not photoshopped one bit. He could take up photography, for sure. These pictures meant that Peter couldn't be Spider-Man, if he was taking these himself.

"That's not the highlight. We actually got to play on our phones today. There was a substitute teacher there today, and she announced that our teacher moved the quiz to next week!"

Surely that would be good news, but I spaced out thinking about Peter.

"Hey! I'm sorry that you weren't there for it, but you can't ignore me for it."

I notice that she's frowning as I snap my head up. "Sorry.. I space out."

She gasps. "I forgot about your.. injury. Sorry. Is your head okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Finished most of my homework." I scratch the back of my neck.

"Well... not to be the bearer of bad news or anything," she plops some papers down beside my homework pile. "Or if you consider this bad news. Just some more homework."

"Thank you, Nora." I roll my eyes at her. She grins and takes off, probably going to look at the latest scoop about Spider-Man.

In the midst of all this, I forgot about the bruise that was covered up on my neck. 

I stalk off to the washroom and roll down my sweater enough to see the spot. It appeared as I thought of it, but so much smaller. The area had no colour. The bruise was... gone?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and wondered what I'd look like if all of my skin was the same colour as the bruise. 

Right before my eyes I could see my tan coloured skin morph into a dark, unknown blue. I covered my uninvited scream with my hand. The colour faded back to my regular tone in small hexagon shapes. I brushed my fingers over the chills that flooded my arm.

This was not okay. I panicked and sat at the edge of the tub with my face in my shaky hands. There was no explanation for why I was this way.

I needed Spider-Man to give me some answers. But first, dinner.