Frostbite: The Time In Between// Book 6 of the Frostbite Series

Chapter 4

It was two in the afternoon. I had left my room for the first time today. It had been a long and boring week. I hadn't really done anything other than skate, talk to Rhodey, take care of the cat, and sit. I stood in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal looking around the room, thinking about how it would be different with six other people there with me. My phone began to vibrate continuously in my back pocket, I took it out and looked at the screen. It was a call from Tony. I breathed out impatiently, swiped to answer and held the phone up to my ear.

"Yes, I'm at the compound," I answered by habit.

"That's not what I called for, but thank you," Tony replied.

"What is it, Tony?" I asked. 

I set down my bowl of cereal and leaned against the kitchen counter. James the Kitten came prancing into the kitchen and rubbed against my ankles.

"I need you to pick up the kid from school," Tony said.

Kid? What kid is Tony talking about- Then it click and I furrowed my brow. Following the fight in Germany, Tony kept the Spider-Boy close. His name was Peter Parker and he lived in Queens. In his spare time, he patrolled the neighborhood in his suit to keep crime on the low. At least that's what Tony told him to do. I honestly didn't know what he had planned for him. I had met him once after the fight, we hadn't exchanged more than a few words and he barely looked at me. 

"Peter?" I asked. 

I lifted my foot and rubbed it along James' back.

"Yeah, him."

"Can't you?" I asked.

I was not in the mood to do anything.

"No, I'm busy, I never pick him up." 

"What about Happy?" I suggested. 

"He's-" Tony hesitated, trying to find an excuse. "Parker gets nervous around you."

"Really?" I said in amusement.

I brought my foot back down and allowed the white kitten to continue rubbing against my ankles.

"He feels bad about fighting you, and I guess he thinks that you're just... Mad about the situation you are in right now," Tony explained.

"Well, he is right about me being mad," I replied sternly. "But he doesn't need to feel bad about fighting me."

"Great! How about you tell him that when you pick him up?"

"I- Tony, I literally just left my room," I said.

"Then eat, get dressed, and go get him." Tony rushed.

I sighed, placing my hand behind me on the counter. "Which car do I take?"

"Whichever you want, the keys are-" Tony began.

"On the hooks by the garage door, I got it," I finished.

"Hey, you gotta quit it with the attitude," Tony said sternly. "If it weren't for me you'd be locked in a prison right now."

"Yeah, I know, just please stop treating me like a kid," I picked up my cereal. "I'm technically older than you, so I should be the one bossing you around."

"Mhm, tell me, who had the letter from their father telling them to take care of you?" Tony asked.

"You did," I said overtop of his "I did."

"That's right, now finish whatever you're doing right now, then get the kid," Tony finished. "Also, feel free to take him anywhere, like the mall or out to eat, I don't know. Just be back by five."