Just so Hungry

I Promise

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE--

I slapped my hand across my alarm clock, and peered at it, my eyes still groggy with sleep.

Seven o'clock.

Seven o'clock?! Shit! School starts in an hour!

I scrambled around my room, getting dressed with my suit on under my clothes and gathering up all my school stuff, all this with the covers still tangled in my legs and eventually making me fall over with a loud thud. Aunt May called up to my room at the sound of my fall.

"You okay babe?"

"Uh, yep!" I called back, scrambling up again. I grabbed my mask from the depths of my closet and shoved it deep into my backpack, hiding it underneath all the books, then grabbed Karen's earpiece and put it in my ear. It was nice being able to talk to her at any time of the day, she could always update me on any big crimes going on, in case I had to leave school. Though today she started out sounding a little angry.

"You didn't wake up early Peter," she said, and if she had a body I imagine she would be crossing her arms.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I was just so tired, I must've slept through all my alarms," I said, putting on my coat. I heard her sigh, and then her voice softened.

"Just try to have a little something before school. Your blood sugar is getting a little low," Karen said.

"I will, I promise," I said.

I went downstairs and found Aunt May waiting for me in the kitchen, holding a couple pieces of toast.

"Where were you last night?" she asked with a smile.

"Uh--Stark Internship! We started a new project, so it's um, really busy," I said hurriedly, as I got on my shoes.

"Oh, well did they at least give you dinner? I don't want you going hungry baby."

"Yep," I lied. Now I was really regretting not waking up to make a big breakfast. Aunt May's toast looked so good. That perfectly toasted bread with butter spread on top and melted from the heat, the sweet, slightly tangy jam it was all coated with made my stomach clench with hunger. And at that moment my belly gurgled just loud enough for Aunt May to hear, still politely asking for something to digest, but maybe a little more insistently this time. Heat crept into my face as I said, "Uh, still pretty hungry though."

"Good thing I made breakfast for you then. You were out so late, I thought I'd let you sleep in," she said as she handed me the toast, and kissed me on the cheek. I almost sagged in relief, but held my composure as she pressed some money in my hand. "Here's your money for lunch and Mr. Delmar's. You better go catch the subway, wouldn't want you to be late."

"Thanks Aunt May! I larb you!" I called out the door, shoving the money into my pocket.

"I larb you too hun!"

I stepped outside and started to quickly walk down to the subway station, taking a bite of toast as I went. Oh god, so good. My stomach growled as I swallowed the bite down, clearly begging for more. I suppose I haven't really eaten in sixteen hours, if my math is right. No wonder my stomach is freaking out.

But just as I rounded a corner, a familiar stray came out of the alleyway to my right. It was a skinny grey cat that I'd named Dart after the Demodog from Stranger Things. His face was a little twisted and deformed, so that from a distance, he looked a lot like a small Demodog. I usually brought him something to eat on my way to school, but in my haste I'd completely forgotten.

"Sorry Dart, I don't have anything for you today," I said to him sadly. He looked back up at me with big amber eyes, meowing pitifully. I looked from him, to my toast, then back to him.

"...Fine. I guess you need it more than I do, I doubt you wanna eat trash." I threw my toast into the alleyway for him and he bounded after it happily.

"Peter--"

"Karen, don't. He probably hasn't eaten all weekend the poor thing, and I don't want him to starve. I can last a while longer," I said.

When Karen didn't say anything else, I knew she was mad at me. Mr. Stark made her super realistic, I'm starting to feel guilty.

"Karen, I promised I would eat today--"

"And you haven't," she interrupted. "You haven't eaten a single thing. You haven't eaten since four yesterday, that's way too long for you, that's way too long for anyone."

"I'm not anyone, I'm Spider-Man, so I'm stronger than just anyone--"

"You're not invincible Peter!"

"Yeah no shit, Invincible can fly and he's a comic book character--"

"Peter!"

"Fine, fine, I promise I'll eat the first chance I get. Which will probably be lunchtime," I huffed.

"Thank you," she said.

I walked a few more blocks and reached the subway just in time. A while later I was walking up the steps to my school. Flash shoved me into the lockers as usual, sneered at me about how I would be dead at lunch (which if I had a dollar for every time he said that, I would be richer than Mr. Stark), and then I met up with Ned beside my locker. We talked until it was a few minutes before class started, and the hallways were getting more and more empty.

"Which Avenger is better, Black Widow, or Scarlet Witch?" Ned asked.

"Neither, I'm the best Avenger," I answered sarcastically. "But seriously, I think they're both--" My stomach cut me off with an ear splitting rumble. I guess it was beyond politely asking now, more like demanding angrily. The hallway was almost completely empty (kind of like my stomach), and I swear the sound practically echoed. Ned and I both looked down at my middle, and I could feel heat crawling up into my face again. I curled my arm around my belly, trying to silence it under my elbow.

"You okay Pete?" Ned asked, his voice filled with concern. I looked up at him, and gave him a goofy smile.

"Yeah, I just didn't have breakfast, I gave my toast to Dart."

"The cat by your apartment? But don't you have like a crazy metabolism now?"

"Well yeah, but it's fine--Wait how do you know that? I don't remember saying that." I shoved my backpack into my locker, and we started walking towards class.

"Well, I remember that day when you stopped wearing glasses, and accidentally broke that desk. I'm guessing that was around the time you got your powers, right? Well, you were also eating a ton too, more than you usually did. And when I found out how you were Spider-Man, I just put two and two together."

"Jeez, I'm surprised more people haven't figured it out," I said, rubbing my stomach absentmindedly, trying to get it to calm down. It was starting to hurt now, like it was twisting itself in a knot.

"It's 'cuz you let people like Flash beat you up," Ned said easily. "Everyone thinks Spider-Man would never let anyone hurt him. You're so committed to keeping this a secret. If it were me, everyone would know within about two seconds."

He glanced down at the arm rubbing my belly, which I dropped quickly.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look a little pale--"

"I'm fine! I'm fine, just a little hungry, I'm fine, I promise," I said quickly.

Ned was just about to argue when the bell rang, and I ducked into my class before he could say anything else.