Maya Stark

Chapter 33: The Bet

I really didn't like swinging places. It was horrible. But seeing as I needed to get home, not being seen with Happy, and Parker didn't think I should slide the mask over the really big cut on my cheek. I also didn't have enough energy to fly myself home. We beat Happy to the tower and I told Parker to get going and that his aunt would start worrying. Soon I was in the empty tower by myself. I hesitated before changing. My side was bleeding from the cut of the suit and my face was swollen and bloody. I slowly took off my suit, wincing at how sore my muscles were. I changed into shorts, a sports bra, and a button-up long sleeve shirt, which I was pretty sure was my dad's.

I cleaned up the cut on my side before buttoning up the shirt. I then got started on cleaning my face. My lip had stopped bleeding, but it was swollen as anything. The cut on my cheek was still bleeding a lot and I wondered if it might need stitches, when I heard Happy calling me.

'In here!' I called back. He walked into the bathroom and saw my cheek.

He helped me clean it up and tape it to stop the bleeding. I thought my chin was going to permanently have dried blood on it from the amount I lost. A bruise was forming on my arm and I was exhausted.

'You're already better than your dad when you get injured,' Happy said. I smirk slightly, my eyes dropping slightly. 'C'mon, you can sleep on the way to the new compound. I've already let Tony know you're okay and everything.'

As soon as we started driving, I was knocked out. I didn't wake up until late the next day. I was in my room at the compound and when my eyes opened, I shot up. I was confused at my surrounding for only a second. They either couldn't wake me or decided not to. I tried to get out of bed, but my legs were wobbly, and I still didn't feel one hundred percent.

'Friday, can you tell dad I'm up?' I say, climbing back into bed.

'Of course, Maya,' she responds.

I had a headache and my cheek stung. A second later, my dad walked through the door. I gave him a small smile.

'How you feeling, kid?' he asked.

I groan slightly. 'I feel like I just got in a plane crash.'

Dad smirks and I smile. 'Parker's texted you about ten times. I told him you were fine. He seemed worried.'

'Yeah, well, he was the one to watch me get dropped out of the sky and fall smack onto the ground.'

Dad winced. 'Okay, moving on. You get a couple days off school. Just a couple days.'

I nod.

A couple days later, I stand with my dad in the compound, waiting for Parker and Happy. My lip was not as swollen and the cut on my cheek was healing nicely. My dad and I had bet 20 bucks on whether or not Parker would take the offer he was about to get. I bet on no. My dad starts walking forward and I look up to see Parker and Happy walking up to us. I follow my dad up. He put his arm around me in a more protective manner.

'Oh, there they are,' he said while doing so. 'How was the ride up?'

'Good,' Happy said.

'Give me a minute with the kids,' dad said.

'Seriously?'

'Yeah. I gotta talk to the kid,' dad said.

'I'll be close behind,' Happy said.

'How about a loose follow?' dad suggested. 'Alright? Boundaries are good.' My dad playfully punches Parker in the arm before leading him forward. 'Sorry I took your suit. I mean, you had it coming. Actually, it turns out it was the perfect sort of tough-love moment that you needed, right? To urge you on, right? Wouldn't you think? Don't you think?'