RED - Peter Parker x F!OC

Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

I sat cross-legged on the rug, dumping puzzle pieces out onto the coffee table. Harry sat across from me, readjusting his glasses. He never enjoyed wearing them, but he only wore them because I told him to. I placed a corner piece at the end of the table, humming to myself peacefully.

"Here you go." Harry slid another corner piece toward me. I smiled up at him.

Our moment was interrupted by the doors of my dad's office sliding open. He strode out with his phone up to his ear. Harry and I watched him walk by us, sitting down on the couch. We ignored him, turning our attention back to our puzzle.

"Yes. Thank you." He removed his phone from his ear, sliding it in his pocket. I peered over at him, seeing him staring down at his kids.

"No, no. This one goes here-" Harry was interrupted by our dad walking over to us. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You two are going on a little trip." He beamed, pulling me away from the puzzle. I nearly tripped at the sudden adjustment.

"A trip? Where to?" Harry asked, standing up.

"It's a surprise." Dad snapped his fingers, summoning our butler, who was holding two pieces of luggage. He already packed our things.

"Where are your things? And mom's?" I questioned, taking my red luggage. Harry grabbed his green one, standing right next to me. We looked up at him with puzzled looks.

"Oh, we aren't going." With that, he pushed us out the door, leading us downstairs. Outside was a cab waiting for us. I began to feel a slight panic rise inside me. Something wasn't right. I twirled around, giving my dad a sad look.

"Are you kicking us out?" My eyes became watery, fearing I'd never see my parents again.

"Of course not, Rosalie. We're just giving you a chance at success." He placed a hand on my back, leading me to the taxi. I obediently slid into the car, followed by Harry. Tears were running down my cheeks now. Everything happened so fast. Too fast. I leaned my head on Harry's shoulder, wishing none of this was happening.

I just want to go back to my puzzle. This isn't what I want.

The taxi drove off. I squirmed in my seat, watching Dad grin with no emotion as his children drove off to God knows where. Harry shifted away from me, furrowing his eyebrows. I could see his eyebags becoming red from the crying. I reached for his hand but he swatted it away.

"Why do you have to ask so many questions?" He spat out, leaning against the window. My lip trembled, processing his question. This isn't my doing, is it? I shrunk away from him, feeling guilt wash over me.

We were only ten.

- -

I woke up to the sounds of cars zooming by at immense speeds. Sirens wailed past, people shouted out at passing vehicles. I peered out the window, seeing buildings standing at least one hundred feet tall. The taxi driver looked at me through his mirror, chuckling at my awestruck face.

I took my headphones off, everything suddenly becoming louder. New York was such an intriguing place. I should've moved back here years ago. Honestly, I would have if Harry wasn't such a stubborn brother. There was still a part of me that regretted leaving him back at Ravencroft. I just couldn't stand him anymore. Boarding school changed him for the worse.

My cousin, Jamie, offered me to stay at her place when I told her I'd be moving to New York. I didn't hesitate to accept. Jamie was my best friend since we were little. She'd constantly come over to play with me and Harry. The four-year age gap didn't affect our relationship in any way. I've been ecstatic to see her again.

"We've arrived, miss." The driver called out, turning his head back to look at me. I scrambled out of the taxi, taking my bags out from the trunk. I felt nice and tipped the guy a few extra dollars for his patience. He drove off, leaving me standing in front of a brown, concrete building.

I entered the building, searching for her flat. We both knew she had enough money to afford a penthouse, but she was too humble to spend her money on that. I decided to take the elevator, not feeling like walking up the long staircase.

An elderly woman and her dog accompanied me halfway up. We exchanged friendly smiles, parting ways not long after. I stepped out of the elevator, now facing a wooden door. I took a deep breath before knocking.

"For the last time, I don't want lavender-scented candles, Mrs. Stines-" Jamie stopped talking once she saw who was behind the door. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite cousin standing in front of her.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I am not Mrs. Stines. I don't even like lavender!" I exclaimed jokingly. She laughed with me, engulfing me in a hug.

"Oh, Rose! I was expecting a call or something." She stepped aside to let me in, helping me with my bags. I placed them against the wall so they were out of the way.

"I wanted to surprise you," I responded, admiring her decorative skills. What caught my eye was a large painting hanging above her TV.

"I've been in an artistic mood lately." She showed off, pointing at her many works around the house.

"They look incredible." I complimented.

She led me to the spare bedroom, dropping my bags on the bed. It was exactly how it was since my last visit. That was three years ago. Jamie skipped over to the kitchen, making a ruckus with her pans.

"Hey, you never mentioned coming alone. I assumed Harry would tag along too." She shouted out. I mentally rolled my eyes, not wanting to discuss our current situation. I had mentioned moving out here but he never seemed interested. He always diverted the conversation to something else.

"He's too busy, caught up in school work." I lied. Harry hadn't touched his school books in months. They were left on his shelf, collecting dust. He'd been kicked out of several schools and even dropped out of one. The district emailed our parents, but they didn't bother to call back. I managed to finish last year with perfect scores. This year was going to be hard to adjust to. I haven't been to a public school since I was nine.

I walked out of the room, joining Jamie at the dining table. She was eating some microwavable mac and cheese. A bowl was already waiting in front of me. I thanked her and took a bit out of it.

"Have you heard from your parents?" She asked, sticking her spoon in her bowl. I shrugged, swallowing my mac and cheese.

"No. We haven't spoken in a long time." I held a strong grudge against my dad. My mother abandoned my dad a few days after we were sent away. Let's just say, our family isn't the healthiest.

"I'm sure things will get better. What's your plan for school?"

"I'm just going to finish my last two years at the local high school here. I was able to transfer my grades from Ravencroft." The idea of going back to public school thrilled me. No more uniforms and tight updos. I had a fresh start here. This was my chance to fix my life and live freely.

"You will make many friends in no time." I loved Jamie's positivity. Although, there were times where it wasn't needed.

"I can't believe that man just got hit by a car." I frowned, walking alongside Jamie. She patted my back, smiling widely.

"He's going to be in good shape!" She reassured, her mood not dropping at all. It was annoying how blind she was to these situations. I shook my head in disagreement.

"He broke his spine in several places. He is nowhere near healthy right now." I recalled his injuries, an image of him forming in my head.

"It wasn't that bad." She laughed it off.

A shiver ran down my spine at the memory. I let out a small laugh which confused Jamie.

"What?" She asked, throwing her bowl and spoon in the sink.

"Nothing," I smiled up at her, washing my own dish, "I'm just happy to have a fresh start with you."