the spider whisperer

Curfew [chapter 26]

She sighed, staring up into the ceiling fan, completely bored out of her mind. She lay still on the floor, trying to find anything she could do to cure her state. But there wasn't anything. She'd finished her homework hours ago, and she already did all the chores she could.

With her parents being at their home now, she no longer really had anything to do. They'd walk down three blocks to the laundromat to do the laundry. They'd make dinner and keep the place tidy. They even cleaned the toilet.

Her parents were trying real hard to show they were ready to be in their children's lives.

But with their presence came newfound rules. They had the power to tell her to study even if she didn't feel like it and her grades were at their peaks. They had the power to choose what to make for dinner; even if it was something she'd told them numerous times she didn't like. Cairo had also, I'll admit, after a lot of convincing, allowed them to give her a curfew.

She now had to be back at the apartment by six in the evening. In case you were wondering, that was about three hours before she typically got home.

Cairo wanted to give their parents a chance with her. He didn't exactly agree with the curfew or forcing her to study, but they weren't really that harmful. So he let them do it. He knew when she usually got home. He also knew that she only studied when she felt like it because her brain wasn't able to focus at certain times.

To say the least, she hated them being present. Cairo didn't like it either, but it wasn't very fair to her if she didn't get at least one chance to have a mother and father.

Ones that actually cared and were biological at least.

She was glaring into the light when her phone ring and brought her out of the trance she was in. Sitting up, she reached over to the desk where her phone was located right next to it on the floor.

'peter'

She debated wether or not she should answer. On one hand, he could be bugging her about something stupid like homework or trying to convince her that she was madly in love with him. On the other hand, he could be calling to tell her he'd gotten hurt while patrolling again. That seemed to be happening a lot recently.

So due to the fact she needed some entertainment, she answered.

"I swear— if you called me for something stupid, Peter..." she was quickly able to make her voice sound like she was irritated. But she wasn't. She was actually quite neutral about the whole interaction that was about to happen.

"Me? Calling you for something stupid?" Peter almost sounded offended. In the background, she could hear wind blowing. That either meant he was on top of a building or he was calling her while webbing through the streets of Queens, New York. Neither of which were particularly safe. "I would never!"

She hummed, "What do you want?"

"Open your window." There was obviously a grin on his face just from the way he was talking alone. "...please?" Couldn't forget to use his manners.

Getting up and off her floor, she sighed. She walked over to her window, sitting down at the windowsill and unlocking it so it could be opened. Her hand barely even cracked the window open before a new set of red fingers slid through and helped in opening the window more.

"Hey, pretty lady!" Spider-man leaned against the railing to the fire escape. He removed his mask, nodding his head at her with a grin. "How's my damsel doing on a night as fine as this one?" It was drizzling outside.

"Fine?" she questioned with a raised brow. She hung up her phone and turned it off, pushing it into her back pocket.

"Okay, maybe it's a little underwhelming..." Peter admitted. "But considering I've had to patrol in the pouring rain these past few nights, I consider this quite the upgrade."