Running Up That Hill

A Brand New Day

[Peter's POV]

My name is Peter Parker, the year is 1988 and this will be the start of my last year of high school. It's been a rough couple of years since the moment I got bitten by that radioactive spider at 15 but now in a strange way I pray this year will be my best one.

Peter sighs before closing up his journal and placing it back into his drawer. He looks around his somewhat messy room, posters of people he admires like Nicola Tesla or Carl Sagan on his walls.

He looks over to see a framed picture of Uncle Ben and him posing with bright smiles at the massive trout they caught one summer. He smiles at it, always missing his Uncle but making him proud by doing his best in life.

"Peter, breakfast is ready!" Aunt May calls from downstairs, the faint scent of her famous wheatcakes reaching his nostrils calling to him like a siren song.

"Coming May!" He calls back, heading downstairs with a pep in his step. He kisses May on the cheek before sitting down in anticipation for the syrup covered wheatcakes.

"Excited for your final year Peter?" Aunt May asks him, placing down the cakes as Peter dives into them.

Peter truthfully was unsure. The past three years were filled to the brim with bullying, loss of loved ones, slander, and always somehow getting into fights with superhuman criminals that have the outs for him to the point he had a few close calls.

"Uh yeah." Peter lies, putting a smile on his face for his Aunt May to make her happy even if he wasn't. It was worth it to him if she was happy each day possible.

"I'll be working late at the shelter today Peter, there'll be reheatable dinner by the time you get back from after school." May tells him, Peter worrying in the back of his head about his Aunt's safety at nightfall.

"Just be careful on your way back home May." Peter says to her, drowning his concerns out with a bite of wheatcake.

May smiles and nods, appreciating his always kind words and looks up at the kitchen clock reading 7:25AM.

"Oh! Well Peter you better head off to your first day back right away so you don't get in trouble being late."

Peter looks up and scurries over to grab his bags, kissing May's cheek on last time before heading out with a wave goodbye. Peter hops aboard his bike, pedaling his way towards the school with swiftness.

As he petals down the sidewalks and roads his mind drifts into past events as if he was Rocky driving his car through the night in Rocky IV. Remembering his parents leaving him never to return, the great moments with both Uncle Ben and Aunt May and then the tragic night Uncle Ben was killed.

He thinks of the people he held in his arms and the funerals he's attended in under three years, the sacrifices he had to commit to being Spider-Man and Peter Parker always.

His spider sense goes off as he sees a female figure ahead moments away from getting hit by his bike, pressing the brakes immediately and in a instant moment he swears he just passed through her like she was a ghost.

He falls off his bike and rolls to a halt against the concrete floor groaning, his thick skin luckily can take the brunt of the impacts.