The Dark Archer

Chapter 5

Alexandra Daddario as Kylie and Andrew Garfield as Peter.

Kylie POV

After my birthday cake was devoured, I opened my presents. Most of them were cards with money in them, but Aunt Nat gave me thigh sheaths with daggers. Mom was not that pleased about that, but there was really no avoiding it. She promised to take me on a shopping trip with Dad's credit card. He was just ecstatic about that.

After that, everyone slowly trickled out, leaving me alone with my mom. My dad had to go with Nat to her place to pick up stuff for their Spider-Man mission. I went to go to my room to "get ready for bed"—really I was going to wait for Peter.

My mom kissed my forehead and softly said, "Happy Birthday, baby girl. I love you. I can't believe you're already an adult. It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time." A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Mom, don't cry, I hate when you cry. I never know what to do," I whined. I gave Mom a hug and awkwardly rubbed her back to soothe her.

"You're not my little girl anymore. You're all grown up. You're a woman now," she said sadly.

"Aw, mom. I'll always be your little girl. And you'll always be my mom. I'll always love you, no matter what," I reassured her.

She looked at me. She smiled through her tears and said, "Thanks baby girl, now you go ahead and get on to bed. Don't worry about me, I'm just a sentimental worry wart."

I gave her one last hug and a kiss and walked down the hall to my room. I had some designing to do while I waited for Peter. After all, what's a hero without her uniform?

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An hour later I was still working on a design. I groaned frustratedly and threw yet another drawing behind me into my trash can. I'd designed at least ten costumes by now and I was extremely agitated. I started another drawing.

I put my head in my hands and moaned. It just wasn't working. Suddenly I heard a creaking noise and jerked my head up. It was Peter crawling in my window with my bow and arrows in tow. He raised his eyebrows to his hairline when he saw me and my frightful expression.

"Woah, Kylie, what's the matter?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm trying to design my uniform and nothing I come up with turns out right!" I vented. He sighed at me and I turned around to pick up the dozen paper wads I had randomly thrown behind me. What I saw puzzled me immensely. Every single wad of paper had landed in the trash can.

Not just one or a few. Every freaking one of them. Now here's why that's strange. I had tossed those little wads of paper with varying strength and direction. There was no way in hell that all of them could end up in the trash can.

I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. Maybe Mom or Dad came in and picked them up, I thought. That could have worked except for the fact that I would have heard them break down my door because I locked it.

Peter didn't immediately determine the source of my confusion and just stared at me with a rivaling amount of puzzlement.

"They're all in the trash can," I mumbled under my breath. Peter clearly thought I was crazy.

"Yes, Lee. You put them in there," he said slowly. But I didn't, I thought.

I widened my eyes. I wonder...