Heart and Heroics ›› Peter Parker [1] #Wattys2017

6- Behind The Mask

I stare down at my mask in my hand. I do that sometimes when I'm in deep thought. I'm deciding on whether I should tell my parents about my injury, from The Tinkerer.  A knock on my bedroom door, breaks away my thoughts.

"Fiona, whatcha doin' in there?" my Dad asks from behind the door.

I shove my mask under my pillow. "Nothin'. Just thinking."

"Okay," he said. "Your Mom's got dinner ready. Come on down."

"'Kay," I open the door, and follow Dad downstairs, into the dining room.

"Fiona," my brother, Ethan says. "I set the table." Then he leans towards me and whispers, "thats just so i get paid."

"I know what you said Ethy," Mom said, putting the food on the table. She makes a I-know-what-you're-up-to face. "You shouldn't get paid for chores, you should be paying us instead."

"Mooooom," Ethan said in a whinny voice. "I don't want a job, or chores."

My Dad chuckles, "you're going to have to get one someday, kiddo."

"But--" Ethan's cut off by the doorbell ringing.

"I'll get it," I said. "You guys sit down."

"Look at you," my Mom smiles. "Getting the door for us, without being told."

I roll my eyes, and walk over to the entranceway. I pull open the door.

I blink in surprise, at who's on the other side. My face goes red, "Peter? What are you doing here?"

Peter stares back at me with a semi apologetic gaze. "I'm sorry. But you left this with me," he holds out my phone.

"How..?" I totally forgot my phone, when I was talking with Peter. Talking about superheroes. Specifically Intensity and Spider-Man. "Thank you."

Peter smiles, making my heart skip several beats. "Not problem," he says.

"Fiona, who's at the door?" my Mom asks.

"A friend from school... My lab partner."

My Mom comes up from behind me; which I don't like the idea of. "Oh," she says beaming. "Hi, I'm Fiona's Mom."

"Hi, I'm Peter," Peter seems a little shy.

My Mom gives me a weird look, and walks back to the table. I watch her out of the corner of my eye, and try not to be creeped out by her behavior.

"Does your aunt let you out at this time? Like at 6:30, in the dark? With all the thugs and stuff?"

"Ummm, she said it was okay," he doesn't meet my gaze.

"That's a 'no'. Because you told me that she freaks out when you do dangerous things."

"Its not dangerous. Spider-Man can always get me out of trouble."