Hanging by a Thread 🕷 Peter Parker

three

Alexandra

The school bell rang and Alexandra practically ran from her final class of the day (Pre-Calculus) and headed for her locker. She usually met Peter there and the two of them would walk home together, seeing as though they were next door neighbors. But then, she remembered that Peter had detention after school anyway. Ms. Lewandowski had been pretty upset with him.

"See ya later, Alex!" Peter suddenly called, waving as he passed by her. Alexandra furrowed her eyebrows and pointed in the opposite direction down the hall.

"Isn't detention that way?" She asked.

Peter turned back to her and shrugged. "I've gotta go! But I'll see you at the library later today! See ya!"

Just like that, he was gone. Alexandra sighed, shaking her head. Peter was skipping detention now? What was going on with him?

Alexandra headed out of the school and for the subway station. Instead of taking the school bus every day, Alexandra and Peter usually took the subway. It was faster and more reliable than the bus, anyway; and there were only two stops in between their apartments and the school.

While she was on the subway, Alexandra pulled out her cell phone and pulled up her messages with Peter. Well, his contact name in her phone was 'Petey.' He always hated that nickname, especially when Alexandra used it.  "May only used that when I was like five, Alex!" He would always say.

"Aren't you still a five year old, Petey?" Alexandra would reply with a small smirk. Peter would only groan.

But in Alexandra's defense, Peter was constantly using the nickname 'Allie' for her, and she never complained. He shouldn't either!

Alexandra texted Peter on her way back.

where'd you run off to? you do know detention is mandatory, right?
2:45 PM

There wasn't a response immediately, so Alexandra sighed and put her phone away. He never seemed to respond to texts anymore, or phone calls. Alexandra thought maybe he was getting into some kind of trouble. It wouldn't be much of a surprise, Alexandra thought. Peter always seems to get himself into some sort of trouble.

Two subway stops later, Alexandra got off of the train and headed up to the street. She adjusted her book bag on her shoulder and walked a few more blocks before she reached the apartment building. Alexandra unlocked the front door and headed inside, towards the staircase.

When she reached her floor, she walked down the hall, almost to the very end, before reaching the second to last apartment on the floor. Alexandra inserted the key into the door and unlocked it, stepping inside. "Pa? I'm home!" Alexandra called.

"Hey, Alex!" Her Papa replied. He stuck his head out from the kitchen and smiled. "How was school today?" Alexandra's Papa was a tall man with dark hair, though there were several strands of gray. He was always complaining about the gray, though Alexandra and her other father were constantly telling him that it actually looked good; he never believed them, though.

"School was fine," Alexandra replied. "Peter was late to Biology again, though. Ms. Lewandowski was mad, she even gave him an hour of detention after school, but..." She trailed off.

Alexandra's Papa raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "But...?" He urged her to continue.

She sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table after setting her book bag down next to her. "I saw him running out of school when the bell rang, away from detention," She said. "I think he was skipping it."