Hanging by a Thread 🕷 Peter Parker

five

TW: this chapter briefly mentions and implies an attempted sexual assault

Alexandra

Standing at her locker after the school bell rang, Alexandra grabbed the textbooks she needed for her homework that night and shut her locker. She left the school building and began heading for the subway. She had been hoping to avoid Peter on her way back, but unfortunately, he managed to catch up with her.

"Hey, Alex!" He said, jogging up beside her as they left the school campus. Alexandra took a deep breath and kept walking. Peter kept following her, they did live in the same apartment building, after all. "Alex, look, I know you're mad at me, but can you please stop ignoring me?"

"What, because it makes you feel bad?" Alexandra replied scornfully. She turned to him. "Peter, do you realize that that is exactly how I've been feeling for the past few months? You've been making excuses and avoiding me—us..." She glanced down and then back up at him. "Us for no reason."

They continued to walk together down into the subway station. A train was pulling up.

"But it hasn't been for no reason!" Peter replied.

"Then enlighten me!" Alexandra said to him. "Your excuses are getting old, Peter. Do—do you even like hanging out with us anymore? Do you like hanging out with me?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"Then what's going on? Why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not—"

Alexandra stepped onto the train car and Peter followed her. She cut him off. "Yes, you are!" She said. "And I don't know why, but I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me what's going on."

Without Peter noticing, Alexandra stepped back onto the train platform. Peter opened his mouth to respond just as the train car doors closed. His eyes widened. "Alex, come on..." He sighed.

"See ya later, Peter." Alexandra turned on her heel and walked out of the subway station as the train pulled away. She was going to walk home, she needed time to clear her head.

She pulled out her phone and texted her Papa, letting him know that she would be a home a little later than usual because she was walking. Once she had his approval, Alexandra began walking down the sidewalk in the direction of her neighborhood.

Alexandra zoned out and became lost in her own thoughts. She wondered what exactly was going on with Peter. He was blocking everyone out, even her. It wasn't like him at all. And it had all started after he had taken the Stark internship. What exactly was Tony Stark making Peter do that would cause him to distance himself from his friends and family?

Only when Alexandra was a few blocks away from her apartment building did she realize she was being followed. There was a man with a black hood behind her. The hood was up and he was keeping his head down. Both not good signs.

She fumbled around in her pocket for her cell phone, but her hands were shaking. She dropped her phone and when she knelt down to pick it up, the man was practically on top of her. Alexandra gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Need some help?" The man asked. Alexandra still couldn't see his face, and that made the situation all the more unsettling.

"Uh... no, I'm okay," Alexandra replied, her voice quiet. She got back to her feet and took a few steps backward. She turned around and started trying to walk away, but the man didn't let up.

"You sure? You look kinda lost." He stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her path. Alexandra's grip on her phone tightened.

"I'm not," She replied simply. "Please move."