The Fraud: a Spider-Man fanfiction

//14- THE TEAM//

"Good job, Rose," Norman said on the phone. He had just received the email with the updated list along with pictures of the ripped pages with the information, "but eleven is still a big number."

"What else am I supposed to do, half the kids on the list didn't make it to the race, and the other half had good times," she complained.

"Keep an eye on Eugene Thompson," Norman ordered, "he's a friend of Harry, he said he's been acting quite weird."

"I have my suspects on him too, he was the top of his arena and the day of the party he disappeared."

"Do what you need to do," and he hung again. Rose rolled her eyes at the cell phone and stored it in her pocket.

~•~

"Guys I just can't wait for nationals," Liz came out of the chemistry classroom along with Michelle. That was their last class. Their professor had spent the whole evening talking about the amazing decathlon team the school had, and, of course, Liz with all her intelligence and A-list personality, was the captain of the said team.

Liz had been having decathlon practice twice every month and told Rose she would have to stay in the school practicing on every school day until nationals.

"When is it?" Rose asked. She was sitting on a bench waiting for Gwen who was supposed to give her a ride home.

"December fifteen, in three weeks, in Washington" she answered, "did you have something like that in Canada?" Liz asked.

"Um, yeah, of course," she hesitated.

"I guess you were on your school's team, you're crazy smart," little did Liz know her hidden talent of copying during exams. Rose let out a small laugh and took a small sip from her bottle, "you know what? You should join us!"

Rose choked on her drink, "What?"

"Yeah, we could use a head like yours."

"I don't think so, Liz."

"Oh come on! It's a good bonding experience!"

"Bonding experience?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of people on the team that you could use as friends," Liz begged.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." In that moment, Rose knew she had fucked up.

She texted Gwen letting her know that she wouldn't need a ride and followed Liz and Michelle to the gymnasium, the room was filled with students, most of them juniors but one or two seniors and sophomores. She recognized Ned, Peter, and Flash inside, they all were wearing matching butterscotch colored jackets with the school seal embroidered on it.

Mr. Harrignton greeted the three girls, "Hey, there Rose," he said at the unexpected arrival of the girl to the decathlon meeting.

"Rose wants to get in," Michelle said, Rose looked at her and Liz still not sure what she was doing.

"Is not too late, isn't it, Mr. Harrignton?" Liz asked.

"Well, the Nationals are in three weeks, and Ms. Chandler hasn't been in a single competition with us before."

"But she's really smart," Liz insisted, "she's top in chemistry and she was on her old school's decathlon team."

"Is that true, Rose?" Harrington asked he tilted his glasses.

"Well, yeah," goddammit, Rose.

Liz looked at the professor with persuading eyes, "go to the pallet, Rose," Harrington asked. There were a couple of students in sitting on desks on the pallet. She took the fourth seat next to a girl she knew from her History class called Cindy Moon.