The Fraud: a Spider-Man fanfiction

//24-THE CALL//

"Rose, darling, you look terrible," Norman said with a concerned look as he stared at his niece. She had ruffled hair, enormous bags under swollen bloodshot eyes. and healing and bleeding cuts on her forehead and cheek, "what happened to you?"

"Don't you watch the news?" she answered bitterly.

"No, I don't- I don't have the time for that."

"Then I don't have time to explain it to you either."

"Rose, what is wrong with you?" he asked surprised. "I already apologized for what I said about Charlotte, paid you for your work, and let you stay here to finish your school year, what's the matter?"

"That you lied to me, Norman."

"Rose I have no idea what you're saying-"

"No, listen to me," she shouted at the computer, she feared Liz could have heard her from the other room, "somehow, deep inside of me, I knew that Spider-Man was a good person, but I still listened to you, and believed you. Flash Thompson is not a villain. He is not working with the Green Goblin, Norman why-"

"Look, I'm not lying to you, you're only saying this because he saved your lives in Washington," he interrupted her and pointed a finger at her small cuts.

"Oh, so you do watch the news," she fake laughed, "this is not about that. Why are you doing this? Are you like, in a gang or something? Are you protecting the Green Goblin?"

"Rose, I'm not lying to you."

"Why are you protecting him?" she cried, "HE KILLED YOUR BROTHER! For God's sake. You should be looking for him instead of going after a kid."

"I have to go now."

"No, you're a coward, you little piece of s-" he ended the call.

Rose pressed her head against her hands and curled up in a ball. The tears itched her healing pierced cheeks and fell salty to the corners of her mouth. God, she hadn't cried that much since she came home from school one day less than a year ago to the news that her father was dead. She rocked herself on the chair, trying to find comfort in whatever she could think, but her mind was clouded with hatred.

She had no idea how long she had been that way, pathetically crying and rocking, until Liz knocked on the door. "Rose, breakfast is ready, are you up?" Rose ignored the words of her friend and kept focused on her own sadness, "Rose?" Liz opened the door slowly and peeked inside.

Liz sighed in sadness as well and approached the crying girl. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her with all the strength she had left in her bones. The two of them stayed in the hug for a long time, or at least until Rose's tears had dried completely. Liz didn't ask questions, she just gave her a weak smile.

  ~•~ 

It was their last day of school and the students couldn't be more excited about winter break. Rose just watched as the snow fell outside the window of her chemistry classroom and waited until the bell rang.

She left the classroom alongside Liz and Peter, the three of them waited for the rest of their friends outside of the school under a bus stop roof. Gwen came out of the building running towards them in excitement, behind her, came Mary Jane and (for some reason) Harry.

"Guess what your fairy godmother Gwen Stacy has for you?" she said with a smile, showing the rest of them her cellphone. Liz took it from her hand and looked at the website.

"Gwen you did not," Liz exclaimed.

"Gwen you did yes," she replied, taking the phone back.

"Wait, what?" Rose asked in confusion.