Spiders Crawl

Five

Peter stared at me shocked. I had told him everything Spidey told me and I felt good to know what I can do and what I am.

"So let me get this straight." I nodded. "You can shoot webs?" I nodded. "You can sense danger with this..."

"Spider sense." I helped him.

"Right. And climb walls?" I nodded again.

"Theres also so much more! Imagine, Pete! I can help people with this! I can..." I stopped.

"What?" He asked worried.

"I can stop murders everywhere. Stop innocent people from being killed." I said darkly. A long silence filled the room. Peter's cough ripped through the room like a chainsaw.

"Hey, don't you have try-outs today?" He reminded me.

"Crap! Thats right! I gotta go!" I left my house and went back to school.

I arrived just in time for Sally to call my name.

"I'm here!" I said panting. She seemed pleased.

"Good. Now, are you ready to show me what you got?" She put her hand on her hip and cued the music.

"Ready."

I reached The Daily Bugle to find James, once again, in my office.

"James, what the hell you want this time?" I sighed as I sat in my chair.

"Charlotte! How do you feel about a promotion!" He smiled at me with his cigar between his teeth.

"Gone back to smoking?" I asked.

"Don't change the subject!" He shouted. Wow, who gave him caffine?

"We talked about this before." I was going through my pictures, when one with me and Spiderman came up. I gasped.

"What?!" I couldn't let him see this.

"Uh, nothing. Does your wife know?" I said quickly.

He ignored it. "Today I'm having another broadcast. I want you there with me." I stared at him shocked.

"What?"

"Thats right. You get to share a screen with J. Jonah Jameson himself!" I smiled at the idea. Ever since I started at the Bugle, my only wish was to be up there. The face of the city. But then Spiderman appeared, along with so many villians, James took the chance and turned world news to a daily rant show.

My thoughts of him have changed drastically. How determined he was to prove Spiderman wrong. Some people think its healthy for him. I think its the death of him. But who cares what I think?

"So? Hello?" He tried catching my attention.

I snapped back to reality. "What? Oh uh, when's the broadcast?" He smiled.

"Right now, lets go!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me all the way to the studio. People quickly gave me simple makeup and handed me a script. He was serious about this.

"In 3,2,1." The countdown ended, and the cameras were on.

"I'm James Jonah Jameson! Here with my best and trustworthy reporter-" he introduced. I was silent still shocked. He nudged my arm and looked at me.

"O-oh! Charlotte R-Rider." I barely got my name out when he started to insult Spidey.

I practically zoned out for half the rant when he asked me a question.

"What do you think, Rider?" I stared at him confused.

"About what?" He laughed. I smiled halfheartedly.

"About Spiderman of course? I thought it was time for people to have a second opinion about him." He got close to me without revealing too much to the camera. "Preferably how much a menace he is."

There was a long pause as I thought about what to say. I could lie and keep my job, or really tell them what I think (for the first time) and lose my job.

"Charlotte?" He looked at me hopeful. I felt a part of me was dying slowly.

"I-I....." I took a deep breath. "I don't know." I quickly got up and left from the camera's view. I ran back to my office and locked the doors. I laid my head on my desk wondering why I didn't say anything.

You made a promise, Charlotte. I remembered.

"Ugh! Why does my life have to be so complicated?!" I shouted. Soon after that, I fell asleep.