MAGIC TRICKS [PETER PARKER]

TWENTY-TWO

"NADIA?"

Rain thundered down on my head, drenching the sweatshirt I wore and everything underneath. Augustus Stevens stood in the doorway of his house, frowning as he said my name. "Oh, God, come in! You're soaking!" He beckoned his hands and I followed him through the door, feeling suddenly guilty about my wet shoes on the hardwood floors.

I watched awkwardly as Gus left the room for a moment, returning with a towel with which he wrapped around my shoulders. "Come on, come sit down," he said, bringing me into a small sitting area, where a fire was crinkling in the fireplace.

"What's up? Is everything okay?" Gus asked, sitting down opposite of me. Shaking my head, I pressed my lips together. Everything hit at once. "I- um... I just needed to talk to someone..." Tears stung my eyes and my hands went to cover my face immediately.

"I screwed up. God, I screwed up."

Gus was silent, watching with cautious eyes; the only sounds in the room the quiet sniffle from my cries and the crackling of the fire. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Is this... Is this about your friend, Peter?"

I mustered enough courage to nod my head. Brushing the hair back from my face, I sucked in a gulp of air to calm down. "I messed up, I-I always—" My voice caught in my throat.

"Nadia, calm down, okay? Tell me what happened. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," Gus said, his hazel eyes glowing red in the light of the fire, "We can work this out."

I stared at him through teary eyes, and before my mind could catch up, I had already said it. "Gus... There's something I need to tell you. About me, about Peter."

His dark eyebrows furrowed, his grip firming on my shoulder. "What is it?"

I sighed shakily. "For the past few months that I've lived here... I've been going around the city as a vigilante." Gus' expression melted; his hand slid off of my arm. "You... You're the Aura?"

"Yes," I nodded, "And Peter... Peter is Spider-Man." My brain was screaming for me to stop, and I knew I shouldn't have said anything. It wasn't my secret to tell; but I was spewing now, my emotions out of wack- and if I couldn't trust my own flesh and blood, who could I trust?

"A-and someone's trying to kill me, Gus. Peter was trying t-to protect me but I-I keep messing up." My breath came out in stutters, like my words, and my face scrunched up, tears spilling down my skin, sliding down my neck and onto my hands. "All I do ruin. I don't belong here. I didn't belong with our parents, I didn't belong in New York. I-I don't belong anywhere." I buried my face in my hands once more, tearing at my hair.

Gus hesitantly placed his hand on my shoulder again. "Nadia... I think you should go home and get some sleep." I looked up slowly, trying to hide the shock in my expression. His brown eyes were cast to the floor, and he withdrew his hand. "O-oh, okay..." I mumbled, sniffing and wiping the tears from my cheeks. As I stood, the damp towel fell off my shoulders.