𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 | peter parker&michelle jones

chapter 3

"you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." -unknown

"Where have you been?" A shrill voice broke through Michelle's music and she cautiously pulled out an earbud as she entered her small apartment. She cringed waiting for her mother's lecture that was sure to come as she entered the building.

"I've been calling you all afternoon Michelle, you said you were going to be home before school even ended! It's been hours!" She had come face to face with her mother and she could immediately tell she was drunk. The way she swayed and how her words slurred every once in awhile.

"I'm sorry Kiana, my phone died and I fell asleep in the librar-" before Michelle could even finish she felt the sharp slap of her mother's hand across her cheek bone. She clenched her jaw determined not to let tears fall. She knew her mother didn't mean to hurt her, just teach her a lesson that's all. Nothing to worry about. And she hadn't hurt her much, just after her father had died and as she started drinking more and more.

"I don't care where you were, next time be more responsible child." Her mother turned from her and went back to the kitchen and huffed as she sat down.

"Where's Drew?" Michelle asked softly as she glanced around for the small six year old boy she loved so much.

"Don't ask me. It was your job to babysit him." Her mother's voice was cold and uncaring. She knew that her mother cared for Drew, not always when she was drunk, so Michelle had been the one to raise him really. Drew was only about a year old when her father had died, and when her mother had faded away being replaced with a shell of what she used to be.

A shot of panic seized her chest as she looked for the boy more and more, then she realized, "Why weren't you here?" her voice was almost as hard as Kiana's as the truth slapped her much like her mother's hand had only moments ago.

Her mother laughed, "I left because you said you'd be home. It's not that big of a deal." Her mother pulled out her phone and began to text one of her gambling friends.

"Oh my god. Oh my god." Michelle's voice was becoming unstable as she nearly ripped apart her apartment looking for the small child but he just wasn't there. She grabbed a flashlight and her phone and quickly began to walk towards the door.

"Now where on earth do you think you're going?" Her mother looked up lazily from her phone as Michelle unlocked the door and took a step into the hall.

"To find your six-year-old son that you left here all alone!" her voice was becoming hysteric and she knew she needed to get out of this woman's presence before she snapped an started screaming.

"Whatever, call me if you find him." Her mother said as she turned her head back towards her phone. She shut the door with a slam and almost immediately there were tears springing into her eye. Her cheek stung from where her mother had slapped her and she had no clue how she was going to find one small boy throughout the streets of Queens. She pulled out her phone and called the one person she could think of.

"Hello? Michelle is that you?" the voice sounded slightly winded and she wondered why, normally she would have teased the boy but now wasn't the time.

"Ned! Hi! I um- I" she wasn't one to stutter and she couldn't understand why she did, maybe she was having a panic attack, they were becoming increasingly more common throughout her situation.

"Michelle what's wrong? You sound like you're about to cry?" she almost laughed at how quickly the boy read her, she prided herself on being unreadable but again, it wasn't the time for that.