Spiderboy

sixty

Well, I was okay. Sitting in geography, swamped with homework and barely listening to Roxy's incessant complaining, I didn't feel quite the same sense of peace as I had earlier that morning. Other than that...

"I swear to the heavens above if I ever get a job that requires this shit, then I will stab myself with a spoon."

"Enlightening." I drawled, reaching across to steal her water bottle. She gave me a sideways glare, but didn't object.

"I'm serious! When in whatever profession my brilliance earns me, will I need to know how people cut down trees!" she whined and I rolled my eyes.

"We aren't learning how to cut down trees Rox, we're learning about habitat loss from deforestation." I corrected her, copying down another line of words into my work book. She rolled her eyes and slumped back into her chair

"fascinating. why?" she said huffily, taking her bottle back.

"because it produces changes in rainfall patterns and increases temperature and habitat loss for animals." I said, in a monotone. she rolled her eyes and I paused in my writing to look up at her

"You know, when the world ends in twenty years, I'll be sure to put the blame on you."

Roxy groaned again, picking up her pen and tapping it incessantly.

"its not that I don't care, it's just that they don't make it very interesting. And you sound like you swallowed a textbook."

I gave up on trying to convince her to focus, and instead finished writing notes, grinning at Roxy's antics.

"that's the goal, sweetheart." I teased, and she scrunched up her nose.

"Endearing name, I prefer Roxy though." she quipped and i smirked.

"Is 'sweetheart' reserved for Osborn? didn't know we had to call dibs." I laughed as Roxy lunged towards me, and we were both snapped out of it by a sharp voice.

"Girls! if you're quite finished?" the teacher snapped, beady eyes glaring. we both nodded dumbly, and she turned back to the whiteboard, sniffing. I lowered my voice and continued.

"So what if I become first reserve?" Roxy hit my arm, smiling at the thought of her "special friend" as I put it, and I snickered at my friend.

the bell for the end of the day finally rang, and as usual, Peter was the first to disappear out the front doors. My eyes followed the brunet boy, before dropping to focus on my bag and books.

"I saw that." Roxy said and I shrugged.

"Saw what?" I asked her, faking nonchalance and she rolled her eyes, linking her arm through mine as we walked out of the classroom- at a much slower pace to the rest of class, who were running outside as if their life depended on it.

"Are you ever going to-"

"No." I interrupted bluntly and she sighed, as paper swirled around her feet. I watched the sheets, chewing on my lip as we walked out of the school doors, and towards the football field.

I had refused to talk about Peter, but something else was bothering me. I didn't know what, but I felt alert, on edge.

Roxy clapped a hand on my shoulder and I shot up straight,
"so, I was thinking we could go to the waffle house, maybe cop a few shakes?"
I grimaced and shrugged.

"yeah, maybe. I was thinking of just going home?" I said hopefully but Roxy shook her head.

"No. Way. If you go home you're just going to mope around! You think I don't know you Missy?" she waggled her finger at my face when I made a defiant expression, and I rolled my eyes.

"okay, fine. We'll go. Happy?" Roxy grinned and flicked my nose

"ecstatic." she hummed and walked ahead. I frowned again and rubbed my nose, hurrying forward to join her, muttering darkly.

"I don't mope."

• • • • • • • • • • •

I was sitting in a booth at the waffle house, sipping a milkshake and absentmindedly watching the news on the little television above the red and black counter, Roxy off chatting to some guy. Charli had put a plate on chocolaty waffles in front of me and I smiled in gratitude.

I turned to watch Roxy lazily, as she twirled her hair and actually batted her eyelids. snorting under my breath, I rested my head on my chin and turned back to the news. There wasn't much of interest, and I was only watching to give my eyes something to look at, the flashing colours capturing my attention more than my flirtatious friend.

The flashing lights changes suddenly, and an emergency report came across the screen, replacing whatever was showing before.

A shimmer of fear flicked through my spine. I would have ignored it if the fear didn't come with a crackle of electricity, as my fingers sparked up. I sat up straight, snapping into full awareness, and stared intensely at the tiny screen, concentrating completely on the story in front of me. 

The grainy television had an image of a desert-like place, the only thing to catch my eye a few bits of shrubbery and shallow streams scattered over the yellow sand. I squinted closer, senses on high alert as the news lady told something of the Avengers seeming to have encountered with yet another form of alien life. I groaned and shut my eyes, dropping my head onto my table as whispers of the new encounter went through those paying attention.

"Alexis, why don't you head home, I'm sure Roxy can manage fine without you for a little." Uncle Jack walked over to me, wiping his hands on a black apron and smiling at me, but I could see concern in his eyes. He was worried about what was showing on TV, that the whole restaurant was now watching. My senses were on high alert, and I would have argued if I didn't remember Cassie waiting at home with dad. 

She would be scared into some form of hiding by now if dad hadn't found her yet- I knew her.

I bit my lip and nodded, standing up and hiking my school bag over one shoulder, sculling the last of my shake. The TV now showed various people moving across the plains, and I recognised Peter's red and blue suit among them. I shuddered and waved goodbye to Roxy, who half nodded in return, eyes glued to the screen now, and strode purposefully out the doors into the cold air.

As I speed-walked down the streets of Queens, feeling the wind blow against my skin, I felt no chill. All I could see in my mind was Peter slinging across the barren lands in the shaky news footage. I hurried my footsteps up the stairs into my apartment building, my mind in overdrive. Carrie would be terrified, and if it was in New York again like last time- God knows how much damage these new things could cause.

I was sprinting by the time I reached my front door, panting and gasping, as a growing sense of urgency was making me agitated. 

"Carrie-" I pushed the door open and stopped dead in my tracks, almost flying forward into the bench with momentum as I tried to catch my breath, staring open mouthed at the figure resting on the couch.

"Wanda?"