Whatever It Takes

Chapter Eleven

Though her room was quiet, she felt as if she could feel the chatter of the world around her. And though the room was still, she feared that when she stood up, the whole world would be shifted on it's axis. As Emma opened her eyes with a prying force, nothing felt right. Not even her mattress. The comforter draped over her felt like a slab of concrete only held up by the cement replacing her bones. New York was stagnant that morning, but still, Emma waited for it to explode. Maybe she even hoped.

By now she would have sat up, checked her phone and rubbed the sleep from her eyes dreading the school day, but those werent even options in her mind now. She couldnt look at her phone. She couldn't turn on a radio or a TV, she couldn't go outside. And she sure as hell could not go to school.

But, Emma reminded herself, she had to.

Dressing herself had never felt like more of a chore, and making her bed never more grueling. Until she looked at her pillow a moment and imagined crawling inside if it and never coming out again. Heart ramming, arms and legs shaking, Emma collapsed onto her bed again.

Peter waited for a few minutes for the sound of his sisters door as he pulled a shirt over his head and ruffled his curls. The world surely wasnt as bent over backwards as Emma felt it, but there was something different to it. Maybe, he thought, the birds were even singing lower. A small buzz sounded off of his desk as he regarded his phone. When he picked it up, he saw the news app in his notifications, and a hazy picture of him and Emma in the bank. The title was bold, as if it were meant to scream at its viewer: WHO ARE NEW YORKS SPIDER TWINS?

His stomach cramped slightly, but he couldnt help but let a faint smile mingle in. Really, he loved the thought of him and Emma finally being a duo rather than her treating herself as his sidekick and hiding in the shadows of their missions. The Spider Twins. It replayed in his head over and over again like it were an equation he needed to remember. It rang out like a song, and he honestly liked it. But Emma, however, was going to be another story.

After a few minutes he still hadnt heard his sister and May talking. He finally poked his head out of his room, and sure enough, her bedroom door was shut tight and no Emma sat in sight. Aunt May, on the other hand, did. She looked up from a stack of bills and junk mail she sifted through and smiled. "Oh, Pete! I was about to ask if you were up. Would you mind checking on Emma? I think I heard her earlier but I dont know. She hasnt come out yet." Peter gave a quick nod as if that wasn't what he was going to do already. After a few knocks on her door, he heard nothing and decided to slowly let himself in. Sun spilled through the flaps of her blinds onto the floor and over her messy desk. Emma's room was naturally clean, but her desk she could never keep mess away from. Pencils and pens scattered over a slightly beaten sketchbook and a pencil holder crammed with other materials. Aunt May said it was nothing but an artist at work. That always made Emma smile.

But in her bed, Emma wasn't smiling at all. Her eyes were shut tight with her pillow smushed against her cheek. Peter's brows sunk. "Em?" He called. For a second, he could have sworn he heard his voice echo. Emma stirred and hadnt even heard her door open. Her eyes fell on Peter as they opened slowly. As she spoke, the cushion muffled her voice, "I dont want to go, Peter." Tears just barely threatened her eyes. Peter stepped closer and kneeled down beside her bed, mentally coaxing Emma to move the pillow from her face. She still held it tightly, though, like it was a lifeline.

"Em, it's okay. Nobody knows it's you, or me,"

"I don't want to hear them talking, Peter," Emma's voice was firmer, but still almost begging, "I dont want to hear everyone talking about Spider Man's tagalong and how useless everyone is going to think I am and-"

"Emma, stop!"

She did. Peter laid a gentle hand on her arm, eyes pleading, "do you know how many times you saved me? How many hits you've taken for me?"