Dancing Around // peter parker

35

I had the idea randomly during math class. I thought, why not just burn the damn coats? Then, during practice the next morning, while running from one end of the long field to the other, with heavy breathing, I told Cindy, "Why not just burn the damn coats?"

And she looked at me like I was crazy, but she still met me after school in this alleyway near my apartment complex that smelled a little too much like piss and seemed to be home to a few stray cats. She had all four of her coats resting on her shoulders, a plastic bag covering each one like she had picked them up directly from the dry cleaners and she even brought Sally along with her.

"We're going to see a movie after this," Cindy explained. Sally stayed near the end of the ally, on her phone as I threw the large expensive pieces of clothing without the plastic into the empty trash can made of steel or something silver. "Why are we doing this again?" Cindy asked.

"It's a metaphor," I told her, throwing some gas onto the jackets.

"Why not give them away instead, to like people who need them?"

"I already put them in the trash can," I said with heavy bags dragging my eyes down my face. I still haven't been able to sleep and it was getting to the point where I kept having these random thoughts and the urges to do them all. A few nights ago, I wanted to suddenly learn how to crochet and order an entire kit that is supposed to come in a week. I was thinking of making a rug a few nights ago, but now I had the greatest of ideas of burning clothing to make me feel better. And Cindy too, of course.

"How is this a metaphor exactly?"

"We're burning the image people have of you."

"You mean my parents?"

"Right. Your parents." I pulled out a box of matches that belonged to my mom. She hid them poorly in her room, on the first drawer to the right for whenever she was going to go back to smoking. I pulled one out. "You're ready?"

"Actually, I don't think this is a good idea," Cindy said.

"Too bad," I mumbled. I pressed the match against the side of the box, ignoring Cindy as she called my name and the appearance of Sally, as she walked deeper into the ally, her phone still in her hands. I saw her eyes widen and her mouth form the words, 'What the hell' when I released the burning match from my hand and let it fall into the trash can.

I waited for the big show of fire to start in front of me, wanting to feel satisfied from something finally happening, but I didn't feel any heat, and not a single bit of flame was made. The match never made it to the clothing, instead, it was stopped by some guy in red tights who used webbing to throw and stick the matching onto one side of the building.

He then stood on the roof of that same small building, crouch down with the sun right behind him. He looked down at us, his eyes moving a bit as he did. I wanted to laugh watching him then, the all-mighty Spider-Man, the same guy that was there in Washington D.C. and saved a bunch of my classmates. Cindy beside me started to freak-out, along with Sally, who pointed her phone at him.

"Starting fires isn't cool," he said in such a low and deep voice, it couldn't be real. Then he tilted his head to the side. "Are you okay?" He asked. It almost seemed like he was asking me.

"Yes! Thank you so much! Oh my god! Can I take a picture with you?" Cindy or Sally said. I wasn't sure.

He didn't move for a moment or two then there was the sound of sirens and he stretched out his arm and jumped a hundred feet into the air like some lame magic trick. Cindy turned towards Sally as they both began to recount what had just happened. It was hurting my head. Any rush I had before vanished.

Cindy then turned towards me. "You're so lucky that Spider-Man came, Marina," she said. I didn't respond. Instead, I started leaving the ally. She stopped me. "Woah, where are you going?"

"Home."

She placed her hands on my shoulder, her face getting closer as her eyes narrowed a bit. "Are you still not sleeping? Marina, you need to sleep."

I pushed her hands off. "Oh my god, can you not?"

"What?"

"Save the speech, okay?"

"Hey," Sally said, "don't talk to her like that."

I turned around, my eyes widen. "Wow, Sally did you really just speak to me? What an honor!"

"Marina," Cindy hissed.

"Why are you upset? Cindy should be the one that's upset. You were going to burn her coats!" She grabbed one of the coats out of the trash covered in gasoline and now no longer crisp and clean like before.

"Well not everyone has coats to burn, okay?" I said.

"What does that mean?" Cindy asked.

"Everyone thinks I'm a slut. Everyone, including Peter."

Cindy narrowed her eyes again. "Parker?" she asked.

I sighed. I didn't mean to say that. I had no idea I was going to say that. It was like I had no control over my thoughts or my words or even my actions. I rubbed my face harshly. "I'm going home."

Cindy stepped in front of me once I took a step towards the end of the alleyway. "Marina, you should talk about this."

"I'll see you at school." I walked around her and out of the alleyway.

I went home, where I watched more tv and drank more energy drinks and, eventually, just when the sun had set, I finally fell asleep.

...

Dear Reader,

I was so young, and now I'm not, but I still am. Wtf?

Sincerely,

aloneeedra