Secret World

17

    I sat on the steps of the high school, backpack leaning up against the step. After the talk I had had with Bucky the night before I knew I had to try. Try and do what I wasn't sure but I knew the first thing I needed to do was apologize to Peter for bolting yesterday. I had done so much running in my life it was easier then facing the truth. And the truth of it was I had never processed everything that had ever happened to me.
    From the creatures, to the echoes, to my Auntie's death, the betrayal of my uncle for not being there. I never processed the shit that was done to me in the cement room. I didn't want to run anymore, I finally had someone who seemed to care about my well being, people around me that didn't want me to suffer, who wanted to have my back. And for that fact I needed to stand my ground, even if it was against myself.
    This morning as twilight hit I left the compound. I needed to walk, to get my thoughts together. Now, I waited, watching as other teens got off the buses. They bustled together, backpacks hanging low on their backs, walking past me.
   Peter stepped off the bus with Ned, he was smiling and laughing at something his friend said. They walked in step as he came down the sidewalk and turned toward the building when his eyes landed on me. Peter tilted his head slightly and a coy smile played across his face. He nodded lightly to himself as he came over.
   "Uh, I'll catch you later." Ned stated when he looked at me and then Peter. I knew in that moment Peter must of said something to him. I watched as Ned sprinted up the steps and I looked back to Peter.
   "Sorry about yesterday." I stated openly looking up at him.
    "It's alright, though you really confused my Aunt." He stated with a chuckle.
    I sighed and thought my next words carefully.
    "It's not alright though." I stated, my voice shaking lightly. "My Auntie died when I was younger, I was barely a teenager. I miss her, her voice, her face."
   Peter sat down next to me, I could see him out of the corner of my eye staring at me but I couldn't look at him.
   "Every now and then I hear someone that might sound like her and it makes me pause. But yesterday, that was so different." I looked over at him, concern in his eyes as he focused on me. "I'm not related to the woman I call my auntie. It was just what she wanted me to call her. And you have to understand she was the only person in my world that would of even remotely been family to me. Her name... her name was May Parker. And in a million years I never thought I would see that face again, or hear that voice."
   As I spoke I watched as Peter's jaw slowly lowered, I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. Just like that, I felt a weight slowly start to lift.
   "And it wasn't till I saw your Aunt May did I realize that I have never had the chance to deal with her death. I never dealt with losing the only person I considered family. I panicked yesterday."
   "Echo," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into him, and allowed myself to relax as I felt the warm tears roll down my face. "I'm so sorry, I can't even begin to imagine what that must of been like. You know what, let's skip today."
    "What?" I asked pulling back, looking into his eyes.
    "It'll be fine, come on." He said, grasping my hand and pulling me to my feet with him.
    "Won't you get in trouble?" I asked as he started to pull me down the street.
   Peter turned his head toward as a small coy grin pulled at the corners of his face. He gave a light shrug as he pulled me along.
******************
    "Sir," a brisk knock came with the voice as the metal door pushed open. The man at the desk lifted his head from the computer, eyes squinted for a moment as the ruddy haired man stepped in. "I looked into that girl you asked about."
   "And?" His British accent filled the room, it was short and crisp much like bull whip cracking in the silence.
   "She's not in any data base. The earliest recorded image we have of her is literally appearing some how out of no where on a street corner." The man replied walking over, tension was in the young man's body as he brought the thumb drive over to his bosses computer. He pushed it in and leaned over the keyboard, the British man's annoyed face looked up at the him as he leaned back allowing the young man to bring up the street camera.
   Before him the screen changed the grainy quality of the video reminded how little the city spent on security. The young man was true to his word, one minute nothing and then the video blurred a bit and came back to focus and there she was laying in the street. A boy, teenager from the looks of it, came around the corner and rushed to her upon seeing the girl.
   "We've caught her on video since then, she seemed very confused most of the day after she was found." The young man explained showing his boss camera footage of her running from him and his buddies, then to a newspaper stand, she left there seemly lost. "The last place she was seen was at this school. Midtown High School."
    "Interesting." He replied, the young man exited the archived footage and brought up a camera in real time. He watched as the same kid came up to her and sat down next to her.
    "I've done a bit of looking into this other kid, his name is Peter Parker." The young man stated as he stood fully and stepped away from the computer. "He's student enrolled in that high school. Stellar grades, lives with his Aunt, seems to have had ties to the late Tony Stark."
   "Thank you." He replied, the young man walked out knowing that was his dismissal, the British man sat back and laced his fingers together and watched as Peter gave the young woman a hug. A slow grin spread across his face as he watched them. A couple minutes later he watched as Peter pulled her to her feet and start to lead her away from the school. "Finally, I got you, Echo."