Spider Boy
The room was a total mess. Crumpled sheets, pillows everywhere, old computer parts, and random junk were scattered all over the floor. May looked around, stressed out. Dealing with Ben’s death had been the worst. Every morning, she’d wake up hoping he’d be there, and then she’d remember he’s not and start crying again.
Peter tried to act tough around her, but it didn’t happen often. He’d leave for school super early, just as she was heading to work, and come back right after she got home from the hospital. He kept saying he was hanging at a new friend’s place, Harry Osborn, but May had never met him.
Thinking about the few moments they had together after Ben’s death and the mess in Peter’s room just broke her heart. They should be sticking together right now.
May kept wondering if she was being a good enough mom to Peter, but then she’d remind herself: “You’re his aunt, not his mom.”
She took one last look at the room and shut the door.
Then, a head popped up at the window. A kid in super bright clothes opened it and jumped into the room, letting out a huge sigh of relief.
He glanced around and tossed a bag onto the messy bed. His clothes were all torn up, and a big cut, though not too deep, marked his arm.
"This room’s a total disaster." He said, pulling off his mask.
Peter flopped onto the bed and opened the bag. Inside, he found bright red and blue fabrics. He’d finally saved up enough to start working on his new suit. He couldn’t keep fighting in that old hoodie.
He checked out the fabrics, feeling them and dreaming about what he could do. The new suit wasn’t just gonna look cooler; it was gonna work way better too. He spotted a notebook under some crumpled papers on the table.
Peter opened the notebook and saw the suit’s sketch. This was it; he was diving in right away.
Hours flew by, and the room was only lit by the desk lamp. He was totally in the zone, and it showed on his face.
Finally, as dawn broke, he took a moment to check out his work. The new suit looked sick.
Peter got up and looked at his makeshift mirror. With a satisfied sigh, he headed to the window and watched the sunrise, ready to face whatever came next.
May knocked on the door.
Peter’s heart nearly stopped. He barely had time to jump onto the bed and hide so his aunt wouldn’t see the suit. May came in with a plate of scrambled eggs and a mug of coffee.
"You didn’t eat dinner last night. What’s up, Peter?" May asked, setting the plate and mug on the table.
"I just... was super tired, so I hit the sack early." Peter tried to explain, stumbling a bit as he came up with an excuse.
May sat down next to him on the bed. She gently touched his face, her eyes full of concern.
"Peter, I know we’ve kinda drifted apart since Ben passed, and I’m really sorry about that." Her voice was thick with sadness. "I never wanted things to be like this. I never imagined living without Ben. But here we are, and we need to stick together because we’re all each other’s got."
Peter looked at her, feeling a mix of guilt and pity. Not pity for her, but for himself. He was out patrolling the city every night, and even when he wasn’t chasing bad guys, he stayed away from home, searching for something. He finally saw how much this was affecting May, how alone she’d been. He hadn’t really understood the impact of his absence or how much she needed him.
He looked down, feeling the weight of her words.
"I’m sorry, May." He murmured, regret clear in his voice. "I... I’ll try to be around more. For us."
May smiled sadly but with some relief. And for a moment, the room felt a bit warmer. They both knew it wouldn’t be easy, but supporting each other might make facing what’s ahead a little less tough.