Chapter 3
Soo... Like every other day, I fought bandits, came to the rescue of a cat stranded in a tree, and assisted an elderly woman in reaching her destination. Little did I know, upon my return home, that my mother awaited me.
"Mijo, I'm so curious how your day went today," she said, resting her hands on her hips
"Mami, just the usual stuff" I replied, putting my hands in my pants pockets.
"I got an email from the school saying your grades are going down again, Miles Morales, how can this be?" Mom's gaze fixed on me, concern evident. "What's troubling you?"
My gaze dropped to the floor, weighed down by her scrutinizing eyes."I know, mom. I just had a lot of things on my mind lately."
"Miles, I understand that you have a lot on your mind, but you can't forget about school."
"yeah..."
She smiled and came over to me and hugged me tightly. "I know you will do well, Mijo."
She unexpectedly said "Miles, how is your friend Gwanda doing if I remember her name correctly?" She asked, looking at me investigatively.
I looked at the ground. "Well it's actually Gwen…You know, it's a bit complicated. We're not on the best of terms."
She looked at me with concern. "But after all, i think you two were close."
Blushing, I ran a hand through my hair. "Something happened. It's just... it's hard for us to get along now."
"... Mijo remembers that people change, and relationships can mend. Maybe you should try to talk to her?"
I nodded slightly, "Yes, mami. I'll try to talk to her somehow."
Mom walked over to her son and gave him a kiss on the forehead. After which she went to take care of dinner.
Finally, I could retreat to my room. Discarding my outerwear onto a chair, I removed my shoes and stretched out on the bed. I tried seriously not to think about that one person again. Nevertheless, there was a real battle of my thoughts going on in my head. Should I try to forgive Gwen? Should I give our relationship another chance? I move my eyes across the ceiling, and the two thoughts fight each other like two characters in an arena.
On the one hand, I remember our moments together, our conversations and smiles. I feel that there is still something that connects us, something that was special.
I am unable to get over my hurt and anger. What happened has left scars that I'm not sure I can get rid of. Will I be able to trust her again? Will we be able to overcome all of this together? I run my hand over my face, trying to organize my thoughts. I am Spider-Man, I can face danger, but forgiveness is a completely different kind of struggle. It's a fight with myself, with my feelings and fears.
I hadn't reached out to her or initiated contact. I'm not sure if this is the right time. Maybe I need more time to think it all through before I make a decision. For now, secluded in my room, the choice between forgiving Gwen or leaving it behind rested solely on me.
"Hey Dad," she greeted her father as he returned home from work. After George resigned from his position as a police officer, he had taken up another job, which is how he became a courier.
"Hello there, sweetheart," George replied with a smile, though a hint of weariness was evident on his face.
I couldn't help but wonder how many more times we'd have to endure these moments. Since George left his role as a police officer, our lives had undergone a profound transformation. I could see that it was difficult for him.
"Do you want something to eat?" he asked, looking at his watch. He knew it was already quite late.
"Of course, dad. I'd love to eat something, Sloppy Joe," I replied, with a slight smile on my face.
I sat down at the table, and dad began preparing dinner. I observed his movements in the kitchen, his efforts to recreate the sense of normalcy we once had. It seemed like a test for both him and me. After all, I was no longer the same teenager I used to be.
He handed me a plate of food and settled down beside me. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and then he broke the silence.
"Listen, Gwen... I know it's not easy. But we have to manage somehow."
I offered a faint smile in response. "I get it, Dad but sometimes some things are beyond me," Yet, sometimes, certain situations seem beyond my control," I said, avoiding direct eye contact.
After dinner was over, I got up, starting to gather the dishes. Dad also got up, and I looked at him, with a questioning look. It dawned on me that we needed to address the issue, to discuss the thoughts that weighed heavily on my mind.
I began, feeling my voice quivering. "What you're thinking about... About everything that happened. Do you think it's my fault?"
"Gwen, deep down, you know it's not your fault," my father was fully aware of all that happened, the day we rescued his father, when I returned home, overwhelmed and retreated to my room.
A sigh escaped my lips "Sometimes I just can't help but think that if I had made different decisions, maybe I could have somehow changed the outcome.
He walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder. "Listen,You can't keep blaming yourself. You have to look forward, disassociate yourself a bit from what was, and try to move on with your life."
I hugged him tighter, feeling the warmth of his arm and his support. I knew he was right. I need to stop being stuck in the past and start turning my gaze to the future.
Time passed slowly, but finally the silence was no longer so overwhelming. It was lighter on my heart, and my dad smiled at me.
Suddenly I got a message on my watch from my team.
Gwen, where are you? We were supposed to meet at my place send by Hobie
Gwendy c'mon send by Hobie
Sorry, I was watching a movie together with my dad I'm already on my way to you guys send by Gwendy
When I sent this message. I looked at my father. My dad looked at me.
"I got a message from a friend. I was supposed to go to his place for a sleepover, the rest of the team will be there too. If it's quite unexpected, can I go?"
"Of course, Gwen. Go and have fun."
I raced to my room, quickly grabbing every piece of the needed stuff and throwing it into my bag. I quickly changed into my sweatshirt and shorts and looked in the mirror one more time before leaving the room.
"Thanks, Dad. I'll be in touch and come back tomorrow morning."
With that, I opened Earth-138B on my watch. A portal opened in the apartment, and objects around me began to whirl. I gave my father one more look before entering the portal.
A moment later I found myself on Hobie's earth. I have to admit that his house wasn't the prettiest, but I didn't care. I wanted to get away from all the problems and focus on a moment with my friends. I opened the door and stepped inside, where I was immediately greeted with loud laughter.
Hobie, Pavitr and Margo were sitting on the couch, with mugs of popcorn and drinks in their hands. Their smiles were both infectious and reassuring at the same time. I felt it was exactly what I needed.
"Look who's made an entrance, Gwendy!" shouted Hobie, striding over and slinging his arm around me.
I sat next to them, joining in the pleasant atmosphere. The movies we watched were witty and exciting, and laughter filled the room. It was a real break from my daily worries.
As the evening wore on, , the atmosphere became more casual. We talked about everything from adventures to jokes, and for a while, the troubles that had been weighing me down seemed to fade into the background. It was precisely the kind of respite I craved in that moment.
In the end, I decided that I had to open up. "You know, Miles told me that he needed space to forgive me and didn't want me involved in his world or anyone in his world.. But... I would really like to fix this so that we can somehow work together again," I said, facing these difficult thoughts.
My friends' expressions radiated support and empathy. Hobie nodded earnestly, and Pavitr offered me a comforting smile. It was clear that I wasn't facing this alone.
"Give it some time, Gwen. Sometimes we need a moment to deal with our emotions," Margo said, Pavitr nodded in agreement.
"Gwendy, reckon you ought to get to see your Peter Pan again," Hobie piped up, lounging on the mattress. "No harm in giving it a try, innit?"
"I'll think about it... " there was uncertainty in my voice, I headed toward the couch where I would sleep tonight.
Lying down on the couch, I stared at the ceiling and wondered if things would ever get back to normal with Miles. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing, and tried to get away from the thoughts that plagued me.
This sleepover provided an opportunity for me to divert my attention away from my troubles. I wanted to cherish this moment and take full advantage of it. I couldn't possibly be happy for such a long time.
I remembered Hobie's words before falling asleep.
I went through another day, the usual routine of mornings, school, and homework.
Currently, I have a moment of free time, so I decided to practice ballet just like in the old days. After about an hour, shouts pierced through from outside. Swiftly changing into my suit, I leaped out of the window and swing on my web.
Within moments, in a dimly lit alley, my spider sense alerted me. I spotted a figure lurking in the shadows, instantly putting me on edge. There stood the Green Goblin, a sly grin on his face, poised for a confrontation.
"I didn't think we would meet again, Green Goblin," I said with confidence, though my voice trembled with excitement. "I think this will be our last meeting."
The Goblin erupted into a chorus of sarcastic laughter, his glimmering eyes fixated on me with a challenge. "Well, well, Spider-Gwen, do you reckon you're up for my brand of madness?"
Without a word, I assumed a fighting stance. The Green Goblin suddenly sped up and moved toward me with tremendous speed. I ducked to the side, avoiding his attack, and then with a swift movement I countered with a rapid kick that arced toward him.
Our duel became dynamic and action-packed, drawing us both into a whirlwind of blows and dodges. I jumped over walls, dodged his attacks and tried to find a weak spot in his defense. The Goblin was difficult to predict, his frenetic nature made him unpredictable and dangerous.
Suddenly, I was startled by a shot of flames from his back. He took advantage of the confusion to throw several bombs in my direction. I managed to bounce off the wall, avoiding most of the explosions, but I felt the burns on my arm. The environment began to crumble around us, obliging me to juggle the twin responsibilities of safeguarding civilians and confronting the villain. With each blow, I tried to weaken him, taking every chance to win the fight.
Moments later, I managed to knock the javelin out of his hand, then ensnared him in a cocoon of webbing. The Goblin struggled to break free, but I fortified the bindings with layer upon layer of web, ensnaring him in an unyielding embrace.
"It's time game over, Green Goblin," I wrote a short message to the officers " your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Woman :D ".
After a long and grueling battle, I was hurt and exhausted. I returned home,my father had not yet returned from work. Heading to my room, I set about tending to my injuries.
I walked over to my old drum, which stood in one corner of the room. I opened it and started tucking my outfits into it. Then I looked at the one photo that lay on the inside of the lid. It was a souvenir of when I first met Miles, it is a photo from the bus, behind them lay Peter.
"Miles..." I murmured softly, a heavy sigh escaping my lips. The photograph triggered a rush of memories, conjuring visions of both past and unrealized possibilities. His words about needing time echoed in my mind, but wasn't there already time to try to fix what we had broken?
Rising from the bed, I gazed out the window at the sprawling cityscape before me. I had to make an attempt, regardless of whether it meant he might never welcome me again.
I selected it on my watch and crossed the portal to his world, my heart beating faster than ever. I knew this was the moment when everything would change.