Familiar - Miles Morales
Moving to Brooklyn with her mom was definitely a change. She was coming all the way from Texas and things were so much more different. She always thought New York was cool, and yet never had a real purpose to move there. Her parents had been divorced for like 4 years now, but her mom was an emergency care nurse and her job was very demanding. Due to this, her mom suggested that she'd live with her dad for a while and see how it went. There's a big difference between living with mom and dad. (not that it was necessarily a bad thing to live with Dad). Of course, she loved her dad but they continued to not see eye to eye on most everything and while she knew deep down he loved her, she realized it was time to go. It was time for him to make his own life and that's why they kept butting heads. It was a result of what he couldn't express with words.
Brooklyn was definitely different from Texas. Not a bad difference, but still not the same.
She wandered the busy streets and took in the people. The graffiti subconsciously caught her attention and the loud bustle of the city left her in awe. It was busy to say the least.
She looked down at her phone and it read 4:30 p.m. This gave her plenty of time to explore since her mother wouldn’t get home until 8:00p.m ., so she wandered around for hours and eventually grew very hungry. She was barely leaving the amazing sandwich place when something or better yet, someone roughly bumped into her knocking her down. She took a couple of minutes to regain her footing and noticed a crowd around her. Most of them didn’t seem to be looking at her though, and when she followed their gaze she sighed in annoyance. She dusted herself off and began walking in the opposite direction heading for home.
She turned a couple of streets down and had to hold herself back before re-bumping into him. She looked up at the great and wonderful Spider-Man. She had heard enough about New York’s super hero to know that she wanted nothing to do with it. Not that she had anything against him, but she preferred to stay away from the spotlight and remain in the shadows.
He seemed to be saying something but she had temporarily disconnected. “ -can. Are you alright? You seem a little out of it “ She couldn’t help but dead faced him. He wasn’t that bright, was he? He looked at her quizzically. “ no? “
“ Sorry, I have no idea what you just said “ She quickly replied and dusted the imaginary dust off her worn-out jeans. ( a habit that helped ease her anxiety ) “ I said If you're hurt I can swing you home. “ At this, her eyes quickly widened in panic because Spider-Man equals cameras and cameras equal attention. She did not want attention. Plus she was fine….just a couple of scrapes and bruises. Nothing she couldn’t walk off though.
“ Yeah no thanks, I’m alright. Bye now “ She promptly nodded and began her walk down the street and what would soon be into her apartment. “ Hey wait up! “ She mentally rolled her eyes as his presence was unshakable once again. He walked next to her almost shoulder to shoulder. ( To be fair; the sidewalk wasn’t exactly made for two ) “ I would feel really bad if I let you walk home alone. Especially in this area “ She noticed the sky was getting darker and the sun had already begun to set. He was partially correct but she’d never admit it. “ So you’re saying I live in the hood? Great, nice chat. Bye now “ She fairly smiled and climbed up the stairs to her mom's apartment, leaving him dumbfounded on the sidewalk.
“ Wait no- “
…..
Setting into New York life wasn’t as hard as she originally thought it’d be. It had been only a couple of weeks since arriving and she was already starting to call it home. For some reason, she kept running into Spider-Man and by the fourth time, she was almost sure it was on purpose. ( she was a little concerned he was stalking her or something ) Summer was filled with walking around the city and lots of photography. That was her thing and she loved doing it. She also managed to catch a couple of flicks of Spider-Man in action. ( she couldn’t say he looked bad ) Unfortunately today, her trip would have to be cut short since her mom had invited the neighbors and their teenage kid to dinner.
Her biggest hope was that it was a cool new friend she could make since so far it wasn’t going very well. “ then you’re left in the dust unless I stuck by ya. You’re a sunflower, I think your love would be too much…. “
I sang quietly as I walked out of the subway until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Removing my headphones I knew who it was without even turning around. “ If it isn’t Spider-Man! You know, I’m starting to think you’re stalking me “ He chuckled after widening his eyes momentarily. “ Really? Because if anything you always end up where I am so…. “ She rolled her eyes and grabbed her headphones again, turning to him once more before fully putting them on. “ Did you need something apart from being a creep? “ He chuckled and shook his head. “ reallll funny, you were listening to Sunflower right? “ She nodded and began putting the headphones back on. “ Yup, my favorite song. Now if you don’t mind…. Later “ She properly fully adjusted the headphones on her head after flashing him a peace sign and walked up the busy stairs.
Thankfully he didn’t follow after her and her walk home was peaceful music with the occasional push or shove.
“ Niña! Where were you?! Ya casi llegan! Hurry up and help me put la ensalada on the table “ She dropped her backpack and began scrambling to get the stuff on the table after kissing her mom on the cheek. “ Sorry Mami, I got caught up in something “ Her mom smiled mischievously from the kitchen as she replied. “ A good thing, I hope? “ She proceeded to nudge her shoulder on the way past her and wiggle her brows. “ Ay, mami! Nada de eso “ She shook her head this time and set down the last napkins before washing her hands. " Sure, sure. Whatever you say sweetheart " Before she could reply though, a loud knock on the door resonated throughout the apartment. " Apurate! Go open the door! " She grumbled as her mom rearranged the small curls on her head and smoothed out her clothes. " Ugh but mami! You go and let me change really quickly! I look like a hobo " Her mom disappeared into the kitchen with a loud sigh as another loud knock was heard. " No, Y/n. Go open the door! Apurate que se enfria la comida " She sighed once again as her mom set the last dishes on the table and threw her apron in the closet.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by a tall man in glasses who stood next to a shorter brown-haired lady with a bright smile. " Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs Morales, please welcome in " They walked in with bright smiles and began talking to my mom after saying something about calling them by their first name. My attention was now focused on the awkward teenager who still stood outside the door. What the heck? I literally told him to come in -_-.
" You can come in you know? " He finally looked up at me ( more like down since he basically towered over me a good 3 or 4 inches ) and nodded anxiously with a half smile. I noticed he had his mom's warm hazel eyes. " yeah, sorry. I'm Miles. " He walked in and faced me, sticking his hand out for me to shake. I firmly shook his hand. " Y/n " he nodded, this time with a smile. " Nice to meet you Y/n " After leading him down the short hallway and into the dining room, I couldn't help but feel like I'd heard his voice before.
..
Dinner went by smoothly (especially since my mom's cooking was divine ) and our parents engaged in conversation. Due to this, me and Miles didn't really get to talk much but I did find out he was into graffiti and art stuff, so Mom suggested I show him my art from back at home. After eating, I excused myself and after much argument ( from my mom since Miles kept insisting to help ) picked up the dinner plates and put them in the sink by myself. I lead him to the living room and we both sat on the couch as he looked through my sketchbooks. " This is so cool. You're so talented " I flashed him a smile as I continued to look through another one and shared more about my life. " Wait what. You speak Spanish? " I giggled at this since this was something I got a lot. people always said I didn't look like I did. " Duh. My mom's Cuban and so is everyone from her half of the family. It would be a crime if I didn't " He nodded in agreement and momentarily put the book in his lap. " Say something in Spanish! " I rolled my eyes and laughed again. " Que quieres que te diga? " He pretended to faint and fell back onto the couch for a couple of minutes and got back up. " Dude! that's so cool! You're like fluent fluent " I nodded and began looking through pages again. " Do you speak it? since your mom's Puerto Rican " He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and made a 'so so' motion with his hand. ' A little bit. I pick some up from when my mom speaks and what she teaches me " She nodded and looked up at him in deep thought. His voice just sounded so familiar, but she couldn't figure out from where. " You gotta teach me. Are you okay though? You seem a little lost in thought " Once again, she snapped out of her daze and looked up at him. " Yeah, for sure. Sorry, I just can't help but feel like I've heard your voice before " At this statement, she saw his whole body tense up and he began to nervously look around the room to avoid her eyes. " Yeah no, must be some kind of mistake or something " She squinted her eyes at him but decided to let it go. She knew he was hiding something and as curious as she was, she knew she'd find out exactly what it was sooner or later. For the rest of his time over, they talked about everything and shared art ideas.
..
Looking back on that day brought her a lot of memories. It had been a whole year since she had first met the Morales family and they all had become like a second family to her and her mom. Another reason for this was that their moms happened to work in the same medical department at the same hospital. ( what a small world, I know! ) Miles and I went to the same school and became best friends. Where at each other's houses almost every day since our parents worked late and we lived right across from each other. Since moving, Dad hadn't called once and even went as far as to block me on Social media. ( Super mature man ) Life was moving on smoothly and today was another one of those nights where me and Miles ordered takeout after some tiring homework. I also hadn't had any other encounter with Spider-Man. (which I thought was kinda weird ) I figured it was expected though, since he had plenty of things to worry about aside from me. " Mirage, did you hear me? " I quickly turned over to look at Miles from the floor. " Oh my bad, I wasn't listening. What? " He shook his head disapprovingly and looked up from his phone. " I swear you're always in your thoughts. I said Chow Mein or Lo Mein tonight. " This time I rolled my eyes at his comment. " Whatever Jordans. Chow Mein since last time we did Lo " He nodded in agreement and tapped away the order on his phone. " It's like you read my mind "
Being friends with Miles was amazing and frustrating at the same time. He was there for a little and then he was gone. Today was an art presentation I had at a small art shop a little way down the street from school. It wasn't too big a deal but they were featuring a piece of mine that won the school contest, so to me, it was a big deal. Everyone who was anyone to me knew how important it was to me. so when I looked out into the crowd and saw my whole family ( including his parents ) except him, my smile dimmed subconsciously. As the presentation went on, I'd hoped that he would come a little later only to be crushed once again at the harsh realization that he wasn't there for the whole thing.
For some reason, he held a very special place in her heart. Whether it was as her best friend, her partner in crime, her confider, or as something more; she didn't know. All she knew was that it hurt. Really, really bad. So when he eventually showed up with his favorite jersey and jacket, all disheveled, Jordans untied, jacket still hanging from one arm, and muttering a bunch of apologies as he sat down next to her at the pizza place they took her to celebrate; she didn't even want to look at him.
She silently glared at her mom for switching seats to leave the one next to her open, perfect for him to sit. She smiled sheepishly and got into conversation after Rio scolded Miles for being late for the 100th time and missing the presentation. " I'm sorry Mami " Before returning to their conversation, Rio shook her head staring dead at him. " Don't apologize to me, it's not me you disappointed."
She took multiple sips of her Sprite to avoid talking to him as she scrolled mindlessly through Instagram and replied to friends who liked her post of the presentation a couple of hours ago. " Hey Mirage, I know you're upset but I promise there's a perfectly good explanation for this. " Y/n didn't even bother looking up at him at the sound of his nickname for her. He gave it to her due to all the posters and action figures she has of her favorite transformer. Instead, she continued wordlessly scrolling in an attempt to block him out. " Come on, Mirage. At least look at me...please?" When she met his hazel eyes, she saw the guilt in them. It almost made her feel bad, but she wouldn't allow it. " save your lame excuse for someone who cares Miles " At this, he knew just how upset she was. She only called him by his name when she was upset which made him feel even worse. " Look I'm sorry, okay? It was really important and I- "
I turn to stare at him sharply with tears welling in my eyes. He knew exactly what I was thinking before I even said it. More important than attending an event I spoke about for weeks. Something he knew I was overjoyed for. I shut my eyes momentarily and take a deep breath. " That's okay Miles, It didn't even matter anyways " He seems at a loss for words. Like he hasn't fully processed.
Most likely noticing the tension, his dad speaks up this time " Hey kids, you guys should go get some ice cream while we head back and talk over some things! " I looked up at him and smiled with a nod of my head. I excused myself and walked out of the restaurant without as much as a glance behind me to see if he was following. Eventually, he caught up and we walked in silence. By now, the sun was setting and casting the sky in a hazy orange hue. At any other time, I would've stopped to take a picture to paint later, but I wasn't in the mood nor did I want to stop and look at him.
We reached a small park and sat on a bench a couple of inches from each other. At this point it took everything in me to not allow the tears to fall. I felt dumb. Stupid for thinking he'd ever see me as more than his best friend. Yet, at the same time I felt like I was overreacting and there was really no need for all this drama. My mind and feelings were in turmoil.
" Mirage? did you hear me? " She regains her sense of reality and looks up at him. " No, sorry. Que dijiste? " He was grateful at least for her response. He stood up and looked down at her expectantly. " I know you don't want to talk to me right now, and you have every right. But, can I show you something? " At this, she looks up at him with a questioning look on her face and decides to give it a shot. At least she'll get answers. He smiles and guides her through an alleyway which then leads to a fire escape that they climb after much protest from her. Once at the top of the complex, they can see the sundown a lot clearer now. The different shades of orange blend in together creating a beautiful glow. Her view is obstructed by him standing on the ledge and facing her.
" Miles, what are you doing? Get down before you fall " Her voice is shaky and her breathing is slightly picking up. Half from the journey through the roof and half from the anxiety of Miles's fatal fall.
" Do you trust me? " He stared at her with a look that she knew he wasn't joking.
" Miles, seriously. Bajate! It's okay, I forgive you but get down before you fall! Please! " She began getting more and more anxious that he would somehow slip right through her fingers and she'd never get to see his smile again. The idea made her heart hurt. It wasn't a pain like a needle under your nail or breaking a bone, no this pain felt like getting stabbed in the heart repeatedly. The idea of losing him felt like getting stabbed in the heart repeatedly. And in this moment she realized that all the little moments she got butterflies in her stomach when they were together, how her cheeks would heat up at a compliment, or how he'd drop anything to be with her meant something. She was in love with him.
" I will, I will, but do you trust me? " He noticed her impatience and the fear in her eyes. he'd hope that maybe if he looked a little further he could find what he was looking for and when their eyes met, he did.
" I do, Miles, I do. Now please, por el amor de Dios, get down "
" That's all I needed to know "
It was like slow motion, she wasn't even close enough to grab him and just like she feared, he sliped from her grasp. Miles fell back over the building and on to the busy New York street. She fell on her knees and began sobbing quietly for she couldn't even bare to see his body laying lifeless on the floor. Her brain replayed all their good memories and all she could do was sob helplessly.
" Hey, Hey, I'm okay Mirage! "
She looked up suddenly to see him there and aggressively rubbed at her eyes. " W-What? am I hallucinating or something? I saw you jump! " He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. " Yeah sorry about that, I probably should've given some context before jumping. Well the thing is, I'm Spiderman "
She stood motionless for a moment taking it all in. " Hey, Y/n? You okay? " He walked closer as he said this and was thoroughly surprised to be punched in the cheek. " Ow! That hurt! " She smiled up at him triumphantly. " You scared the life out of me idiot! Never do that again "
When he re-approached, this time they embraced tightly. " Sorry I led to you Mirage. I didn't want to put you in danger especially because I love you "
At this she almost choked on her air. Had she heard right? Did he just say?
" Uh, it's okay if you don't feel the same I- "
Ceasing his unnecessary ramble, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He smiled happily into the kiss and hugged her closer. They pulled away to catch their breaths. " I love you too, Jordans "
They walked back home hand in hand with the fading sunset in the background
" Next time, you'll jump with me! "
" I'll kill you Morales "
" It'll be fun I promise! "
" I'll pass. I want to live thank you "
He wraps an arm around her shoulder as they walk in the apartment building
" You'll come around, eventually "