Shattered meanings hide in cracked words

Peter Parker’s funeral as unfair as it was, was lonely and small. May didn’t have a lot of money to pay for a funeral, let alone a funeral that no one was ready to have.

In the end Wade helped pay, May had smiled and cried when Wade offered.  

He hadn’t expected a lot of people to show up, Peter kept to himself and didn’t have many friends. Aunt May was there of course. She looked older now and tired. Her face was gaunt and stricken with sorrow, her grey hair that was usually controlled was a mess, held in a bun with no care. Wade wanted to hug her, but he couldn’t make himself do it when he locked eyes with her own red rimmed ones. They were too full of pain for Wade to keep looking at, so instead he stared at the others. 

A blonde girl that Peter talked about sometimes was there, she was sobbing openly to another boy who had his arms wrapped around her. He looked uncomfortable to be there, it was obvious he was just playing emotional support. A few other college aged kids came, but no one stayed long.

The Italian family came, Wade could never remember their names, Peter was the one who knew all of their names and interests. He was always asking the mother about her cooking and gardening when he and Wade stopped by.

She hugged Wade when she saw him, hard enough that Wade felt pain in his ribs but he hugged back, squeezing his eyes shut as he let himself be held for a moment. She was the reason the police were called...after hearing some maniac screaming on the roof of her gas station, she had become terrified. Wade understood. 

Wade had panicked when he heard the sirens, the sound kickstarting him brain into movement. No one could know Peter was Spider-Man. The press would never leave May alone and Peter would hate it.

Sobbing, Wade slowly removed the suit from Peter's body, the tight T-Shirt that Peter wore beneath his suit in the colder months was stained a dark red, just like the suit. Wade left it on. Digging through Peter’s bag he found a pair of sweatpants to replace the suit’s legs. 

Bundling the suit up, Wade threw it into the packback Peter carried. The sirens were a block away now, swinging his arm back, Wade threw the bag across the street onto another roof, no one can know he is Spider-man, Wade thought grimly as he went back to Peter. Falling to his knees, Wade clutched his friend closer to him as he heard the sirens surround the building. 

The story was headlined all throughout Queens

“Teen murdered, other bright future lost to gang activity.”

It was almost comical, Peter, in a gang. May had been swarmed by news reporters and police during the last week, everyone wanted to know if she was aware of her kid being in a gang. Morons. 

Wade watched as Peter’s casket was lowered into the ground. It was hard to believe that just four days ago Wade had talked to him on the phone. Now Peter was in a wooden box, lifeless. The thought was still too painful to process,

petersgonepetersgonepetersgone.

Wade felt numb as he watched a few people step forward, dropping white roses onto the casket below. May dropped hers last, she was sobbing, her small shoulders shaking. Feeling a knot in his throat, Wade walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly as she cried into his shoulder. 

“He was all I had Wade,” she sobbed, “What are we going to do without him?” Wade closed his eyes, resting his chin on her head as his own tears started to rise. 

“He was all I had too, May,” he whispered.

“I’ve lost everything.”

They stood there, hugging for a long while. They stood till everyone but them was gone. The cemetery left deserted and blank. Eventually May separated, smiling through her tears she patted Wade on the shoulder. 

“Thank you, for finding him,” she choked out, her eyes shimmering with tears, “Come by soon, you weren’t just Peter’s friend.” Wade laughed and sniffled, nodding at her before she turned to leave. 

Wade stayed behind, watching as her car left the cemetery. His legs collapsed beneath him, his knees hit the ground with a thump, he barely noticed as he stared at the hole in the ground, grave. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t save you,” Wade rasped, “I know you’d think it was stupid to think that. But I am, I’m so sorry Peter. I should have asked what was wrong last night. God,” Wade gripped his head between his hands, ”I should have known, I shouldn’t have sent you to bed and ignored it.”

The cool feeling of a rain drop splattered across Wade’s hand. Another two followed, more soon after. It was like the sky decided to mourn as well.

“No one will ever know what a hero you were, Baby boy. I wish I could tell people. My best friend was a hero, a super hero,” Wade chuckled dryly. Water pouring down his head, “I loved you.”

Pushing himself onto his feet, Wade stared down at the ground, “I wish I could get drunk. I’ve never missed getting drunk, it’s disorienting and messy. I really miss it right now, it’s better than this,” he choked on the word, he took a minute, trying to hold back another sob.

Finally, he dropped his rose into the grave as well, a single red rose that stuck out against the white ones.