Dancing Around // peter parker

37

It was a Saturday in late October. Rain tried to grab my attention again by throwing itself against my window. I stared up at the ceiling, my arm resting on my forehead. Today was the day. I stayed still, unable to move until my alarm went off. I dragged myself out of my bed and into the shower. I brushed my teeth and my hair and put on my favorite smile.

I made myself a peanut butter sandwich, only to realized I didn't have an appetite. Some kind of feeling had taken up most of the space in my body. I could barely think. I got a text from Cindy, telling me she was outside my apartment. I put on my coat, grabbed my yellow umbrella, and heading out the door. It beeped once it was locked.

Across the hall, the Parker residence's door opened. Ms. May had a bag of trash in her hand when her eyes met mine. I didn't move. She didn't move. The door closed behind her, making her drop the trash in panic. She jiggled the handle a couple of times before looking back at me. She smiled. She laughed. "I locked myself out of my apartment," she said.

I nodded my head.

"It's okay. Peter is inside, so he can just let me in." She cleared her throat and picked up the bag of trash. "You're usually not out this early. Going somewhere?" She asked.

I wasn't talking to Peter. Peter wasn't talking to me. What did that mean for Ms. May and me? Were we still allowed to act like before? Probably not. Ms. May was acting strange already, her brown eyes behind her glasses noticing every detail around me without ever meeting my eyes. I guess I should have expected it. She was, after all, Peter's aunt first, my neighbor second.

"I'm a contestant on a game show," I said.

"A game show? Do have a thing for them? I kind of got a sense of that whenever you preferred that over movies."

"Kind of. My dad did. We use to watch them together. I promised him once when I was little that I would win one for him, but then he left me after the divorce, and now I don't watch any."

She stood very still, her eyes soften.

"Goodbye then," I said. I started walking towards the elevator. She called out my name. I looked back at her.

She stood in the middle of the hallway, the trash in her hands. "I know things between Peter and you aren't...the best, but I want you to know, I'm still here for you if you need me. For any reason. Anything."

I nodded my head, before walking the rest of the way to the elevator. It was a nice idea, but we both knew it wasn't true. No matter how much I wish it could be true.

...

We made it to the place a little before 11. The people with radios lead us to a small room near the end of the building. One of the windows was broken and it smelled like fish. "How legit did you say this game was?" Cindy's mother asked.

Cindy smiled at her mother. "I did a lot of research. It's real. They're probably just on a budget." We heard a toilet flush somewhere in the distance. Cindy's mother raised her eyebrows at Cindy. "Mom, actually, I'm kind of thirsty. Can you get me something?"

Her mother sighed. "I'll be right back." She left the room that we weren't supposed to leave.

I took a seat on an old orange sofa, letting my head hang from one of the arms. I could see the rain hitting the broken window, drops of sorrow getting onto the floor. There wasn't a sign telling me it was wet. If I slip there, could I sue them? Was that how it worked? The insides of my heels were all wet. I didn't own proper shoes and now my heels were covered in mud. I could slip and buy new shoes. Maybe even a better smile.

Cindy took a seat next to me. "You okay?"

I nodded my head.

"Really?"