I get to Anna's to see flash still there, sat with Anna Gayle and Tommy. "Mj! What happened?" They all jump up and begin crowding around me asking me questions.
"He took her." I say weakly feeling helpless, there was nothing I could do but worry, I missed the pills the doctor had given me, they made worry like this fade away to nothing. Right now I wished I felt nothing. Pain was overrated and I didn't need it or want it.
The next few hours are honestly a bit of a blur, the only way I can ease my feelings is with some of the bottle of scotch that I knew Anna kept hidden in the bathroom. Flash had stayed with us a while but eventually he had to go, I understood, he's already done more than enough for me today.
***
I didn't know when May had got here, but it'd been a while apparently she was doing her best to comfort us, I was zoned out, Anna was trying to keep her face up and Gayle began sobbing suddenly even catching my attention.
"What's wrong?" There was something other this whole situation bothering her, I could tell. "I'm pregnant." She says before sobbing even more, "well isn't that a good thing?" I was confused, "Timmy left me." Son of a bitch. "What?"
"He said he already didn't want Tommy and that he couldn't handle another one, it wasn't what he'd signed up for." She sobs, if I ever saw that piece of crap excuse for a man again it sure would not end well for him. What does he mean not what he signed up for? He most definitely did when he married her.
I almost want to say I told you, I knew their relationship wouldn't last long but seeing all the pain my sister was going through, it didn't seem like the right moment to gloat.
"I don't know what to do about anything, with this and mom-" I sit beside her and wrap my arm around her, "hey, we'll figure this out, together. You're not alone ok?" She nods and leans into me as she cries some more, thankfully both may and Anna join in comforting her so I slip away back to the bathroom to get more alcohol.
***
I end up climbing up onto the roof with the bottle and laying up looking at the stars. "Mj." It's Peter I can tell even though my eyes are closed, I'm assuming he's dressed up as spidey though seeing as how he hadn't made any sound in joining me. Other than when I heard him land on the roof.
I take a quick glance and nod. "Spidey." I greet before sitting up and examining the state he was in. It was not a good one. "Are you drinking?" He's shocked but I don't care I shrug and go to take a swig from the bottle, he uses his webs to pull it away from me though. "Don't, it's not safe whilst you're sat up here." He says making me shrug again as I pull my legs up and to my chest.
"It's not safe fighting crazy people either is it?" He chuckles slightly, "I guess," he says moving slightly and wincing at the movement. "You defeat the lizard?" I ask and he nods, "did he die?" He shakes his head no and I nod, "good."
"He took my mom." I shrug after another second, "I think she's the lady that I saw then." I turn to him now, "is she ok?" He doesn't answer but that tells me all I need to know. "I took her to the hospital." I close my eyes as I rest my head on my knees, "thanks." I mumble.
"Mj, I think you should get back inside." He says making me look back at him, he was worried. "I like it here." I say simply now resting my chin on my knees so I could watch him. "What are you doing here?" I ask making him shrug, "I was swinging through and I saw you, thought it be better if I made sure you got in ok. You do seem to be making quite the habit of attracting danger to yourself."
"Are you ok?" I ask glancing back at him and his injuries. "I will be." I get the indication he doesn't want to speak much more and so I don't say anything else for a few minuets.
"Why are you a superhero?" I ask suddenly making him turn to me again, I almost hated the fact he was wearing a mask, it meant it was impossible to know what he was actually thinking. "I wouldn't say I was-"
"Do not do the false humble thing." I cut him off making him laugh, I noticed that he did that a lot when he was around me as Spider-Man. Peter hardly laughed when I spoke. It was always humourless laughs or chuckles under his breath. I liked making him laugh though, I noticed that too, he had a nice laugh.
"So why the hero lifestyle?" I ask crossing my arms over my knees this time, "uh well I guess when you can do it what I can, you have a sense of responsibility to help out right?" That sounded like something uncle Ben would've said and it makes me smile slightly. "I like that." It sounds similar to something my mother would tell me too.
"You wanna get back inside now?" He asks and I shrug, "can I just stay out here a bit longer? It's so quiet out here and I'm not ready to face the madness of real life, not yet." He nods, "can I stay and hide from the world with you? Just for a bit." I nod as I wind my arms around myself.
"I don't think I could do it."
"What?"
"The whole superhero thing."
He turns to me like he was waiting for me to elaborate, "why?" He prompts when I don't make any move to. "I don't know, I'm not selfish or anything at least I don't think but it's a lot of pressure, trying to save everyone all the time? I couldn't handle knowing I couldn't save everyone, I wouldn't be able to let go I guess. I think it would destroy me, plus there's the fact I'd be completely shit at it, I'd probably end up getting myself killed in seconds."
"With the luck you seem to have I can see that." He says making me laugh. "Do you want me to clean your injuries?" I know my mom would've wanted me to ask that, "uh... yeah ok." I nod and begin to get up, only to stumble slightly. Peters arm goes out to steady me faster than I can process. "I'm fine, promise." I wasn't going to fall, at least I don't think I was.
He slowly lets go of me and duck back into the house, I put the bottle of alcohol back in it's place and grab the first aid kit before climbing back out.
"Boo." I say making him laugh as my head pops up he holds his hands out for me so that he can pull me up with ease. "So uh how are we doing this?" I ask suddenly aware that I was going to have to ask him to roll his suit down slightly.
He does it without saying anything and I find myself stunned for a second, I didn't know Peter was so... I didn't know he had abs. "Want to take the mask off too?" I tease making him laugh, "funny." It didn't matter since I'd already seen him without it, I was debating on wether I should tell him that I knew or not.
I decide against it again, still not sure why. Just don't feel like the right time.
"So this guy cut you deep huh?" I ask after moments of awkward silence the only sounds being me mumbling a sorry as my cold hands brushed against his warm torso every so often which would make him wince. "Yeah but I can handle it."
I don't really know what to say and so I do the rest quietly only speaking to tell him I'm done. "You can go now, it must be stuffy with the mask on." He shrugs, "not really, it's alright."
"I mean you could always just take it off." He laughs again making me smile, "nice try." I simply shrug before sighing as I hug my knees tightly. I wished I could stay out here forever. "The curse struck again you know." I don't know why I'm telling him this, maybe it was because I was a bit drunk or maybe it was just the fact I liked talking to him like this.
I realised the reason I wanted to keep the fact I knew it was Peter to myself because Peter and I could never talk like this. Spider-Man and Peter Parker were two different people to me and I liked it like that.
"What curse?" He mumbles, I don't say anything for a moment as I continue staring off the roof. "The curse of the Watson women, I'm going to be trapped here forever." I reply feeling the bubble of peace of created to escape the real world begin to shatter.
"You don't want that?" I shake my head, "I want to be successful, I want to go out and achieve my dreams you know? But my mom wanted the same so did my sister and they both ended up with men who weren't worth it. They gave up their futures for men who left them. And I'm going to give up mine for them."
"What do you mean?" I stare at him for a second really wishing I could see his eyes right now. "I can't leave them, they need me to stay, get a good job and help out. Bye bye acting career."
"You want to be an actress? But you're smart." I let out a little laugh, I'd heard that way too many times. "Just because I'm smart doesn't mean my dream is to stay in school my whole life for a job that I'll hate. Performing is my passion, you're supposed to do what makes you happy right?" He nods, "yeah I guess, if it's what you really want you should go for it."
"Is that not selfish? To leave my sister who can barely get a good paying job, alone, with two kids and my moms medical bills? Not to mention my mom, I don't know how long it'll take for her to recover and she was already working two jobs before this, she's not gonna be able to do that even if she does get better. I'm the one they're going to have depended on. It all falls to me and I wish it didn't have to." God I wished he hadn't stopped my drinking.
He doesn't know what to say and I don't blame him, I doubt I would either. Instead he hesitantly places a hand on my shoulder. "Well hiding from the world only lasted so long. I should probably get back inside now." He nods and holds his hands up to help me up before making sure I get in alright.
"I hope everything works out for you Mj." He says at the window making me nod with a half smile, "I hope the same for you too spidey."