CHAPTER ONE
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Without her family, Mae is truly nothing. Everyone in the Evans' household (including her snarky older sister) acts as a backbone for the young teenager, in ways more than she can even begin to comprehend. Mae can survive the world only because of her parents, particularly her father who never fails to encourage his daughter whenever she needs it. Her mother, Maya is literally out there kicking criminal ass with a S.H.I.E.L.D badge firm on her chest. So if there is any danger her way, Mae knows that her mother won't hesitate to save her the correct moment. Perhaps it can even be her sister one day, since she is now training to be a future agent at S.H.I.E.L.D as well. Her family is her armour, a shield she is encaged in. Without her family- she is vulnerable.
- and she pretends like that doesn't bother her.
Most days she wishes that she could just run away- from her poorly constructed life and it's insignificant constituents. Particularly the disease that has been sticking with her for as long as she remembers. Thanks to her genius biochemist of a father, proper precautions are being handled to make sure it doesn't intensify. Sometimes it is sickening to see her father work hard day and night for a miraculous cure, one that hasn't been discovered yet. Even the chances of that happening anytime soon are highly improbable. Mae just wishes that he would stop trying, but another side of her urges her father to go on. She doesn't like the idea of living the rest of her short life tracing the rules and guidelines word for word.
Her skin is ablaze, a fire screeching embers around her. It is a feeling she learned to get used to over the years, but the pain isn't getting used to. The pain will never leave her alone, but she has to live with it. It's a part of her body, just like how no living being can function without their steady heartbeats- the burns gives her life. Her knees threaten to collapse into a pile of ash as she walks in the corridor of Midtown High, the movement flaming her joints. If the pain appeared when she was home, an ice pack would immediately be brought to soothe the pain and even though the pain wouldn't fade, Mae would feel at ease. But comfort for especially people like her can't be greeted whenever she wishes. So she keeps walking like she isn't molten lava, it's a symptom and it can't be helped.
The couple making out right in front of her locker cause her to roll her eyes.
She walks closer to them until she was two feet away, braiding her arms across her chest with one eyebrow raised. This has to be the fourth- no- the fifth time the pair decided that Mae Evans' locker is the perfect place for kissing each other in the worst possible manner. They take no notice of her unflattering presence.
Mae uncomfortably looked around the corridor, searching for a distraction. She is an introvert more than anything else, so finding a distraction is a slightly harder task than she knows. But the distraction comes only when she turns back around, the couple may be taking it too fast too soon.
The distraction in this case, Peter Parker walks in from the other side, eyes wide with shock on the action taking place right next to his very own locker. He rolls his eyes just as immediately, carefully opening his locker door to avoid interrupting them. There isn't much difference in the way he looks- he is taller, way taller than Mae is with unkempt brown her spiking naturally in every direction. With his skateboard safe in one hand and the other struggling to pull the locker door, Mae takes the time to observe his face. His dark glasses take up most of his lanky face. Mae is always wondering how he would look without them.
In order to strike the everyday morning conversation between the two, Mae yanks away the girl's back-pack (the one who is busy making out), intervening into their uncaring privacy and pushes them away to the side. They scowl at her in disagreement. Mae acts like she doesn't hear them. Without wasting another second, she opens the door of her night-blue locker, eyes firm on Peter next to her. "Hi there, locker buddy." She starts, a smirk igniting a spark in her eyes.
Peter chuckles at her childishness, closing his own locker with a thud. "Hey Mae." He sweetly replies, a smile forging on his face as well, "How was your weekend?"
"It was good. Lots of science involved." Mae replies gleefully, two heavy textbooks careful between her elbow before she shut the door of her locker.
Peter laughs again, "That's- that's good." He nods in agreement, hanging his camera around his neck. Their daily small talks has already come to an end. With another spell of small smiles and byes, they both rush in their own separate directions. Mae doesn't have much of friends, but despite only little conversations, Peter Parker could easily glide his way up to one of the top positions of her friends list- that's just how Mae lives.
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Two hours later, Mae finds herself sitting behind Peter Parker in History. On the seat before him to the right, Gwen Stacy is perched with the poise and grace she always carries around. Her snow white hair is crowded tightly into a ponytail and half of her palm is covered with her grey sweatshirt. Gwen Stacy and Mae are childhood friends of sorts. Maya Evans and Gwen's father are friends from earlier as he is the sheriff of NYPD and well, Maya's job for the world is a reporter at the Daily Bugle, and a strong one at that. Mae sometimes thinks of her mother and wonders how she is able to handle two dangerous jobs effortlessly like she is liquid, flowing through all her duties unscathed.
Despite this, Gwen and Mae haven't been as close as some would expect them to be. Gwen is just as much of a regular friend to her as Peter has been, but more importantly she is the only friend in Midtown High who knows Mae for who she is and even understands the complex situation Mae has been suffering from, more likely for the rest of her life. So they shared an appreciable relationship with fierce loyalty. Mae doesn't know if friendship fits that description. . .
"I thought that was great, what you did out there." Mae overhears Gwen say to Peter. Curiousity immediately collides.
Peter says nothing, only gawks at Gwen with a blank expression. "What's your name?" Gwen continues. Peter stirs a little at the question, a frown forming on his forehead. "You don't know my name?" He hesitantly asks.
Gwen smirks, chuckling lightly. "Oh, I know your name. I was just wondering if you knew it."
The toffee haired boy is caught speechless again. Slowly he smiles at Gwen and Mae catches a glimpse of acknowledgement in it. "I'd still go to the nurse though." Gwen nods, her golden bangs colliding with her eye lashes.
Once Mae is sure that the light-hearted conversation between the two came to an end, she slides down on her chair. Making sure that the teacher isn't looking anywhere near her, she passes a small kick to Peter from behind causing him to jolt. Mae smiles.
He turns his head to face her, eyes widened. Mae leans forward on her desk, bending her head to keep a low profile. "What happened?" She whispers rather loudly.
Peter raises his eyebrows, "What happened?"
Mae unhappily kicks Peter's leg again. He isn't pleased by it. "Why do you have to go to the nurse?"
The boy in front of her only exhales, shrugging it off with a wave of his hand. "It's nothing."
Mae angrily widens her eyes at him, when the girl is curious, she needs to be fed or she would not enjoy her day. She thrusts her heel a little harder this time but Peter smartly stirs his leg aside and Mae ends up kicking at weightless air.
"Seriously." Mae warns, slapping her palms soundlessly on the desk to avoid any kind of detention. "If you don't tell me what's going on, I won't be able to sleep tonight. No matter how small it is. I can be really restless sometimes but right now I'm curious. "
Peter opens his mouth but closed it a second later and repeats four more times. He looks at the teacher jotting on the blackboard and fully turns around to face Mae. He shrugs, maybe surrendering. "I just got into a fight with Flash. That's it."
Mae nods understandingly, relaxing her shoulders with the news. But she isn't satisfied yet, her stomach is churning for more. Before Peter can even turn back to attend class, Mae pinches his sleeve leaving towards him yet again. "Why?" She simply whispers, her voice low and husky.
More expressions than Mae can even comprehend filmed on his face. He breathes out sharply, his eyes glaring at Mae before adjusting his square glasses. "Uh, he was bullying someone."
"And you fought back?"
Peter throws her an are-you-serious look. "No, of course not. Have you met me?"
"Then how did you get into a fight?"
Peter uneasily scratches his head, searching for the right words. "I may have called him by his real name."
When Mae doesn't reply, Peter believes he has quenched her thirst. Sighing with relief, he turns back to his books, his safe place.
But five minutes later Mae jabs his shoulder. "What's his real name again?"
"Miss Evans."
"Yes, sir!" Mae heeds her reflexes, pretentious cluelessness written on her face as she faces Mr. Harrison.
"Anything that you'd like to share with the class?"
"N-no? Sir." She answers it like a question. Mr. Harrison smirks, pleased by his threatening demeanor on his student. "Good."
Peter looks at her from the corner of his eyes, a small tease playing on them. Even Gwen turns around to look Mae, her eyes questioning her and her lips playfully laughing at her friend.
Mae returns to her calmer self on the outside, staring at the back of Peter's head and she restlessly jabs the pencil on her desk continuously. Her curiousity and conversation with Peter was a momentary distraction that allowed Mae to detach from the pain only for few moments. But now that it is gone, Mae is vividly aware of how weak her bones are.
And the scorching on her joints returns.
author's note:
here's sunflower, yaay! ok LISTEN, I'm honestly so scared and excited at the same time to get into Mae's mind and character because it's so complex and I really don't want to portray her disease wrong. I did a lot of research to find one that's fitting for the plot (you'll find out in act 2 & 3) and there's literally just one article about CVID for children so im terrified. but excited. so if there's anything wrong in my portrayal of the deficiency please let me know! i forgot to mention this in the intro but remember that plagiarism of any sort will not be tolerated!
please comment your thoughts! i don't like silent readers :))
( marvelity )