I stared at the closed wooden door before me. I was frozen and grew anxious at the thoughts swirling in my mind. On the other side of the door was my room, but I found myself wondering if I would recognize it and the objects within that represented the life I had before. I took in the voice of my nearby sister who engaged in conversation with what I assumed to be a friend she declared to have earlier. She chatted excitedly about the possibility of me attending Midtown.
I shook my head in disapproval but couldn't help the smile that spread to my lips. The anxiousness dissipated some and I took the opportunity to open my bedroom door while my mind was mostly occupied on that of my sister. I pushed the door open and my thoughts quieted immediately while I took in the sight before me.
The walls were painted a lavender color with the furniture matching that of ivory. My bed was made, untouched and neat just like the whole of my room. I carefully stepped inside to inspect the room and walked passed the closed closet door and my bed. I stopped to stand before my dresser and took in the girl staring back at me in the mirror.
I first glanced into my chestnut eyes before my eyes wandered to that of my face then to the light bruise in between my brow and eye. What struck me the most was despite five years going by, I appeared to be the same seventeen-year-old I was before disappearing.
My hand went to the thick, coily hair atop my head to take in the feel of the texture but stopped as my eyes caught sight of the photos taped to the arch of my mirror. Most were of friends I had at the school I attended previously and of my family.
A few photos were accompanied by writing, telling of events I volunteered for in the past ranging from school-related activities to things around the neighborhood. My wide smiles in the photos caused the small smile spreading to my lips.
My eyes returned to that of the girl within the mirror and I wondered if I was capable of living the life I had before. Things were different even if I felt the same. With those simple thoughts, my smile faltered.
I let out a sigh. I was prepared to turn away from the mirror until my eyes caught sight of a photo of my father. I took it into my hand, removing it from its place and stared into the picture. I was ready to enter his embrace when I returned only to learn I'd never feel his arms around me again.
I grew frustrated and resorted to balling up the photo. I was angry, with a million thoughts running through my mind. The anger I felt was directed at him for leaving me even though I knew it wasn't his fault.
My movements were frantic and quick with not much thought going into it. I tossed it onto the surface of my dresser while taking a few paces backward to sit upon my bed.
My breaths came out in pants with the overbearing emotion weighing down on me.
I moved into a laying position to rest my head against the pillow. I relaxed with the sound of the muffled voice of my sister nearby.
I stared up at the ceiling for some time and laid still while feeling my erratic heartbeat slowing. My eyes became heavy and drifted closed when I unexpectedly fell into a slumber.
It was morning when I awoke. The voices of my mother and sister filled my ears as they prepared for the day ahead. I continued to drift in and out of sleep until I heard footsteps approach my open doorway.
My back was turned so I was oblivious as to who was entering my room until a figure made their way into my field of vision. My mother stared back at me with soft eyes and approached my bed carefully.
"Good morning, sweetie," she greeted. I couldn't get myself to speak. "I'm heading to work. I left my work number on the fridge if you need me, okay?" I nodded my head at her words.
She placed a kiss upon my forehead. I could tell she was apprehensive about leaving me alone. My mother lingered before turning on her heels to leave my room. She departed and Jordyn quickly filled the empty space.
"You're still in for touring Midtown, right?" She inquired, a hopeful smile spreading to her lips.
It took a lot of self-control not to groan in response. But with my mom, I also provided her with a subtle nod. Her smile spread wider before she took a hand to ruffle my hair and left my room.
I gazed at nothing in particular while clutching a pillow to my chest. I laid still while the women departed from our home. I had all intentions of leaving my bed at first. Then minutes turned to hours and then into days.
The only moments I would arise from my position were to use the bathroom and eat but I was drawn back to my bedroom every time. I knew my mother and sister grew wary as the days passed and they continued to find me in the same position when they'd return.
Towards the end of the week, I arose mid-afternoon and forced myself into the shower. The warm water woke my body and I felt slightly refreshed as I placed on a fresh set of clothes after toweling myself dry.
I walked down the creaky steps of my quiet home to meander into the kitchen to scavenge for food. I found a whole sandwich within a ziplock bag with a toothpick stabbed through it in the refrigerator. A piece of scrap paper was attached and read 'enjoy! I love you - JD.' I smiled and retrieved the sandwich to devour it.
I scampered into the living room after cleaning the little mess I made and turned on the television to prevent myself from returning to my room. I flipped through the channels absentmindedly until I heard the front door locks coming undone.
I didn't pay much attention to the channel I landed on, instead, I was drawn to my sister as she made her way inside through the narrow hallway.
Her eyes flashed surprise when she caught sight of me on the couch. She quickly recovered with a smile and placed her bags down where she stood. Jordyn made her way over to sit beside me on the couch.
"Thanks for the sandwich," I told her. "How was school?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, it was fine. It'd be better if you were there."
I didn't object. Instead, a laugh escaped me as I tore my eyes away to look ahead at the tv screen. My eyes were drawn to the large, red headline. My smile quickly faltered at the words-
TONY STARK DEAD
My sister went still beside me and we gazed ahead for some time in silence as the news poured from the station of the details of his death.
Pictures flashed of the billionaire within the Iron Man suit who saved mankind on a few occasions. Beyond the suit, he was also husband to Pepper Pots and father to a young girl. What was the world going to be like with him gone?
I grew saddened at the news, mostly feeling sympathetic to the people he left behind and the loss they were sure to feel. I knew the world would feel saddened at the news, having lost one of its mightiest heroes.
"What do you think will happen now?" Jordyn inquired. I felt her turn to me. I thought for some time, not able to tear my eyes away from the bolded headline that continued to read the same. A part of me hoped it wasn't true and would shift to something else. "Does this mean more crimes? Griffton surely can't take anymore," she added.
I finally tore my eyes away and was prepared to question her but found worry in her eyes. I opted to search for a response that might ease her. "Tony Stark was one of a kind, but there are more heroes lying in wait and watching over us."
I gave her a reassuring nod with a smile. Our eyes returned to the tv screen with more information pouring in but minutes later, the conversation topic changed.
We continued to sit in silence and bore the weight of the news of Tony Stark. I didn't know the man personally, but the news resonated with me, especially when learning about his role in our return.
I returned after five years and although I was met with terrible news, I was still grateful and owed it to Tony Stark and the Avengers.
I sighed when changing the channel. I flipped absentmindedly like before and held some hope that my sister would call to me to stop when a channel interested her but that never came.
"I almost forgot to mention, your tour is tomorrow afternoon." A part of me wished she did, but I wasn't prepared to tell her that. I simply nodded when I met her eyes when she continued, "it'll be towards the end of the school day, but the admin agreed to let me be your guide. I'll come back and we can ride the subway together."
Her smile reached her eyes and it was clear she was excited. I wondered why when it was nothing but a tour. I tried putting myself in her shoes and attempted to determine why she desperately wanted me to attend her school when the idea of her wanting to make up for lost time struck me.
It was the only reasonable answer when questioning how me being gone affected her and my mother. What roamed through their minds those five years? They watched as I faded to nothing, my existence turning to ash in mere seconds. As far as they knew, I was dead only to reappear five years later.
I'd been so caught up with myself and my feelings, I didn't think to consider how Jordyn or my mother felt about everything that's come to pass.
My not-so-little-sister turned to me and I gazed at her a moment. I was grateful that despite everything that's happened, we were able to return to our natural selves. Except, there was one thing that was different - she matured.
I smiled mischievously before nudging my sister. "I just hope your school lives up to the hype," I teased.
The least I could do was at least appear to be excited about it. I promised myself at that moment that I would be more considerate of my family who was also healing after what's happened, not just myself.
SPIDER-WOMAN: *~* ORIGIN
Friday afternoon arrived. I stared at my reflection and eyed the outfit I chose to wear. I was satisfied with its simplicity and comfort. Thoughts wandered to that of my mother and what she would say about it. In her displeased voice, I could hear her muttering something along the lines of my outfit not having enough color.
My lips curled in a smile at some of the memories.
Did it really matter if most of the clothes I wore were dark? For important events, she'd drag me to a clothing store and picked out something she felt was more suitable. Often times, I gagged at her choices.
I attempted to massage through some of the newly formed wrinkles on my shirt but to no avail. I simply shrugged and tried to force away the nerves that threatened to bubble within me. I knew my time was out when I heard the front door shut closed. Jordyn called out announcing her arrival.
"I'll be down in a second," I yelled. I looked to my nightstand to grab my hand wallet. I gripped it in my hand and shifted on my feet to head towards the door until my eyes went to the balled-up photo resting on my dresser. My heart sank and I quickly took it into my hands to unfold.
"I'm sorry, dad," I whispered. I placed the photo back onto my dresser and departed from my room. I went down the steps to find Jordyn standing by the front door lying in wait. Her eyes met mine as I reached the end of the staircase.
"Ready?" She wondered. She placed a hand to the doorknob. I simply nodded and together, we made our way out of the house. She locked up behind me.
We walked in step toward the subway station. I took in the feel of the sun warming my skin. This was the first time I'd been outside since my return and I found it was nice to finally get some fresh air.
We exited the quiet neighborhood to enter the main street littered with people along the sidewalk which grew slightly in size as we neared the subway station.
I took notice of the people standing in wait in outfits ranging from casual to business. My sister and I joined the fray. We waited in silence for the subway and boarded once it arrived. Jordyn and I sat upon finding two empty seats.
I took in the sights of the cityscape out the window as we rode. My eyes took in the small buildings to skyscrapers and neighborhoods as we breezed passed. What mostly caught my eye was that of the clear blue sky and the way the sun illuminated the city.
"How're you doing?" Jordyn asked beside me.
I tore my eyes away from the window to find my sister gazing at me curiously. I took in her serious expression and thought a moment to consider how I was feeling at that moment to give her a response.
I shrugged. "Taking it one day at a time, I guess." She nodded her head in understanding. I watched as her eyes traveled to the subway floor in thought. "You?"
Her lips parted in preparation to speak but no words fled from them. She considered her words, her eyebrows furrowing a moment before she found my eyes again. A small smile spread to her lips. "I'm just happy you're back."
I grinned at her words and pulled the girl into a hug. It was hard to believe and wrap my head around how we were now the same age. The twelve-year-old, bratty child I knew before was no more. Five years were gone in a flash. But just as I told her, I was going to take it one day at a time.
"Happy to be back," I muttered. I blinked back the tears that threatened to brim my eyes as we pulled away from each other.
We were silent for the rest of the subway ride to Queens, New York. I followed behind her as we departed the transportation service and beelined out of the tunnels to enter the busy sidewalks of the city.
I wasn't prepared for the crowd of people but continued to trail behind Jordyn. We cut a corner in between buildings and it wasn't long before we entered a suburban neighborhood. I stared in awe of the large homes.
I snuck a glance at my sister who appeared unfazed. She quickened her pace when leading out of the neighborhood. I was surprised when she came to a stop and looked to find her smiling as she stared ahead. I questioned what caught her eye and followed her gaze.
My breath caught in my throat at the sight of the large building constructed mostly of red bricks while the windows were framed with white panels.
A large sign read Midtown School of Science and Technology. I continued gaping at the structure and assumed it to be fairly new. The landscape around the building was well cared for, from the trees to the grass surrounding the school.
I continued to follow Jordyn as she led the way to the double doors of the school. I found I grew anxious while she pried the door open and waited for me to enter. She provided me with an encouraging smile.
I stepped in and took in the large hallway mostly empty aside from the few students who wandered. They now turned to glare at us as we entered.
"Welcome to Midtown," Jordyn told me, grinning. "Honestly, I hated the high school I went to before. Midtown became my home and I think you'd love it here, too."
I considered her words while trying to recall my high school experience up until now. It was fine, nothing worth noting. I was dragging my feet while waiting for the journey to be over. But I couldn't help but wonder what was so great about Midtown.
I pushed my thoughts aside while Jordyn motioned towards the central office doors, providing information on the administration of the school before she began walking. I followed in her footsteps while she motioned towards the glass encasement on our right, parallel to that of the large windows on the left.
She began an explanation of some of the prestigious awards the school acquired since its founding date. The tour continued and Jordyn led the way, taking me down academic, elective hallways, and student meeting areas that were currently emptied, but was sure to be bustling during times like lunch. I was impressed by its simplicity and design.
We stood in the middle of a hallway when a bell rang overhead. A part of me had forgotten school was in session until the hallway quickly filled with students. I nearly lost Jordyn in the swarm until I found her enveloping her arm around mine. The once quiet hallway was now vibrating with voices of those that now occupied it.
I expected Jordyn to pull us out of the swarm and to our next destination until a voice called out her nickname above the noise of the crowd to gain her attention.
"JD!"
My sister stopped in her tracks to turn to find the source. Our eyes met a petite Latina girl with her hair in a messy pony-tail atop her head beaming with excitement at the sight of my sister.
She maneuvered her way through the crowd of students until she stood a few feet away from us. She eyed me curiously until realization flashed in her eyes. "You must be Jessica?"
I nodded my head in response.
"How successful would you say JD is on her quest to convince you to attend our cultic school?"
The bright smile the girl was wearing fell.
I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. I smiled nervously, not knowing what expression to wear following her words.
"Cul- what?"
I turned to Jordyn for assistance but found her with a bored expression on her face. I tried to make a silent plea when her eyes met mine. She finally waved off the girl's comment. "Yessenia here is full of conspiracy theories-"
"Conspir-" she scoffed. "Tonta*, I'm just simply trying to give her all the info before she commits." She pulled a lollipop from her back pocket and unwrapped it. "Remember when we caught those cheerleaders trying to summon a demon in the basement?"
I tried to make sense of her words and find some possible reasoning to her statement. I mean, cheerleaders summoning a demon? That sounded like a reach.
If anything, I found this school more entertaining than my last and was nearly sold on attending.
Nearly, just nearly though. There was now the possibility of being possessed with the mention of a demon.
Yessenia eyed my sister expectantly until her eyes traveled to the caucasian male that maneuvered through the crowd to stand beside her. He stood gazing at her with his eyebrows furrowed.
"Sen, it was Halloween." He shook his head in disapproval, earning an eye roll from Yessenia while clutching the strap of his shoulder bag. With one hand he whisked away the few strands of the dark hair that fell to his face and turned to my sister to give her an acknowledging nod.
"Meet the more sensible member of our group, Lucas. Luke, this is my sister, Jessica," Jordan declared. I provided a subtle wave to Lucas while he gave me a small smile.
I tore my eyes away from his blue ones to look to Yessenia once more just as she chomped down on the lollipop that was just pulled from her pocket. I eyed her, questioning her choice to bite into it when it'd barely been licked.
"Don't you assholes know better than to stand in the middle of the hallway?" A stern voice questioned.
I looked to find the source and gazed upon a dark-complexioned male as he entered my line of vision and moved to stand beside Yessenia.
A grimace settled into his features as his eyes traveled around the small group of us that formed in the hallway. It didn't let up even when his eyes lingered on me briefly.
I considered his words and flushed. I became one of those people I hated, standing completely in the way of those trying to get to their destination. It always annoyed me to the core.
"And lastly, Zane. Our big brother who's always watching and scolding, but don't let him full you, he's a little nicer than he lets on. Zee, this is my sister, Jessica," Jordyn announced.
Lucas snickered. "Only a little, though."
I grew curious at their declarations and looked to Zane as if the answers to whether their statements were true or not were going to be written on his forehead. But I was only met with zero expression upon another glance at him. He was silent and not remotely amused.
The group had mostly fallen silent aside from Yessenia's chewing. I looked to her to find that she bit the last of the lollipop. Being able to hear led me to realize the hallway being occupied by fewer students than before.
"You blipped, right?" Yessenia inquired in between chews. I looked to the girl to find her question being directed at me.
My brows furrowed in confusion at her words. "Blipped?"
Jordyn sighed beside me. I looked to that of everyone within the group and took notice of the now annoyed expression on Zane's face. I almost believed their description of him to be true.
"A term not all of us agree with," Lucas started, warning Yessenia. "It's the word being used to describe those that reappeared after snapping away five years ago."
Zane laughed. His brows knitted together in anger. "I mean, do you all hear yourselves? It must be nice not dying and coming back to have to sort all this shit out-"
"We don't mean to be-"
"No, just think what it would be like to have everyone saying you blipped while laughing like it's a fucking joke." He shook his head in disbelief with a scoff.
Those that continued to linger in the hallway now looked while Zane's outburst unfolded. I chewed on the inside of my lip while feeling the thick, tense atmosphere around us.
I felt I understood where he was coming from. There wasn't a guarantee for those that returned that life would resume just as they left it. I continue to sort through it and the emotions that come with it, especially in the learning of my father's death.
"I'm going home," Zane muttered. With that, he walked off without another word. The tense atmosphere lingered even after his departure. I questioned how this friend dynamic worked when they all seemed to be very different.
Jordyn sighed beside me. "We're not usually like this. Things haven't been the same since the return but we're all dealing with this the best way we know how."
"Zane's situation has been especially rough," Lucas added. "Just had to bring up the blip, huh, Sen?"
She sucked her teeth. "Don't come for me. I was just curious about our new friend."
I was prepared to question what he meant but figured it wasn't their business to tell. I opted to glance at Zane's retreating back ahead before he left my field of vision.
"Well, it's Friday. Anyone down to go bowling?" Yessenia wondered. She appeared to have recovered quickly from the situation. She wagged her eyebrows despite Lucas shaking his head at her.
Jordyn nudged me. I turned to her and watched as she cleared her throat and fully turned to me with a smile spreading to her lips. "Before that though," my sister started, "this concludes your tour of Midtown High."
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