On June 3rd, Edith Barton quietly went to the local orphanage with two little pink bundles. Edith needed to make sure her daughters would be safe from their abusive father. Around 11 pm she finished filling out the info on her girls she left them in the care of the owner of the orphanage. On July fourth Nathaniel and Evelyn Richards came to the orphanage in Iowa to adopt a little girl that's when they saw their little girl. Her brown hair and brown eyes caught their attention and immediately they filled out the adoption papers to take the month old girl. The same day Richard and Mary Parker came into the orphanage to hear a baby crying to see the twin sister of the first girl crying in her crib. Mary picked the girl up and hushed her and instantly fell in love with the little girl, the two adopted her and returned home. For years both girls grew up in New York City, but their lives were almost the same, except the first girl was injured and paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 8.
The girls are now both 10 and in middle school, it is their first day in the school since they were pretty much home-schooled for most of their lives. As Maria walks into the classroom kind of nervous she looks for her seat and notices that she was placed next to a girl in a wheel chair. This girl looks just as nervous to be there as she was, plus it didn't help that there were already kids picking on her for being in a wheel chair. Maria stood there and watched for a minute to see what the girl would do, all she did was sit there silently. Thats when Maria saw a tear roll down her face and she lost it. She walks over to her seat and slams her books down on the her desk before turning to the kids whose attention she now had.
"Leave her alone," Maria says irritated.
Gabrielle looks the girl who was standing up for her, it was surprising to her that someone actually stand up for her. No one has ever done this for her other than her brother and his friend Ben.
"Why should we?" one of the boys asks.
"Because she probably has no control over being in that chair and you probably have your own problems thats why you are picking on her so get lost already," Maria responds.
The kids look at her a little shocked and then walk back to their seats. Gabrielle smiles and wipes the tears away.
"T-thank you," Gabi says.
"You are more than welcome and I know the feeling I get picked on for being really smart," Maria responds, "What is your name anyway? I'm Maria."
"I'm Gabrielle, for me being smart is what keeps people from bullying me."
"Well at least you aren't constantly compared to your brother is just as smart and a year older."
"Well my brother is a lot older than me, by seven years so dad doesn't compare us."
"I live with my aunt and uncle but it's not just them others do it as well."
"I'm sorry, I guess being the daughter of Nathaniel Richards helps me in that way since he is one of the smartest people in the US," Gabi says with a little fear looking to see if anyone heard her.
"You are a Richards? My dad was Richard Parker," Maria says quietly because of the way Gabi reacted.
"Oh, I remember my dad mentioning him once."
"Alright class, quiet down," the teacher says, "Welcome to your first year of middle school. This is advanced science class so if you know you shouldn't be here please go now."
Maria and Gabi just look at each other and giggle watching some kids get up and leave.
"Hey wheelie!" a boy yells, "Why don't you just wheel yourself out of here!"
Gabi stops giggling and her head hangs a little, she isn't one to flaunt her name around but her intelligents oh definitely!
"Don't listen to him you are probably five times smarter than he is" Maria says putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, I am going to show it too," Gabi answers with determination.
"Then do it" Maria says with a smile.
As the class goes on Gabi answers all of the questions and twice she corrects the teacher when his formulas were incorrect. She shocks the entire class with her smarts.
"See I knew you could show him," Maria says at the end of class.
"Thanks Maria," Gabi smiles placing her books in the pockets on her chair.
The two of them head off to their next class that's when they realized they had all of the same classes including gym. For the entire time they are in middle school they shared advanced classes and music classes, they were the best of friends and would often hang out together. Before they knew it they were entering High school, the one who ended up helping them around is Maria's brother Peter.
"Uhh I don't remember ever being this nervous," Maria says fiddling with her skirt as they walk into the high school.
"I do," Gabi smiles as she wheels next to her friend, "I'm just worried that the teachers will treat me like my brother since he is now ya know an engineer for NASA."
"I guess we both have brother problems," Maria says looking back at her brother.
"Well unlike you my brother is now my guardian since our dad is gone, I really don't mind being compared to him. But him being overprotective is getting old."
"Well my aunt is getting over protective since my uncle passed away, plus it doesn't help when Peter just disappears."
"I guess so, so whats your first class?"
"Uh lets see, it looks like , Advanced Math" Maria says pulling out her schedule
"Ah, I have that second block."
"I have my dance class then, What do you have this block?"
"Advanced Computer Application."
"I have that tomorrow."
"I wish I had dance class," Gabi mumbles.
"Why?"
Gabi had never told anyone what happened to her that she ended up in the wheelchair, she shook her head and smiles at her friend as the bell rings.
"I'll see you at lunch, see ya!" Gabi wheels off.
Maria waves goodbye and walks off to her class. As she gets to the class she sighs and sits in the middle of the room by the window so she doesn't stand out too much. The classes go well but both Gabrielle and Maria are compared to their brothers.
Lunch couldn't come any sooner, When Gabi wheels into the lunch room she sees Maria and Peter in an argument already and it's only the first day.
"It's not even half way through the day and every teacher including my dance teacher has compared me to you." Maria says to Peter in an angry tone.
"Sorry lil sis," Peter says between bites.
"Sorry don't cut it, how does my dance teacher even know you?"
He shrugs, "Oh hey theres Gabi."
"You just saved my brother's ass from being kicked," Maria says to Gabi as she decides to finally eat her lunch.
"Oh, oops," Gabi smiles.
"Yeah thanks Gabi," Peter says.
"So I am guessing you were compared to Peter," Gabi looks at Maria.
"Yeah even by my dance teacher I don't want to know how she knows him."
"Oh wow, that sucks. My computer teacher compared me to Tony Stark."
"Hey its not your brother," Maria says with a weak smile
"Nah, I was compared to him too in math class."
"Wow sorry thats two people you were compared with"
"Yep, so...how was dance class?" Gabi asks taking a bit of her sandwich.
"Amazing after she realized I could actually dance and was not uncoordinated unlike this one over here," Maria says pointing at her brother.
"Hey!" Peter says.
"You know its true"
"Hey sis are you free after school I need help making something for you know what" Peter says looking around the lunch room nervously.
"Yeah, sure I'll help with whatever you are making."
"Hey Peter, Maria, Gabi," Harry says walking up, "Gabi, your brother called my dad, you will be staying with us for awhile since he's in Florida."
"Great, thanks for tell me Harry," Gabi smiles.
After they talked for a little longer the bell rang and they went their separate ways to their classes. Soon the day ends and everyone but Peter and Maria head home for the day.
"So spidey what are you making this time?" Maria asks her brother walking into the science lab.
"I am making a new type of spider web and I need some help."
"Sure but why new web what is wrong with the stuff you have now?"
"I need something that is a little stronger than the stuff I have. Sometimes they break in the rain."
"Makes sense, so what do you need me to do?"
"I need you to mix these chemicals while I mix these," he hands her two flasks of chemicals.
"Uhh if you are sure," Maria says hesitantly as she takes them.
They both work for about two hours until they mix all five chemicals and something happens they were not expecting. The chemicals all mixed together caused an explosion sending Maria across the room. When everything and everyone was cleaned up, they went home not thinking anything was wrong.