Date: March 2, 2016.
Time: 2:36 PM
Location: Andrade Lab, Queens
God this trip was so boring. All Teresa had done so far was listen to an agonizing presentation about spiders. She really didn't know how anyone was still paying attention at this point. It had to have been the dullest speech to ever exist, considering the fact that the woman speaking was reading off of cue cards in monotone. It all honestly, it looked as if all she wanted to do was to go home and pass out on the couch to watch TV.Like, even the presentations at school where teachers would drone on about how you shouldn't do drugs or how to have safe sex weren't as bad as this, and that was really saying something.
Teresa's science teacher, Mr. Del, had taken the class to a lab to study the field of Arachnology for their biology unit.They were supposed to be gathering information for their essays, but all Teresa thought during this time, other than the fact she was bored out of her mind, was how pathetic this whole trip was. The information she was being told wasn't anything she didn't already know. And even if she hadn't had already known all these facts, it wasn't something like she couldn't just ask Peter for the answers later on. The two of them had a combined IQ of nearly 300. Together, they could ace any test or project.
Holding in a groan of boredom, Teresa tuned out the presentation and began to look around the room and noticed her brother standing only a couple of feet in front of her. And he just so happened to be looking Liz Allen, what a surprise that was.
Liz was the top girl in the school. The 'head cheerleader'. The person everyone wanted to be friends with, because being apart of her inner circle, automatically got you a pass to the top of the hierarchy at Midtown High.
And don't take this the wrong way, Liz was a great person, one of the nicest people Teresa had ever met in all honesty. It was just the fact that Peter really didn't have a chance. Not with this girl. And that was just the truth, whether he decided to accepted it or not. It was only realistic to think that if you never talked to someone, they probably wouldn't fall for you, or even notice you, to say the least.
So, for what must have been at least the hundredth time, Teresa decided to confront her brother and see if she could give him the push he needed to actually go up to Liz without throwing up in his own mouth.It probably wouldn't work, seeing as it never had before, but it was still worth a try. What harm could it do?
Waiting until the woman that was giving the presentation finished talking and motioned for the group of students to follow her to the next exhibit in the lab, Teresa began to make her way over to Peter.
Now, just to confirm this, Teresa wasn't one to normally wait around. Patience was something she defiantly lacked in. But she also didn't want to draw Mr. Del's attention over towards her by walking around when no one else was, only a pure idiot would do that, or perhaps someone like MJ who couldn't care less about getting a detention.
That was the very reason she had to be careful, besides staying at school later than needed, detention was the worst form of torture. And given the fact that Mr. Del didn't particularly take kindly to students who didn't follow directions, one of which was to pay complete attention to the presentation, she didn't want to risk getting a pink slip.
As everyone continued making their way over to the next station, Teresa quickened her speed to catch up with Peter, who still hadn't taken his eyes off of Liz.
Weaving in between groups of other people, she called out to him, but he didn't seem to notice her at all.
"Pete." She tried again but still got no answer. He was too captivated by what he and Ned called Liz's 'supernatural beauty'. 'It's so pathetic, no wonder the two of them are labelled the nerds of our grade' she thought to herself smiling. Even if Peter was a nerd, he was her nerd.
"Peter!" Teresa yelled again. Her brother, however, didn't even flinch.
"Oh for the love of god," she muttered to herself before rushing up behind him to tap his shoulder.
"Ey, Pete." Teresa waved a hand sarcastically in her brother's face when he turned around.
"Oh, hey Tess." He said in a haze not really paying attention to her at all. Instead, he just continued walking on forwards to keep up with the group, and Liz, of course. Unfortunately for him, he didn't see the person in front of him stop at the upcoming exhibit, and ended up walking right into them.
Peter stumbled backwards into Teresa who caught him with two arms.
"Watch it, Parker." The boy he had run into snapped before turning his attention back to the arachnologist that was talking about some sort of 'genetically designed spider'.
After Peter regained his footing, with the help from his sister, he mumbled a quick 'thank you', and turned his back to face her as his cheeks started turning red out of embarrassment.He hated it when others so he looked like this. Being vulnerable in public, or even at home, wasn't on the list of things Peter did. Even if it was only Teresa or May around, he wouldn't let them see him upset. But he had learned how to cope over the years, just like Teresa. After dealing with anxiety for so long, you began to learn how to cope, how to manage your stress.
Thinking back to the reason she had come over to talk with her brother, Teresa remembered the problem. 'Peter can't talk to this girl, or any girls for that matter.' Rolling her eyes while laughing slightly in her head, Teresa decided that she couldn't just stand there watching her brother stare at this girl any longer. It had been months since he had tried talking to Liz, so it was time to try again.
She leant closer to him so no one else would hear, and thankfully didn't have to worry too much because they were both at the back of the group, so no one was behind anyhow.
Pretending she was still listening to the lecture by keeping her head pointed directly ahead, Teresa whispered just loud enough for Peter to hear but not enough for anyone to notice someone else was speaking.
"Are you ever going to talk to her?" She questioned.
"What?" Peter questioned quietly as he looked over at his sister.
"Liz. Are you ever going to talk to her?"
Peter tensed up a bit at this. "Oh, um... Ya," he started scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Ya, I'll talk to her. Just- um, just not right now. I'll do it later."
"Pete, you know all too well that your definition of 'later', is really 'never'." She said still looking forwards.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter hissed more loudly than before.
"Whenever you say you'll do something later, you never end up actually doing it. And be quiet, we're gonna get in trouble."
Teresa had to hide a small smirk when she saw Peter clenched his fists slightly. Watching him get all wound up over something so small like this was really quite hilarious. As close at the two siblings where they each had their fun annoying the other the pieces.
"First off," Peter started, "That is so not true, I always do what I say I'm gonna do! And second, I'm not being loud, you are!"
"Oh for the love of god Pete, who are trying to convince?" Teresa shot back grinding this time, she couldn't hide it anymore, and only because of the reaction she was getting out of him, but because she also knew that she was right. Peter was only arguing now because he didn't like to lose a fight.
"I'm not trying to convince anyone! I'm saying the truth!" He nearly yelled this time grabbing Mr. Del's attention.
"Parker," their teacher started as he walked over to them.
"Fuck." He muttered under his breath as Teresa slowly turned away from him trying to hide the fact she'd been talking.
"Tess, this is your fault!" Peter hissed, his voice hiding a hint of sarcasm. That's how Teresa knew he was only somewhat mad at her, not full out pissed.Peter never really got pissed off either though, at least not as Teresa. He never gave her the cold shoulder either, he would just laugh off whatever had happened afterwards.
"Parker," their teacher called again somewhat impatiently.
After poking his sister lightly on the hip causing her to stifle a laugh, Peter walked over to the side of the group where Mr. Dell was waiting.
Teresa continued to smile slightly at the fact that it was Peter getting in trouble instead of her for once but stopped immediately upon hearing her teachers next words. "You too Teresa." He called out receiving a groan of annoyance in response.
Slowly, hoping that maybe somehow at this moment her teacher would just forget her existence, she turned around, but only to find him looking right at her.
"Well, there's no way out of this one," Teresa said to herself and began to make her way over to where he was awaiting her and her brother.
Seeing that Teresa and Peter were indeed following, Mr. Dell turned around and went over to the other side of the room away from the rest of the class, who were all at this point paying more attention the twins then the lady talking.
He stopped at the side corner near the doors exiting the building to turn and face the sibling. And to Teresa and Peter's surprise, he didn't seem to be that angry, only tired. Most likely because he had to deal with Flash and his group of friends earlier. He was probably running out of steam by this point in the day.
"Look," he began pinching the bridge of his nose. "You two know you're supposed to be respectful during a lecture, and since I'm really tired," he more so mumbled the last part to himself, "I'm just going to let you off with a warning."
Both siblings turned to look at each other in amazement, this never happened to anyone. A five minutes lecture was would normally be what you'd get at best. Mr. Dell must be hella tired if he was letting them off this easily.
"Now get back over there and get some notes for your essay. Dr. Jones will probably do talking soon, so get as much more done as you can before your free time."
"Thank you, Me. Del." Peter said letting out a sigh of relief as Teresa simply gave him a crooked grin, a sarcastic wink, and a pair of finger guns.
"Come on, Tess." Her brother said hurriedly hooking his arm around hers to drag her back to the rest do the group and away from their teacher as fast as possible. He sure wasn't going to stand around any longer than needed and wait for their teacher changing his mind.
"Why'd you do that?" He asked Teresa referring to her finger guns and wink once they were a good 20 feet away.
"Question is, why not?" Teresa grinned and started skipping along beside him.
"Why are you so happy right now? We just got in trouble!"
"Pete," she laughed, "We didn't get in trouble, we just got a warning. Your overreacting. Now come on, that lady's done speaking, it's time to have our individual study time. I already see people splitting up into groups."
She sped up and hurried ahead over to the room on the far left side of the hall, the one they weren't supposed to go in.
"Tess!" Peter yelled at his sister, quickening his pace to catch up before she went inside.
"Tess, stop! Come on, I don't wanna get in trouble again. Besides, you don't even care about this trip, you already said it was boring! Why are you suddenly so interested?"
Teresa, however, only resorted to sticking her tongue out at him while continuing to prance ahead towards the door before creeping inside.
"Oh come on," Peter whined. "Why? Why me?"
He dragged himself over to the room Teresa had gone into and looked around him to see if anyone was looking his way. Once sure no one was paying him any attention, he turned the knob and slipped inside.
The room was fairly small, maybe half the size of a regular classroom at school. He noticed that the lighting seemed to be slightly brighter than out in the main seminar room and the wall and tiling were a sterile white.Cages upon cages filled with hundreds of spiders lined the walls.
Staying near the door, still clutching the handle, ready to leave in a moments notice, Peter looked around the room and spotted his sister looking at a glass cage filled with a dozen or so brightly coloured spiders.
"Tess, we're not supposed to be in here!"
"Oh Pete, that's just a precaution thing." She said not bothering to look up from the neon blue spider she was currently eyeing.
"That's the point! It's a precaution because it's dangerous!" He was gesturing his hands in all directions now.
"Everything is in a cage, how is that dangerous?"
"It doesn't matter! We're not supposed to be in here!"
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this," Teresa mumbled, ignoring him.
Peter began to look around the room frantically, trying to come up with a way to convince Teresa to leave.That's when he noticed the sign above the door, his eyes bulging out in concern upon reading it. They were in the lab with the genetically engineered spiders.
That also solved the question as to why Teresa was so interested. She didn't care about any of the other discovered species, she already knew about them. It was boring to re-read information.But these genetically engineered ones? That's what caught her eye.
"Tess..." Peter said worriedly. "Tess, we gotta go."
"Just hold on a sec, I wanna see the rest of these."
"Tessa..."
"Give me a minutes Pete! There's just this one left I haven't gotten to— Huh, I don't see it anywhere."
Beginning to tap the glass to see if the spider perhaps had some sort of camouflaging ability, Teresa grew increasingly intrigued. It was only a small cage that held the spider, so why couldn't she see it?
Suddenly, Peter shrieked from beside the door. "Tessa! There's a spider!"
"Ya, I know, Pete," she said not bothering to look up. "That's kinda the point of the field trip, to see and to study spiders."
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. There's a spider on me!"
At this, she turned around to see her brother jumping up and down wiggling his hand all over the place trying to get the red and blue arachnid off of him. Teresa immediately burst out in laughter and doubled over holding her knees in a crouched position.
"It's not funny! Get it off!" He continued to squeal.
"This is karma for putting that beetle in my bed!" She said cackling with tears falling down her cheeks. "This the best payback ever!"
Peter wasn't scared of many things. Snakes, he was fine with. 'They're just like spaghetti noodles' he used to say.The dark, that didn't bother him at all. When he and Teresa were younger he'd enter any unlit room first and check for monsters to make her feel better.But when it came to spiders, that's when he lost it. That's why he had been near the back of the group during the presentation and demos. Sure, he thought that spiders were fascinating creatures, a nerds dream species even, but he sure as hell didn't want to get any closer to them than necessary.
"Teresa, please! Get it off of me!"
"Ok, ok, I'm coming." She walked over to her brother deciding he had had enough torture.
"Holy shit Tess, I think it's gonna bite me!"
"Peter, calm down, it isn't going to bite you."
Peter began shaking his head violently and said the most ridiculous thing yet. Perhaps the most ridiculous thing in his life. "Yes it is, I can see it in its eyes! It's going to— ow! Shit, I told you! Get it off! Get it off! Hurry, get it off!"
Grabbing her brother's wrist pulling him closer, Teresa took hold of the spider and pulled it off of his hand.
Still holding the spider between her thumb and index finger, she held it up to Peter.
"See, not that hard."
"Tess, put that thing down, it might bite you too."
"Peter, I don't think it actually bit you. You were just freaking out so your mind— Shit!" She flung her arm to side knocking the spider off and grabbed hold of her finger. "It bit me!"
"See! I told you! We shouldn't have come in here..."
For the first time in her life, Teresa excepted it, the fact that maybe her brother was right. That maybe she should have listened to him. That maybe she shouldn't have gone in that room, because later that night, all hell broke loose.Never in her life had she ever experienced that much pain. It felt as if needles were being driving into her torso from all direction. Her body was on fire, tingling and burning from what appeared to be no source at all. It just happened. All of a sudden. One minute she had been getting ready for bed, and the next she was collapsed on her hardwood floor rifling in pain. It was unbearable, so much so that she ended up passing out after a couple of minutes.
But the thing was, that once she woke up, her mind was changed immediately, as was her brother's. The spider bite wasn't that bad after all. It led to a new chapter in their lives, to a new beginning. It had unleashed two new heroes into the world.