𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙔𝙉 𝘿𝙊𝙀𝙎𝙉'𝙏 𝙂𝙊 𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔 𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏. She usually goes out and paints the streets of Brooklyn once or twice a week. Because of her sudden popularity online and in the media from her piece in the MoMA, however, she feels more inclined to go out more often. She hasn't graffitied anything since the MoMA the other day, but as she's getting ready for school on Friday morning, she also checks her spray paint supply that she hides in her old backpack under the bunk beds. Megan just got up and left the room, so Taryn can check the paints in peace. She flips the cans over and checks the colors and determines what new ones she needs, and how much she has left of each. While she's making a mental note to pick up some more black and red, she hears glass shatter from somewhere in the apartment.

"SHIT!"

Taryn swiftly zips her backpack up and slides it back under Megan's bed. Alarm rises in the back of her head like a siren, but she brushes the feeling off because Megan's known to be clumsy. She probably accidentally cut her foot or something with the broken glass.

"Are you okay?" Taryn asks as she steps out of their bedroom and into the short hall that connects the bedrooms to the rest of the apartment. As she passes Zach's bedroom, his door opens and he appears. He gives Taryn an curious, but confused, look.

"CALL 911!" Megan's shrill voice screams.

That's when dread sets into the pit of Taryn's stomach.

She and Zach exchange a glance before rushing out to the kitchen. When they step through the doorway, the siblings gasp.

In the middle of the kitchen floor lies Megan with the Merrick siblings' unconscious mother in her arms.

"Mom?!" Taryn exclaims and practically doves to the floor and slides on her knees to her mother and sister. She feels a sharp pain in the skin of her knees but ignores it as she reaches out and touch her mother's delicate, unmoving face and leans forward with her ear to her mouth. Soft, shallow breaths escape her chapped lips.

"Is she okay?" Zach asks in a panic, frozen in his spot in the doorway. "What happened? Is she hurt?"

"Call 911!" Megan shouts frantically as Taryn shakes her mother's lump shoulders in Megan's arm's.

Zach's hands grip his dark curly hair. "Is she okay?"

"She's breathing," Taryn tells him, her throat tightening. Her hands shake as she pulls them away and holds them against her chest. Her eyes blur.

That's all the affirmation Zach needs to lunge towards the phone set out on the counter and dial 911. He paces the kitchen as he speaks to the operator. His voice cracks as he explains the situation and gives the person on the other end their address.

Megan wraps her arms tighter around their mother. She holds her close to her chest and lies her head on the older woman's, her tears running down her cheeks and landing in her mother's hair.

Taryn sits back on her heels. She watches Megan cradle the most important people in their lives. Megan, who didn't cry when her boyfriend of three years cheated on her and instead beat his car with a baseball bat, is holding onto their mother like a lifeline. And Maria Merrick, the strongest person Taryn's ever met, is unconscious and looks so weak. Her mother has been through hell and back and has been a solid rock in her life. She's stubborn, she's hot-headed, and she's caring. Seeing her limp on the floor in Megan's arms, powerless, doesn't feel real. Taryn glances up at Zach freaking out and pacing the floor with the phone pressed against his ear. He's usually too cool to show emotions other than irritation, and the fear in his eyes doesn't look natural. Taryn isn't used to seeing her older siblings act like this—out of control and panicked. They always seem to have themselves together and everything figured out. But now, taking everyone in, she realizes they aren't as invincible as she thought.

Miles still hasn't gotten a reply from Uncle Aaron for the text he sent the other day. He doesn't know what to do—should he tell his parents? Or should he just keep it all to himself? Is he dangerous? Is he in danger?

Nothing is making sense to him, but he has to just suck it up until he can confide in his trusted uncle to decide what to do. He can't exactly just go around saying he's Spider-Man, especially since there already is a Spider-Man. Well, was. Spider-Man disappeared a few years ago after protecting the city of New York on multiple occasions. Everyone just assumed that the hero got old and retired from the exhausting, demanding job.

Miles has never even had a job before, not even at an ice cream stand during the summer, so he doesn't think he'd be a good replacement despite his higher muscle content. You have to be more than strong to be a superhero. As Miles looks at his reflection in the trophy case at school, he just can't see himself risking his life saving strangers every day. It just seems impossible.

Miles sighs and turns away from the trophy case, walking into his AP Physics class. He sits down at his seat and waits patiently for the class to start, his eyes drooping. He hasn't exactly gotten a lot of sleep these past few days.

Just as he starts to nod off, the tardy bell rings signaling the start of class. The teacher stands at the front and assigns an assignment online before sitting down at her desk and working silently on her computer. Miles gets out his school-issued laptop and gets the assignment started.

Half of the class hour passes when the door to the classroom opens. Miles looks over the top of his laptop screen at Taryn as she emerges from the hallway.

And, boy, does she look rough.

Taryn's hair is pulled up in a low lopsided bun, and her school uniform is wrinkled. It's like she just threw it all on without adjusting or straightening her clothes out. She isn't wearing her signature winged eyeliner, either, which strikes Miles as a bit odd since he's never seen her without it. As soon as she walked in the door, the entire mood of the room changed.

Miles eyes follow the girl as she walks down the aisles of desks until she finally reaches her seat in front of Miles. Her eyes momentarily connect with his before she turns and sits down. She doesn't have any school supplies with her, not even a folder.

Mrs. Zimmer straightens behind her desk. "Miss Merrick, do you have a pass?"

"No."

Mrs. Zimmer purses her lips before tapping her nails against her desk. "It's your first tardy, so I'll let you off with a warning. Just be on time next time."

"Got it."

The classroom goes silent again after that. Everyone is zoned into their work—okay, let's be realistic, everyone's playing games on their laptops—but Taryn just sits there as she stares at the clock at the front of the room.

Miles's eyes return to his computer screen. His mind, however, remains distracted. His thoughts are all so loud still, so it's been hard to focus lately.

Taryn shifts in her seat as she crosses her legs. As she moves, a few strands of her hair fall from her bun and swish in front of his computer screen.

Miles tries to swipe her hair off his screen, but the strands stick to his finger tips.

Again? Really?

He tries to shake the hair off his hand without having Taryn notice, but he shakes a little too hard and accidentally tugs her head back. She turns around in her seat, Mile's hand still stuck to her hair. He gives her an uncomfortable smile.

"Hi," he whispers.

Taryn looks at his hand connected to her hair. "Could you not? I'm having a bad day."

"Same," Miles whispers with a smile, attempting to joke, but quickly drops the playfulness when Taryn glares daggers at him.

His mom isn't the one who's in the hospital. He didn't wake up to his mom out cold in the kitchen. He isn't the one who has to wait to get a phone call from the hospital that says what's wrong with his mom.

Miles tries to tug his hand free from Taryn's hair, but it only results it ripping the few strands out of her scalp.

"Ow!" She hisses, her hand clamping on the back of her head.

Miles cringes at himself. Man, I wish I could just disappear.

Taryn narrows her eyes at Miles, but then they suddenly widen in shock as she jerks back and, ultimately, falls off her seat. She falls on her bottom hard.

Miles looks down at himself, but he doesn't see himself.

WHAT—

He suddenly becomes visible again, just in time for every single student's heads to look up at the commotion the two caused in the otherwise silent classroom. Mrs. Zimmer peers over at Taryn on the ground.

Miles, his eyes wide with surprise, stares at Mrs. Zimmer. He prays she didn't see that happen.

Fortunately, Mrs. Zimmer just looks at Taryn on the floor and asks, "Is there a problem?"

"No ma'am," Miles pipes up, voice high-pitched.

Taryn sits still on the linoleum floor, staring up at Miles with her jaw dropped.

Miles avoids her stare.

"Get off the floor, Miss Merrick," Mrs. Zimmer says as she brings her attention back to her computer. Everyone else looks away as well. The clicks of their fingers typing away on their keyboards fills the room again.

Taryn gets up slowly and sits back in her seat. She glances up at the teacher before turning around and looking at Miles. He looks down at his hands and turns them over in amazement.

Did I just turn invisible?

"Did you just turn invisible?" Taryn whispers sharply.

Miles looks up at her. He blinks. "I think so."

"How?!"

Miles frowns, thinking. He did get other powers from that spider, so maybe invisibility is one of them? But it doesn't even make sense, Spider-Man couldn't turn invisible. Could he?

Taryn, impatient, whispers, "Miles, how did—"

"I'm Spider-Man."

Taryn blinks. Like my day hasn't been eventful enough.

Seeing the confused and doubtful expression on Taryn's sharp features, Miles leans forward and says in a low whisper, "Look, I'm being serious. I was turned into Spider-Man after I was bit by this freaky spider at the art museum."

"Save the gossip for after class, Merrick and Morales," Mrs. Zimmer snaps from the front of the room.

Taryn gives Miles a look. "We'll talk after class."

The rest of the class hour seems to drag on forever. Miles anxiously taps his pencil on his desk. Why did I tell Taryn about my powers? I wasn't going to tell anyone until I told Uncle Aaron! Miles rubs his forehead, stressed. What if I completely screwed everything up by telling her? Maybe I should just not talk to her after class.

Miles jolts in his seat as the bell rings. Everyone gathers their things and shuffle out of the classroom. Miles quickly stands and tries to push his way through the crowd before Taryn can get to him, but tries not to make it obvious.

Miles sighs in relief when he successfully leaves the classroom and weaves into the crowd, losing Taryn. He peers over his shoulder and doesn't see her.

Phew.

When Miles turns his head back, he has to halt mid-step before he could run straight into Taryn standing in front of him. She has her arms crossed across her chest, her eyes studying him.

"Hey . . ." Miles drawls, giving her a guilty smile.

She just takes his arm in her hand and drags him to the almost vacant stair case at the end of the hallway. Miles lets her lead him, but he anxiously gnaws on his bottom lip as he walks.

Once they reach the landing in front of the staircase where a few students are walking up, Taryn leans against the wall and stares up at Miles expectedly.

Miles just scratches the back of his neck. What am I supposed to do now?

Taryn's eyes scrutinize Miles. "Are you taller?" She suddenly asks, looking him up and down.

Miles glances down at his ankles poking out at the end of his pants. He looks back at Taryn. "Approximately five inches taller, yes." He may or may not have quickly measured himself before AP Physics. He's a naturally curious person.

"Hm." Taryn studies him. "You said that you are Spider-Man now?"

Miles tucks his hands in his pockets. "Um, yeah. I know it sounds crazy but I swear I'm telling you the truth. Look." Miles lifts his hand and shows Taryn the mark the spider left when it bit him. The bite is a slightly raised red dot.

Taryn looks at the bite mark, then back at Miles as he lets his arm fall to his side. "Was it the same spider that gave the original Spider-Man his powers?"

A wave of relief washes over him. She believes me. He was worried that letting her in on his secret would be bad, but having her think he is a Spider-Man wannabe and a liar sounds worse at the moment.

"I'm not sure," Miles replies. "I just know that after I got bit, weird stuff started happening."

"Like what?"

"Like, my hands started sticking to everything, and now I have abs, so that's cool." Miles shrugs like it's no big deal.

Taryn pauses. "So. . . the invisible thing?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't think Spider-Man could do that," Taryn says. When Miles just shrugs in response, she asks, "How did you do that, by the way?"

"I have no clue. I didn't even know I could do that until I did in class," Miles admits.

"What did it feel like?"

"It doesn't feel like anything."

"Can you do it again?" Taryn asks.

Miles, getting tired of all of Taryn's questions and not having solid answers for any of them, sighs. "I don't know. We should probably get to class, though."

Taryn frowns and takes her phone out of her back pocket. She glances at the time. "We've got like five minutes left," she murmurs, then looks up and meets Miles's eyes. "I'll see you around, Miles. It'd probably be best if you didn't tell everyone about you new . . . powers. They might not take it as well as I did."

Miles nods. "Yeah, good idea." He's still got to tell Uncle Aaron, though.

Taryn smiles at him and turns to head to class, leaving Miles alone in the staircase.