chapter five; francis picabia

"You look tired." Peter noted once he saw Maggie the next morning. As if on cue, Maggie yawned and forced a smile towards him. Peter returned it, though he looked a little concerned. "What time did you sleep last night?"

"I don't know." Maggie admitted, falling into step with the teenage boy. They were quickly becoming friends due to the time they spent together each day, and Maggie was glad. She felt a little insecure around him though, as she thought he was quite good-looking, while she was...her. Her mind was constantly scrambled, and the fact that she had woken up at six-thirty in the morning in a McDonalds to morning traffic didn't help at all.

The pair walked in silence, before Peter piped up. "Apparently Spider-Man was on our street last night, the guy in the apartment below us said he saw him at the corner."

Maggie didn't know what to say. Did she tell him she saw the red-clad hero or keep her mouth shut? She cleared her throat as they got to said corner, seeing the same white flecks of paper attached to the asphalt. "Oh, um, that's cool."

"I wonder what he was doing?" Peter hummed, his eyes a little shifty, though Maggie didn't really notice over her quivering nerves. She was quiet for a second, before sighing softly.

"He was, uh, helping me, actually," her lips tightened into a forced smile, plastered over her grinding teeth.

"Woah, really?" Peter exclaimed, and Maggie awkwardly nodded as they crossed the road. Peter appeared to be extremely enthusiastic at the very idea of the neighbourhood hero, but she didn't know how to feel. "What was he like? Was he cool? Did he talk to you? What did he say? Did you like him?"

Maggie's mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she debated what to say in response. "Um, h-he was pretty cool, I guess. He was nice, he saved me so I guess I like him?"

"Are you okay?" Peter queried as they reached the other end of the street, the subway entrance in view. "F-From the accident...or whatever you did that he saved you from?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She shrugged, holding her backpack straps a little tighter. Truth was, she wasn't really okay. She was even more timid, even more paranoid. She had pulled out another one of her notebooks, but it wasn't the same. She had to start over, which truly sucked. "It was nothing really."

Peter nodded once, though he didn't appear to be convinced. "Are you ready for decathlon practice at lunch?"

Thankful for the subject change, Maggie stepped onto the train with him in suit. "Yeah, I think so. My dad's been quizzing me and I've been doing okay."

"That's great!" Peter said, before looking around and seeing no free seats. He sighed softly, before leading Maggie through the crowded carriage and to the end where they could comfortably hold onto the ceiling straps. Maggie joined him and reached up for the strap, ending up on her tiptoes due to her small height. "I might have to pull out though, cause I've got uh, this Stark internship."

"Stark, as in Tony Stark?" Her eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded quickly. She gaped a little. "Wow, that's so cool!"

Peter grinned, looking down at the floor a little bashfully. "Yeah, it's amazing. It's just that I don't know whether or not I can go to Nationals cause what if he needs me, you know?"

"I guess so." Maggie responded, though she felt a little upset he couldn't come, which surprised her. Was this what it felt like to have a friend? She opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could the train rumbled to life, forcing her to the ground. Peter instantly threw a hand out to grab her, and she gasped when she was pulled into his chest so that she wouldn't tumble to the dirty floor.

"You okay?" He asked as the train took off, and Maggie quickly pulled away and latched onto the strap she was originally grasping.

Nodding, she forced a smile. "That's the second time you've caught me, maybe I should be keeping score."

Peter laughed in response, though he stepped a little behind the girl just in case it happened again.

☆★

When Maggie's hearing aids began dying, she had originally thought it was because she was too tired. A soft buzz echoed through her ears, and she winced a little, reaching up and adjusting the volume. It worked at first, before the hum returned. She frowned as the train pulled to a stop outside of school, following Peter outside while her hands raised to the technology grasping her ears.

"You good?" Peter's voice was slightly muffled as she stopped abruptly, trying to fix the agonising hum in her ears. When she cursed loudly, Peter's face contorted into an expression of concern. He stepped forward and hesitated in place a hand on her arm, causing her to jump. "Oh, sorry, uh, what's wrong?"

"My hearing aids," Maggie muttered at an uneven volume. She struggled to talk when she could barely hear herself, which was why her voice sounded slightly off and forced when she spoke. "I forgot to charge them last night."

"Do you have a back up pair?" Peter asked, and Maggie shook her head before taking them out of her ears and sighing softly as she was graced with the familiar hum. Usually it wasn't a problem for her, it was even calming, but now she was in a major predicament. She could write notes from the board and do work online, but she wouldn't be able to verbally communicate with anyone. She didn't know how many people at the school knew sign language, but there would most likely be a few who knew basic gestures.

She looked over at Peter, watching as his lips moved. She couldn't lip read very well, but she tried her best whenever she faced the situation.

'Do you want me to call your dad?' Peter asked, his lips creating specific shapes that Maggie could identify. She pursed her lips as she processed the question, before shaking her head and pulling out her phone. She tapped into it quickly and showed him the phone.

He's only just gotten in from work, he'll be asleep. I'll be fine.

'How will you get home?' He queried, and she shrugged, not having thought about the struggle she would face due to her anxiety and bad sense of direction. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to push down the tears in her eyes. She cried as much as the average person, especially in situations of pressure and stress. Usually she wasn't ashamed, but the fact that she was about to blubber in front of one of the only people who spoke to her was utterly embarrassing.

Peter stared down at her in a slightly shocked manner as she wiped her watery eyes, unsure of what to do. He cleared his throat as she visibly tried not to cry, before taking initiative and stepping forward, pulling her into a hug. He felt his cheeks redden slightly as she slowly wrapped her arms around him, quietly sniffling, muffling her weeping. Though he knew she couldn't hear him, he hushed her gently, rocking her from side to side. "It's okay, you're okay."

Maggie was so grateful for Peter Parker. She could tell he was incredibly awkward and delicate around other people, but he was kind and considerate. She knew it was slightly out of his comfort zone to hug others, but he had done it because he was aware she was upset. So she held him tight and let him comfort her, because in that moment, they both needed it.

☆★

Magnolia Prince had never experienced such a stressful day. She was right in thinking a few people knew sign language, one of them being Michelle Jones. Though Maggie was extremely intimidated by the girl, she had clung to her side every single lesson they had together. Not that they communicated, only because Maggie felt a little less frightened of everything else with someone next to her.

She had nearly burst into tears twice, and actually had once. It was after first period, when she was trying to navigate her way through the crowded halls and became so overwhelmed that she rushed to the bathroom and wept for a few minutes, nearly making her late for her next class. The faculty wanted to call her father but she wouldn't allow them, trying to insist that she was happy to do computer work and not disrupt the lesson. She didn't want to get her father involved because she didn't want to be more of a burden than she already was. She didn't need her father to have another thing on his plate, it wasn't fair.

At lunchtime and during her classes with them, she stuck with Ned and Peter, trying to teach them basic signs, both of them latching on relatively quickly. They had chosen to sit outside for lunch that day so that Maggie didn't feel swamped and uncomfortable in the bustling cafeteria. They were constantly trying to make sure that she was okay, though as two teenage boys who had no idea how to assure the practically deaf girl that everything would be alright. She appreciated their efforts though, as every ten minutes they would hesitantly tap her on the shoulder and give her a thumbs up, which she would return. 

They had Decathlon practise after the first ten minutes of the free time, so she sat quietly at the back of the room, her head buried in the textbook so that she'd be prepared for their first tournament the next week. They had to compete in a few different competitions over the next fortnight to ensure them a place at the National Championship in Washington, which Maggie was eager to embark on -- it was honestly one of the reasons she was convinced to sign up for it. 

She missed her home in D.C ever so much, always being reminded of the peace and safety she felt in her home. It didn't matter what time she woke up, or where she chose to learn, as she had enough freedom to be her own person and stay away from the people who saw her as strange or unusual. But now, she was waking up in a cramped, slightly smelly bedroom at five every morning, taking her dog for a walk every afternoon down streets littered with garbage, and having to face the society that would inevitably judge her for as long as she lived.

By last period, Maggie's head was pounding and she felt like she was going to faint. So much had happened, and she was utterly relieved to know that Peter had offered to walk her all the way home. Seeing as he didn't usually catch the train home with her and chose to hang around town for a while every afternoon, it was a huge relief to know that he would be there for her. 

The ringing of the bell was incredibly distant, and Maggie nearly completely missed it if everyone around her didn't shoot out of their seats, eager to return home and do whatever their heart desired. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and sleep for the next three days, but then she remembered that she had a dinner with her dad's boss, and work. She felt like crying all over again. After the day she'd had, she didn't know if she could take anymore. 

Once she left the classroom, her eyes were wide and anxious as she walked the halls. They were still relatively unfamiliar to her, seeing as she still hadn't been at the school long. And, when you couldn't hear anything but a soft rustle mixed with an irritating hum, it was a nightmare to navigate your way through the packed environment. Usually she didn't mind having her hearing aids out; it helped her concentrate. But, in these circumstances, it terrified her to no end. 

A hand rested on Maggie's shoulder as she was putting books in her locker, causing her to jump nearly five feet in the air in fright. Whipping her head around, she saw Peter staring at her with wide eyes. He held his hands up, mouthing the word 'sorry' about three times. The girl backed up against her locker, resting a hand on her forehead while trying to control her breathing. She swallowed as he asked if she was okay, before nodding a few times and composing herself, turning and shutting the metal door to her locker. 

The walk home for the pair was, unsurprisingly, silent. Maggie didn't feel like talking, she was so exhausted and full of emotions that she knew she would be a blubbering mess once she was left alone in the apartment. 

There were several times when Peter had to quickly grab her arm before she crossed the road, or move her to the side when someone rushed past from behind. Maggie hated the feeling that she couldn't take charge of her own being; she felt so powerless, so...embarrassed.

The two teenagers stopped once they were outside Maggie's apartment complex. The tanned girl smiled up at Peter, before reaching up and embracing him in a tight hug. He held her back instantly, and she felt her heart swell slightly. As she pulled away, she placed her hand just below her lips and then brought it down in front of her, signing 'thank you' to him. It was one of the basic gestures she had taught him earlier, and he grinned as he understood what she had meant. 

The teenage boy waved at Maggie as he began walking away, which she returned, extremely grateful for his help. It was so selfless of him, as he didn't need to walk her home. But still, he did it. 

Maggie trudged down the halls of the floor of her apartment after exiting the elevator, the stress of the day weighing her down immensely. She stuck her key in the lock of the door, stepping into the two bedroom home. She was greeted immediately by Marty, who was ecstatic to see her, but for once, he couldn't cheer her up. 

Her knees buckled as she shut the front door, and she began to weep. 

☆★

hey kids i'm REALLY sorry for not updating, i had major writers block!!! i haven't forgotten about maggie, i promise! i love her to death and i'm giving her such a hard time, uHGHHHH 

also i've been really wanting to write this chapter because it's really hard on maggie to cope with stressful situations, but the fact that she remained at school just so she didn't cause her dad distress shows her determination which i reckon is a good quality of hers??? idk about you but i would die for maggie

tell me what you thought of this SUPER late chapter!!!! i love hearing what you guys think, and whether or not you're still interested in this book hahahah yikes