Film to Pen: An Experiment in Fan-Fiction [Spider-man AU] Chaper 8

 Chapter 8

The next few weeks are a blur of the mundane. But I knew it was working when Ms. Wilt sent an email saying how pleased she was with my progress. Actually just hanging out with Hey is pretty fun although he insisted on fixing the web shooters even though I told him I wasn't going to live test them again. "Come on. I get your trying to stay under the radar, but could you at least help me endurance test the new formula?" He asks me for the millionth time. Rolling my eyes I ask in return, "How am I supposed to do that?". 

"Just wear it in my room and shoot to the ceiling then hang there to see how long it holds,". Hey replies.

"Will there be pillows under me?"

He nods. "Then, yes sure,". 

"Alright," Hey says while scribbling in a notebook, "110 pounds of tension on WF7. Timer starting now,". I reach up and grab ahold of the string. "Why do you care if this works or not?" I ask. "Because I don't like to leave a project unfinished and I'm an engineer not a chemist so getting the formula right is a whole new challenge,". 

"Right so this has nothing to do with getting me to try and be a hero again?". I say. Hey shrugs. After about five minutes of hanging I'm starting to get bored, but my arms aren't tired yet.

"Hey do you have a- Woah. What are you doing?" Cringing I feel my face grow hot. Just what I needed, to give Wanda more Spider-Girl ammunition. I was giving her an icy silence ever since Hey said what a gossip she was. Even though we shared a room I hadn't had a single full sentence with her. But she hadn't seemed to mind. We both knew this was temporary and both understood the other was really just trying to survive. That didn't mean though she wouldn't be spreading this all over school tomorrow. Hey unfazed as ever said, "Just an experiment. Jade has been kind enough to offer assistance with,". Wanda looked skeptical but apparently was too busy to pry further, "Oook. Do you have a charger I could borrow?". Hey nods and hands her the timer, "If the string snaps stop it. Why do you need a charger anyway don't you have one?".

"I do, but I left it in my locker. And I have to see the new trailer coming out for the Allie Dinsdale movie tonight," she says.

Curiosity overcoming caution I ask, "Who's that?". Wanda glances at me then answers, "The first winner of America's Star talent competition. She was also the oldest to ever win at thirty-one. She had a rare terminal cancer and died only a month after winning. All of her winning money and the royalties on her recordings were donated to cancer research centers. The movie is a kind of biography and coming out the same day the twentieth season of America's Star airs next month,". 

"You sound really excited," I say. Which is an understatement it's the most I'd heard Wanda say since I got here. She nods, "I love the show. I even rewatched the first season on Metube, the judges were like super harsh back then, well one of them was at least. It's a way nicer show now,". Meanwhile Hey disappears into a massive pile of junk spilling out of his closet. "Right," I say not really understanding half of what she says. "Actually I'm a little unsure about the movie they got an entirely new actress for the lead. I was thinking somebody established like Millery Tuff, but whatever I'm not a casting director,". By now something was starting to catch in my brain, "Is this what that big Great Morning America performance is for?". Wanda looks at me genuinely surprised, "Yeah, it is. So you do pay attention to the world besides Spider-Man,". Embarrassed at her bringing it up again I'm thankful when Hey comes out of his closet a cord in hand, "Here it is!". They trade off the cord for the timer and Wanda is out like a shot to our room to wait for the trailer to drop. As soon as the door swings shut the web snaps and I'm sent to the pillows on the floor. Hey stabs at the timer and looks up pleased with himself, "Nine minutes and twenty-seven point three seconds. Not bad especially if your average time spent on the web is less than a minute on average,". He seems to have missed most of Wanda and my conversation  which is fine by me. I hadn't told him yet about my mom, really I hadn't told me yet either. I was still ignoring that revelation until I knew what to think of it. "Are we done here?" I ask to keep the conversation running. "Well, you can go I guess. Next I need to test the strength of it by pounds of force pulling it apart to see how much it can handle," Hey says, "But to properly test that I'd need access to machines they use in labs to test real spider threads,". 

"So we're done here right?" I ask again. "Sure, I guess we can call it done for now. I've been trying to find a harder casing. Since the strength of the web doesn't matter if you crunch the mechanisms against a wall,".

"You do that," I say taking the shooter off and handing it to him, "I have to get ready for a meeting with my social worker anyway,".

Heading towards my room I hear a song coming out of it that stops me cold in the hallway. The song is unfamiliar, but the voice is unmistakable. I find I'm actually afraid to open the door even though I know it's just the trailer. I'm glad that nobody else is in the hallway to see my face because I'm sure it looks worse then when I saw the GMA commercial at breakfast. If I felt this bad, how was dad taking this? The thought made me hope he hadn't been watching tv lately. I might not have seen him cry before the last night I saw him, but there were a few times I'd come home and suspected he had been. I could also tell when he was missing mom because the fridge was pretty bare the next morning. That thought brought more guilt because I had been the one to put fruits and vegetables on the grocery list most of the time, was he remembering to get that stuff still? I thought he should, being an adult, but the more I learned about adults the more I wondered if he was okay without Beni and me. He was lonely without mom, but I knew he had been happy to have us. And what will he have now if he sees this? I ask myself. Pizza? Shaking my head I focus on what I need to do before my talk session with Ms. Wilt. And to get them done I needed in my room. Forcing a 'I couldn't care less' face on I open the door and grab my change of clothes as quickly as possible. Luckily when I get out of the shower Wanda is not in the room anymore and I take my time finding everything I need in my pack. Careful to make sure not a scrap of my Spider-Man folder is in it still. Actually I hadn't been adding to it since the spill at school. I guess it'd been a way to stay close to dad, but when my spider powers manifested I started focusing on getting his attention instead. Sighing at how that turned out. I head to the Garcia's car, Mrs. Garcia is driving me there. 

At the child placement building I find myself feeling nervous walking in the familiar doors, even though I'm not in trouble, force of habit is my best guess. The feeling only gets stronger when I sit down across from Ms. Wilt. We go through the normal questions and answers. And catching me completely off guard Ms. Wilt is smiling widely at me. This makes me more nervous then when she's scowling at me. Probably because I'm not used to it. "I have some great news," she says. Now I'm worried, if she found another "permanent" family I don't want to hear about. Oddly enough I've liked staying with the Garcias, more than any other home I've been to. "I've been talking with the Smith's and they are impressed with your behavior the past few weeks," Ms. Wilt continues, " So they are letting you have a meeting with Ben tomorrow,". She's still smiling at me, but I can't answer. A part of me can't believe this isn't just a joke and the Smith's will change their minds tomorrow. As if she's reading my mind Ms. Wilt says, "It's a compromise. It will count as next month's visit,". I nod because that makes more sense, "Where and what time?" I ask. "Two o'clock, and in their backyard," she replies. "Right, because they don't trust me in their house,". Shaking her head she says, "Just be glad they're letting you come at all. I'm proud of you Jade. You're really starting to improve,". I mumble a thanks and rearrange the few things in my pack. "I really think you've turned over a new leaf. I'll ask Mrs. Garcia if they can bring you here tomorrow and I will drive you to the Smith's myself,". Straightening up to go I turn back to her and say, "Thank you for everything. I know I'm not the easiest kid to deal with,". She smiles again and says, "Your welcome, but give yourself some credit. You're not the hardest I've worked with either,". Suddenly I'm smiling too.