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Peter Parker had had a hell of a day, from late homework to Flash’s usual torment he was not having the best day. None the less he’d decided to go out on patrol, if the day wasn’t the best for him he could at least make it better for someone else. He was swinging past the Empire State Building when Karen’s soothing voice came over his mask, “there’s a person at the top of the Rock who has been reported missing by the authorities,” his HUD showed a young teen leaning over the railing, somehow he had climbed to the top of the glass barrier and now leant precariously over the edge. Without a second thought Peter turned and swing up to the viewing platform, he landed on the building’s wall a couple of metres below the boy’s position. It was enough of a shock that the boy started and fell back onto the viewing platform proper.
Peter crawled up the wall of glass and over to land beside the boy. “Go away,” he shouted shuffling back away from the hero.
“Okay okay, I’ll stay here,” he soothes holding his hands aloft in reassurance while he sat cross legged across from the boy. “So what’s your name?”
“You won’t stop me.”
“Okay tell you what if you still feel like it’s what you have to do once we’ve chatted I won’t stop you, but till then why don’t you keep me company. I’ve got a big bag of gummy bears that need eating and they won’t eat themselves,” he held aloft the huge bag of sweets he’d just picked up seconds before responding to the emergency. “So what’s your favourite colour?”
“Green,” muttered the boy.
“Sure thing, so can I have a name, otherwise I might have to call you kid instead,” smiled Peter lifting his mask from his mouth to throw a few gummy bears into his mouth.
“James.”
“That’s fantastic, how are you at catching sweets in your mouth James.” Peter grinned and didn’t give the teen chance to reply before launching a green gummy sweet on a near perfect trajectory towards James’ mouth, at the last second he spotted the sweet and opened wide catching it with a snap of teeth.
They small game of catch continued as James grew more calm till Peter carefully broached the elephant in the room, “so James what led to this?”
Immediately Peter saw the boys walls go up as whatever his issues were raised their ugly head, “I just do, it’s not like you’d understand.”
“I tell you what, can you listen to my problems instead, you see we all have glum days. I had one yesterday, everything kept turning, the sun came up and fell but I felt like it was happening to someone else, d’you get that?” The teen nodded slightly, “I get really quiet sometimes too, you know those days where you really want a meaningful conversation with someone but all you get is boring comments about the weather.” Peter found his hands seeking a hug and could only wrap them round himself.
“It’s just they don’t understand,” replied the teen, “my family, they expect so much and how can I say I don’t want their expectations, I don’t want to be what they want. People keep asking me who I want to be when I grow up, but I don’t know who I am now. Everywhere I look there’s people wanting me to act this way or look another it’s too much,” shouted the boy, frustrated tears surged forth. “What do I do? I feel like I’m being pulled apart, everyone expects something from me, I... I... I don’t think I can cope.”
By now Peter had managed to slide across the slabs to sit beside James he brought a hand over his shoulder, “you know what I think James, I think you’ll be a shining star. You’ve got so much compassion in you I can see it, you’re doing what you can to please everyone but honestly if you should ever be selfish it’s now, help yourself first so you can help others. We’re all of us on this world for a purpose and only you can find it, but I promise any time you feel yourself falter I’d be honoured to pick you up and help you on your way,” Peter offered him a small slip of paper with his number on, “I want you to know that whatever time, day or night I’ll pick up. What you’re going through I’ve been through, I’ve woken up to a dark night and I can only promise you a brighter dawn, the sun will come up and we can step into it together.”
“I don’t know what I want though,” cried James.
“Well then let’s see then...”
Four hours later Peter climbed through his bedroom with a new phone number in his phone and a warm feeling in his belly. It had been a long day Spider-Manning but sat beside James had been some of his most life affirming moments to date, they’d spent nearly two hours talking about James’ plans concentrating on his loves from gaming to baking and sports slowly picking through to the core of the boy’s dreams and motives. He was under no illusion he’d not solved everything but hopefully now the teen could see the light at the end of the tunnel.