CHAPTER TWO

MEMORIES

THE WATSON HOUSEHOLD WAS QUIET. Having wealthy parents meant that Myra Jean was lucky enough to live in a huge house. The only issue with having such a large home, was that it was often left empty. After Myra Jean, Dr Jack Watson and Dr Melissa Watson never had more children. They tried, but Myra Jean was a miracle baby herself- they tried for 6 years before Melissa became pregnant. She was their darling girl, blessed with the bright red hair of her mother and the gemstone-like eyes of her father.

The kitchen was still clean from Myra Jean's wash down that morning meaning her father still wasn't home from work. She checks the clock hanging on the wall and see's its 6:30pm. She'd hung around after school with Warren and another girl called Mia, doing homework and chatting about the newspaper. Myra Jean had hoped that after spending a few extra hours out the house, she'd feel better entering an empty home. It made her feel worse.

Myra Jean opens the fridge and grabs the bowl of pasta she'd left in there from the night before. She heats it in the microwave before carrying the bowl and her bag upstairs to her room. Memories of her mother are decorated on her pinboard- photos of her from college days, photos of her holding baby Myra Jean, a wedding photo of Melissa and Jack. Myra Jean smiles softly, sitting down at the desk below the pinboard. The memories of her mother were all over the house, photo frames on shelves and gallery walls in the landings. It was nice, but also felt a bit like a ghost was always watching Myra Jean. Perhaps she was, in some way, watching over her daughter.

Myra Jean's phone chimes and she takes it out, seeing that Warren has sent her a photo of an email. She opens it, Warren had gotten an internship at the Daily Bugle, for the sports department. Myra Jean's heart sinks. She too had applied for an internship at the Daily Bugle, but she hadn't had any response.

She opens her laptop and finds her emails- nothing. Not even an email to let her down gently. She felt like screaming, crying and throwing up all at once. Journalism was her passion. It was who she wanted to be. She wanted to help people get the information they wanted in a good format with amazing writing. Warren had the chance, but she didn't. She slams her laptop closed and abandons the half eaten bowl of pasta for her bed. Myra Jean lays flat on her stomach and cuddles the t-rex stuffy she'd had since she was 5. Her phone beeps again and she glances it at it, Warren again, asking if she'd heard back. Myra Jean flicks her phone to silent and leaves it on her nightstand. Warren had already ruined her day earlier with his obnoxious comments about Peter Parker, now he was living her dream!

Awful, awful, awful.

The following morning, Myra Jean wakes early after a nice long sleep. She cleans up the leftover pasta, dumping it in the bin and then washing the bowl out. She congratulations Warren on his internship with a frown on her face. Then she heads back upstairs, knocking on the door of her father's room. There's no response, no noise at all. She turns the doorknob and steps inside. He's not here. He must have slept at the office...again. Myra Jean makes the bed, smoothing the sheets and plumping the pillows. She collects some dirty t-shirts and jeans from the floor and carries them down to the laundry room. Her phone beeps, she checks it. Mia has asked Myra Jean when she'll be interviewing Gwen Stacy about star student of the month. Myra Jean groans, throwing the clothes in the wash basket for later.

Myra Jean prepares a ham, cheese and salad sandwich for her father, packing a banana and a yoghurt pot too. She grabs her coat, pulls on a warm hat and then grabs her bag. The subway is nearby, so it doesn't take long to get transport heading in the direction of the Oscorp headquarters. Myra Jean sits alone, listening to soft music like always. A few stops later and she's heading out into the sun-kissed city, the Oscorp building looming over her. She hated the building, hated the company, hated it all.

The receptionist greeted her, viewing Myra Jean's all access pass with scrutiny- only the top scientists, like her father, were granted with those passes. After that, she passes through security and makes her way upstairs. Her heart almost jumps out her chest when she sees Gwen Stacy, leading a tour guide for the latest interns. She'd have to speak to her eventually, at the end of the day, Gwen wasn't just star of the month, she was working in this place. This hellhole where Myra Jean's life had been torn apart. Myra Jean ducks into an elevator, memories flooding her mind. Her mother and father dedicated their lives to this building, the science they did here. Now it was just her father, the shell of him anyway.

She reaches the floor that her father's office was placed on, heading along the empty corridor. Dr Jack Watson used to have assistants, interns, even his own receptionist, now he only had himself. She finally gets to the end of the corridor and knocks softly on the door labelled "Dr J. Watson".

"Dad?" She calls, "Its Myra Jean,"

She hears a loud thud and some clattering, mixed in with some curse words. The door opens slowly and standing inside is a dishevelled, tired man who is wearing the same clothes he was 3 days ago. Myra Jean forces a smile as she offers him the lunch she made.

"Thanks," He says, rubbing his eyes before accepting the tub of food, "I appreciate you more than I ever tell you,"

"I know," Myra Jean replies softly, "You shouldn't be sleeping here though, you know that right?"

"Yeah, yeah I know," He nods, stepping aside and letting Myra Jean inside.

Its a mess, papers everywhere, rubbish piling up, scribbles on everything. Even the walls have been written on. His furniture is pushed up against the walls, his desk has various books open on specific pages.

"Dad...What is going on?" Myra Jean frowns, "This needs to end. Mom has been gone for years and you still think you can save her. She's dead Dad, she's never coming back,"

"But my research, MJ, it's so close," Jack says, gesturing to the piles and piles of paperwork, "I'm developing a serum that can cure death!"

"Dad, people die for a reason. If the world becomes immortal then life isn't life anymore, its just existing for the sake of it," Myra Jean shakes her head, growing angry, "Dad, I'm going to complain to the senior scientists here, going to get you stricken off. I'm going to find you a good psychiatrist and we're going to get you help. It's been this way for too long,"

"Myra Jean, please, I have to do this! It's my purpose!" Jack says, his voice pleading.

"No, Dad, its over. All of this, its done. End of discussion," Myra Jean tells him firmly. Then she shakes her head and walks out of the room.

It felt like she was burning up, her heart was racing in her chest as she headed along the corridor and down the elevator. Her mind was running a million miles an hour, it was crazy to think her father would ever change without help. The elevator stops at a random floor and she steps out, not wanting to be stuck in a lift with people who might end up seeing her cry. She heads along the bland white corridor and her eyes nearly pop out of her skull at the sight of Peter Parker roaming around the Oscorp headquarters. She presses her keycard against a door and slips inside, her back to the room as she peers out the one-way glass of the door. Peter Parker strolls by, allowing Myra Jean to loose a breath.

Then she hears it, scuttling. Little legs working their way across a surface. Myra Jean gulps, turning slowly. She presses her back to the door quickly, fumbling for her pass so she can leave. It drops from her grip and skids across the floor, under a large, winding spider web. Myra Jean almost throws up on the spot. There was no way she was getting that pass back. With sweating hands she reaches for her phone, looking at her contacts list. She could phone her father to get her out? No. She had to prove a point. Gwen? She still had her number and knew she was in the building. Gwen wouldn't have an all-access pass though.

If only she could call Peter Parker!

Myra Jean puts away her phone and takes a deep breath. If she crawled low enough, she could definitely fit under the webs and reach the pass card. She drops to her knees and then flattens to her stomach, slowly easing herself under the thick, white webs that were surrounding the room. It was as if someone had just left them to do whatever they pleased. She reaches out her hand and grabs the pass, feeling a little more at ease. Then she feels it, the tapping of 8 tiny legs on her arm. Her eyes bulge as she looks at the freaky, little creature crawling towards her. Myra Jean wants to swat it away, but at the same time she didn't want to hurt it, just simply didn't want it on her. She keeps backing up, her spider friend stays on her. Clear of the webs, Myra Jean stands up, keeping her arm out, away from her face. The strange spider crawls a little higher and just as Myra Jean moves to flick it away, it latches on. She yelps, watching its pincers dig into her arm.

"You little bast-"

She swipes it away with a sweep of her hand, a line of strange silk hanging from the bite. She holds back sick as she removes it, using her pass to open the door. Myra Jean shudders off the uneasy feeling settling over her as the door closes behind her. Her feet carry her away from the spider-filled room as fast as they can. So fast, she doesn't notice an intensely curious Peter Parker using a stolen keycard to access the very room she just left behind.

____________

Oop—

~cupidlies❤️