Make Way for the Spiders

-_-_-_-Rayne's POV-_-_-_-

School was going to be dreadful. Maybe I should've taken Gwen's advice, and called in sick. But I had to prove I was fine. I could hide the hallucinations for a little bit longer, and act like I'm feeling fine for as long as it takes. I had to keep up the charade until we figured out what to do about Kim.

"What are you doing here?" Peter hissed, coming up behind me while I was at my locker.

"Good to see you, too," I grumbled, and glared at my reflection in my mirror.

A hand was pressed to my forehead, and Peter pulled me back. "Rayne, you still have a fever," he whispered. "Go home before you get even worse."

"I'm not sick," I insisted. "I'll be fine by lunch."

"Or you could just go home now, and get some rest."

"Why are you here?" Gwen asked, walking up to us, and I groaned.

"You guys are just overreacting," I snapped. "I'm fine, leave me alone."

I started to walk away, but two sets of hands pulled me back.

"The first bell hasn't even rung yet," Peter said, as he and Gwen cornered me. "Go home Rayne, please." His tone was softer, and the worried look in his eye made me almost reconsider. Almost.

"Would you rather me be all alone at home, where Tempest could easily get me, or here, in this crowd of people?" I countered.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish before answering. "I want you to be safe. And right now, I think it's safer for you to be locked up in your apartment."

Gwen nodded her head in agreement, and something caught my eye behind her.

Ignoring the two people in front of me, I focused on the small cloud floating three feet away. It was soft and white, but started to rumble, and like ink bleeding through paper, the cloud began to quickly change into a yucky, grey-ish black color. Gwen stepped in front of my view, and I craned my neck to watch small bolts of lightning strike the ground.

"Rayne!" Someone shook me, hard, and I was jolted from my trance. Focusing back on my friends, I could see the worry evident in their eyes. "Are you still hallucinating?" Gwen asked, lowering her hands from my shoulders.

"Of course not," I lied, peeking back behind them, only to see the cloud had disappeared. "I just saw some kid walk by with a weird art project."

Before they could say anything else, the bell rang, and I pushed past them to get to class. Peter was in my first hour, so it would difficult to avoid him, but not impossible.

"Pop quiz," Ms. Greene announced as she walked through the door. I sighed, glad that it would be less of a chance for Peter to try to talk to me.

The papers were handed out, and when I got mine, I had to blink a couple of times. The words scrambled themselves, moving around on the paper. It went from the test, to a creepy face, to three words.

Watch your back.

-_-_-_-_-_-

When it was time for study hall, I dashed out of Chemistry, doing my best to get away from Gwen and Peter, who both called after me.

I slipped down a deserted hallway, and leaned against a wall. I couldn't keep doing this. I had seen four more clouds, two more of my worksheets turned into creepy messages, and I'm pretty sure I saw Iron Man fighting a giant cotton candy monster outside the Spanish window.

All my teachers noticed I was out of it, but I told them I was still a little ill from yesterday. Which, in a way, was completely, one hundred percent true.

A mouse scampered over my foot, but I didn't react, because I didn't know if it was real or not.

Maybe I should go home. It sure would be easier to avoid people... But I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. I would go crazy. More crazy than I already was.

Helplessly, I slid down the wall. How long could I stay here before being found? Peter and Gwen were probably combing through the halls by now, and if Peter cheated and used his spidey senses, then I would be found even quicker.

A door slammed down the hall, and I glanced down to see the principal walking towards me. His nose was in a file, so he didn't notice me. As quickly and quietly as I could, I climbed up the wall, and to the ceiling. I prayed my hair wouldn't draw attention, but got something worse. Peter and Gwen burst through the door right as Mr. Black was about to leave.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked, glowering. "This area is restricted to students without a pass."

"Sorry," Gwen rushed, smiling. "We were looking for our friend. She isn't feeling so well, and we thought..." She trailed off as she spotted me, and I closed my eyes in defeat.

"Erm, we thought that maybe she went to the nurse," Peter finished, and my spidey senses told me he was staring at me.

"No pass, no entry," I heard Mr. Black say. "You two are lucky you're star pupils." He then sighed, and glanced back down the hall. "Go ahead and check on your friend. Keep it a secret, alright?"

"Yes Sir," Gwen smiled, and they waited for Mr. Black to leave, before glaring up at me.

"Anything to say for yourself?" Peter asked, looking peeved.

"Erm..." I trailed off, digging my nails into the tile ceiling.

"Come on," Gwen sighed. "Get down, and go home."

Something caught my eye behind them, and jumped down from my perch to look out the door. Papers rustled on the ground, and I glanced back at my friends. "Did you see that?" I asked, positive that this wasn't a hallucination.

"See what?" the bonde asked, before gasping. "You are hallucinating!"

"No," I rushed. "It must've been a draft..."

"Peter, take her to the nurse," Gwen ordered. "I still have that pop quiz with Greene next hour. You get the nurse to make her go home, and go with her."

"I don't need a babysitter," I growled, standing on my tiptoes to look her in the eye.

"I disagree," she stated, raising an eyebrow. "If you're left alone, there's no telling what you'll do."

"I agree," Peter said softly, taking my hand. "Rayne, you need to sleep, you're under a lot of stress."

"I'm not under a lot of stress!" I snapped, pushing him roughly, but he didn't budge.

Pain rushed over me, and I clutched my head, groaning. I started to swoon, and I felt a pair of strong arms pick me up.

"Now will you go home?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Grumbling, I pushed myself back to my feet, and glared at the ground for a bit. "Fine," I muttered, and crossed my arms, pouting shamelessly.

Gwen sighed in relief, and squeezed my shoulders. "We just want you better, alright? Rest and get some medicine."

I smiled softly, and nodded.

She grinned back, and then left down the hall, probably to study.

Peter took my hand, and led me down the hall, to what I assumed was the nurse's office.

"This school is really big," I complained, dragging my feet.

He just chuckled, and opened a door for me. The room was warm yellow, with bright, blinding lights. A curtain was open to reveal a small cot, and right in the doorway, a large desk was stationed with a lady with librarian glasses, and a slightly upturned nose. The plaque on her desk said Nurse Snow.

"Hello," she greeted, smiling. When her eyes caught sight of me, however, she gasped. "Dear, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I said meekly, ready to give up.

"She has a fever," Peter sighed, leaning against the wall. "And she hasn't been feeling well for a while."

I shot him a look, but he just raised his eyebrows in a daring manner.

Nurse Snow ushered me over to the cot, where she took my temperature and asked a bunch of questions like what I had for breakfast and other things that made no sense to me.

The tissue box hissed at me for some reason, and I furrowed my eyebrows before turning back to the nurse, who was looking at me expectantly. "What?" I asked.

"I said, I'm sending you home," she repeated. "Are your parent's numbers in the system yet?"

"There's no need for that," I sighed, standing up. "I'll just walk home."

Peter was at my side in an instant, forcing me to sit back down.

"I have to send you home with someone," the nurse insisted.

"I can take her home," Peter offered, smiling kindly.

"That's sweet of you," she sighed, shooting him a quick glare, "but I'm not supposed to send her home without a parent's consent."

I sighed, before writing down my mom's number. "Just tell her you're sending me home. There's no need for her to take off work."

"With that fever, you are not leaving this building alone," the nurse said sternly, taking the number, and going over to the phone.

"I can easily take her home," Peter insisted. "It's my free period, and then my lunch. I'll be there and back in no time."

Nurse Snow bit her lip, the phone pressed against her ear. Mom must've answered, because she turned away from us, and began speaking.

"I don't need someone to walk me home," I whispered, turning to Peter.

"I'm not having this conversation," he whispered back. "Whether the nurse lets me go or not, I'll find a way to make sure you get home safely."

"I'm perfectly fine. I was trained by Spiderman, remember?" I smirked, looking up at him.

He just chuckled, and kissed my forehead. "You're not changing my mind."

"Your mother said it would be alright for Mr. Parker to walk you home," the nurse said, turning back to us after hanging up the phone. "However, if you aren't back by your next class, you'll be in serious trouble. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Peter replied, taking my hand and leading me out of the room.