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Peter Parker was crawling along the wall in the shadows, while Jasper walked under the streetlights.
"You're really busy," Jasper couldn't help but say. Peter was already juggling serious schoolwork during the day, and on top of that, he'd turn into Spider-Man to help people. He was always on the move, like a spinning top that never stopped.
"Jasper, you should come help out too! I bet you could help even more people. Plus, then I'd have someone to talk to," Peter said. He really hoped Jasper would join him in helping others—it'd mean they could save more lives, and it would give Peter some peace of mind, knowing he wasn't doing this alone.
Jasper looked at Spider-Man helplessly and said, "I'm not cut out for that. But if I see someone who really needs help, I'll step in. So the whole hero thing is still your job!"
Spider-Man looked at Jasper and replied, "Got it. But that's fine too. We can't save the whole world anyway—let's just help the people right in front of us."
Jasper stopped walking and looked over at Spider-Man. "I'm heading home. What about you?"
If Peter wanted to head home too, Jasper could use his shadow-travel ability to send him back, so he figured he'd ask.
Spider-Man checked the time and said, "Uh… yeah, I'll head home too. Might as well see if anyone needs help on the way. See ya!"
With that, Spider-Man started climbing up the wall.
A shadow formed under Jasper's feet—but he hesitated, scratched his head, and the shadow faded away.
Guess I'll just walk home.Jasper started down the street.
Peter Parker had been Spider-Man for almost two weeks now. Lately, rumors about Spider-Man were popping up everywhere. Most people thought he was a good guy—but, of course, not everyone agreed. Some people didn't like him. The police, for instance, weren't too fond of him. Jasper once saw Peter reading comments online and mumbling under his breath.
Peter's face looked awful back then—probably got hurt by what people were saying. But half an hour later, he was back in the Spider-Man suit helping others again.
What a kind person.
Jasper sighed. Not everyone with power chooses to be a hero. Like him—he had no interest in being a hero. He just wanted to live his life without causing trouble or breaking any laws.
He still didn't understand—why are people always tempted by desire? Is it really that hard to control?
After walking for a few minutes, Jasper saw a young guy trying to pry open a car window.
The guy was totally focused, didn't even notice Jasper coming.
Jasper raised his wrist, fired a web, and stuck the guy's hands to the car window with perfect aim.
The sudden shock made the guy panic. He tried to turn around, but Jasper shot another web that glued his head to the window. No way an average person could break free from that. So Jasper just turned around and walked off. The cops would probably show up and arrest the guy in a few minutes.
Hopefully, that kid learns his lesson.
After that, Jasper didn't run into anyone else—no more crooks either.
So he made it home pretty quickly. His parents were still away—he remembered they'd be gone for about a month. Their job kept them traveling around the world. It was exhausting, but the pay was amazing.
Jasper walked over to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of Coke, and went back to his room.
He wasn't feeling sleepy, so he booted up his computer and started playing games.
The Next Morning
Yawning, Jasper headed to school with his backpack. He'd stayed up all night, and now he felt like his soul was a little out of sync with his body—not a great feeling.
He noticed a tan-skinned girl walking ahead of him, with a blond guy by her side. The guy was actually pretty good-looking.
They were probably dating, right? Jasper remembered both of them. The girl was the athletic student he often watched during class. The blond guy? Total player. He was infamous for hooking up with girls and then ghosting them. Rumor had it, several girls had even dropped out of school because of him.
Jasper felt kinda bitter. He was still a virgin, and this guy was out here casting a wide net and reeling in girls like crazy. Unfair.
The blond guy reached for the girl's hand, but she pulled away—and she spotted Jasper.
She knew who Jasper was. After all, he always sat by the window and often looked at her during class. She didn't mind his gaze—how could she, when Jasper was so ridiculously good-looking?
In fact, she kinda liked being watched by him. It made her feel special—like she stood out. Because Jasper never looked at just anyone like that.
She jogged over to Jasper and suddenly hugged him. "There you are!"
In that moment, Jasper realized she was using him as a shield. He didn't love being used, but he hated the idea of that jerk bothering such a pretty girl even more. So he played along and said, "Yep, I'm here!"
The blond guy walked up and asked, "You two dating?"
Both Jasper and the girl nodded.
The guy walked off without another word.
"You can call me Annie. And thanks for earlier. I really can't stand him, but he keeps pestering me. It's so annoying!" Annie took a small step back as she spoke. As irritating as that blond guy was, she had to admit—if not for him, she probably wouldn't have had a reason to approach Jasper.
"You can call me Jasper," he replied, then started walking ahead. He didn't like being used, even if it was for a good reason—it still annoyed him.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and Annie wasn't about to let it slip away.
She quickly caught up with him, explained her situation, and apologized for using him earlier.
Seeing how sincere she was, Jasper couldn't really stay mad. His expression softened a bit.
The two ended up chatting for quite a while—right up until they split off.
When Jasper entered the classroom, most of the students were looking at him. He was already used to it, so he didn't care. He just went to his seat.
She probably hasn't started training yet, right? Jasper looked out the window, curious.
There were only a few people jogging around the track.
Is she changing clothes right now? Jasper looked away.
After the second class, Jasper heard someone calling his name from outside the window.
He looked over and saw Annie waving at him with a huge smile on her face.
Her smile was so contagious, Jasper couldn't help but smile back.
Then Annie pulled out a sketchpad and wrote on it:"No wonder you looked familiar—your class is right here!"
So I've been invisible all this time, huh? Jasper felt a little bummed out for a second.
"....."