Discover
“Hi, and welcome to McDonalds. How can I help you?” fourteen-year-old Penny Parker said forced cheerfulness.
“Hi. Um....one sec.” said the teenage girl on the other side of the counter.
Penny gritted her teeth. Please hurry. she thought. She glanced at the schedule, four minutes until her shift was over.
“I’ll have the 10 piece chicken nugget meal.” the girl decided.
Penny rang it up and smiled as sweetly as she could as she asked, “Here or to go?”
“To go.” the girl said.
“That’ll be $6.49.” Penny told her, ringing it up.
The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a $10 dollar bill.
Penny took it and gave her $3.51 in change. “Thanks for eating at McDonalds.” she said, with a stiff grin.
The girl took her change and moved to the counter to wait for it. The next customer stepped up, a young man.
“Hi, welcome to McDonalds. How can I help you?” Penny asked.
The young man smirked at her, “I’ll take the quarter-pounder meal to go.”
Penny rang it up and smiled sweetly, “$5.79.” she told him.
He gave her 6 dollars and she handed him his change. He moved over to the waiting counter and Penny checked for more customers.
Seeing none, she called back to the manager, “My shift’s over. I’m gonna go home.”
“Alright. Make sure and be on time tomorrow.” the manager called.
Penny laughed. The manager said that every day. “I will be. Tomorrow’s payday, remember?”
She clocked out and started walking home. It was about five minutes away and she always walked unless her dad got out of work early.
Her younger brother was in middle school, and her mom was at work so she had the house to herself for about half an hour when she got home.
Penny was only in her sophomore year of high school, but her parents decided that she needed a part-time job, so she had applied at McDonalds.
She pulled out her phone and put her earbuds in, listening to the music as she walked home.
Penny unlocked the door and went up to her room. She lay on her bed and listened to her music while writing a new song.
She wrote songs a lot. It was easy, fun, and relieved stress by letting her pour out her emotions on paper.
Her younger brother slammed the door as he came in.
“Pipe down would you?” she yelled at him.
“Why? You’re not in charge of me!” Jordan yelled back.
Penny groaned and put her other earbud in.
She had been having some friend problems at school and now expressed them,
’Another heartbreak day
Another pushaway
Am I a friend or not
Or have they forgotten me?
Do I even matter
Should I stay or leave
I want to be a friend and help them
But they won’t let me
Another heartbreak day
Another pushaway
Am I a friend or not
Or have they forgotten me?′
Penny closed the book, deciding to finish it later. She stopped her music and got up to looks out the window. Dad was helping Mom out of the car.
She raced downstairs while yelling to her brother that mom and dad were home. That’s how it always was.
She ran to the door and opened it for Mom. Dad was right behind with a warm smile.
“Thanks sweetie.” mom said and Dad planted a kiss on her head as he walked by.
Jordan got a hug from Mom and Dad ruffled his hair.
Penny went back upstairs and sat back down on her bed. She sighed and lay down. “Why can’t I finish this song?” she asked herself.
She put her suit and web-shooters on and ran to the window at the back of their house. Slipping out of it she swung away.
Swinging to her favorite rooftop she sat down and pulled off her mask, her legs dangling off the edge.
“You’re here again.” she heard a voice behind her.
Penny quickly pulled her mask back on and turned around.
Spiderman was standing behind her. He was favoring his right leg and he was holding his side..
Penny nodded and looked down.
Spiderman walked toward her and sat down beside her, “I see why you like it here. It’s very beautiful.”
“It was also peaceful.” Penny stated pointedly.
His head drooped and he nodded, “Ok. Point taken.”
Penny sighed, “Have you been watching me?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Spiderman rubbed his neck, “I have.”
She grinned and stood up. “Ok. Just don’t do it creepily anymore. Just...sit down and talk from now on, ok?”
He looked up at her and nodded, then he looked back down.
She bit her lip to keep from laughing and pushed him off the edge.
“Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!” he yelled as he fell.
“You should’ve been more careful!” she called down to him as he caught himself and started to swing back up.
Penny ran off the opposite edge of the building, just as he landed back on the top. She caught herself and started swinging back home.
She crawled back in the window and ran quietly to her room.
“Penny! Dinner!” Mom called
“Ok!” Penny called back, changing out of her suit and into her regular clothes.
She switched off the light and ran downstairs, getting to the bottom just before Jordan did.
“Ha. Won. Again.” she gloated, grinning at him.
Jordan pouted and sat down at the table.
Penny slid into her seat and served herself some food.
“What’s the news today, Dad?” she asked, taking a mouthful.
“There’s a problem. Someone’s been stealing the alien tech. We can’t find the culprit. It could be a problem. We might have to move away.”
“No!” Penny interrupted, setting her fork down.
“Hon, I don’t want any of you hurt.”
“Let’s wait five days.” Penny pleaded with her father.
Dad sighed, “Fine. Five days. If they haven’t stopped it by then, we’re leaving.”
Penny nodded and scooted her chair out, “I’m gonna go to my room.” she announced. Then she ran upstairs to her room.
“No wonder Spiderman was injured.” she said to herself as she slipped her suit on. “He must have been fighting those people. Well, I guess it’s my turn to help.”
Penny put the Do not Disturb sign on her door and slipped out the window in the back of the house.
She swung downtown, ready for whatever came her way. Or so she thought.
