Peter's "Little Secret"

Queens in September was like a glass of iced lemonade: cool in the mornings and evenings, yet still holding onto the late summer heat at noon. Lin Mo crouched at the entrance of the repair shop, changing motor oil. The sunlight pinned his shadow to the ground like a dark patch. Shield dozed atop the toolbox beside him, but his ears remained alert, perking up at the distant jingle of an ice cream truck.

"Woof!" The puppy suddenly leaped off the toolbox and wagged his tail toward the street corner. Lin Mo looked up and saw Peter hurrying over with a backpack on his shoulders. The zipper of his school jacket was pulled all the way up, burying even his chin in the collar, and a few bits of grass clung to his temple.

"Brother Lin Mo." The teenager's voice was muffled, as though something was clogging his throat. "Could... could I borrow a wrench? A pipe at Aunt May's place is leaking, and I want to fix it."

Lin Mo straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Peter's wrist. The sleeve of his school uniform had been deliberately tugged down, but the edge of a white bandage still showed, its rim tinged red as if blood had seeped through. "What kind of wrench?" He turned toward the garage, pretending not to notice.

"The... the kind you used to fix the bicycle last time. The magnetic one." Peter followed behind him, walking with a slight limp. His leg was probably injured too. His backpack was unusually stuffed, and faint metallic clinks sounded from inside as he walked. It did not sound like it was full of textbooks.

Lin Mo took a magnetic wrench from the toolbox. As he handed it over, he deliberately brushed Peter's arm. The teenager recoiled as though burned, his face instantly going pale. More of the bandage slipped out from beneath his sleeve, marked with dark red stains.

"Th-thanks." Peter hurriedly took the wrench, hid his backpack behind him, and turned to leave.

"Wait." Lin Mo took out a bottle of iodine and a pack of fresh bandages from the first-aid kit and stuffed them into Peter's hands. "Don't get the wound wet. If it gets infected, you'll need an injection."

Peter's shoulders stiffened. He did not turn around, only nodded before practically sprinting out of the garage. Lin Mo watched his back disappear around the alley corner. Peter's steps were much faster than usual, and he nearly ran into a trash can as he turned, only to twist aside as if by instinct. He moved with an agility no high schooler should have had.

"This kid." Lin Mo shook his head and bent down to continue changing the oil. He had noticed something was off long ago. Ever since Peter had said he caught that "spider that could jump two meters high" in the woods last week, the kid had become secretive and mysterious. He left at five every morning, claiming he was going for a run, and always returned covered in mud. After school, he did not head straight home, saying he was helping neighbors feed their cats, yet people had seen him running across rooftops. Now he was even wearing long sleeves in hot weather, changing bandages more often than socks.

Ted came in carrying a huge box of magic props, nearly tripping over the threshold. "Mo, look at my new Vanishing Cabinet! It can make people disappear, then bring them back!" He opened the box, revealing a mirror and several reflective panels. "I just saw Peter. Why was that kid running like a dog was chasing him?"

"Maybe he was afraid of being late." Lin Mo poured the used motor oil into a recycling barrel. "Aunt May said he's been helping the neighbors lately. Pretty hardworking."

"Helping the neighbors?" Ted curled his lip. "Yesterday, I saw him retrieving a kite from a tree in the community park. It was more than three meters high, and he scrambled right up it, faster than a monkey! He lost his footing coming down and fell onto the grass. I called out to him, but he ran off anyway, like he'd done something guilty."

Lin Mo said nothing, but he knew perfectly well that had not been a fall. Peter had most likely jumped from somewhere even higher. His spider abilities had probably already awakened.

After finishing the repairs that afternoon, Lin Mo headed toward Aunt May's house to see how Peter's plumbing repair had gone. Just as he rounded the corner, he saw several high school students blocking the alley entrance. Their leader was Tommy, the neighborhood's notorious bully, and he was snatching a comic book from a younger student.

"Give it back! That's a limited edition!" The small boy looked close to tears.

"You want it?" Tommy held the comic high over his head. "Get on your knees and beg, then I'll give it back."

Lin Mo frowned and was about to step in when he saw a red-and-blue figure leap down from the rooftop, moving as fast as lightning. Looking closer, it was Peter! Somehow, he had gotten hold of a red-and-blue tracksuit and covered his head completely, leaving only his eyes exposed. He held a homemade slingshot, and with a whoosh, fired a pebble that struck Tommy squarely on the wrist.

"Who the hell?!" Tommy cried out in pain, dropping the comic book.

"Don't bully people!" Peter's voice sounded different, probably because he was pinching his nose. It came out strange. He rushed forward and kicked Tommy in the leg, fast and precise, nearly knocking over the bully who was half a head taller than him.

The other high schoolers froze for a moment, then surrounded him to attack. But Peter darted among them like an eel, moving so quickly that their eyes could barely follow. Every so often, he stuck out a leg to trip someone, and somehow always sent them sprawling. In less than half a minute, all three high schoolers were lying on the ground groaning. Tommy clutched his stomach and glared viciously at Peter. "Just you wait! I know who you are!"

Peter ignored him. He picked up the comic book and handed it to the small boy, then ran toward the rooftop. Using both hands and feet, he actually climbed up like a spider, vanishing from sight in just a few moves.

Lin Mo hid behind a trash can, staring in stunned amazement. The kid had not only become stronger; his speed and agility had improved greatly too, and his sense of balance was astonishing. He had run along the edge of that roof without wobbling even once. Lin Mo touched the iodine in his pocket and suddenly felt that one bottle might not be enough.

That evening, Aunt May invited them over for dinner. Peter was late again, claiming he had been helping Mr. Wilson next door repair his fence. The teenager's hair was damp, as though he had just showered. He had changed into a clean school uniform, but bruises were still visible on his neck.

"Eat up. The food's getting cold." Aunt May placed a piece of pork rib in Peter's bowl, worry in her eyes. "Why does this child keep getting hurt lately? His knee was bruised yesterday, and now his neck looks like that. Have you been fighting at school?"

"No, Aunt May." Peter hurriedly shook his head and shoveled rice into his mouth. "I just... just fell by accident. I lost my footing while fixing the fence." His eyes darted away, unwilling to look at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo pretended to focus on gnawing corn, but his ears remained tuned to Peter's movements. The teenager did not seem to dare put much force into his left hand while eating. The wound on his arm probably still hurt. His chopsticks nearly slipped several times as he picked up food, yet he always steadied them at the last moment, as though something was helping him.

After dinner, Peter volunteered to wash the dishes and lingered in the kitchen for a long time. When Lin Mo went in to pour himself some water, he saw Peter rinsing the wound on his arm under the faucet. The bandage had already soaked loose, revealing a thin, long cut beneath it, as though it had been scratched by wire.

"Did you put iodine on it?" Lin Mo asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Peter jumped, dropping the towel in his hand. "I-I did." He hurriedly covered the wound with his sleeve, his cheeks flushing bright red.

The kitchen window was open, and the evening breeze carried in the scent of plane tree leaves, stirring the loose strands over Peter's forehead. The teenager lowered his head, his fingers lightly tapping against the edge of the sink as if making some kind of decision. After a long while, he suddenly raised his head, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Uncle Lin, are you... a little different too?"

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. He looked into Peter's clear eyes behind his lenses. There was curiosity, nervousness, and a trace of anticipation in them, as though Peter was waiting for the answer to a secret. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the sink, with a little wall dust still caught beneath his nails. He had probably scraped it off while climbing walls.

"Why do you ask?" Lin Mo did not answer directly. He picked up the kettle and poured water into a cup, steam obscuring his expression.

"Because..." Peter bit his lip. "I saw you before... when you delivered medicine to Grandma Gretchen last time. You crossed the street while the light was red, but you were suddenly on the other side, faster than a car. And Ted said you can walk through walls, while Mrs. Martha said the leaves outside your door disappear out of thin air..." His voice grew louder as he spoke, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Do you also have... some kind of special ability?"

Watching Peter's excitement, Lin Mo suddenly remembered the fear he had felt when he first gained his own abilities. Back then, he had been just like Peter—excited and frightened, unsure who he could tell. He could only practice in secret by himself, terrified that people would think he was a monster.

He handed Peter the cup, his fingertips touching the teenager's trembling hand. "Go on. Don't make Aunt May wait too long."

Peter froze for a moment and took the cup. A hint of disappointment flashed through his eyes, but it soon brightened again, as though he understood something. "Mm!" He nodded hard, grabbed his backpack, and ran out. At the door, he stopped and turned back to smile at Lin Mo. There was relief in that smile, as well as an unspoken understanding that said, I get it.

Lin Mo leaned against the kitchen doorway, listening to Peter run downstairs. His footsteps were much lighter than before. He knew the weight in the kid's heart had probably been lifted. At the very least, Peter was no longer the only "different" person.

When Lin Mo returned to the repair shop, Ted was still fiddling with his Vanishing Cabinet, muttering to himself. "Tilt the mirror on the left another three degrees..." When he saw Lin Mo enter, he looked up with a mysterious expression. "Mo, I need to tell you something. Don't tell anyone else."

"What is it?" Lin Mo asked as he wiped his hands.

"I saw Spider-Man just now!" Ted lowered his voice, his eyes widening round. "At the community park! He was wearing red and blue, could run on walls, and he taught Tommy's gang a lesson! He was so cool!" He gestured wildly as he spoke. "But... that figure looked kind of familiar. He seemed about the same height as Peter."

Lin Mo smiled. "You must have seen wrong. There's no such thing as Spider-Man."

"It's real!" Ted said anxiously. "I even took a picture!" He pulled out his phone. On the screen was a blurry photograph of a red-and-blue figure running across a rooftop, indeed about Peter's height.

"Maybe it was some cosplayer." Lin Mo patted Ted on the shoulder. "Stop overthinking it. You still have to help Mrs. Martha repair her hedge tomorrow."

Ted muttered, "He wasn't a cosplayer," but did not argue further and went back to tinkering with his magic props. Lin Mo walked to the door and looked at the moon in the sky, suddenly feeling at peace. He knew Peter's secret, and Peter had probably guessed his as well. That silent understanding was like a thin layer of sugar coating, wrapping the private thoughts of two "different" people in this ordinary world.

Shield crawled out of his bed and rubbed against Lin Mo's pant leg. Lin Mo bent down, picked up the puppy, and stroked his fluffy head. "What do you think? Should we help him make a better mask?"

Shield tilted his head and licked Lin Mo's chin, as if saying yes.

The night breeze swept up several plane tree leaves, sending them spinning down at the repair shop entrance. Lin Mo knew Peter's "little secret" would not stay hidden for long. One day, Queens would truly come to know Spider-Man. But at least for now, he was willing to stay by the kid's side and protect this secret that was still a little immature and panicked, just as he had protected the version of himself who had once secretly practiced the Wall-Crossing Technique.

Tomorrow, he needed to buy a few boxes of large bandages and stock up on disinfectant alcohol too. Judging by Peter's situation, there would be plenty more days of getting hurt ahead.