chapter zero. bridges

There's five things you should know about Kacey Fields:

1. She loves sunny days, pink lemonade, dark chocolate and blue roses.
     2. She hates being called Kace by her friends but she doesn't have the heart and guts to shut them up.
     3. She likes the adrenaline of misbehaving
     4. She hates her family — mainly her father, with all of her guts
5. Lastly, she hates heights, she can't be in roller coasters, buildings or anything like that, it panics her to the core.

Ironically, Kacey was standing in the Brooklyn Bridge edge, hanging tight to the metal barrier, Kacey could feel her stomach turn. Why the hell was she here if she has vertigo? She continued to ask herself that when she gripped tighter onto the edge.

She could feel the breeze teasing her, ready to pull her down to the water. Another small detail of Kacey. She doesn't know how to swim. So of course jumping off a bridge into the water seemed like the best way to leave this earth, she could probably die fast as the water entered her lungs and got her to stop breathing, she would probably panic and try to survive but she wouldn't want that, she wanted this to end quickly.

Kacey didn't want this to be her life, trust her. But she felt like there was no way out of her hell, she had too many responsibilities that it felt drowning, instead she chose to actually do the drowning part.

Kacey Fields wanted a better life.

a few hours prior

"Hey, Kace, do you have any extra cash? I ran out of dollars and this machine is telling me I need one for my chips." Her "best friend" Josephine smacked her lips before turning to look at the dark haired girl.

"I don't have any Josephine, I used it all already." Half truth, she didn't have any money with her that day, but it wasn't because she used it all, it was because her father didn't want to give her money.

"That sucks, this is like the second day you don't have money with you? What the hell are you even buying?" Josephine questioned as she searched for quarters in her bag.

"Things, bags, dresses, the usual." Lie. She couldn't afford the amount to get the pretty dresses.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, Kyle is throwing his birthday bash, what time are you picking us up?" The brunette grab her over salted-sodium chips from the machine and opened it, taking a bite of the first one.

"I can't, mom's taking the car today, her's at the shop." Half truth again, the car was going to the shop, but it was her vehicle, something about the engine not sounding right.

"Jeez Kace, what is up with all these things, are you sure you're not hiding us anything or something?" The brunette started walking away, returning to their place in Midtown Cafeteria.

"Not at all Josephine, just too many things happening at once and out of nowhere, that's all." Kacey answered back, a small sigh following alone as they took their seat on their table. "Gwen, are you going to Kyle's party?"

Gwen Stacy, she's probably Kacey's only real friend out of this group, the only one who truly shows compassion and cares for her, compared to the rest of the girls.

"I don't think so, I gotta finish my social study essay, and there's this chemistry test next Wednesday, and I have no idea where my notes went." Gwen glanced at the two girls, just to return to the book on her hands.

"What are you reading Gwen?" Kacey asked curiously as she tried to find a title on the cover, but the dark red color and golden font was hard to understand.

"Pride and Prejudice, is for English, gotta find something to debate from and make notes." Gwen answered without batting an eye at Kacey.

"You two are so made for each other, I guess I'll be going to Kyle's party alone and have tons of fun, I just hope Flash goes too, I need the extra." Josephine stood up again and left the two girls for another group, the cheer squad of Midtown.

"This whole thing of Kyle really is getting people's attention isn't?" Kacey asked, trying to keep a conversation going and not fall into the uncomfortable silence, but all Gwen did was nod her head, an indication to Kacey that the blonde really was paying her full attention to her book. "Well then, I'll see you around Gwen."

Kacey left the cafeteria returning to her locker, it was only a matter of time the bell rang and got all the students back inside the classrooms, and for Kacey she only had two more subjects until she could call it a day. And as a routine, she would stay in the library until four in the afternoon before she could head back home.

Four o'clock, was a time she dreaded, an hour before Kacey was inside the subway heading home, she checked her phone a few times, the social media showing pictures of her friends at parties already and having fun, buying clothing she couldn't afford. Kacey couldn't take it anymore and changed to her music app, letting the melody of Alicia Key's voice overpower her earphones.

People entered and left the subway, Kacey always watched around her, being cautious that no one sat too close to her or that stared too much. Kacey learned her stops to get off on her street of Manhattan, she learned this at the age of ten, when she first escaped her home after a fight she witnessed between her parents and got too physical Kacey had to leave but memorized her way back was the priority if she didn't want to end up on the missing children list.

Kacey Fields lived in an apartment complex where usually people who were into messy gangs lived in, and her father was just an example of those type of people. Carefully she walked in, checking both sides hoping no one was looking at her funny or anyone looked suspicious, greeting the new bodyguard, Kacey walked up two stories until reaching her door.

"I'm home." Kacey said out loud trying to be heard as background from the loud sound of the TV.

"Good, can you get me a beer from the fridge Kacey." Her father ordered from the living room. Without making a sound, the teenager headed over opening the fridge, her eyes settled on the bottles of beer, grabbing the two on the first row, sighing deeply she left them on the side table where her father was watching TV laying on his back against the leather couch.

Kacey didn't say another word and went to her room, her area of peace and serenity. Her room wasn't gorgeous, nor clean or aesthetically pleasing to the eye. She had what she needed, a bed, side table and a closet, then the rest came along, lamps, a trash can, and her belongings she worked so hard to earn, like a computer and makeup to fake her life.

"Kacey, Hi." The familiar feminine voice was heard at the entrance of her door. "When did you get here?" Kacey turned to look at her mother a new fresh bruise on the lower part of her lip decorated her face.

"I just arrived, I'll be out in a minute to help you with the dishes." Kacey dropped her stuff on her bed, tying her dark hair into a high ponytail.

"There's no need, your father ordered takeout, you'll probably need to get it, it's the same chinese place, you know it right?" Kacey just nodded her head. "Good. It's supposed to be ready by six, tell them to add it to the tab."

Add it to the tab, like every single thing they bought. Kacey didn't know or even want to know how much debt their family was, but, she was sure it had to be over ten thousand already, and her father would not pay, she was even surprised that he hadn't told Kacey to pay it herself, but to the eyes of him, Kacey didn't have a job.

"Alright, I'll be here doing some school work and by six I'll go and pick it up. Anything else?" Kacey asked, seeing her mother shake her head and walk away, the teenager closed her bedroom door, grabbing her stuff to start doing her school work, opening her music website, she let the lyrics of Vance Joy play from her speakers.

She tried her best to focus on the algebra problems from her book, but the continuous screaming from her father, she was trying her best to ignore them, it was going excellent, until the crashing sound of glass was followed and her mother shouting out stop. Kacey stood up hurried and carefully she opened the door, taking a peek from inside.

"You know what your role in this house is Lucia, don't start acting dumb with me, you know that when five thirty comes around, you stay in your room and don't interrupt my phone calls, I answer, not you." Her father's voice screamed so loud that Kacey knew her upstairs neighbors were even aware of the fight.

"I'm sorry Adam, I lost track of time, I didn't mean to answer." Then another cry, another hit from her father to her mother. Kacey looked at her watch in her wrist, it was already five forty-five, she had to get the food now if she wanted to be back on time.

"Where are you going?" Adam Field's voice sent shivers down Kacey's back, she didn't move a muscle, she couldn't, she was frozen in fear.

"I'm picking up the chinese food that you ordered?" Kacey's voice was almost like a whisper, she constantly did this when fear overwhelmed her.

"I didn't order chinese food, who told you that?" Kacey didn't answer verbally, but when her widened eyes looked behind her father falling on her mother's figure, Adam knew. "When did I order chinese? Hm, when did you see me pick up the phone and order it?"

"We need to eat Adam, we are starving and there's no more food for me to cook, I thought." And then a loud slap shut her mother.

"Dad, stop that, there's no reason for that, she thought of us." Kacey said trying to jump in between, making it clear for Adam she was trying to defend her mother.

"You don't tell me when to stop or anything Kacey, you don't get in the way." Adam's eyes were shot with anger, the strong scent of beer was all over him, Kacey could smell it clear when she was pulled back by her hair.

"You're hurting me." Kacey whispered, grabbing his father's hands, she could feel how tight they were and that he wasn't planning to pull back at any moment.

"Don't get in the way ever again, you hear me Kacey." The teenager nodded her head before she could feel the strong push from her father, losing her balance completely until she fell on the floor, her knees hitting hard on the wood.

Without answering back Kacey went to her room, she needed cash, she wanted to buy her mother and herself something else to drink or eat, she knew that her father would probably leave the scraps only for them, like he has done before when he got angry with them.

Entering her room, she opened her closet, searching under her school junk for a jar of cookies her grandmother left her before she passed away, the beautiful blue ceramic with painted initials J.O. Jocelyn Oliver. The only woman who truly loved Kacey and protected her with all of her soul.

Opening the lid Kacey gasped, panic buildup, there's was only around fifty bucks, and she clearly knew she had saved over five hundred dollars. There had to be a mistake, or someone she clearly knew, had taken it out. But how did they find it? She had been careful this time.

"You're not gonna find it Kacey." The familiar masculine voice said in her room. "You thought I wouldn't find it? That's our money Kacey, we have debts to pay."

"No we don't, that is my money, my hard work." Kacey stood up, her furrowed eyebrows and clenched jaw were the only sign of anger she could demonstrate.

"Hard work of what? What is that you do Kacey?" She talked too much, her family didn't know she had a job, that would be fatal if her father knew.

"I sell made up homework in school." Lie, lie, lie. She didn't know if this would be worse, she hoped not. "And that was my money, I don't care you have debts to pay, I am saving that to get away from here."

"Oh you want out of here?" Kacey backed up, fearing the steps her father was taking to get to her, and without warning he picked up her stuff from her closet on one hand and the other he gripped his daughter's arm tightly, walking towards the entrance. "Leave then." He said throwing everything including Kacey outside with force. "Get out of here and never come back Kacey." His father screamed out, a few neighbors were peeking outside their door to take a look.

"No, please don't, I have nowhere else to go." Kacey cried and begged on the door, she didn't want to stay there, but she needed a roof over her head until she could find one for herself. "Let me in, let me in." She screamed, pounded and kicked the door, shouting out for her mother even, someone who didn't even dared to open the door.

With a tight knot on her throat, Kacey gave up, slowly walking back and leaving the building, she had no where else to go, she had no phone with her, no money, anything really, she left her clothes back cause she didn't know where to put them with her, carrying all the way until finding a safe place? She would probably be robbed or something like that.

Kacey walked away from the building, hugging her body tightly trying to warm her from the faint breeze of September, she didn't like the cold, she preferred summer over any other season, she didn't know where she was going but she had the idea of what she wanted to do.

The Brooklyn bridge was a busy place, people would come and take photographs, walk to get to their location, or just to take a breather. But Kacey wasn't going there for any of those reasons, Kacey had been feeling tired of her life, ever since she learned how to speak and walk, her life has been hell, she remembered that she would always be grounded and locked in her room, she remembered starving for a week because she did something her father didn't like, and if it weren't for her grandmother, she probably would've died.

Kacey passed through the crowd, hiding near the corner of the Brooklyn bridge, people didn't seem to notice the crying dark haired girl who kept looking down at the water, she could feel the nausea in her throat, there was a dizzy sensation that her eyes picked up. She was doing this, she had thought of it before, but this was her chance. Cautiously she crossed over the ledge, gripping tightly onto the barrier, she could feel her legs trembling, trying to keep their balance, Kacey could feel the instant regret screaming in her brain, trying to survive, but Kacey didn't want it to win, she stood there, looking up to the sky.

"Hey, hey." A voice said behind her, Kacey shivered, gripping tighter on the railing. "You're Kacey, right?" Taking a look back, the teenager recognized his face, the short brunette messy hair that matched perfectly with his eyes.

"You're Peter Parker, you go to my school." Kacey answered, looking back down to the water. "I don't need help and you won't be changing my mind about it."

"It's okay, I can stay here if you want to talk." Peter's calming voice had Kacey confused, and somehow surprised by the fact that Peter has been the only one to notice or at least come near.

"I'm tired of everything and this is just the end for me." Kacey said out loud, feeling the knot on her throat and eyes swelling with tears.

"If I can help you tell me Kacey, this is very dangerous, you know how to swim don't you?" Peter asked, his voice sounding closer to her, Kacey shook her head. "The water is freezing right now, if you don't drown you will get sick."

"I will drown, I don't have any survival instincts."

"Your body will fight to survive though, it will happen." Peter added to his words that she would last a few more minutes until water entered her lungs and more time would take until she couldn't respond.

Kacey tried to listen but the continuous sensation of dizziness distracted her, she could see the far building light swinging and her balance throwing her off a few times, Kacey kept gripping every time it did that, and Peter figured it out.

"Are you okay Kacey?" The soft touch of his hand on her pulled her attention back for a second.

"Just vertigo kicking in, pull me back, I can't do it." She said, but she didn't know if she meant it or not, she could've easily let go and straight forward into the water, but she didn't.

"Okay, come on, turn around carefully, just twist one of your hands and turn around, I'll grab you." Peter's hands moved from her hands to her waist, helping Kacey to turn. "Okay, good, you're doing good, now slowly let your other hand free to grab the railing."

Kacey nodded her head, she looked down at her feet, turning around very slowly, and when she let her hand free to grab the railing again when she was facing Peter, her left feet slipped. It was only a second until her body was dangling on the railing, and she was screaming loudly for Peter's help.

"Hey, I gotcha, come on Kacey, grab the railing." Peter was gripping her forearm and arm with both of his hands, he was gasping for air as he struggled to pull her up.

Kacey looked at the railing, her free arm swinging with effort to grab a hold of it to pull and help Peter to get her back up. Peter kept on telling her to catch it, his breathing heavier and the dark haired girl could see the struggle he was facing, doing it again, Kacey swung her arm again to reach the railing, with her fingertips she could touch the cold metal, gripping hard onto it, and when she could feel it, she pulled herself with Peter's help until he had her back on the other side of the bridge. Kacey wrapped her arms around Peter's neck, shaking and crying she crumbled to her knees, Peter fell with her consolingly telling her that she was okay and safe.

"I'm not safe, I'm not okay, I'll never be okay again Peter, please," Kacey whispered as the cries followed along "Don't tell anyone about this, please."

"I won't tell anyone, but we need you to get you back home." Peter added holding her close to him. "Do you want to go back home or to a hospital, to make you didn't hurt yourself?"

"Nowhere, I can't go home, I have no home anymore, I can't go anywhere else." Kacey cried, she didn't know what to do anymore. "I am a liar Peter, I lie to everyone and I can't take this anymore, I don't want this anymore." Kacey said, she couldn't stop shaking or crying and she didn't know if it was because of her almost death or her previous event or just a mix of both.

"You're not alone Kacey, you can count on me now, lets get you somewhere safe now." Peter said, slowly standing up with Kacey by his side, the teenager tumbled a few times from her weak form, and Kacey could still feel the vertigo in her body, and just like a blink of an eye, she passed out, not being able to listen to Peter calling her name and calling for help.

Kacey Fields wanted to disappear, but she now questioned it.