1 First Leg of the Spider

"What's up Mar," Sam said as she approached Marshall from the side and sat down at the lunch table. Marshall gave a small smile in response and looked back at his plate.

"You seem kind of quiet... something wrong?" Sam asked and grinned while looking at Marshall. "Is it... because you didn't get a valentine yesterday?" Sam says playfully.

"No, no, of course not. I didn't expect to get one anyway." Marshall replied

"Me neither, I don't think anyone takes it seriously anymore to be honest." Sam said as she sat down next to Marshall. Marshall stayed quiet and stared at his half empty plate. "Well, something has to be getting you down."

"No, it's nothing... I just didn't expect you to sit over here." Marshall replied and looked at Sam to assure her. "You're getting on me for being quiet, but Richie has just been staring at us for the past 2 minutes." Marshall looked at Richie, who was sitting there with wide eyes staring at the two of them eagerly, as if he was waiting for something, like a dog waiting for a treat.

"Yeah, what the hell is up with him." Sam smiled seemed to fade and her eyes widened also, as if she was nervous about something.

"Oh, me? It really isn't about me is it?" Richie asked with the same expression.

"Richie... what are you talking about?" Marshall asked.

"Does what I'm saying really matter?" Richie said as he broke a small grin.

"Richie." Sam locked eye contact with Richie for a second with widened eyes. Richie forced his smile back into a straight face and looked at his plate.

"Ok, what..." Marshall looked at the two to of them confused. "Why is everyone being weird."

"Hey Marsh, you aren't sad about Valentines day?" Richie asked.

"What- I said I didn't care already." Marshall replied, confused.

"The truth is... I actually wanted a valentine yesterday." Sam said out of the blue causing Richie to stare. "... Uh, Richie..." Sam seemed frustrated now, her eyebrows furrowed and deeper voice.

"What? Don't worry about me." Richie responded.

"Ah, but you're fine now right?" Marshall asked. "I mean, I'm pretty sure someone wanted to ask you." Marshall said.

"Yeah but I wanted a specific person. I guess it's too late now..." Sam responded looking down.

"Um, I mean... there's more than one day to ask someone out in a year." Marshall said still a little confused onto what was happening. Marshall thought about whether he should ask who she's talking about, it was obvious that she was fishing for some specific response. "Um... should I ask who it was?"

"Are you really asking me if you can ask a question?" Sam replied looking down and softly furrowing her eyebrows. "Well my answer is: why the hell should I tell you?"

"Agh!" Marshall was appalled. "WHAT? You're the one who brought it up obviously wanting me to ask!"

Richie frowned a little, still observing the two. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom." Richie said.

"Yeah, me too."

"Uh, aren't you a girl?" Richie replied to Sam.

"Don't ask stupid questions." Sam got up after Richie.

Sam followed Richie down the hall to the entrance to the men's restroom.

"Woah, Sam, you can't go in he-"

"Shut up, Richie! Stop playing dumb!" Sam interrupted. "Why the hell are you being so weird? You're ruining the whole thing!"

"What? You're the one beating around the bush! Just ask him already." Richie whispered aggressively. "All right, do you want me to leave then?" Richie turned around and stomped into the restroom, until Sam grabbed his arm and they locked eyes.

"Richie, no, you need to be there... for... being there." Sam said before letting go of Richie. He walked into the bathroom and Sam sat against the wall of the entrance waiting for Richie. She heard a loud flush followed by a few steps out of the bathroom. "Did you wash your hands?"

"Of course I did, who do you think I am?" Richie and Sam walked down the hall to the entrance of the cafeteria. Richie went in and Sam hid behind the door for a minute before following. She made her way to the table and sat down by Marshall.

"Mar-"

DIIDIDIDIIIDIIDIING

The bell rang and Sam and Richie stood up and surrounded Marshall.

"Marshall-" Sam said. Marshall stood up with his plate.

"Don't forget your trays" Marshall said. Sam looked at Marshall, dumbfounded and quickly picked up her tray. "Hey um, is something on my face or something?" Marshall asked.

"N-No..." Sam replied. Richie peaked again then walked away with his tray. Sam stared at Richie as he left. Marshall looked at Sam. "See you later I guess..." Sam said.

"Bye." Marshall replied. Sam walked away.

"Hey dude," Johan said as Marshall sat in the desk next to him. "Anything happen at lunch today?"

"I don't know, that was like two periods ago." Marshall responded. "Uh, I know Richie was being really weird about something." Johan continued to look at Marshall waiting for more. "Uhh, Oh, Sam was there, and it's really weird, they went to the bathroom together."

"That's a way to spend post-valentines." Johan responded jokingly and then turned around and crossed his arms as if he was thinking about something.

"I'm pretty sure it's not like that, they've known each other since birth or something. Might as well be cousins." Marshall said.

"Yeah, I was just kidding, but even cousins could get down this time a year." Johan cracked himself up. "Damn, what am I saying." Johan whispered to himself.

"Huh? What was that?" Marshall asked.

"Oh.. nothing, just talking to myself." Johan replied with an assuring smile at Marshall. "It's just kind of disappointing, you know." Johan continued.

"Huh?"

"Not seeing Sam with her crush, they were so close." Johan said, staring into space.

"... Everyone is talking about this crush, how come I don't know?"

"Welp, it's not my place to say it really..." Johan replied and then broke into silence.

"You sound like..." Marshall paused then continued. "You sound like Richie." The class started and their conversation was interrupted.

Marshall scrambled through the mass of students and squeezed through the school entrance. The fresh afternoon air filled his lungs as he walked down the sidewalk on the side of the school parking lot. He set his eyes in front of him and began his trek home when he could hear someone yelling behind him.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It was Richie yelling and running towards Marshall down the sidewalk through multiple students. Marshall looked behind him and stopped to wait. Richie caught up to him and stopped to for a moment to catch his breath.

"I thought you took the bus home?"

"Yeah, yeah, but why not walk today? Enjoy the cold air and stuff?" Richie replied still panting. He stood up straight and they started walking.

"Soooo-"

"Yeah, nice weather huh?"

"..." Suddenly Sam's phone started vibrating from an unknown number. "Eh, looks like someone's-"

"You better answer it!" Richie shouted.

"..."

"I mean... could be someone special, maybe you won the lottery!"

"I didn't enter any lotteries..."

"Metaphorically."

Marshall looked at his phone.

"WAIIIIT!" Richie yelled. "Don't answer actually! It could be a serial killer! Just leave it to voice mail!"

Marshall sighed. "Whatever you say..." He hung up and continued walking. Richie followed.

"Richie... you've been kinda weird today." Marshall said. Richie didn't respond but stared in anticipation. Marshall felt his phone vibrate again. It was a voicemail, he opened his voicemail box and listened.

"Hey, Mar, I know it's not Valentines day anymore... and today is almost over, but I just wanted to tell you that I wanted to be your valentine. You probably don't want to be mine back, but I just wanted to get this off my chest so I can move on. Thanks for listening... bye"

Richie stood their silent with wide eyes. "So?" He anticipated a response.

"Um, what do you mean?" Marshall said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT DO I MEAN? WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?"

"Uh, it's obviously a wrong number, and even if it wasn't, they never said who they were." Marshall replied.

Richie stood there dumbfounded. "Shit... she didn't say her name." He started to giggle to himself. "That detail... was overlooked." Richie looked up. "You don't at least recognize the voice?"

"I mean, it's pretty hard to discern on a phone, could be anyone." Marshall replied.

"Come on dude, you know."

"...I don't know"

"Holy Mary mother of Christ, are you that dull?"

"It can't be her."

"I mean... it cannnn."

"It can't."

"Marshall, it can."

"That would never happen."

"It can, and it did."

Marshall covered his mouth in disbelief. "You're lying." He whispered. "Me?"

Richie smiled at Marshall and Marshall uncovered his mouth and smiled back.

"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Marshall cried into the sky. "IN YOUR FACE WOOORLD!" Marshall and Richie jumped up and down and excitement.

"Yeah, haha... I'm gonna walk back now, my house was the other way." Richie said and jogged back.

Marshall smiled and looked to the sky. His face was stuck that way until he got to the door of his home. He unlocked the door and looked around.

"Mooom?" Marshall shouted. "Looks like no one's home... again." He walked to his room and put his bag down. "Maybe I should call her back..." He lifts up his phone out of his pocket to call Sam.

"AH-" Marshall jumps up as he sees a spider on his bed. He takes his shoe off quickly and smacks the spider, causing it to fly across the room and hit the floor. He looks at it for a moment then continues what he was doing.

"Let's see..." Marshall whispers to himself before he feels a hairy presence on his neck. "AGH" Marshall shouts. A huge hairy spider leg scratches his arm, breaking skin and causing him to bleed. Suddenly, spider webs gush all over his face covering his mouth and closing one eye.

"KGHHHmmMM" Marshall struggles to shout again as he feels a sharp burning in his chest. The spider stuck its sharp fangs into him and venom was now seeping into his bloodstream.

Adrenaline was rushing through Marshall's body. He began to struggle as hard as he could, and to his surprise, tore his hand through the spider, causing black and blue organs and slimy innards to gush out onto his chest. The spider's legs started to shake and rattle restlessly, cutting Marshall even more and causing him to bleed out. With his last slimmer of energy, he grabbed two of the spider's legs and both sides and ripped them off. Black blood splattered all over the room. It began to shake violently before stopping completely and falling on top of Marshall.

The huge arachnid lay on top of Marshall as he breathed his final breaths. Thoughts of his regrets began to rush through his head.

"I never accomplished anything. I never helped anyone. I never spent time with my parents. I never had any relationships. I was worthless." And then he remembered what happened today. A seemingly uneventful day, but he went back and enjoyed every second of it. From what he ate in the morning, to the friends he talked to, and of course the message he got from Sam.

"Today was a good day." Marshall thought to himself. "I had a good life." He started to feel like ice water was flowing through his veins, and the air conditioning was turning him into ice. It was so cold, until his last breath. His eyes shut and he rested.