1

Petru Petrescu gazed out the car window as the bustling streets of Bucharest came into view. His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nerves. The Scolari dormitory for arts high school awaited him, a new chapter in his life far from his small hometown. His father, Benjamin, was behind the wheel, giving Petru one last round of teasing. 

"You know, Petru, you'll have to learn if you want to make something of yourself," says Benjamin.

"No more slacking off." Petru nodded, half-listening, as his thoughts wandered to the Japanese ninja series that had ignited his passion for the arts. 

The thought of honing his skills at such a prestigious school both thrilled and terrified him. They arrived at the dormitory, and Benjamin went off to buy provisions for the week. Petru dragged his suitcase up the steps, a blend of anticipation and anxiety swirling within him. The next morning, his father drove him to the school, grumbling about the early hour. Petru dashed into the building, already running late, and collided with someone in the hallway.

"Ach, I'm sorry," he stammered, looking up to see MJ, his secret crush, heading to the restroom. His face burned with embarrassment.

"Who was that weirdo?" MJ muttered, walking away.

Petru finally made it to class, attempting to sneak in, but his teacher caught him. 

"Who are you? And why are you late for my subject?" He demanded. 

"I am Petru Petrescu," he replied, his voice barely a whisper.

After class, the teacher escorted him to the principal’s office. Mr. Rus, the principal, looked at him with a stern yet familiar expression. 

"I can't believe you're late on your first day, Petru. You can leave, Mr. Rus, I'll take care of it from here," 

he said to the teacher. Once alone, the principal leaned forward. 

"You know I can't always protect you, Petru, even though I know your father. But this time, I’ll let it slide."

"Thanks," Petru muttered, relief washing over him. 

Back at the dormitory, Petru was surprised to find his older sister, Helena, in his room. 

"Huh, is that you, Helena? What are you doing here?" he asked, shocked.

"Didn’t Dad tell you? Since you moved to the city, he asked me to look after you," she replied, smiling.

"Great," Petru sighed. "Now I have to live with you?"

"Come on, it’ll be fun like old times," Helena said. 

"Oh, and I made noodles. Want some?"

"Sure, leave it on the table," Petru said, heading for a shower.

A month into high school, Helena continued to play the role of caretaker, waking Petru up for school. 

"Hey, pss! Wake up, time to go." 

"Five more minutes," he groaned, only to be hit with a pillow.

"Hehe, love you too. Bye!" Helena chirped, leaving for her college classes.

At school, excitement buzzed through the halls as their teacher announced a trip to Tepes' Castle in Brasov. Petru couldn't contain his enthusiasm, causing MJ to smile. However, this drew the ire of Florin, known as "Lightning," who bullied Petru during break. 

The sports teacher intervened after a few minutes, threatening to lower their grades if they didn't stop. Petru seethed with anger but remained silent. As the day of the trip arrived, he was eager to escape his troubles. The class explored the castle, marveling at the historical artifacts. Petru ended up paired with MJ, who asked him to take pictures and even apologized for laughing at him.

"It’s not your fault," Petru assured her. "I’m just too weak."

"No, it’s my fault for encouraging Florin," MJ said. 

"He likes me, and I didn’t handle it well." As they walked, a spider fell from the ceiling and bit Petru. He felt dizzy and lost consciousness, scaring MJ calls the teacher. 

He woke up in the hospital three days later, fully recovered but confused. Back in his dorm room, Helena fussed over him. 

"What happened, Petru? Why did you faint?"

"I felt a bite on my neck and then everything went dark," he explained.

Helena inspected the bite, concerned. 

"Looks like you were really bitten. Maybe you’re turning into Spider-Man," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. Petru chuckled, but the reality of the strange bite lingered. Helena left for a friend’s house, leaving Petru alone. He decided to eat the noodles she had made, but as he opened the refrigerator, his hand stuck to the handle. Panic set in as he realized something was very, very wrong.