New Beginnings
December 3rd 2017
“What do you mean you don’t need to go to college?” Uncle Ben questioned Peter as his grip tightened on the steering wheel, he was clearly aggravated. “Do you just except to get a job straight away?”
Peter rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as he turned to look out the window. “No, I never said that it’s just-“
“It’s just what?” Uncle Ben interrupted. “Peter, I want the best for you…you know that right?”
Peter could feel his blood starting to boil. This wasn’t the first time he was having this conversation, but for some reason Uncle Ben always brought up his future. Peter hated thinking about what he was going to do for the rest of his life, he had just turned 16 only a few months ago so the thought never really crossed his mind. Peter wanted to avoided starting an argument he was embarrassed that Uncle Ben even brought up the conversation in front of Ned and he could sense the discomfort and awkwardness from everyone in the car. Every so often he heard shuffling coming from the back seat as Ned tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in. To take his mind off it, he focused on the way the fresh snow clung to the window sills and gutters of the small shops that blurred past as Uncle Ben drove them home. Aunt May said she was cooking braised beef with roasted potatoes and vegetables; Uncle Ben and Peter’s favourite. Peter believed that if he thought more about the food that was waiting for him when he got home and less about the conversation he was having with his Uncle, his problems would go away. But they didn’t.
“Earth to Peter Parker? Hello?” Uncle Ben’s voice interrupted Peter’s thoughts of braised beef.
“W-what?” Peter stuttered.
“Your parents would want you to go to college Peter” Uncle Ben said softly.
“Why the hell are you bringing my parents into this?” Peter snapped back. “They’re not here to tell me that are they?”
“Peter-“ Uncle Ben started.
“No! Just don’t bring them up,” Peter muttered. “Not now…” It wasn’t unusual for Uncle Ben to bring Peter’s parents into the conversation, especially when he wanted to make a point. Peter hated it. It’s not like he hated his parents, he loved them more than anything and missed them every single day. He just hated the way his Uncle brought them up to make Peter feel bad. It wasn’t right.
“Well I’m right aren’t I?” Uncle Ben was beginning to get aggravated at Peter’s stubbornness.
“You think you’re always right don’t you?” Peter clenched his jaw and turned to his Uncle who kept his eyes on the road. “You think you can just bring up my parents whenever you want and expec-“
Uncle Ben swerved into the next lane as a car unexpectedly pulled out in front of them, his right-hand shooting across Peter’s chest to protect him while the left smashed down on the horn.
“Jesus Christ, who the hell drives like that in this weather?” Uncle Ben said through shaky breaths, the adrenaline still coursing through his body. “Is everybody okay?”
Ned nodded from the backseat, but Peter remained still and silent, deciding to focus on the ice that began to form on the front wind shield instead.
Breaking the silence that followed the near accident, Uncle Ben continued. “You’re going to college and that’s final.”
“You don’t get to decide that for me,” Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing, it wasn’t his Uncle’s decision to make…it wasn’t his Uncle’s future, it was his.
“You’re my nephew… I just want what’s best for you,” Uncle Ben insisted.
“We’re just going around in fucking circles,” Peter spat.
“HEY! LANGUAGE,” Uncle Ben began to yell. He didn’t tolerate swearing and never wanted to hear Peter speak that way.
“WHY THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CARE, YOU AREN’T MY DAD,” Peter raised his voice at his Uncle.
“YOUR DAD ISN’T HERE PETER,” Uncle Ben yelled.
Peter snapped his head upwards and slowly turned to face his Uncle once again, his chest rapidly rising and falling. He clenched his jaw as the anger coursed through him, how dare he say something like that? Peter and his Uncle never fought like this…ever. They had a good relationship, his Uncle and Aunt had raised him, taken care of him, given him a good home, food to eat and clothes on his back. But his Uncle had crossed a line.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Peter said through gritted teeth, keeping his eyes locked on his Uncle, waiting for a response.
“You heard me.”
“How dare you.”
The blinding headlights, blaring horn and scraping of metal against metal were the last things Peter remembered from that night…
2020
Peter jolted awake as his phone flashed and vibrated with messages from Ned.
Dude!!!
WE MOVE INTO OUR DORMS TODAY
WE MADE IT
Peter chuckled to himself and shook his head at the countless messages from his best friend that kept flooding his phone. He could hear his Aunt May in the kitchen as the dishes clattered together, the smell of freshly cooked bacon and scrambled eggs wafted under the crack of the door.
Hey man!!
I’m so excited
I can’t believe we’re actually going to college
To be honest
I didn’t think you’d make it…
Not cool man, not cool
Hahahahaha, you know I’m only messing with you
I know I know
You know what sucks though?
What?
The fact that you’re in fucking Georgia
You couldn’t have done data technology at Columbia?
I know dude
I probably could’ve but the course here is better
Excuses excuses
Shut up
We text everyday anyway, nothing will change
It better not
It won’t
“PETER!!! Breakfast is ready!” Aunt May yelled from the kitchen as Peter slid out of bed.
Gtg, May’s calling
Talk later yeah?
Without waiting for a reply from Ned, Peter sighed in relief as the sweet smell of breakfast hit him as he opened the door and walked into the kitchen.
“Morning May,” Peter said as he slid down into his seat at the table across from his Aunt. He began to shovel scrambled eggs into his mouth.
“Hey slow down, you’re gonna feel sick,” May laughed to herself as she folded her newspaper and returned to the sink to begin washing the dishes. “You ready to go today? Everything’s packed?” May asked her nephew.
“Mhmmm,” Peter mumbled with a mouth full of bacon. “Do yomf knowm wmher myyfh watmtchm iff?”
“Was that English?” May said sarcastically from the kitchen as she washed the soap off of the glasses.
Peter gulped down the food in his mouth. “Do you know where my watch is?” he asked. The watch belonged to his Uncle Ben, Peter had worn it every single day since he died and only took it off when he showered and when he went to bed. His Uncle’s watch had a cracked, brown leather band, the hands and roman numerals that lined the gold face were black. But a week ago Peter lost it, and he refused to leave for college without his Uncle’s watch.
“You’re in luck!” May replied as Peter looked up from his plate with an excited look on his face.
“Don’t tell me you found it,” Peter said. A smile began to form on his lips as he stood up from the table and brought his dirty dishes to the sink just as May had finished cleaning up.
“It was under my bed,” May began. “How it got there…I have no idea.” She laughed as she shoved Peter’s dishes in the dishwater, not being bothered to wash anything else.
“You’re a lifesaver May,” Peter’s voice trailed off as he walked back to his room, returning to the kitchen area holding a stack of boxes.
“How many more of those boxes do you have?” May asked her nephew.
“Only 2 or 3,” Peter replied. “It’s okay though, I can bring down the rest.” Peter offered as he swung the front door open with his foot and used his butt to close it softly behind him. Peter walked down the hallway of his apartment building and turned left around the corner to see an OUT OF ORDER sign stuck on the elevator button. Peter sighed, of course it is he thought to himself as he turned to his right instead and headed for the stairs. After using the boxes to push the door open in front of him, Peter started carefully making his way down the staircase, his footsteps echoing against the concrete with every step he took. The door at the bottom of the stairs led into the little apartment lobby. The building had just undergone renovations, and the lobby looked a lot nicer than the shabby mess it was before. The front desk was empty, and across from it there was a sitting area which had two grey couches with wooden legs opposite each other. Next to the couches there was a fireplace that was still burning, but slowly fizzling out, and above it was a new painting that Peter recognised as the ‘Creation of Adam’ painting by Michelangelo.
Peter walked out the main sliding doors and around the side where his car was parked in the resident parking lot. He slid the boxes into the back of his car and turned to go back and get the rest when he saw May staggering towards him struggling to see where she was going, the boxes covering her face.
“May…” Peter started. “I could’ve done it you know,” Peter said to her as he took the boxes from his Aunt and put them in the back with the rest.
“I know,” May replied. “But this is the last time I’ll see you for a long time,” May choked on a lump in her throat, desperate to hold back tears to avoid Peter seeing her cry.
“We’re not even an hour away,” Peter chuckled.
“I know but you’ll be busy and-“
“Come here,” Peter smiled as he pulled May into a tight hug. When Peter turned 15 he had a massive growth spurt, and now at the age of 18 he was at least a head taller than his Aunt May.
“I’m gonna miss you Peter,” May sighed as she ruffled her nephew’s hair.
“I’ll miss you too May,” Peter laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair to fix it. “Thank you for everything.”
May smiled, unable to say anything else in fear that Peter would see how much she was hurting. They both had no one left, only each other. Besides Peter’s school friends, he had nobody else. No other family. Aunt May meant everything to him and he loved her more than she knew. She gave up so much to be there for him when his Uncle died…her husband. She stayed so strong, she held it together when Peter couldn’t. She was the one who took him to see a therapist, she was the one who supported him when he started his medication, she’s was there through every panic attack and was by Peter’s side every night he woke up screaming.
“I love you. Stay safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” May joked as Peter go into his car and started up the engine.
“Would you do drugs?” Peter said with a blank expression.
“I mean, I took a few pills when I was in college,” May replied.
“W-what?” Peter stuttered. “I was kidding May!”
“So was I,” May winked at her nephew as Peter laughed and shook his head. He pulled out of the parking spot and tooted the horn as he drove off. His Aunt getting smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror, she didn’t stop waving until the car was out of sight.
The extremely short drive from the heart of NYC to Columbia University was a big relief for Peter, he hated being in a car or driving for long periods of time…it made him uneasy. As he drove down the gravel driveway that was lined with evergreen trees and came around the bend, he was greeted with the hustle and bustle of students finding their dorms, boxes strewn on the lawn and parents honking as they dropped off their kids. Who the hell drops their kids off to college? Peter had barely parked his car and closed the door behind him when and extremely energetic redhead approached him, she wore a Columbia blue polo shirt that she’d buttoned all the way to the top and tucked into her beige shorts. Her navy socks came just below her knees, and she had a lanyard around her neck and a blue cap on her head that said ‘Columbia: Home of the Lions’.
“Hi there! Welcome to Columbia University!” the girl said as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m Eva, I’ll be around today and tomorrow for any Q’s of yours that need an A!”
Peter blankly stared at Eva’s outstretched hand and reluctantly took it in his and shook it. If this is what all the people at Columbia were like, Peter would never make it through the semester.
“Did you need a helping hand finding your dorm?” Eva asked Peter.
“Uhhhh…nope. I think I got it,” Peter replied, eager to escape the awkward conversation.
“Alrighty! Good luck! And happy studying,” Eva gave Peter a big thumbs up which Peter returned with a forced smile as he hurried off to find a trolley for his boxes.
After loading all his belongings onto a trolley and successfully avoiding Eva, Peter found himself wandering the dorm hallways searching for his room. Under normal circumstances he would be extremely frustrated, but he’d much prefer being lost than spending more time with Eva. As he walked through the halls pushing his trolley in front of him, he thought about his Uncle Ben. His Uncle would’ve been so proud of him if he was here, not only did Peter apply for college and get accepted…but he’s at the same college his Uncle went too. Thinking about it all made him feel uneasy. Peter tried to never think about that night, about what he did. Aunt May told Peter over and over that it was an accident, it was no one’s fault. But she was wrong. It was his fault. He was fighting with his Uncle, he yelled at him, he swore at him and made him angry…he distracted him. It was his fault, and he had to live with it for the rest of his life.
As Peter snapped back to reality, he realised that he had started walking faster, his grip on the trolley was much tighter and his breaths were quick and shallow. Please no, not now, he thought. Peter stopped in the hallway and looked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone. As he rest his head against the wall and closed his eyes, Peter tried to focus on his breathing…breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 and release for 8. In for 4, hold for 7, release for 8. In 4, hold 7, out 8. 4, 7, 8. 4, 7-
“Dude…why are you so sweaty?”
Peter jolted off the wall and opened his eyes, he used his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead and rubbed his palms on the back of his jeans. He noticed his breathing was more under control. A tall guy with dark brown eyes and short, wavy black hair stared back at Peter with his eyebrows raised, waiting for a response.
“Oh…um…I-I couldn’t find my dorm,” Peter stumbled over his words.
“Don’t sweat it man,” the guy said, putting a hand over his chest as he laughed at his own joke. Peter just kept staring at him, still dazed, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
“I can help you, I just settled in this morning?” the guy said to Peter. “What’s your room number?”
“Uhh…C15,” Peter replied.
“Oh no kidding! We’re roommates” the guy said as he took control of Peter’s trolley and started walking the opposite way he came. Peter took it as an invitation to follow him. They walked for about a minute or two until they stopped in front of a light grey door that had the numbers C15 on it. Peter got out his room key to unlock the door but was stopped when his roommate opened it without one.
“So, this is me,” his roommate said pointing to the bed on the left. “And this one’s you.”
“Cool, thanks…I guess,” Peter said as he took the trolley back and started to take his boxes off. The dorm was nothing special, but it was better than what Peter was expecting. Two king-single beds were in each corner of the room, with two white, wooden nightstands in the middle of them. There was a small rectangular window above the nightstands that looked out over the main grass area. At the foot of each bed was a small desk with two drawers that had a pencil pot, a notebook and a desk lamp on top. The bathroom was to the left of the dorm, the floor was black and white checkered tiles, the shower was opposite the door and the toilet and sink were to the right.
“Pretty cosy huh?” Peter’s roommate said to him as he noticed Peter taking it all in.
“Could’ve been bigger,” Peter mumbled.
“The only thing I’m worried about is closet space,” his roommate started. “These damn cupboards are tiny.”
Peter watched as his roommate flung open the small cupboards that faced the beds, his clothes already spilling out.
“So…what you studying?” Peter’s roommate asked him as he tried shoving his clothes back in the cupboard and quickly closing the doors.
“Journalism,” Peter replied as he began to unpack his boxes. “What about you?”
“Oh I’m here for football mainly,” his roommate replied.
“On a scholarship?” Peter questioned.
“What? Just cos I’m black I automatically have a football scholarship?” Peter’s eyes widened as his roommate folded his arms across his chest, waiting to hear what Peter was about to say next.
“Uhhh I-I didn’t mean it like that-“
“Nahhh,” his roommate chuckled. “I’m just messin with you.”
Peter couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief and a small laugh. They’d only just met but Peter liked his roommate, he was funny and seemed like a good guy.
“I don’t even know your name,” his roommate asked him.
“I’m Peter,” Peter held out his hand and his roommate pulled him into a half handshake, half hug.
“I’m Harry, Harry Osborn.”
NED
I think I’m in love with college life
This place is amazing
My roommate seems chill, his name’s Harry
Me too, this is awesome dude
I don’t have a roommate though…
What??? Why?
Idk, I was supposed to, but they pulled out last minute
I GOT A ROOM TO MYSELF BABY
That’s so lucky man
My dorm is tinyyyy
I wonder what that feels like?
Do you want me to come to Georgia and slap you?
I dare you
Idiot
Asshole
“Get off your phone and look around campus for like one second,” Harry teased Peter.
“Okay, okay,” Peter whined. Although they had only met an hour ago, Peter and Harry got along extremely well.
“Dude, I’m not gonna be there to save your ass every time you get lost,” Harry joked as Peter laughed and shook his head.
“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Peter replied.
The two of them were familiarising themselves with campus, walking around and taking everything so that when classes started tomorrow, they knew where they were going and what they were doing. After crossing the main grass area that their dorm overlooked, Peter and Harry wandered through the conjoining courtyard. The old red brick courtyard was quite big and seemed to be one of the more popular hangout places. There was a three-tier brick fountain in the middle of the courtyard that seemed fairly old, Peter safely came to that conclusion as he spotted the mould growing in between each of the tiers. Around the edge of the courtyard there were various black, steel park benches. Some of the benches had light blue beanbags around them, while others had navy stools. Columbia was known for the colour blue. Peter and Harry came to a stop just in front of the fountain.
“I heard that place makes the best coffee ever,” Harry told Peter as he pointed to the sort-of hidden coffee shop towards the back of the courtyard.
“I think I’m gonna be needing a lot of that stuff if I wanna survive college,” Peter nervously laughed as he thought about all the work he’d have to start doing once classes started. Peter’s thoughts were interrupted when Harry started rapidly tapping him on the arm. Looking up at Harry, Peter followed his gaze to the two girls that had just walked into the coffee shop.
“Dude,” Harry started. “I don’t even like coffee that much, but I just found a reason to start drinking it.”
A smile spread across Peter’s face as he watched Harry follow the two girls into the coffee shop, Peter wasn’t far behind. As he walked inside the reasonably small shop, the bell above the door chimed softly. The smell of roasted coffee beans and banana bread hung in the air. Dark oak bookshelves lined the right side of the shop, the shelves were mostly filled with classics, there were some newer novels here and there. The countertops were painted jet black as well as all of the tables. The cushioned-window seat that was at the front of the shop was by far, in Peter’s opinion, the best place to sit
Peter watched as Harry approached the two girls he had followed in earlier, they were standing at the counter admiring the bakery section of the coffee shop.
“Well, it looks like Columbia only accepted offers from the most beautiful people,” Harry smirked as he coolly lent with one arm against the bench.
The girls turned around, if Peter could take a picture right not without it being weird…he would. The look on their faces were priceless.
“Well then why the hell are you here?” the taller of the two snapped, the shorter blonde girl seemed to be blushing at Harry’s pick-up line. Peter accidentally let out a snort, causing the two girls to both turn towards his direction. Peter approached the three of them as they stood in silence, the awkwardness settling in.
“Do you always use that one?” the girl with the curly brown hair asked. “Or do you look up ‘pick-up lines for dummies’ and choose one of those.”
Harry was stunned that his charm wasn’t working, but the blonde seemed to be infatuated with him.
“Very funny,” Harry replied as the brunette smiled sarcastically.
“Who’s your friend?” the brunette motioned with her head towards Peter who was standing their silently.
“This…” Harry said as he draped his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “Is Peter.”
“Nice to meet you Peter…”
“Parker. Peter Parker,” Peter finished the brunette’s sentence.
“Well…Peter, are you always this quiet?” she blatantly asked.
“Are you always this rude?” Peter snapped back.
“Yep, get used to it,” the girl smirked, her friend still hadn’t said a word.
“You never told us your name sweetheart,” Harry said to the blonde making her blush.
“Don’t call her that-”
“I’m Gwen,” the blonde said, interrupting her friend.
“Gwen…that’s a beautiful name,” Harry told her, causing her to giggle.
“And I’m Michelle if anyone cares,” the brunette jumped in causing Peter to roll his eyes in annoyance. “But you can call me MJ.”