School time obsessions
It had been edging toward 2 months since his ‘Stark Retreat’ over in Germany. And now Peter couldn’t wait for the next time he was needed. If there was a next one, that was. He hoped there would be: but equally hoped the opposite. Maybe Mr Stark would recognise his ability and decide to train him - have him come down to the compound upstate and fiddle around, break a few eggs, hone his skills...
However, if Peter did get the opportunity - it would mean the world was in danger. Perhaps it was for the best, for now, that Peter could lye in the shadows a bit longer. It was awfully difficult to balance a secret identity and social life, even more so if he had to travel hundreds of miles away, whilst simultaneously spending the entirety of his days in Queens and Midtown.
Peter dreams revolved around the Iron Man suit a lot. Whether he was building one, editing one, fixing one, fighting with one, god forbid even wearing one of them... He reckoned he would feint if given the opportunity.
Tonight’s building of the suit was interrupted too early when his alarm blasted his ears. It shredded his weak opening resolve of the morning and its disturbances. Peter’s hand had already been waiting above the button to press when it jolted him awake. Over the past few months he could feel his ‘Spider-Sense’ develop. It had come leaps and bounds since the original bite a mere year ago: but it felt primeval almost, something ready to break open and unleash its self into its full potential. To the point where he could predict what would happen..
The blaring was silenced instantly by the swift, precise motion of his hand slamming down on the general area of the electrical device. It cracked along the edge with the force and nearly crumpled in on itself when Peter pushed his weight through it to heave himself out of the cozy, warm confines of the bed.
His left side burned with pain from the stabbing he had received two nights before. Luckily the wound was small and it seemed to only tear when he did any physical activity above walking.
Only three pieces of Lego were stepped on as he managed to throw on a button shirt and trousers. It didn’t even hurt anymore, the Lego that was, his side was still killing him. Peter stares down the Lego pieces as he steps on them. Effectively urging them to try and hurt him like they used to before Ned started binge watching TV shows and making Lego builds as they perfected their handshake.
He was out of his room before he could realise that his shirt was completely unbuttoned and his socks still in his hand. A half-walk, half-hop was needed when he struggled to put on his socks as he moved. The tear along his thigh opened out slightly and he nearly fell over from the sudden pain. A loud hiss ruptured through the feeble defence that was his clenched teeth. Aunt May hurried over, his breakfast in his hands.
“Are you alright, Peter?” She asked, helping him back up solidly onto his feet.
“Yeah, yeah... Just-cramp.. Or something...” Peter replied, grabbing his breakfast from his Aunt, who was offering it his way. “Thanks May, you’re a life-saver..”
“Yeah, Peter, you say that so much, I get it.” A wide smile was plastered across her face before she continued speaking, although the following words did make the smile falter. “I’ve got another long shift at the hospital again y’know. I’m sorry Pete- but we need the extra money..” The teen managed out an understanding smile and went toward the door.
“Hey Pete!” He spun on the spot back toward his Aunt, shoving the last bit of food into his already crammed mouth. “Your shirt...” The vague gesture led Peter to look down and notice it had been open the entire time. “I still don’t get how you got those...” His cheeks flushed. He eventually buttoned up the shirt and tried to leap out the door, only to be halted again. “Baby, you might wanna put on some shoes...” Peter didn’t even look down this time, but he grabbed his shoes and stepped into them, not doing the laces as he was getting toward late for school.
One hand on the handle, he opened it, shouted back his leaving to Aunt May and took one hard look at the largest photo in the room. Uncle Ben, with his signature red and black jacket, shirt combo... Peter sniffled, rubbed his eye and switched his gaze onto the very corner of the photo. ‘Taken by Peter Parker.’ He smiled slightly and shut the door.
The journey to school was normal, the hubbub of New York seeming to whisk him off with it toward his destination. Along the subway, down the stairs, past the bodega, and here! He smiled lightly and proceeded forward along the short drop off road to the front door. About halfway, his neck seemed to electrocute it’s self. All the hairs stood up and forced him to jump up. Zooming beneath his feet went Flash Thompson’s Audi TTRS. “Sup Penis Parker!” He shouted back, completely oblivious to all the stares Peter was receiving. Evidently jumping over speeding cars that you didn’t know were there was classed as weird.
The stares followed the nerd all the way until the front doors closed and those nearby dissipated toward their home rooms. Peter still couldn’t find Ned in the emptying corridors. God he was getting worse at this. He threw his bag into his locker, got out what he needed and was about to close it, when, Ned.. That was Ned. “Join me.. And together, we can build my brand new Lego Death Star!” Peter smirked and turned. “No way! That’s like $400!”
“Well you’re not the only one with rich parents..” Peter flinched and stared at Ned, a cold hard death stare. The larger boy was still oblivious and continued in with his rambling. “I mean, you’re Tony Stark’s personal intern! He’s effectively your Dad right?”
“No Ned, no.” He pushed open the home room door as the bell went.
“Parker, on time. Mr. Leeds, you’re late..” Snarked their teacher. “Detention with me at lunch.” The duo sat down as Flash threw himself into the class room. “Flash, sit down, none of those dramatic antics here.”
Ned’s hand shot up in a determined manner. “How come I get a detention but Flash only gets a warning?” His eyebrows crossed aggressively, still determined to get an answer.
“Mr. Leeds, detention after school instead. Speaking out of turn. Ned grumbled and moaned but shut up for the rest of the period, and then the lesson after.
Multiple times throughout the day, Peter watched YouTube from his position in class. His Spider-Man videos were actually bringing in a steady stream of money. But he couldn’t really put it to use. May would question where it was all coming from, and Peter couldn’t tell her yet. And maybe he would never tell her..
Now it was chemistry. Back row of seating. The perfect place to make more web fluid. Considering his school was a science based school, it was a wonder how little of them did chemistry. The teacher was rambling on about Neil Bohr when Peter caught her eye. Michelle was looking at him through the visor she was wearing and Peter nearly double took. ‘Since when was Michelle so attractive.’ Wondered Peter. He flushed under her gaze and shuffled awkwardly, covering the eye-line into his draw. Web fluid currently brewing inside of it.
Peter looked up toward the book lover and she in turn, hardened the gaze but looked away after only a short period. ‘Phew’ he thought, swiping away the bead of sweat that had generated under the pressure she outputted. Peter swung open the draw with the bottom of his slightly torn converse. ‘Nah, so that formula won’t work.’
Peter was really trying to find a new way to adapt his web fluid so that it lasted longer. Quite a few occasions had ended up with the police taking too long and the criminal getting away..
Throughout the rest of the lesson, Peter tried to start conversation with Michelle. If she was his lab partner, they were meant to have conversations right? She would only look, eye roll, or just read. That’s the bit that annoyed Peter. The constant reading. Peter had a lot of patience. And you do you, if you like reading: knock yourself out! And he liked reading as well. He had even admitted it to Mr. Stark when they first met. But the amount Michelle read was unnatural. Sure, it blasted her mental skills and English related topics through the roof, but Peter bet there was an entirely different person beneath the off-putting exterior. And Peter, not Spider-Man, would persevere to break it down and find the true Michelle. Call it his saving people thing if you want. Even if you’d have to say saving people from themselves.
When the lesson was wrapping up however, Flash decided it would be a great idea to try and pour a variety of chemicals into Peter’s desk. For once the Parker luck decided to be good to him. Flash was just about to pour it into the wrong draw, when Peter realise that was Michelle’s draw. She hadn’t taken her notebook out of the draw yet. That had all her years of drawing in it. Peter couldn’t have that be destroyed because Flash got the wrong draw.
Peter looked at Michelle, she was looking up from her bag. She couldn’t find her notebook and she couldn’t lose that. Peter could see the panic develop in her pupils. They locked eyes and Pete gulped. “Flash!” He called out, still looking at Michelle. The bully looked up toward him, that gave Peter the time he needed. He dived at the boy, ducked under the container he was carrying and grabbed Michelle’s draw in its entirety. “Wrong draw!” He said over his shoulder. The remaining members of the class watched as he passed Michelle’s draw back to her. “Here.” He said, offering forward the notebook. “I know you’ve got all your drawings in that. And I saw flash going toward it, and I couldn’t see all your work go to waste..” His rambling slowed and most of the class had already left due to the bell going mere moments before.
With two other students still in the class, Michelle offered forward her hand. Peter shook it questionably. Michelle nodded, a solid nod. A respectful gesture if anything else. They both just stood there for a moment, Peter looking at Michelle, and her doing anything but the same. Just the pair of them were left in the classroom then, and instantly Michelle leapt forward into a half hug. “Thank you!” She breathed out. Clutching the notebook as hard as Peter had been hit with Captain America’s shield. Peter offered a half hug back and decided not to say anything. It would ruin the moment - especially with his ramblings.
Her brain seemed to realise what she was doing after about five seconds and she sprung back out of the contact. She picked up she bag and swept out of the classroom in a matter of moments. “So that’s the real Michelle..” he whispered, picking up his own bag and leaving to lunch.
Only at lunch and decathlon did Peter see Ned today. They ate and shared looks with each other over the senior and junior girls at the other end of the hall. Liz and Felicia. They shared a father, but different mothers. They looked similar, but Peter had a weird obsession over Felicia whereas. Ned was the opposite. Peter knew it was weird - and given a month or two when he was over it, he would look back and find himself incredibly creeped out by himself.. But something about Felicia as she put up the ‘Homecoming’ banner really excited him inside.
He was broken out of his muse by Michelle a few tables down, she commented on the weirdness and Peter was too busy looking at Michelle now to answer. At least Ned was there to answer. If he was here on his own he’d be worried for himself. If he looked at Michelle like Ned said he did at Felicia, he’d be challenging Hitler for the least amount of testicles if Michelle's eyes could give injuries. And that’s was not something he wanted to be challenging
‘Last into the room again.’ He reminded himself, slumping down into the separate table for the little meeting he had with Mr Harrington. God he wished he didn’t have to have it. But there was always the slight chance that something could go down. Then again, why would Iron Man come to him for help. He was Tony Stark! He didn’t even need the help.
However he argued with himself as he waited. Why did Mr. Stark come to him then. Those three moths ago, yes, the billionaire had specifically said he was here so that Peter didn’t get himself killed in the onesie - but there had to be another reason. Mr Stark could’ve gone to Hell’s Kitchen instead. Although he doubted that Iron Man wanted a blind man on his team.
Mr Harrington pulled up the chair and practise was already underway. It was already about halfway through before the teacher arrived. He rambled through the beginning of the conversation and only when his team looked over did he begin to gather himself together. Maybe the supportive looks from Ned did it. Or the thirst to prove himself to one of Felicia, Liz or Michelle in the room, show them he was at least competent of putting together an argument. Too bad all three of them already thought he was a lying shit. He could identify it in their eyes.
Since becoming Spiderman he had been able to identify feelings in people eyes way easier than he could before. Before the bite he called it his photography vision. Being able to identify the correct time to take a photo depending on the emotions the other people around him felt. When he took the photo of May and Ben that he had looked at everyday as he left the apartment, he could see the happiness and joy in both pairs of eyes. Like nothing could ever go wrong.
“But Peter, it’s nationals..” Remarked Mr Harrington. Peter huffed in annoyance but explained his argument again. Unfortunately Flash heard him, and drew the attention of the rest of the team with it.
“But if Mr Stark needs me, then I’ve gotta be here...”
“Please!” Shouted Flash from where he was at the back of the room. “You’ve never even been in the same room as Tony Stark.”
“Wait what’s going on?” Asked Cindy from beside Abe, Liz stopped asking the questions and turned toward Mr Harrington for answers.
“Peter’s not going to nationals.” Answered Sally, and well, she was only half right. He could go to nationals but what if Iron Man needed him, Tony Stark! You don’t let Tony Stark go to voicemail because your doing a stupid Academic Decathlon with your school. That’s not what Avengers do!
“Peter? Really? Right before nationals?” Asked Liz. She had evidently gathered what was going on..
“Not cool man.” Announced Felicia from the side of the room. She was still updating that Homecoming banner..
“I’ll see alright!” Peter conceded. The constant barrage of talking at him did nothing good for his developing super senses. “I’ll ask him..”
“Like you’ve got ‘They Tony Stark’ in your contacts Penis.” Snarked Flash, snarling at him slightly.
“Well it’s better than your hot date with Natasha Romanoff, Flash!” Replied Michelle from her corner. Peter looked up toward her and sent a thankful smile. Unlucky for him, she didn’t send one back, she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. Saying: ‘If you didn’t spew bullshit then I wouldn’t have to back you up.’
Peter dropped his head down in disappointment. Michelle cocked her head in surprise and wonder. ‘So Peter cares about what I think does he?’ Asked Michelle to herself. ‘So he’s not just addicted to Felicia...’
Mercifully for him the bell went shortly after. And Michelle reckoned his day was over, or he was skiving considering the speed he bolted the classroom with. If he put that speed into the schools annual sports day, then maybe he might be of some good. She drew herself to the window in her English classroom quick enough to see him vault the fence in one jump. “Well fuck...” she muttered, staring out at the boy who was sprinting away a from school as fast as Flash drove around the car park.