Chapter Text
The echoing bang of something hard pounding metal shocked Peter's whole system into high alert. He wasn't in his suit. He wasn't on patrol. It took every ounce of his self control to fight the panic, to not scale the hallway wall.
High school students didn't scale walls.
"I knew you were a fucking liar, Parker." Registering the voice as Flash's (non threat, harmless, negligible Flash), Peter released a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Flash's fist was shoved angrily into the locker beside him, the impact leaving a faint dent in the door.
"Ah... what?" Peter closed his locker slowly, glancing nervously at Ned. "Pretty sure I haven't said a single word to you all day, Flash."
Flash scowled and shoved an open palm into Peter's chest. Caught off guard, Peter stumbled backwards, knocking an unexpecting Betty Brant to the ground and sending her bookbag scattering. "Hey!" the girl called, but Flash was already storming off.
"You know what you did, Parker!"
Peter, frozen, stared after Flash's retreating form. Then, as the shock faded, he turned to help Betty to her feet.
Ned had already knelt beside her and began gathering all her books and papers. "Sorry about that." Ned shot her a sheepish grin, offering her an armful of her papers.
"Thanks Ned," she muttered, shoving the disheveled bundle into her bag before pacing away.
When Betty was out of earshot, Ned raised an eyebrow towards Peter. "What'd you do?"
"That's the thing." Peter ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I don't know."
- - - - - - - -
"Heads up!"
Peter barely had a chance to glance up from his English Lit worksheet before MJ tossed the carton of chocolate milk towards his head. Instinct kicked in and he snagged it from the air with his left hand.
"Good catch, Milk Master," MJ nodded towards him, setting her lunch tray down at the table across from him.
Peter grinned. Spider powers had some weird fringe benefits. For example, he was the only one of his friends that could manage to nimbly open the paper milk cartons without making a huge mess of the drinking spout.
Ah, the life of a hero.
"Heads up!" Peter mimicked back at her, and mimed tossing the now-open milk back. MJ lowered her eyes, glaring as Peter slowly grinned. "Kidding, kidding." He rolled his eyes and handed it to her gently.
MJ took a sip of her milk and flipped open her newest book. She nodded towards Peter's assignment. "You got that?" she asked, though she had already begun reading.
"Yea, no worries." Peter turned back to the question sheet as Ned came to sit at his left.
Ever since May had found out about his double-life, she'd only permitted him to continue patrolling so long as all his homework was completed. And, given how hectic his schedule was right now, that meant Peter's lunch break had begun to double as an extra study hall.
A couple minutes passed in peace before MJ glanced over the top of her book, her gaze shifting to Ned. He was staring off into the distance, watching the group at the table across from them chatter. "You uh, you okay there?"
Ned started, his focus jumping back. "Yeah! Yeah, I just, uh," he fumbled with his words, and Peter looked up from his assignment. "I was just thinking that, you know, Flash sure has been hanging around the new kid a lot."
MJ lowered her book and raised her eyebrow further.
"What, you didn't notice? I thought you were observant, MJ."
The girl shrugged. "I noticed."
Peter signed his name at the top of the page, then tucked the finished paper into his bag. "New kid?" he questioned, looking up to MJ for answers.
The girl sighed. "A freshman. He started last week. Apparently he's super smart or something."
"Huh." Peter followed Ned's gaze to where Flash and the new kid sat. When Flash caught him looking, Flash flipped him the bird.
- - - - - - - -
Two weeks later, they got confirmation that the new kid was, in fact, "super smart."
"Class," Mr. Jacobs stood before them at the front of the room, a bored expression dragging at the corner of his plump cheeks. “I’d like to introduce you to Harry Osborn.” The boy waved, and Peter frowned lightly. Where had he heard that name before? “Harry is a freshman who started here earlier this month. However, due to the accelerated program at his old school, he will be joining the sophomores in this Physics course.” Harry stood awkwardly in front of the board, shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot. When he made no move to introduce himself further, Mr. Jacobs sighed. “Take a seat, Osborn.”
“Oh! Yeah, sure!” Harry grinned at him, his hands fumbling at his sides, and moved to sit beside Flash. As he sat, Flash grabbed his shoulder and shook it, both boys grinning.
“Alright class, we will begin the Toothpick Bridge Building project today.” Mr. Jacobs plopped down tiredly into his chair. “Partner up and I’ll hand out supplies.”
“Peter.” He turned, and found MJ waiting at his side. “You’re my partner.”
Peter frowned. “But, Ned and I-”
“Trust me.” MJ tapped a finger to his chest. “Watch.”
She pointed to Flash and Harry, obviously set to be a pair. Then she motioned to Flash’s normal partner, Charles, who had snagged Chrisy up as his replacement. With Chrisy taken, her partner Betty was left to pick between Jason, who’d still not given up on getting a date with her even after she’d rejected him for homecoming, and…
“Hey Ned,” she said, rubbing her arm nervously as she approached him. “Would you maybe, I dunno, wanna partner with me?”
There was a glean in Ned’s eyes, and his grin nearly reached his ears. “Sure! Should be fun!” There was a faint blush tainting his cheeks.
Peter blinked. Since when had Ned… even thought about Betty? He turned to MJ, his face scrunched up. “How did you…”
MJ smirked. “I told you. I’m observant.”
- - - - - - - -
That Saturday afternoon, MJ stood in an empty apartment hallway, biting her lip. Her phone screen read 4:15. She was supposed to be here at 4:00. So, as far as she was concerned, she was right on time.
MJ knocked on the door, hoisting her backpack up higher on her shoulder. It swung open, and May stared back at her, a startled expression popping onto her face. “Um…. hello. Can I help you?”
Leaning over slightly to peek around May, MJ squinted into the apartment. No one else was in sight. “Where’s Peter?”
“Uh, he’s out…. Running an errand for me.” May frowned, glancing MJ up and down. “Who are you?”
MJ righted herself. “His Physic’s partner. MJ. Uh… Michelle.” For the briefest moment, doubt flickered across her face. “He… hasn’t mentioned me?” Catching herself, she added, “He didn’t say I was coming?”
May fought to keep the knowing smile off her face. “Oh, that’s right. He told me this morning you were coming. I’m sorry, I guess I forgot.” She moved to let MJ inside, and as the girl crossed the threshold, the clattering of falling objects rang out from Peter’s room. Both women turned to peer down the hallway, then turned back to face each other.
“I…. guess he’s here after all.” May shrugged. “I’ll just go. And get him. Now.”
MJ nodded, her frown growing steadily, but moved to set up their toothpick bridge supplies on the kitchen table. She heard some terse whispering down the hallway, and some more rattling, before moments later she was met by Peter in the kitchen.
“Hey! You’re… you’re here!” Peter grinned at her. His face was red and sweaty and his hair was a damp mess, sticking up every which way around his face.
She snorted, fighting the urge to grin. What a weirdo. “This bridge isn’t going to build itself.”