Chapter Text
“Hey Happy how's it going?” Peter answered the phone excited. It had been a couple of days since he left the new Avengers Tower, but it felt like longer. Which is why he got so enthusiastic when he saw Happy Hogan called.
“Hey Peter. Look th-”
“Thanks again for the ride the other day. The new tower is really cool. Wait, Mr. Stark isn't mad about me turning down the offer is he?”
“Tony's not mad. H-”
“So that really was a test, right? Because I saw on the news there actually was a press conference that day. But he got engaged.”
“Pete-” Happy tried.
“Oh crap! Did he want me there for that?”
“No. I-”
“So then I'm still an Avenger? Sorta. Right? Happy did he say any-”
“Hey kid, listen!”
“My bad,” Peter said, embarrassed. He a tendency to ramble on when talking about the Avengers. But they were superheroes, and he was one of them. He couldn’t help but geek out a little.
“Everything is cool,” Happy said. “I'm just calling to let you know that we're all still on the same team. Call if you need anything.”
“Will do Ha-“
“Not everything, just anything. Get it?”
Peter gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, even more embarrassed.
“Got it.”
“Good. Now enjoy school while you can. You don't wanna work for a living, trust me.”
“I'll keep that in mind Happy. Thanks”
Peter’s mood changed as soon as he got to Midtown Tech.
There was a lot to feel good about. The sun was rising, the weather was cool, and Peter was still enrolled in school. Sure, he wasn’t a full member of the Avengers but, he was still Spider-Man and he got the bad guy put in prison. Yet, he still felt bad.
He walked into school behind the large crowd of swarming kids. When he reached his locker, he held off on opening it, taking a moment to look around. The hallways of students were missing an obvious face.
He sighed, pulling out his phone.
Liz was the most beautiful, generous, and intelligent person in their school. And during her senior year, she had to move away because her father, the Vulture, was a villain that Spider-Man put away.
Peter got out his phone and scrolled through the contacts until he landed on Liz.
He thought so many times about telling her the truth. That he was Spider-Man, and he had her dad arrested. But every time he tried he just ended up chickening out and sounding stupid.
You’ve reached Liz. Please leave a message. Thanks!
“Hey Liz, it’s Peter Parker, again. Just calling to say sorry, again. For the, you know. Well anyways, just give me a call when you get this message, or one of the others. Uh, alright, bye.”
That didn’t come out how Peter wanted it to at all. It sounded kind of…
“Creepy”
Peter jumped at the sound of the voice. He turned to see Michelle Jones leaning against the lockers, laughing at how startled he was.
“Relax Parker, you’re safe. If I were to get dangerous with you…”
MJ’s grin fell and her eyes narrowed. She moved off the lockers and stepped in closer to Peter until their faces were only centimeters apart.
“You would know it.”
And without another word, she continued to make her way down the hall.
Peter didn’t know what the hell that meant but, it was creepier than his voicemail she just criticized. What was really creepy was how Michelle always seemed to pop up out of nowhere. He was going to have to train his Spider Sense just to be aware of her.
“Hey bro!”
Peter turned to see his best friend, Ned Leeds.
“Oh, hey Ned. Did you just call me ‘bro’?”
“Yeah bro. I was bingeing on some superhero movies last night, and it dawned on me, our bro language is weak. If we’re gonna finish this year off strong we gotta step into the new age. We still call each other ‘dude’ like some high school script written by people who were teenagers in the 80’s.”
Peter laughed. Lately, Ned was on a mission to make sure Spider-Man became the coolest superhero.
“Look dude,” Peter said, getting his books out of his locker. “Plenty of people still call each other ‘dude’. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned so far this year, it’s that it’s best to be yourself.
Ned scoffed, as they started to make their way down the hall. “Yeah easy for you to say. That’s the cliché lesson in the superhero script. Us normal kids gotta keep up to date.”
“Enough with the script talk. It’s starting to sound creepy.”
“Sup losers,” Flash Thompson, said bumping his way through Peter and Ned. If there was ever a reason that Peter wanted to use his powers outside of his suit, Flash was the reason. He constantly went out of his way just to let Peter and Ned know they aren’t ‘cool’.
“You’re on the academic team with us, Flash.” Peter yelled down the hall after him. “Hope you realize that.”
Flash stopped in his tracks to respond, “What, so I have to be a 6’2” ‘jock’ to know a loser when I see one? This ain’t some 80s movie, dorks. Welcome to our generation.” Flash laughed before turning a corner in the hall.
“Ugh! First period hasn’t even started and school already stinks.” Peter fell against the nearest locker, wondering if things were just going to get more annoying.
Then the class bell rang.
“Crap”
“Later bro”
“Ned!”
Tick, tick
Peter leaned over his desk and watched the ever-slow-moving clock while tuning-out his 7th period history teacher.
Tick, tick
In only a matter of seconds, he’d be free from school and back to his Spidey life.
Tick, tick
It felt like the clock was moving slower and the ticks were getting louder.
Tap, tap
Now there was another noise.
He looked to his right and saw MJ tapping her pencil against her desk. She was sitting up straight in her chair, looking more composed than him, but she was staring at the clock too.
Had she always been sitting next to him in this class? It was hard to tell. MJ had the ability to disappear and reappear. He never saw her coming, but she always seemed to be right there.
MJ turned her head and met his eyes. She looked bored but looked really nice today. She had on a fitted blue jean jacket with black and white sneakers that matched her shirt. He wondered what she had planned for after school, she never talked much about her personal life.
Weird girl. Weird, creepy, cute girl. Could someone creepy be cute? Maybe that’s why he never questioned her randomness. She was a mystery though.
Finally, the final bell rang
Startled, Peter knocked his book off his desk. He reached down but a hand was already on it. He looked up slowly to meet MJ’s eyes while she handed him the book.
“Surprised, Parker?” she said, nonchalant.
“Thanks Michelle. No it’s just, people usually aren’t so friendly at the end of the day.” He gestured to the rest of the kids running out of the classroom.
It’s like a jailbreak,” she joked. “You should run and don’t look back. Unless you’re helping a friend.”
Peter smiled. That was probably the nicest thing he thought she ever said to him. It was like her whole tone changed from this morning when she was mocking him. He wasn’t even sure how to react.
“My friend’s call me Peter, Michelle.”
“Then I guess you better start calling me MJ,” she shrugged. “Bye Peter.”
He watched her walk out. “Bye MJ,” he said softly, still surprised.
Weird girl
“Duude!” Ned ran up.
“Whoa Ned,” Peter stepped back, “Too close.”
“Duude!”
“What are you talking about? And I thought you were trying 'bro' now?”
“Sorry but this was a total 'dude' moment,” Ned whispered. “You and MJ dude. Why didn't you saying something was going on?”
“Because there's nothing going on, dude,” Peter whispered back.
“First Liz now MJ,” Ned said, amazed. “This superhero script is really working out for you.”
“Just come on,” Peter said, dragging them out of the classroom.