Chapter Text
Peter Parker was just an ordinary kid, he lived in a small two bedroom house with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Unlike most kids he had been through a lot, for his age at 14.
When he was 8, his parents died in a plane crash. They had gone on a trip for their 10th wedding anniversary, but before they could reach their destination, Hawaii; it ended catastrophically with the plane diving into the ocean. Lost at sea, no bodies were recovered. No word from the pilot as their plane fell. Nothing. Peter had been devastated, for two years he came up with conspiracy theories of what had happened to the plane, and how they were still alive. His Aunt May and Uncle Ben did everything they could to help him mourn and eventually he did. Mourning for Peter, involved a lot of tinkering in his backyard as he spoke to his neighbor/teacher Mr. Stark. At first, Mr. Stark acted as though the boy was a nuisance asking him questions all the time outside of the classroom. But he grew fond of the boy within time, even if he did less than he was capable of in classroom.
Peter came out of his shell more when he met Harley. Harley was troubled, he came from the wrong side of town. He had a much different life than Peter. By growing up in a trailer park, practically raising his sister; as his mother did shifty things to make ends meat. The two boys had met when Harley moved and started going to Pete’s middle school.
The bell had just rung for Mr. Stark’s science class, and everyone settled into their seats. It was one of Peter’s classes without Ned and it wasn’t his favorite. Because Mr. Stark knew Peter outside of class, he always pushed him to know the answers but Peter didn’t want to look like a know it all.
Harley opened the door abruptly five minutes late to class, his bag swung precariously on his shoulder, “This Mr. Stark’s class?”
Tony looked up from the notes on his desk, “You must be Mr. Keener, take a seat next to Parker. I’ll excuse the tardy since it’s your first day. But come in late tomorrow and I’ll give a tour of the school, myself.”
Peter waved to Harley with a friendly smile, “For the record, Parker is my last name. I’m Peter.”
He came over and sat beside him, “Harley.”
“Mr. Keener, before we start why don’t you stand up and tell the class about yourself.”
Harley stood up from his seat and tried his best not to groan, he had been through the new kid routine time and time again. “I’m Harley, Keener. Not much to tell.” He sat back down.
“I think there’s a lot to tell, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the year progresses. Class continue working on the reading, we started yesterday on page 22. Pete, give Mr. Keener a summary of what we read yesterday.”
Peter nodded politely, “We were just reading on the mitochondria.”
Harley cut in, “Oh yeah right, the powerhouse of the cell.”
“Guess you already know this stuff, but basically yeah. We’re reading about the animal cell and plant cells. Mr. Stark said at the end of the week we get to use microscopes to see cells!”
“You, really like biology huh? I’m more of a mechanic, I’ve been working on my dirt bike.”
“You have a dirt bike?” Peter’s mouth stuck open with surprise.
Harley smirked, “You’ll catch files if you keep that up, but yeah. My dad le-gave it to me.”
“That’s so cool! I just have a mountain bike.”
“Mr. Parker, Mr. Keener start working on the reading. You can finish this conversation at lunch, I presume.” Mr. Stark says interrupting their chatter.
“What lunch do you have?” Peter asks
“First, you?”
“First! And you can meet my friend Ned and we can all be friends.”
Harley shrugged nonchalantly, holding back a grin, “Cool.”
MJ looked up from her textbook, she sat at the back of the class beside her lab partner Betty, “Can you two not? I can’t focus on the reading with all the blabber.”
Peter rolled his eyes, “We weren’t even talking that loud, but whatever I have to finish the reading anyways. But I’m not doing it because you asked.”
By the time Peter turned around in his seat Harley was already doing the reading, so he shuffled quickly to the page and began as well. The boys ended up miraculously having every class together, “So English, with Mr. Barnes; how’s he?” Harley asked as the boys walked to their next class.
“He’s the best, well besides Mr. Stark. You’ll like him, he rides a motorcycle.”
“Okay.” He shrugged, “Is Mr. Barnes the teacher with the man bun?”
“Yeah, I mean you don’t have to add man to the title.”
“English isn’t my best subject.” Harley shrugged as they walked in and sat in the back.
“I’m good at English, well somewhat. We’re reading this book called the Outsiders and I really like it.”
“Oh I’ve seen that movie.”
“There’s a movie?”
“Yeah, it’s okay I guess. Kinda depressing.”
“I bet it’s good, the book is really good.”
“Yeah, okay Pony Boy.”
“Do you want to come over after school?”
“I would, but I gotta watch my little sister Abbie.”
Peter frowned, “Oh, well maybe tomorrow. Ned and I are working on this mechanical dog, it’s just made out of spare parts but it’s cool. We’re trying to figure out how to make it bark.”
“That’s cool, but why not get a real dog? It’s easy enough to find a stray.”
“Ned’s parents won’t let him, because he lives in an apartment and I don’t want to ask my aunt.”
“Oh, you live with your aunt?”
“Yeah, I live with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben.”
Before Harley could respond, Mr. Barnes came into the classroom. “Okay, everyone settle down, we have a new student today. Keener, stand up.”
Harley promptly stood up and sat back down.
Mr. Barnes rolled his eyes, “Stand up and tell the class about yourself.”
Harley reluctantly stood back up, “My name is Harley Keener and I’d rather not be here. See it even rhymes, perfect for English.” then he sat back down and turned around to face Peter. “I thought you said Man Bun was cool.”
“He is cool, just he can be kind of strict. He let us read a comic book back in august.”
“Where’s that guy?” He groaned, as the class begun. The class held a discussion over the last chapter they read of the book and compared it to the modern day issue of class system.
“Peter, do you think that there’s a social divide at school?” Mr. Barnes asks.
Peter looked at him thoughtfully, “Well yeah, it’s middle school. It’s not like everyone gets along but it’s more because of interests than because of a class system.”
“And what do you mean by that?” Mr. Barnes asks, urging him to continue.
“Well, I mean popularity is all subject to which group you’re in. You might be popular in marching band, but not with the football team or vice versa. It’s middle school, no one is friends with everyone.”
“Okay, Harley. What’s your perspective?”
“I haven’t read the book.” He put his hands up in defense.
“You don’t have to for this question, do you think modern day schools have division among them because of a class system.”
Harley nodded, “Yeah, everyone judges everyone by their appearance. I mean people care whether or not you have apple or android.”
There were grumblings about apple being clearly better amongst other things.
“Quiet. Why do you think students judge each other based on appearance?” Mr. Barnes continued.
Harley shrugged, “Because stereotypes are ingrained in us.”
“Thank you, Mr. Keener. For homework, you all have to write an opinionated paper on what stereotypes you’ve seen in school.” The class all groaned, as the bell rang signaling the end of class. “Remember, I dismiss not the bell. Alright you can go.”
“I thought you said you weren’t good at English.” Peter says as they walked out of the class toward the cafeteria.
“I’m not, I’m good at having opinions.” Harley shrugged, “I’ve been in enough schools to see how people judge other people.”
“Oh..I can’t wait to read your paper.”
“Yeah, I’m not doing that.”
“I thought you were good at having opinions.”
“Doesn’t mean, I’m good at writing. Besides I’ve got more important stuff to do.”
“More important than homework? Aunt May says that school is our job.”
“Well I got other jobs.”
“Like what?”
“Like mind your own business, come on. I’m hungry.”
Peter shrugged and the two got in line for lunch beside Ned, “Hey Ned! This my new friend Harley, Harley, Ned.”
“Oh hey; you’re the new kid right?”
“Yep; that’s my title but I prefer Harley.” He slumped his shoulders, “nice to meet you.”
“How’s your day been so far?” Peter asks Ned.
“Good, I think I aced Mr. Rhodes’s math test.”
“Of course you did.” Peter grinned, “So it’s not hard?”
“It’s not hard if you studied.”
“Great a test on my first day.” Harley grumbled, as he put his hands in his pockets.
“I’m sure you won’t have to take it, Mr. Rhodes is nice. Or if you do, it’ll just be a practice test to see how much you know. Mr. Rhodes is really good. He explains everything.”
“Yeah and he has really cool stories about the Air Force.”
“Why would go from the Air Force to being a Math teacher?”
“I don’t know, ask him. He explains everything.” Peter grabbed a tray, today was macaroni and cheese, it was rather soupy looking but he didn’t mind.
“Is the food here any good?” Harley asks as they sat down at Peter’s typical table. He stabbed his fork in the less than appetizing pasta.
“It’s decent, I mostly pack my lunch though.” Ned nodded and turned to Peter, “I thought of a way to make our robotic dog, bark. We’ll just take the voice chip out of your old build a bear and modify it to barking noises that we can download online.”
“That’s genius, maybe Mr. Stark will help us with the coding.”
“Mr. Stark helps you outside of school?” Harley asks
“He’s my next door neighbor, most of the time he’s willing to help with projects unless he’s watching his daughter Morgan.”
“Oh, so that’s why he’s your favorite teacher.”
“Yeah, well most of the time. Sometimes he gets on my nerves, he always looking at me to answer questions in class whenever no one raises their hand.”
Flash waltzed over to the table where the boys sat talking and munching on the supposed Mac and Cheese, “So Penis Parker, did do my math homework like you were supposed to?”
Peter shook his head, “I was going to, but Aunt May said you should do your own work and that you wouldn’t learn if I did it for you.”
“Well she didn’t know the consequences of you not doing the work, Penis.” He snarled as he punched his hand against his fist in a barbaric way.
“Maybe, you should spend more time doing your homework and less in detention.” Harley growled as he stood up.
“And how would you know if I spend time in detention, new kid?”
Harley deadpanned, “I know your type, you bully other people into doing your work because you’re too lazy to do yourself. You kiss up to teachers but they still don’t like you.”
“What about all that talk about stereotypes earlier, huh?” Flash laughed heartily.
“Well you break the stereotypical bully mold somewhat, you’re smaller that the typical brute and clearly not a jock.”
Then Flash snapped and sucker punched Harley’s jaw, Harley was about to hit back in self defense when they were pulled apart from other. As teachers ran over to the scene. “Keener, Thompson, Principal’s office now.” Mr. Barnes says
Peter shot Harley an apologetic look as the two walked to the office. Harley seemed unnerved as he walked on. When he and Flash arrived, the office gave Harley an ice pack and asked to speak to the boys separately starting with Harley. To Harley’s surprise, Mr. Stark was behind the desk.
“You’re the principal too?” He asked as he sat down and held the ice pack to his jaw.
“Yes I was promoted but didn’t want to give up teaching, anyways you’ve quite the first day, Mr. Keener.” Mr. Stark says looking him over.
“Well it’s still ongoing.”
“Yeah, a half day here and already a fight.”
“Technically not a fight, I was just punched.”
“You would have hit back if you weren’t pulled back.”
“But I didn’t.”
Mr. Stark rolled his eyes, “What happened?”
“I was eating lunch with Peter and Ned when he approached our table.” He continued to tell him exactly what happened with the back and forth, then the eventual punch.
“I’ll deal with the cheating and the physical violence Mr. Thompson has been guilty before. Since it’s your first day and you didn’t get physical, I’ll let you off with a warning. But due to the damage to your jaw, I will need to call your mother to take you home for the day.”
Harley shook his head, “I’ve had worse, don’t call her. She’s busy at work, it was just a hit to the jaw.”
Mr. Stark frowned at the sentiment, “Alright, I won’t call her and I hope this is the last time I see you in my office.”
“It probably won’t be.”
Mr. Stark grimaced at his honesty, “I’ll write you a note for your tardiness and get to Mr. Rhodes’s class.” Harley slipped the note in his hand, gave him a salute and walked out of the office. Mr. Stark called Eugene “Flash” Thompson into his office, where he was promptly suspended for 3 days.
Harley found the classroom, he opened the creaky door. It was silent as the students were taking a test. Mr. Rhodes accepted the note and had Harley sit up front. He gave him a worksheet to see where he was at in math as the others worked on their tests. Once all the tests were handed in, Mr. Rhodes allowed them to talk amongst themselves.
“I’m sorry about your jaw, you didn’t have to take up for me. I hope you didn’t get in any trouble.” Peter asks glumly, “I can handle Flash.”
“It’s not a big deal, I didn’t get in trouble and you don’t have to put up with him for the next three days.”
“Flash got suspended?”
“Yep, I heard Mr. Stark talking to him as I left. You didn’t tell me he was the principal too.”
“You didn’t ask.”