The class went by completely unnoticed. There were two things that kept me going all day.
The first was adrenaline and the feeling of imminent revenge. The second was the stares of all the students in the school.
Mostly pitying. But there were some gloating ones, especially from Sally Ervil, the short, blonde cheerleader. She was a bitch.
But that's all right, I guess.
- So, what are the ionic compounds in this lattice, anyone? - Professor Foswell asked the question.
- 'The charges are strictly positive in this formula, Professor,' I decided to participate in class for the first time all day.
What can I say, with a hit, physics became my favourite. And really, why not love something you understand so well?
- That's right, Mr Parker. Very glad you've joined the discussion," said the professor, doling out a formula on the blackboard.
Fifteen minutes later, the last class was over, and the adrenaline, coupled with anticipation, skyrocketed.
- Pete, it's not too late to change your mind. Trust me, no one will judge you," Miles nodded silently, agreeing with Gwen's words.
- Believe me, Gwen, I've got everything under control," I answered, throwing my backpack on my shoulder.
So, we, our friendly company, went to the abandoned warehouse. The only thing that kept me from running there at full speed was the presence of my friends and the dozens of students who were walking along with us.
It was like a funeral procession, for God's sake.
Oh, they don't believe in old Peter Parker.
We met nothing unusual on the way, and after we had passed the locked gates we found ourselves in an abandoned harbour warehouse. Where Thompson was waiting with the other half of the students and his regular singers.
- Look at that, Parker the nerd coming to his own funeral," Eugene said, trying to psychologically overpower me and win the rest of the students over to his side.
- Nice try, Thompson, but your bravado is useless in this situation. It's time to end this charade," I said, stepping out into the centre of the wide area.
- I don't understand anything from your rambling, loser, but I agree with your last statement," the footballer confirmed, coming out after me.
Schoolchildren surrounded us from all sides and, like the ancient crowds in the Roman Coliseum, they shouted for bread and spectacle and bloodshed.
Thompson moved towards me without worrying at all, and I, in turn, calmly spread my hands apart in an inviting gesture.
Blondie didn't appreciate the mockery and, like an enraged bull, he ran, seeking to
to strike.
To be fair, Flash is in pretty good shape, but to me and my spider reflexes, he's like a snail. Totally unperturbed, I let the jock pass me, stepping aside and giving him a light smack.
- Seriously, Eugene, even in fifth grade you were more aggressive.
Flash, like everyone else, stared at me in shock. The crowd didn't last long, though, and they went into a feverish frenzy again. Thompson's mates were especially active.
- Come on, Flash, kick his arse!
- It's Parker, what are you doing?!
Kong and Ken shouted in two voices.
- Flash, seriously, if you keep embarrassing yourself like this, we're breaking up," Liz Allen said.
- Wow, fans, friends, and even a girlfriend, it's been a while since you've actively lost your status like this, right, 'Flash'," I continued to taunt the jock.
- Shut up!
Unable to think of anything new to say, the blond boy threw himself at me with his fists. As I continued to dodge and look at the jock like he was nothing, I suddenly felt threatened.
- Pete, behind you! - Miles shouted sharply.
Thanks, mate, but I've got it. With great speed I leapt aside, just as I missed Kenny Kong's huge body. Of course, the fatty couldn't handle his own amplitude and flew into Flash.
- Yeah, good job, man. By the way, thanks for the info, Miles - I salute Morales with a two-finger salute. - I didn't really expect a fair fight, one-on-one, but next time, Thompson, call someone who's got your back instead of getting in the way.
After pushing Kong back into the crowd and glaring at me angrily, Eugene couldn't take it anymore:
- What the fuck, you could never fight back! What happened to you, Parker?
- Just tired, Flash. I'm tired of your bullying and your attitude. And nothing much has changed. Remember, just because someone doesn't show off their talents, like signing up for the football team, doesn't mean they're helpless.
- It's not going to help you anyway!
Honestly...same moves, for the third time. Okay, time to call it a day.
Ducking behind my opponent's shoulder, I crouch down and hit his lead leg in an underhook, Thompson legitimately falls on his arse. I'm sure it's on the concrete - it's pretty painful. To the jock's credit, it's like he didn't notice and got right back on his feet. So we'll use a little more force. Still dodging, waiting for the right moment. Noticing that the athlete is out of breath, I quickly close in and, holding back as much as possible, I strike him in the stomach with my knee.
The crowd falls silent, and Thompson collapses in a coughing fit. Everyone waits for my next move. Calmly, I walk over to Flash and bring my hand up...the jock squirms, covering his face, but when he opens his eyes, he finds that I'm giving him a palm, inviting him up. After a long moment of thought, Eugene accepts the helping hand. As I lift Flash up, I look around the silent room.
- Let what happened here today be a lesson to everyone. It's time to end it folks, seriously. We don't need to be feuding. - I'm looking at an athlete - like you, Flash. I know that somewhere very, very deep down inside, you're a normal guy. I don't know what makes you act like an arsehole, but hopefully what happened will make you think about your future actions towards others. Make you all think.
With shocked looks, I make my way through the crowd dispersing
in front of me like a wave splitting into two tributaries from a cliff. I take my
rucksack and walk away in silence.
***
- This. That was. Awesome! - Miles yells across the street.
My friends caught up with me ten minutes later and immediately started hitting me with remarks. Morales mostly admiring, Stacy mostly questioning.
- Do you really think that something will change because of what happened? - Gwen said with a raised eyebrow.
- I can only hope. In any case, today's event will make you wary of me, at the very least. And not to lash out at my friends. All in all it was worth it.
- Seriously, where did you learn to move like that? - staring
staring at me with admiring eyes, Miles asks.
- Apparently the Bruce Lee films paid off," I joked back, not intending to admit it.
- Yeah, those few hours were worth it.
I've stopped dead in my tracks.
- How many?!
- Yeah, you must have been beating the Flash so hard that the time
flew by, Gwen added, as I frantically thought about the situation.
It's about forty minutes from the school to the warehouse, plus the distance from home... shit!
- I'm late!
Before Gwen and Miles knew it, Peter was running away from them like a stung man.
- Wow, he must be very late," the brunet nodded to his friend.
Come on, come on. I'm so late! Now I'll be less self-consciously savouring the fruits of victory. I promised Uncle Ben. Damn! The old man's counting on me. Good boy, Parker.
I'm running as fast as I can, trying not to hit any passersby.
At the same time, I'm praying to all the gods I don't get a reprimand.
When I get to the main street of my neighbourhood, I run towards my house.
I run in, opening the door. In the living room, a frightened Aunt May is spilling tea.
- Peter Benjamin Parker! Why are you running in here like that? You scared me.
- Sorry, Auntie. I was in a hurry, where's Uncle Ben?
- In the garage, he didn't wait for you, he's a little sad.
- I know I screwed up. I hope he's okay with it.
I go into the garage and I see my uncle painting the wall on a stepladder.
- Don't say anything. I know. I said I'd be home right after school and I was a few hours late. My mistake. No offence, please.
- Peter, you're young, things happen at your age. Believe me, I'm not going to get angry or resentful because of one mistake. After all, you're here," the old man said good-naturedly. - Now give me a hand, there's plenty of work to do," he commented gloatingly, handing me the roller.
I exhaled relaxedly, accepting the tool.
And so we began to work, bantering at times.
- So what kept you going in the end?
- Mm-hmm.
And what, admit it? All right, whatever.
- Actually, I was returning an old favour.
- How specific? - Ben's more focused now.
- Remember Flash Thompson?
- The bully who's been picking on you since primary school? Of course I do. What happened?
- Well, it's just that today I decided to pay him back for all the humiliation.
- Peter, you were always against it, even when I suggested it. You said it was unwise to react and that it would pass soon," my uncle said with a puzzled look.
- That's right. It was unwise to involve you in my conflict. And today I've solved everything," I comment without distracting myself from painting.
- You were in a fight? - Ben asked glumly.
- Yes," I said with a steady, confident look.
- Was anyone hurt? - Uncle asks, frowning even harder.
- Not as bad as I could have been. Besides, I've tried to plant some seeds of reason in their heads since the incident," I say confidently.
- Look, Peter, I'm not going to lecture you, I'm not a saint myself. But remember, reason must always prevail in people. You may be strong, but the greater the strength, the greater the responsibility," the old man said in a heartfelt speech, putting his hand on my shoulder.
Wow. That's the crowning phrase from that man's mouth... it gave me goosebumps.
- I'll remember, Uncle. I do," I look into Ben's eyes earnestly.
- All righty then. I trust you, champ, I'm sure you did the right thing. Let's get back to work.
We were painting the garage again, but I didn't feel any guilt. It's always nice to talk to someone you trust.
Thirty minutes later, Aunt May came in and brought us lemonade.
My uncle and I leaned against the tool rack and took a break to talk.
- Look, Uncle Ben, I'm sorry if I'm prying, but I've been wondering for a long time. Why don't you and Aunt May have kids of your own? - I wanted to ask that question so badly. I couldn't help it. The old man even got upset. - You don't have to answer if you don't want to.
- No, no, Peter, it's nothing like that. You see, when I was young, a lot of things happened in my life and in the world. These things had consequences. And I'll always be grateful to God that I came back alive, even if not quite healthy," Ben explained sadly, though not in detail.
- I'm sorry, Uncle, I didn't know.
- Your aunt is a miracle, a real angel. Many women in her place would have left when they learnt the diagnosis, but she stayed with me. For that I will forever appreciate her sacrifice," my uncle brightened slightly. - And then you came along, even though it was a terrible experience, your parents... but we were there for you and tried our best to take care of you.
- And I will always remember your sacrifice.
- No need for that, son. We didn't sacrifice anything. Quite the opposite. Wow, you made the old man cry. Let's just get back to work.
- All right.
***
Meanwhile, in the office of Oscorp.
Norman Osborne sat in the darkness of his huge office.
staring out the panoramic window. The businessman's musings were interrupted by a message
from his secretary.
- 'Mr Osborne, Professor Doles requests permission to enter.
- Send him in.
- Mr Osborne, you wanted to see me," the bald scientist hissed, sweating and nervously rubbing the collar of his lab coat.
- What about the missing sample?
- The object disappeared from its reservoir. We tried to track it through the surveillance system, but there was nothing unusual on the cameras that day. There was a school field trip, but nothing out of the ordinary happened during it.
- Could the subject have escaped from the lab? - The head of a multibillion-dollar corporation asks sternly.
- Normally everything is pretty airtight, but with the schoolchildren allowed in... anything's possible.
- Check the security tapes again. I'm sure the answer's in them. This is your only chance, Doles. You let me down and--" the man didn't finish.
Everyone at Oscorp, from the brilliant scientist to the caretaker, knew how authoritarian Norman Osborn was and what happens to those who let him down.
The scientist left the office stammering.
***
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