"In 1930, under Republican control, the House of Representatives worsened the Great Depression and later passed... Can anyone tell me what bill the government enacted?"
The middle-aged history teacher turned to the students in front of him, but most of them were either asleep or whispering among themselves, uninterested in answering.
"The Tariff Act, also known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act," Gwen Stacy, the top student, stood up, offering help.
"That's correct, Miss Stacy," the teacher nodded approvingly. "However, does anyone know how effective it was? In fact, this set of bills failed, and the U.S. government sank deeper into the Great Depression."
At the back of the classroom, Peter Parker sat in silence, his mind wandering. His attention wasn't on the teacher or the textbook in front of him, but on memories from his past life in an alien world. Casually, he jotted down a few notes that might lead him to a new discovery.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from outside the classroom!
The shrill cry jolted the students from their drowsiness. The history teacher, momentarily confused, hurried to the door and peered out. A crowd of students had gathered near the storage closet down the hall. Some of them appeared faint, likely terrified by whatever they had seen.
The teacher tried to keep the class in order, but curiosity took over as the students rushed out to see what was happening.
Peter followed, weaving through the crowd until he reached the storage room. What met his eyes was disturbing: a human-sized cocoon, made from spider silk, lay in the center of the room. The cocoon had a pungent, nauseating smell that Peter recognized all too well.
One end of the cocoon had been torn open, revealing a decayed, grotesque face. The mouth was open wide in a final scream, eyes locked in a horrified expression. Those closest to the scene gagged, some running away to vomit.
"It's Josh Rob! The quarterback of the football team!" one of the students shouted.
Josh had been absent from school for several days, and everyone had assumed he was simply taking a break. No one imagined he'd be found like thisāwrapped in a horrifying cocoon.
"It's you, Peter!" Kenny McFarland, a classmate who often bullied Peter, pointed at him accusingly.
Kenny, a large, brawny student nicknamed "King Kong," stood beside "Lightning" Thompson, the two forming a notorious bully duo at school. Peter had humiliated Josh in a previous altercation, and now Kenny was quick to blame him.
"After you beat up Josh, he disappeared! He missed class, even football practice! You did this, Peter!" Kenny shouted.
Lightning Thompson nodded in agreement, and suddenly, all eyes were on Peter. Fear, panic, hatred, and suspicion filled the air. Accused of being a murderer, Peter remained expressionless, his cold eyes meeting Kenny's.
King Kong recoiled slightly, embarrassed by his fear, then stepped forward again, trying to regain his bravado.
"Shut up!" Gwen Stacy shouted at Kenny, her voice filled with anger. "You're accusing Peter without any evidence! Do you realize what you're saying?!"
Despite knowing about the conflict between Peter and Josh, Gwen believed Peter would never be capable of something like this. She trusted him, confident that Peter wasn't the kind of person to take someone's life.
Peter, meanwhile, was calm, showing little reaction to the accusations. It didn't matter that he wasn't the culprit. Even if he had been, he felt no pressure. The opinions of bystanders meant nothing to him.
Staring at the cocooned corpse, Peter's thoughts raced. The killer had used spider silk. Could this be Spider-Man's work?
No way, Peter thought. Spider-Man hadn't even been born yet.
As the scene grew more chaotic, the history teacher finally regained his composure and began dispersing the crowd. He left a few students to guard the area while someone went to notify the principal.
The teacher's eyes fell on Peter with a complicated expression. "Parker, come with me to the office."
"I'll go too," Gwen offered, stepping forward to stand by Peter's side.
"No need," Peter shook his head. "I'm fine."
Gwen watched Peter walk away with the teacher, frustration boiling within her. Determined, she pulled out her phone and dialed her father's number.
"Dad, it's Gwen. Listen, something happened at school, but Peter didn't do it. You have to help him!"
In the afternoon, hurried footsteps sounded outside the assistant principal's office. Morton, the vice principal, opened the door to see an anxious woman standing there. Aunt May rushed in, her eyes immediately finding Peter, who sat quietly in a chair. Ignoring Morton, she hurried over and embraced her nephew tightly.
Peter could feel Aunt May's slight tremors. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly hugged her back.
"Are you okay, Peter?" Aunt May's eyes were red as she released him, gripping his hands. "Your uncle and I came as soon as we heard. Thank God you're alright."
Just then, Uncle Ben appeared in the doorway.
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