Inspired by Stuck with us by petroltogo on ao3
you can also read this on ao3 by the way
Summary: Tony Stark is the son of a very rich man and because of that, Tony has been going to private schools since pre-school. That was until he begged his parents to let him go to Homeland High School. Now Tony has to figure out the meaning of friendship while at the same time trying to figure out how to turn his new friend back into a human!
Just Kidding, this isn't a Disney Movie.
This is his freshman year after all.
Tony was the only offspring to come from Maria and Howard Stark's nightly endeavors, causing him to be the only heir to a multi-millionaire company. Since he was an only child his parents took great care to make sure that he was kept out of the public's eye, in hopes that it would diminish the possible death threats and kidnappings that was bound to come with the title of being the son of a well-known genius and weapons designer. But as Tony grew older Howard and Maria realized that the public really didn't keep up with any other rich family that wasn't Kardashian related. Thank god for Kanye West, he's taking one for the team.
Which is the argument Tony used when he brought up the topic of going to a public high school instead of the private school they had in plan for him.
"No one will know who I am." Tony said. Tony had brought up the topic over dinner. He was nervous but he had stayed calm and collected, knowing that his usual fidgety and expressive movements he usually got when trying to prove a point would only aggravate his father and make him lose his attention. "No one even knows that Stark Industries exists."
"Many know of our company Tony." Howard said. It wasn't surprising that his father had taken offense to him pointing out SI was not widely known to the average person. Tony's father had built his company from scratch with his business partner and longtime friend Obadiah Stane.
"Yes, SI is known by many politicians, investors, and higher ups in the military," Tony said. "But the average citizen doesn't know the name of their own house representative, let alone companies like ours."
"That might be true, Tony." Maria said. "But how can you compare the quality of education you will get from a private school to a public school."
"We all know that if I really wanted to I would have skipped several grades by now." And it was true. He was a certified genius. He had contemplated the idea of skipping several grade levels before but the fact that he had trouble making friends with kids his own age, let alone kids older than him, always canceled that thought out. "There is no doubt that I will most certainly be the top of my class. My name and I.Q. alone could get me into MIT."
And really that's all his parents cared about. Not because they wanted their son to get the best higher education that they could give him, but because they had an image to maintain. His father had gone and graduated from MIT and his grandfather before him (who, Tony is reminded constantly of how he, helped in the Manhattan project back in WWII).
So really, the thought of sending their only son to a public school was completely absurd. Although they couldn't exactly disregard Tony's points, their son didn't need the extra help a private school usually gives children. Tony Stark could easily fly above every single child in his class. He was already getting invitations to tour campuses of schools from the UC and CSU systems alike (as if Howard would ever let his son stoop as low as go to any school in California).
"Alright," Howard said, grabbing his napkin from his lap and wiped his mouth clean and then threw it gently onto his now empty plate. Which signaled for the young maid in the corner to come and get out of his sight. "You can go to a public school, but the second your rank in the class drops from number one I'm sending you back to private school."
"Understood," Tony said, hiding his smile by finally going back to eating his, now cold, food.
The next week, Tony found himself being dropped off by his father's driver in front of his new high school; already starting to regret convincing his parents to let him go to a public school. Everyone was staring at the, very noticeably expensive, car and it was starting to make him nervous. He didn't let it show though, this was high school after all.
He simply placed his designer shades over his eyes before opening the car door and making his way towards the school.
/
Honestly, whoever thought it was a good idea to mislead children into thinking that high school was anything like what they showed on Disney Channel and every other "coming of age" movie, could go fuck themselves.
It was near the end of the third week of the new school year and Tony was already branded as the "nerdy rich kid". He sat alone during his lunch period and was only spoken to when his teachers forced the class to work in partners.
Tony had no idea how to feel about this.
At his old school it was a completely different story. He didn't necessarily have friends but he was never alone. There was always a classmate next to him; playing nice only because his name just so happened to be Stark.
"Networking." His father had told him. "Every single one of those kids were going to take over their family business one day. So they might as well start kissing some ass right now."
A nauseating feeling had settled in Tony's stomach after his father had explained things. He had not needed to "network" as much as classmates had; SI was doing fine and was growing more every year. His pride might have also played a part of the reason why he didn't.
He had been surrounded by people back at his old school but for some reason he had felt...lonely. At that school Tony didn't have anyone that really wanted to be around him because they genuinely liked being around him. So that is why Tony had asked to be sent to a public school, where there was a greater possibility no one would know his name, giving him a chance to make actual real friends.
Sadly, life wasn't what the Disney Empire would want you to think. There was no best friend that would turn into some sort of dog and help him solve the mystery of a buried treasure chest in the city while also helping Tony find out the real value of friendship. No, Tony was more alone than he had been back at his old private school, but strangely he wasn't so lonely….
"Hey, what did you get for number eight?" Tony's biology partner asked him.
Her name was probably Megan or something like that, Tony couldn't be bothered to try to remember. She was a pretty girl with long blonde hair and was in her junior year of high school. Tony had wondered why she was taking this biology class considering it was mostly known as a freshman class. It wasn't until he was sat next and forced to work with her that he realized that she lived up to the blonde stereotype.
"Oxygen is an example of passive transport because it doesn't need any required energy when moving into the cell." Tony said, exasperatedly. "While an example of active transport is…"
Tony was a man of science. He loves science, and even though biology was not his utmost favorite branch of science, he held a degree of respect for the biology field. It was an incredible subject and Tony unsurprisingly flourished in it, but Maybe Megan was sucking the fun out of it with every stupid question she asked him.
"Hey, thanks!" Maybe Megan said. "I think I understand now."
You'll probably ask me to explain it again tomorrow, Tony thought to himself.
"Yeah, no problem," Tony said, giving her one of his not so genuine smiles.
He turned back to his own worksheet and started to work, expecting their little conversation to be over.
"Hey, so I'm having a party this Saturday," Maybe Megan said. "Why don't you come over?"
"You're…you're inviting me?" Tony asked.
Tony and Maybe Megan never hold actual conversations while in class, let alone outside of class. They weren't friends and Tony couldn't stand the girl, and he was sure that Maybe Megan felt the same way towards him. So the fact that she was inviting him to one of her house parties was a strange anomaly.
"Yeah, it'll be fun." She reached over and grabbed Tony's hand and wrote her address on his hand with her pink sharpie pen. "I'll see you there."
She gave Tony a quick smile and zipped up her bag just a couple of seconds before the bell rang, quickly exiting the classroom. Leaving Tony to just stare down at the pink words in total shock. It wasn't the first party he's ever been invited to but this was the first time it's happened in this place. So it was understandable that Tony would be shocked still.
"Mr. Stark." His biology teacher's voice brought Tony back to reality. "Shouldn't you be heading to your next class?"
"Uh…yeah sorry." Tony grabbed his notebook in a hurry and shoved it into his bag, quickly leaving the classroom.
/
Tony's next class, and least favorite, was art class. He hadn't wanted to take the class but his counselor had told him that it was required for him to take some sort of art for him to graduate. His choices were limited between joining the school's chorus choir and signing up for the school's only art class. Considering that he can't sing for shit, Tony decided to take Mr. Coulson's art class.
"That looks amazing." Mr. Coulson said. "Good job, Steve."
Tony couldn't help but roll his eyes as he heard Coulson praise Steve for the sixteenth time this week.
Steve Rogers was the freshmen heartthrob of the school. According to all of Rogers' fangirls and fanboys, the guy is the personification of perfection. Steve Rogers was not only a talented artist (based on how many times Mr. Coulson reminded the whole class) but he was also the JV football team's best player. He was nice and polite to all, but wasn't afraid to argue with teachers and students alike if he thinks they are in the wrong.
"I don't like bullies." Steve had told them during his little introduction that Coulson had made everyone do on the first day of class. He was truly the "All American Boy".
"Mr. Stark, that isn't what I asked for."
Tony sighed as his sketch book was taken away from him. He turned in his seat to look up at Mr. Coulson, who was looking at the sketches of the latest invention that had popped into Tony's head.
"The assignment isn't due until tomorrow, Mr. Coulson. I'll have it done like everything else you've assigned so far." Tony said, but only got a hum back from Coulson.
"Starting right now and going on until the end of the end—"Mr. Coulson closes Tony's sketch book and places it back on to the table before walking back to the front of the class—"you all will be working in pairs."
A collective groan goes through the class.
"Quite." Coulson said. "I'll be assigning the pairs based on how your differing styles could help one another with the project I have planned for all of you. Now listen for your name: Lisa and Jose, Aaron and Jamie, Tony and Steve, Marcos and Miguel…"
Tony couldn't help the groan that came out of him. He had had a feeling that Coulson didn't really like him but he never had anything to prove the feeling right, until now. It wasn't that he didn't like Steve; he had no reason to hate the guy because they've never really talked to one another before. No, Tony was not dreading this partner thing because he hated Rogers. No…it was because Rogers hated him.
Of course Tony didn't have any real evidence to back up that statement, but he knew that it was true. Every time Tony said or did something while being in the same room as the guy he would get that feeling in his gut he would get that warned him that someone didn't like him and his gut was never wrong. It was too well trained from when he was back at his old boarding school. He didn't know why Steve didn't like him (he's never done anything to the guy) but really he wasn't mildly surprised. It was common for people not to like him from the get-go. He was used to it…
"Steve Rogers," The blonde introduced himself as he took his seat, as they hadn't already known that the other existed, and held out his hand for Tony to shake. "Looks like we'll be working with each other."
"Tony Stark," Tony said, shaking Rogers' hand. "And apparently so."
/
The rest of the week was completely, horribly, uncomfortable. Rogers, unlike Tony, loved the class and took it very seriously. Which caused Steve to get super pissed off when Tony didn't. Their arguments we're stupid and very petty, and just ended with Tony having a migraine for the rest of the day. So Tony was very thankful when the week ended and Saturday rolled in.
He originally wasn't planning to go to Maybe Megan's party but Rogers' nagging could have pushed him to alcoholism; he needed some sort of stress relief.
Maybe Megan's house was filled with, what Tony guessed to be, upperclassman. The air was weirdly warm and sticky, and it only got worse the more Tony walked further into the crowd. The whole house pulsed and rattled; Tony not being able to recognize the music that was playing. Tony started to tap his fingers against his leg as his nerves started to flare up.
He knew no one at the party, unsurprisingly, but Tony didn't want to show how uncomfortable he really was. So instead of heading out of the house and calling Jarvis to come and pick him up (like a normal person), he confidently walked over to the kitchen to grab a drink.
He only made it a couple of steps before he was stopped.
"Aren't you a little young to be here?" Some guy, who was next to the snack bar, said.
He was taller than Tony and was wearing a letterman jacket, even though it was the middle of August.
"I'm fourteen." Tony said.
"You should go back home." Letterman said. "This isn't a birthday party."
"I was invited to come here actually." Tony said, glaring up at the other guy.
"Oh really?" Letterman
"Leave him alone Philip!" A Maybe Megan said, coming out of nowhere just in time to save Tony. "This is the kid that's helping me pass biology."
"Oh," Philip laughed. "This is the little genius you were talking about."
"Yeah," Maybe Megan giggled, throwing her arm around Tony's shoulder. Her breath smelled of beer. "This is Tony."
"Alright, sorry little dude," Philip said, he turned around and grabbed one of the beer bottles that were placed there. "Here, have some."
"Uh…thanks," Tony said, grabbing the bottle. He unscrewed the bottle and took a gulp from it.
"Hey, looks like little genius can hold his drinks." Philip said.
"The birthday parties I went to were pretty hardcore." Tony shrugged, causing Philip to laugh.
Tony couldn't help but grin. That feeling in his chest that he has had for weeks now, disappeared. He hadn't wanted to acknowledge it but…he's been feeling really lonely, and having people talk to him and laugh with him was a weird relief.
"Told you he was cool." Maybe Megan said. "I think we should add him to the team."
"Team?" Tony asked.
The "team" they were talking about was a Beer Pong team, apparently they were a team member short for the tournament that was happening in Maybe Megan's backyard.
"You know how to play right?" Philip asked Tony as the three of them walked up to their side of the table.
The foldable table was placed in the area between the house backdoor and the pool. The standard ten red plastic cups where placed on both sides of the table in the shape of a triangle. A crowd was formed around them in a U shaped form on the non-poolside. The smell of chlorine heavy in the air.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know how to play." Tony said.
"Challengers go first." The girl from the winning team said. "Each player gets one throw."
Maybe Megan stepped forward with the yellow Ping-Pong ball. She twirled the ball in her hand while she focused on the red cups in front of them, then pulled her arm back, threw and missed.
"Damn." Maybe Megan said, as the crowd booed.
Philip gently pushed her out of the way before lining up his shot and throwing his own ball. The yellow bounced between the rims of two cups before ultimately falling off the table.
"Fuck!" Philip grunted angrily.
"Great shot, Phil!" One of the boys laughed along with the crowd. Phil flipped him off before grabbed Tony by the shoulders.
"Come on kid," He said, shaking him a little. "You have to make this."
Tony nodded and gently shrugged off Philip's hands. He walked up to the table, loud jeers from the crowd following him as he went. He twirled the ball nervously as he looked at the other kids' cups.
"It's okay, baby," The girl from the other team said, puckering her lips. "Don't worry. No one will be mad at you if you miss."
Tony glared at the laughing girl before focusing his eyes on the cups again. He tries to imagine the arc of his possible throw; crunches the numbers to figure out how to position his arm and how hard he has to throw. He pulls his arm back, breathes, and throws.
The ball bounces on rim of one…two…three cups before making it in to one.
Tony and the crowd alike were shocked, and was only reawakened by a happy squeal from Maybe Megan.
"Oh my god, Tony!" She exclaimed as she gave Tony a bear hug. "Yes, Tony!"
"Fuck Yeah!" Philip said. "Let's play."
After that both teams made or missed their shots. Tony only drank his first cup when the other team all made a shot. He grabbed the cup and chugged it down quick, which was a mistake. Instead of the cup being filled up with beer, it was filled with what he believed to be vodka.
"Oh my god…" Tony coughed out. "What was that?"
"Vodka, kid. I thought you partied hardcore." Philip teased.
They continued to play and Tony continued to drink; the liquor starting to affect him a lot faster than any beer his father had ever given to him. His head pulsed but didn't hurt and he couldn't control the giggles that kept escaping from his chest.
Both sides only had one cup remaining, and the atmosphere was intense. Tony's team stared intensively at the other team's thrower and cheered when he missed. Philip quickly grabbed the Ping-Pong but slowly pulled his arm back, threw, and missed. Maybe Megan took his place and piqued his actions, but unlike Philip, made the shot.
The crowd shouted and cheered. Maybe Megan threw her arms with her own cheerful scream. Philip cheered alongside her, picking her up from her waist and twirling her around. Tony would have been cheering with them, happily, but was too busy with losing his balance and falling into the swimming pool.
Tony was taught how to swim when he was seven by private instructors in private swimming areas. He should have been fine…but he was well over being tipsy. The numbing feeling of his head turned into a strong headache. He couldn't tell which us up or down and his lungs were too weak to hold his breath.
He was drowning.
He was drowning.
"God, my dad is going to be so pissed." Tony thought to himself as his vision started to darken. The last thing that registered in his brain was the sensation of something grabbing him from under his armpits.
"—id. Kid. Kid can you hear me?"
Tony's everything hurt and he didn't want to answer the voice that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Wasn't I drowning?"
"Kid!"
Tony groaned as he blinked his eyes open. Once they were opened he was able to place a dark skinned male to the voice.
"Thank god, kid." The guy said. "You scared me for a second."
"'ought I was drowning." Tony said.
"You were."
"How…?"
"I pulled you out." The guy said, Tony finally noticing that the guy was dripping wet. "Come on, let's go dry you up."
The guy helped Tony get steady on his feet and led him back inside to the nearest bathroom. Once there he gave Tony one of the decorative towels to dry himself off.
"What's your name kid?" The guy asked him.
"Tony…Tony Stark," He said as he used the towel to dry his hair.
"Nice to meet you, Tony. I'm James Rhodes." James said, holding out his hand for Tony to shake.
"Thanks for…you know." Tony said as he shook James' hand. "Saving my life."
"No problem." James said.
They sat in silence as Tony continued to try to dry himself, until James broke it.
"You hungry?" He asked. "Wanna go get a burger from In-n-Out?"
"Mm…can we go to Wendy's instead?" Tony asked, hopefully.
"Haha…sure kid." James said. "Come on, I'll drive."
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