Thank you so much for all the reviews it really means a lot to me that you're enjoying my fic. If you have any requests I'm open to ideas. I am back at university again but I will try to keep to Monday, Thursday and Saturday uploads as much as possible. Thanks again.
- EmptyFridges
"Monocrystalline silicon ingots can be produced using what?"
*Ding*
"The Nernst method" Flash almost shouted a smug smile dancing on his lips.
"Wrong. Anyone else." MJ responded sharply. She had to swallow a grin at Flash's put out expression when Peter immediately buzzed in.
"the floating zone crystal process."
"Correct."
The rapid-fire questions continued for another ten minutes until MJ had asked all the questions on her cards. "So practices Monday through Thursday next week then a day off before the competition Saturday, I better see all you losers here for every practice." Peter cringed slightly as almost the whole team turned to look at him as one.
"Hey I haven't missed a practice in ages!" he defended himself. It was true as well, as soon as his mum found out he occasionally skipped practice to go on patrol she scolded him and forbid him from ever doing it again unless the world was quite literally ending in which case he wasn't allowed to be Spiderman anyway and was to head straight home. He had to sit through a twenty minute lecture from her on the importance of teamwork and the importance of commitment, he had almost been reduced to tears when she told him how disappointed she was in him and how she was disgusted he could let his team down like that. She had threatened to get Happy to escort him to practices and sit in on them to make sure he wouldn't ditch his team. Just the thought made him shudder he would never live down the embarrassment of having a babysitter…suffice to say he hadn't missed a single practice since that conversation.
Thankfully Mr Harrington clearing his throat took all the attention off himself. "So tickets how many does everyone want?"
Mr Harrington turned to each pupil noting down the number of tickets requested before turning to Peter, he always asked the boy out of politeness but had already written zero next to his name. Everyone knew his Aunt had passed away, it really was heart-breaking the kid had lost so much already but even before she died Peter never asked for tickets she was always working. So when the teen asked for two tickets his jaw dropped.
Peter blushed when the whole room froze at his answer, he couldn't really blame them though he had never asked for tickets not once so he knew everyone would be curious. Eventually his teacher nods dismissing them and Peter swung his bag onto his shoulder and struck up a conversation with Ned in an effort to avoid being questioned.
Unfortunately they hadn't even turned the corner in the corridor when Flash caught up with them, Peter flinched as the other boy's hand came down hard on his shoulder. "So Penis, who are the tickets for? Who have you paid to pretend they care about you."
"Shut up Flash, what's it to you?" Peter grumbled shrugging the boy's hand off his shoulder.
Flash shoved him hard into the wall ignoring Ned's shouted protests, "don't talk back to me Penis. What am I saying? You have no money, whose dick did you suck to convince them to go to decathlon?"
Peter made a disgusted face at the very idea, seriously what was Flash's problem? He kept his mouth shut and let Flash push him back into the wall and spit on the ground in front of him before he turned and left. "Can't hang about Penis, my dad will be here to take me to dinner. You know what that's like?" The boy put on a fake laugh "oh silly me, of course you don't."
Peter simply stood stock still against the wall he had been shoved into ignoring Ned's questions. "Look, Ned, its fine, just leave me alone, anyway I better go Happy gets annoyed if I'm late."
ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ
"You nervous Pete? You're picking at your food there."
"hmmm, oh yeah, a little," Peter replied hardly paying attention, the state final was tomorrow but it wasn't the competition he was worried about. He zoned out as his parents and Uncle Rhodey chatted over family dinner, all week Flash had been claiming Peter either didn't have anyone coming at all so his tickets should be given to someone who had a family or claiming he had had to resort to sexual favors to get anyone to come to the competition. He was just sick of it, the competition would be a relief because he wouldn't have to actually interact with Flash during it as he was only the alternate. But nervous? No, he didn't think he was nervous he knew he knew the material they had been practicing all week. Then again it maybe wasn't the questions or even the competition he was nervous about, he was slightly apprehensive about his parents being there or maybe them not being there? Sure if they didn't turn up Flash would never let him live it down but if they did what if he didn't win? Or got an easy question wrong? Or made a fool of himself? What if they decided he wasn't worth it?
Tony watched his son out of the corner of his eye as they ate dinner, Peter was hardly paying attention and wasn't participating in conversation which was unusual for the boy because he loved Friday Dinners with Rhodey. When Peter mumbled a non-committal response to Pepper's question about nerves he knew with just one look the boy was getting lost in his own head again. "Hey, Peter….Peter." He reached out and tapped his son's hand to get his attention grinning slightly at the deer in the headlights look his boy sported. "Forget whatever you're thinking about underoos. You'll be fine tomorrow we're proud of you regardless of how you do. Me and Pep will be there to cheer you on don't worry, I promised we would be there and we will be, nothing will stop us coming to see you leave every other school in the dust."
Peter smiled at his dad's encouragement, "thanks dad."
"So Peter, what sort of things do they ask at these competitions, I'm gutted I can't come it's just bad timing, when you get through to nationals I promise I'll be there."
"It's fine Uncle Rhodey honestly, you don't need to."
"I want to Pete, now what do they ask?"
ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ-ʘ
Peter couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when he got another one of MJ's questions correct. "Don't know what you're smiling about Penis, you ready to be seen as the loser you are for wasting two tickets for no reason." Flash snarked when he saw Peter's expression.
"Piss of Flash, you're just sore he knew the answer and you didn't."
Peter grinned at MJ laughing lightly as she shrugged in response.
He just ignored Flash's words, his parents had promised they would come and as his dad said he had never once broken a promise to Peter so why would he start today. In fact both his parents were looking forward to coming, Gregor had brought it up during his internship hours telling him his dad had been going on about it for ages in a meeting the day before…sooo embarrassing. His parents had wished him luck before he left home and told him they would see him after the competition, his dad was worried about press so they planned to arrive as late as possible but promised multiple times they would be there to see him compete.
"Take a break, you've done enough practicing, don't overdo it" Mr Harrington called from his position behind the wheel. Peter grinned at his words relieved to stop for a little while and took his phone from his pocket. Four texts…huh who even texts in 2018?
Good luck kiddo, make sure to tell Tony he's a soccer mom for me – Uncle Rhodey
I'm sure you'll do great Peter, you're a science bro after all - Bruce
Good luck маленький паук, make me proud - Nat
Kid if you don't win you're walking home from school no matter
what your dad says - Happy