Chapter Two: School Daze
"Parker!"
"42," Peter shouted as he rose from sleeping on his desk.
"Peter this is Biology class, not Math," his teacher came over to his desk and spoke quietly, "I know you've been working hard at home to improve your grades but I can't let you sleep in class."
"Sorry Mr. Jackson," Peter replied sheepishly, "it won't happen again."
"Listen more in class and then you won't need to study so hard okay?"
"Yes sir," Peter was really embarrassed and lowered his gaze just enough so he couldn't see his classmates sniggering to each other. Then one classmate decided to break Peter's blissfully ignorant state, a ball of paper hit him hard on the back of the head and sounds of high-fives could be heard in the background.
"Two points," yelled Flash Thompson contemptibly.
Gwen Stacy was sat in the corner of the room, she had tried to sit next to Peter but there'd been no empty seats. The jocks all sat around Peter in order to torment him more efficiently. She looked on at the scene with a twisted mouth and concerned eyes that made her all the more beautiful in Peter's eyes, but when Flash blew her a kiss she fired a look of such contempt at him he visibly wilted. Peter laughed silently to himself, Flash Thompson being scared by a short blonde girl, it was like Mike Tyson having a phobia of cheese or something. Peter then cocked his head to ponder the concept of Tyson being afraid of cheese and was lost in thought until the bell rang, as he shook himself to consciousness he gathered his books.
"Now I want you all to read the chapter I mentioned earlier and don't forget to be early tomorrow for the field trip," the Teacher shouted after his disappearing students, "we're leaving at nine, with or without any latecomers."
"Oh crap," Peter sighed to himself, "Mr. Jackson?"
"Yes Peter."
"I forgot my slip, can I still go?" Peter asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry Peter but the school has a responsibility to the parents," his teacher replied shaking his head, "after what happened last year with the trip to the observatory we can only take students who give in a signed permission slip."
"So I can't go?" Peter asked.
"No Peter, you can't go," he replied.
"Peter," Gwen Stacy called out from her position stood in the doorway, "my parents didn't even know about the trip so I'm not going either."
"That means we'd both be stuck studying here all day," Peter said, realising what she was saying.
"You wouldn't mind that?" she asked coyly.
"No," Peter said smiling, "in fact I'm already looking forward to it."
"Great," Gwen said, "you busy tonight?"
"Not really, why?"
"Well, I know I asked you to call me and stuff," Gwen looked straight at him with her blue eyes but her fidgeting feet and hands gave away her anxiety, "but would you mind."
She trailed off and let her words hang for a moment until Peter interjected, "Just waiting 'til tomorrow? That's okay, I should probably be studying or something."
Gwen cut him off, "No I," and trailed again before gathering her confidence, "I thought you might like to come over tonight," she said hopefully, "to study of course," she added.
"Yeah that sounds great," Peter and Gwen moved out into the corridor and started off down towards the cafeteria, Peter then remembered something, "I should tell my aunt and uncle, they might get worried or angry or something."
"Well then Mr. Parker I could walk you home," Gwen said keeping in step with him, hugging her brown calculus book to her chest.
"Sounds good," Peter felt a little rumble on his stomach, "you want to get some lunch?"
"I'd love to," Gwen replied as they walked off happily together down the hall.
Peter and Gwen walked all the way to both of their houses, after a brief diversion in which Gwen stifled a laugh at meeting his aunt and uncle and openly fell into hysterics at Peter's cowboy duvet. Unluckily for him his usual one was being washed and aunt May had put the cowboy one on for the day, Gwen thought it was hilarious and even Peter laughed a little. They were on the way to Gwen's when Peter hit on an idea. It was starting to get dark and, being a policeman's daughter, Gwen was feeling a little paranoid but a lot safer with Peter than she would have by herself.
"I've just got a great idea," Peter said into the stillness.
"Sorry to burst your bubble but sliced bread's been done," Gwen said dryly.
"Funny," Peter remarked sarcastically, "but you wanted to go see that exhibition at the museum right?"
"The field trip?" Gwen said before adding, "Actually I don't really like spiders."
"Oh," Peter paused to think, "I was just thinking we could go see it tomorrow, but if you don't like them I'll just go alone."
"Yeah I'm kind of phobic to tell the truth," Gwen admitted, "I was glad when I realised I couldn't go."
"Oh well, whatever floats you boat."
"I'm really sorry, how about I make it up to you?" Gwen pleaded, "how about that new Samuel L. Jackson movie? You free Friday?"
"Yeah that sounds great," during the conversation they had reached Gwen's house and she began to walk up the steps, "is this your place?"
"Yep, home sweet home," she replied, "or it will be in a couple weeks."
They both laughed and went inside, spending the rest of the night sneaking furtive looks at one another and trying but failing to concentrate on studying. Eventually they gave up and started watching TV, at about eleven Peter noticed the time and rushed out of the house and home. He was half an hour behind curfew and tired but really happy, he had a date on Friday night even if it was only as friends she was so amazing he couldn't believe his luck.
"Parker!"
"42," Peter shouted as he rose from sleeping on his desk.
"Peter this is Biology class, not Math," his teacher came over to his desk and spoke quietly, "I know you've been working hard at home to improve your grades but I can't let you sleep in class."
"Sorry Mr. Jackson," Peter replied sheepishly, "it won't happen again."
"Listen more in class and then you won't need to study so hard okay?"
"Yes sir," Peter was really embarrassed and lowered his gaze just enough so he couldn't see his classmates sniggering to each other. Then one classmate decided to break Peter's blissfully ignorant state, a ball of paper hit him hard on the back of the head and sounds of high-fives could be heard in the background.
"Two points," yelled Flash Thompson contemptibly.
Gwen Stacy was sat in the corner of the room, she had tried to sit next to Peter but there'd been no empty seats. The jocks all sat around Peter in order to torment him more efficiently. She looked on at the scene with a twisted mouth and concerned eyes that made her all the more beautiful in Peter's eyes, but when Flash blew her a kiss she fired a look of such contempt at him he visibly wilted. Peter laughed silently to himself, Flash Thompson being scared by a short blonde girl, it was like Mike Tyson having a phobia of cheese or something. Peter then cocked his head to ponder the concept of Tyson being afraid of cheese and was lost in thought until the bell rang, as he shook himself to consciousness he gathered his books.
"Now I want you all to read the chapter I mentioned earlier and don't forget to be early tomorrow for the field trip," the Teacher shouted after his disappearing students, "we're leaving at nine, with or without any latecomers."
"Oh crap," Peter sighed to himself, "Mr. Jackson?"
"Yes Peter."
"I forgot my slip, can I still go?" Peter asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry Peter but the school has a responsibility to the parents," his teacher replied shaking his head, "after what happened last year with the trip to the observatory we can only take students who give in a signed permission slip."
"So I can't go?" Peter asked.
"No Peter, you can't go," he replied.
"Peter," Gwen Stacy called out from her position stood in the doorway, "my parents didn't even know about the trip so I'm not going either."
"That means we'd both be stuck studying here all day," Peter said, realising what she was saying.
"You wouldn't mind that?" she asked coyly.
"No," Peter said smiling, "in fact I'm already looking forward to it."
"Great," Gwen said, "you busy tonight?"
"Not really, why?"
"Well, I know I asked you to call me and stuff," Gwen looked straight at him with her blue eyes but her fidgeting feet and hands gave away her anxiety, "but would you mind."
She trailed off and let her words hang for a moment until Peter interjected, "Just waiting 'til tomorrow? That's okay, I should probably be studying or something."
Gwen cut him off, "No I," and trailed again before gathering her confidence, "I thought you might like to come over tonight," she said hopefully, "to study of course," she added.
"Yeah that sounds great," Peter and Gwen moved out into the corridor and started off down towards the cafeteria, Peter then remembered something, "I should tell my aunt and uncle, they might get worried or angry or something."
"Well then Mr. Parker I could walk you home," Gwen said keeping in step with him, hugging her brown calculus book to her chest.
"Sounds good," Peter felt a little rumble on his stomach, "you want to get some lunch?"
"I'd love to," Gwen replied as they walked off happily together down the hall.
Peter and Gwen walked all the way to both of their houses, after a brief diversion in which Gwen stifled a laugh at meeting his aunt and uncle and openly fell into hysterics at Peter's cowboy duvet. Unluckily for him his usual one was being washed and aunt May had put the cowboy one on for the day, Gwen thought it was hilarious and even Peter laughed a little. They were on the way to Gwen's when Peter hit on an idea. It was starting to get dark and, being a policeman's daughter, Gwen was feeling a little paranoid but a lot safer with Peter than she would have by herself.
"I've just got a great idea," Peter said into the stillness.
"Sorry to burst your bubble but sliced bread's been done," Gwen said dryly.
"Funny," Peter remarked sarcastically, "but you wanted to go see that exhibition at the museum right?"
"The field trip?" Gwen said before adding, "Actually I don't really like spiders."
"Oh," Peter paused to think, "I was just thinking we could go see it tomorrow, but if you don't like them I'll just go alone."
"Yeah I'm kind of phobic to tell the truth," Gwen admitted, "I was glad when I realised I couldn't go."
"Oh well, whatever floats you boat."
"I'm really sorry, how about I make it up to you?" Gwen pleaded, "how about that new Samuel L. Jackson movie? You free Friday?"
"Yeah that sounds great," during the conversation they had reached Gwen's house and she began to walk up the steps, "is this your place?"
"Yep, home sweet home," she replied, "or it will be in a couple weeks."
They both laughed and went inside, spending the rest of the night sneaking furtive looks at one another and trying but failing to concentrate on studying. Eventually they gave up and started watching TV, at about eleven Peter noticed the time and rushed out of the house and home. He was half an hour behind curfew and tired but really happy, he had a date on Friday night even if it was only as friends she was so amazing he couldn't believe his luck.