Hey Readers!

Welcome back to another Teen Eddie Brock and Venom chapter! I thought I'd do something different this time; this chapter, specifically, takes place when Eddie is in high school, and is worried about his upcoming finals. I was kind of inspired by my own midterms (one of which is today), and thus came this chapter. I hope you like it!

PS. Also, tips on how to NOT be stressed before or during finals/midterms in the note after this chapter!


Finals Frustrations:

IT'S LATE.

Fifteen year-old Eddie Brock looked over at the clock nearby, which read a little after 12:30 AM, meaning it was now early Saturday morning, and well after his bedtime. "It's not that late," he said, though his heavy eyes said otherwise. "Besides, you know Finals start on Monday."

YES, Venom replied, knowing that these end-of-the-year tests Eddie had to take were a source of stress. BUT WE NEED SLEEP.

"Just a few more pages," the teen muttered, turning the page of his study guide as he frantically tried to remember the names of people that had died hundreds of years before. His dad was gone on a business trip, and his Aunt was currently asleep in the other room, unresponsive to the world.

YOU SAID THAT AN HOUR AGO. YOU NEED TO SLEEP.

"Whatever. Just let me study."

Venom frowned at that (well, not physically, of course); he'd noticed Eddie's behavior becoming unhealthy in the last week-and-a-half. The teen was staying up late studying, didn't get enough sleep, and was becoming moody. The symbiote didn't like how Eddie was acting recently, and knew that this unhealthy behavior had to end. Now.

NOPE, Venom said, forcing the teen to his feet. YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOME SLEEP.

"Venom, let go," the teen snapped angrily, fighting against the alien's control. "I have finals to study for, and-"

YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU DO NOT GET SLEEP.

"I'm fine," the teen told him.

YOU ARE NOT FINE, Venom told him. WE CAN TELL. YOU BARELY ATE ANYTHING TODAY-

"I wasn't hungry."

WE COULD TELL YOU WERE. EDDIE, YOU NEED TO STOP WORRYING OVER SOME STUPID TESTS; IT'S MAKING US UPSET.

"Stupid tests," Eddie repeated, and the symbiote could sense the boy's anger and frustration. "STUPID TESTS?! These tests happen to be the difference between going to college and ending up on the street when I'm 18! If I fail these, I fail school, and then I repeat a grade, and-"

EDDIE, STOP, the symbiote yelled in his mind, noticing the teen's elevated heart rate. YOU NEED TO CALM-

"Don't tell me to calm down, you stupid parasite," the teen snapped. "You know what? Get out of my head; you're distracting me from studying!" He raised his hands to his head, as if trying to pull the symbiote from his skull.

EDDIE-

"GET OUT," Eddie screamed, falling over onto the ground. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" The teen was fighting the alien's control with a strength the symbiote didn't know the human possessed. He quickly exited the teen's body into his exterior form, grabbing Eddie by the shoulders.

"STOP THIS," he said angrily. "THIS IS NOT YOU, AND WE DON'T LIKE IT!"

"Then leave," the teen yelled at him, face flushed as his eyes started to tear up. "Leave and find someone who isn't a loser! Because I'm just a loser, Venom, and when I fail these Finals, that's gonna cement it and make it a reality!"

"YOU ARE NOT A LOSER-"

"Yes I am! I'm a Loser! I can't even remember the stupid name of a stupid person for a stupid test and I'm just SO STUPID!" Eddie was crying now, sitting on the floor of the room, shaking with fear and sadness as he repeated the last phrase to himself. The alien knew that tests sometimes stressed Eddie out, but he didn't expect the teen to break down like this; it didn't seem like a product of puberty, but he knew that his friend needed his help, and that he would help him. He slowly pulled the teen into a hug, holding his friend upright as he cried.

"I… I'm stupid," Eddie repeated quietly, still crying. "How am I gonna get into college if I'm stupid?"

"NO," Venom told him. "YOU'RE NOT STUPID; YOU ARE SMART. YOU ARE JUST TIRED RIGHT NOW, AND NEED TO SLEEP."

"But-"

"NO," the symbiote said sternly, still hugging him. "YOU ARE GOING TO GO TO SLEEP, AND WILL SLEEP IN AFTER YOUR ALARM. THEN, YOU WILL GET SOMETHING TO EAT AND THEN YOU MAY STUDY. WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU TAKE BREAKS, AND THAT YOU STAY PROPERLY HYDRATED AND RESTED SO THAT YOU DON'T GET UPSET LIKE THIS AGAIN."

"I… I… Thanks, Venom," Eddie said, pulling away from the hug and wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk." He rubbed his eyes. "I'm just so tired… and I don't wanna fail these tests."

"YOU WON'T," the symbiote assured him, reabsorbing into the teen's skin. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH.

"You're not just saying that?"

WE CAN SEE YOUR MIND; YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH TO PASS.

Eddie smiled at that. "Thanks, bro." He got to his feet, stifling a yawn. "Okay, so no more studying for tonight?"

RIGHT. OR ELSE WE WILL EAT YOUR LIVER.

"Ha ha! Yeah… wait, you're not serious, are you?"

GO TO BED, Venom said simply, and the teen quickly turned off the light, not liking the symbiote's avoidance of the question.

"Venom?"

YES?

"Do I ever say how awesome of a friend you are?"

YES, BUT YOU CAN SAY IT AGAIN; WE DON'T MIND.

Eddie snickered at that, ready to fall asleep. "Fine. 'Night."

'NIGHT.


And that's it! Kinda liked the idea of Venom looking after Eddie's mental and physical health like a concerned parent; I hope you all liked it.

Of course, I dunno if anyone else has midterms or any other final-type tests coming up (including college entrance exams), so basically stay safe and study smart. Don't stay up late at night (even the night before the test), don't not eat food or drink water, TAKE BREAKS FROM STUDYING AND LET YOUR MIND REST! And, of course, GET SOME SLEEP! I cannot stress that last one enough; seriously, don't punish yourself if you can't automatically memorize the entire study guide and stay up super late trying to make your brain work better! Your body needs sleep, so give it sleep!

Feel free to follow or favorite this story or my profile to be updated on new chapters, and feel free to leave a review on this chapter or others if you want.

And, as usual, have a safe and happy week/weekend! Good luck with any tests or projects or work any of you may have!

-aggiefrogger