LOUD MOUTH → PETER PARKER ✓

Chapter Five: Misleading Conversations

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄: MISLEADING CONVERSATIONS

After a lot of negotiation on Callie's part, the Principal agreed not to suspend Peter, but he did get several hours of community service to do and an order to leave school for the rest of the day. Uncle Ben was brought to the school, but he said nothing as Callie talked his nephew out of suspension.

Finally they were allowed to leave the office, and Uncle Ben finally spoke. "Was that true?" he asked Peter, sounding slightly angry―which, Callie thought, he had every right to be.

"What?" Peter asked.

"What I heard in there just now. Did you humiliate that boy?" Ben asked. Callie took this as her cue to walk away, but she stood close enough that she could still hear their conversation.

"Yeah, I did." Peter admitted. "But, this guy . . he deserved it."

"Did he?" Ben asked.

"Yeah."

"Is he the kid that hit you?"

Callie nodded―of course Uncle Ben could put two and two together and figure out that bruise on Peter's chin wasn't just a skateboarding accident.

Peter nodded, "Y-Yeah, but-"

"So all of this is about getting even?" he asked. "If so, I guess you must feel pretty good about yourself now, right? Am I right or not?"

Peter scoffed but said nothing, shaking his head incredulously.

"Yeah, thought so." Ben said. "Well, thanks to this little escapade of yours, I had to change shifts at work, so you have to pick up Aunt May tonight at nine o'clock, understood?"

Peter nodded but said nothing. 

"Is that understood?" Uncle Ben repeated without raising his voice.

"Yeah, yeah." Peter said.

Ben nodded. "Good." he looked over at Callie. "You better thank her for getting you out of being suspended . . or put in jail." he advised.

Callie smiled. "Thanks Uncle Ben, but I think Peter being in jail would suck for me as much as it would suck for him." she said with a grin. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't really have any other friends. None as interesting as him, anyway."

Ben smiled at her. "Interesting is one way to put it." he said before turning back to Peter. "I'll see you in the car." he walked down the hallway, leaving Peter and Callie alone.

"Thanks." Peter said. "For not letting them throw me out."

"Eh, it's what I do. I hope this means I have your vote back though."

Peter laughed. "Yeah, yeah of course." he paused. "Did you really mean that? About not having any other friends?"

"Yeah," Callie replied. "I mean, I thought you knew that. It's by choice, I guess. Maybe if I had a ton of other friends to peer pressure me into going to parties and smoking pot or something, I'd get more votes, but, they wouldn't really like me." she scoffed. "They'd just want to be friends with me so they could say that they are. As soon as they realized how loud and obnoxious I am, they'd leave. And I guess I don't really want that." 

As soon as she stopped talking, she felt tears trying to surge to her eyelids. She blinked them away, looking around the hallway―anywhere but at Peter. She blew out a breath. "Sorry, long answer to a short question. But, I talk a lot, it's kinda my thing." she laughed quietly.

Peter had known her long enough to tell that she was trying everything she could not to cry. He also know that somehow letting her know that he knew that would just make it worse. So he pivoted.