the spider whisperer

Popular [chapter 20]

"Morning, Sunshine," Peter flashed an award winning smile. Then he glanced over to the muscular guy who sat on the counter of their lab station. They had obviously been talking to each other beforehand. "Dickwad."

"Asshole," Flash acknowledged Peter back.

They'd been like that for the past week. Since Flash had learned about Peter's other identity, things had changed. He had most of the same classes as them, so he'd linger around near them. At lunch, he'd text them on his phone. Flash knew things that no other normal citizen of New York City knew. Yet he still found himself caring so much about his reputation.

Flash was popular, and they weren't in the same sense as him. He would sooner die than be seen by his friends at school with his frenemies— no, partners. They were partners now.

"Settle down, girls," they got an annoyed tone and eye roll from the girl they both liked.

Peter huffed, setting his bag down next to his chair with a small 'thump'. Slumping down in his chair, Peter gave Flash a small glare. He wouldn't dare say anything else of course. Peter knew when his partner was getting irritated with him, and he knew the outcome of pushing her.

He did not want to be crying in the corner of the room again.

"Hey, what's your patrolling schedule like?" Flash asked. He barely knew anything about the whole ordeal; he'd only gotten a small taste of what being partners with Spider-man was.

What he didn't know yet was Spider-man on patrol was unpredictable. He might come to your house in the darkest parts of the night one time, and the next, he's ignoring every single call. It was nerve wracking to work with someone who's as bad at communicating as Peter was. And in a line of work where he was constantly putting his life at risk no less.

Peter shrugged, "Whenever I feel like it. But I'm out most nights."

"And sometimes during school hours," y/n added on. Her tone was passive aggressive, displaying her disapproval towards that decision with a regular sentence. Peter always had a sort of admiration for the way she could deliver negative things so casually.

Flash nodded. He thought about it for a moment, "So that's why you're missing some of our classes occasionally." Flash ran a hand through his hair, "It makes sense, though. You're here for the first hour or two and then disappear for a while and come back by fourth period. And the timing between when Spider-man did whatever major deed to when you get back always matches up..."

"I'm not working tonight," Peter yawned. "We still have to finish out science thing. It's due tomorrow, and we haven't made really any progress beyond a little information."

"Oh, right," Flash furrowed his brows. "Science project... I guess I'll finish mine tonight as well."

Y/n and Peter looked at Flash for a quick second before their eyes trailed over to where Liz sat at her's and Flash's shared lab station. She was talking to some of her other friends, pointing in the direction of the trio and seemingly be laughing. Then she caught their eyes on her, so she went to pretending like she wasn't talking about something or someone in their direction.

"I don't like her," Flash admitted. "She's too self-absorbed."

"..."

The two teenagers who were assigned the lab station he was sitting on exchanged glances. Was Flash, the one person who loved himself more than any other person would be able to, saying Liz was egocentric? That seemed a little backwards, but at the same time, the right thing.

"Must mean a lot coming from you," Peter rose his brows. Ge bent down and opened the cabinets beneath their counter. He was starting to pull out the substances he needed to make his web fluid, "Hey, damsel? Can you do me a favor and take notes for the both of us today?"