Self Esteem || Peter Parker

2

"Milo Han!" A teacher shouted, jerking Peter from his doodles. The page of his new science book covered in Spider-Man notes. He flicked the page shut and glanced up to watch as Mr Denver chewed out a boy at the front of the room. A boy who was becoming unfortunately familiar as the school days went on.

"What's he scolding him about this time?" Peter asked under his breath to Ned as they watched the history teacher go on and on. In all honesty, he was growing bored of the entire thing. He shared four classes with Milo Han and in each one he was late, or talked back, or caused a disruption. Only last week he turned up to class with a split lip and bloodied knuckles from fighting the football team in the hallway. The week before he got into an argument with the literature teacher over the assigned texts.

"He didn't do his homework", Ned sighed as the argument went on.

"The Second World War was a pivotal moment in the history of this country!'

"I refuse to write about the glorification of war when this country decimated cities and locked Asian people, people like me, into camps because they couldn't tell the difference between Korean and Japanese". The tone was calm, confident and assured. Peter wished he sounded like that more often. That he could project such clear self assurance.

"That is not the point of the assignment! You were supposed to write an essay on how the war helped rebuild society within the US".

"Through the glorification of war and the selling of guns. It is things like this that allow guns on the streets".

"We have a right to bare arms".

"What if that right got us all shot. What is stopping someone bringing a gun in and shooting all of us? It happens to other students every year in every state. I am not writing an assignment on weapons dealing and buying into this patriotism towards killing".

Peter watched as Milo finished his tirade and leaned back calmly in his chair. There was a determined set to his jaw and his brown eyes seemed dark as he locked eyes with their teacher. For all the steel in them, Milo was actually not very big nor intimidating. He wore hoodies a few sizes too big and always decorated with a print of something in bright colours, cartoonish and childish and almost glaringly alternative in a way. His hair was overgrown and stuck up in various directions and his skin was lightly tanned, scattered with freckles across his nose and cheeks. Pouty lips and big eyes made him seem younger, almost innocent if it wasn't for the chain belt around his waist that matched the ones around the waists of his two friends. Seemingly the only thing holding his baggy jeans up.

Peter watched Jay Sand, the boy on Milo's left, grin cockily and nod his head.   "I agree with Milo. Seems bull shit".

Ellie Scotts, who was on Milo's other side, brushed a hand through her curls. She had a fading black eye which matched the bruise on Jay's temple and the redness of skin half hidden by a bandaid across Milo's nose. The bandaid was actually pretty cute. "Why are we not learning about those detainment camps Mr Denver?" She asked as innocent as a snake. "Or about segregation within the war? I mean, wasn't the war won due to everyone's efforts? Including the squads made of people of colour before they decided to mix the regiments?"

Mr Denver floundered like a fish. Peter watched in amusement as the man opened and closed his mouth. "Enough!" He barked. "All three of you out! Now! Straight to the principles office!"

"But sir, I saw him earlier. Can't have him getting too friendly with me", Jay drawled with a smirk. "All these meetings. What would people think?"

Milo sniggered, eye crinkling as he grabbed his bag. "If Albert says we have to go, I guess we go", he swung his bag up as his friends followed suite. The three of them shoving and jostling each other as they made themselves scarce.