Spider-Byte: Multiversal Madness

Chapter 3: Big Expectations

Miles swung back to his dorm, greeting Ganke and immediately started changing into his school clothes.

"Oh uh- Melody was looking for you," Ganke said, focusing on his new Spider-Man game. "Yeah, I saw her. There's a bad guy on the Petersen building. Can you call the police, and tell them to pick him up?" Miles muffled through his shirt.

"Wouldn't Melody be handling that?" Ganke paused his game, "She always gets it done-" "Yeah yeah, but it'll be better for her if she had some help." Miles wiggled into his pants.

"Are you saying she can't do it on her own?" "What! No. She's like the most independant person I know, it's amazin- no, don't look at me like that." Miles' face burned as Ganke smirked. "When are you gonna tell her, bro. Like- seriously it's annoying how much you beat around the bush," Ganke groaned.

Miles awkwardly laughed, "PFFT- what are you even talking about? I have no idea what you're talking about," he continued as he fumbled and stumbled to the front door. "-plus there's no way she likes me like that, we're like family- wait, that's pretty weird- wait. Is that my Jordans?" He looked down in horror at Ganke wearing his signature red Jordan 1's.

WITHOUT SOCKS.

Ganke stammered, "I..I can't help if we're the same size!" Miles groaned and shot a web to his shoes, yanking them off of Ganke.

He struggled to put on his shoes as he closed the door and entered the hallway.

He ran on the walls quickly, trying to avoid any students in his way.

Miles was taken aback by the rushing waves of students coming out of the classrooms as the bell rang. He groaned, turned invisible and crawled on the ceiling.

He kept crawling until he crossed across the main school building.

"You see, every person is a universe...and my job is to capture your person's universe...on this piece of paper." The sophomore dean explained to Miles' parents as she showed them a piece of paper.

Rio and Jeff exchanged confused glances. "...That's blank," Jeff mumbled. "Exactly! I have no idea who this kid is! I don't know if HE knows. And he's gotta decide if he's going to commit himself to his future...or whatever he's doing instead of being here."

Both parents sighed, knowing the dean was right. "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

"Not unless you bake two cakes!" Miles stormed into the dean's office. His parents scolded him about being late before he sat down between them.

He boldly asked, "Look, I gotta go back to being a great student, so, can we make this quick?" As he looked at his parents, he fixed his posture and attitude immediately.

The dean looked through Miles' report, "Okay, Miles' grades are pretty good. 'A' in AP Physics..." Rio held Miles softly and happily cheered, "That's my little man!"

"'A' in Art..."
Jeff chuckled, "Yeah, he takes after his uncle."

"'A' minus in English..."
"She's a tough grader!" Rio defended.

"...and a 'B' in Spanish."

"WHAT." Rio exclaimed. "Miles, are you trying to KILL YOUR MOTHER?!" Jeff muttered.

She snapped her fingers at Miles, getting his attention. "MILES. MÍRAME. ¿CÓMO OBTIENES UNA B EN ESPAÑOL? (Look at me, how do you get a B in Spanish?)"

Jeff chimed in, "Your mother AND Melody are fluent in Spanish!"

"Melody Myers? Oh yeah, she's a good kid. I think she signed up to help with the French And Spanish Tutoring Program..."

Miles could've seen Rio bend down for her shoes. 'Crap. I need to do something fast!'

"C-calmate, mami! (Calm down, mom!") Eso no es my fault!"

'Really, Miles? Spanglish? That's the best you could've come up with?!'

He sighed, "I just missed a few classes."

Jeff asked, "What's a few classes?" Miles' mouth trembled to say the number.

"Five..."

Before things could escalate, the dean went on to talk about the possibility of Miles attending one of the best schools ever. Princeton.

"IN NEW JERSEY?! No, no, no, that's way too far!" Rio freaked out. "NEW JERSEY IS TOO FAR FROM NEW YORK?!" Miles asked in disbelief.

"There are plenty of good schools in Brooklyn!" Rio replied.
"Mom, Princeton has the best quantum researchers in the country! They move electrons from a DIMENSIONAL level!" Miles defended. He continued, "I can help figure out how to travel to other dimensions! You all got me into this school because you thought I could do something special. And now I think so too."

"The...the special thing I wanna do is this. There are people out there who literally can teach me the things I wanna learn...but, they're not all in Brooklyn."

After Miles finished his oh-so-touching speech, the dean slammed her desk and cheered, "THATS your story! Now, just st..."

Miles' focus shifted away the dean when his spidey-senses triggered. He looked outside the big glass window to his left and gasped.

Melody was the still with The Spot, being thrown across the city and trying to avoid crashing into buildings.  'I can't leave her out there alone! I gotta go help, screw this.'

Miles quickly got up from his seat, rushing to the door. He fumbled, "ooh...I gotta go. You-you guys finish this talk! Just keep talking! This is all great stuff!" Rio got up too, "Miles! Did you order the cake for tonight?" "T-totally, yeah. Okay- okay uh- bye!" He kept fumbling before he left the office and closed the door.

A few seconds after, Jeff left too, as he had to report to his police duties with The Spot on the loose. Rio was left alone. She mumbled inaudibly out of frustration. The dean spoke up, "He's lying to you."

Rio turned around to look at her as she picked up her purse, "Who, Jeff?"

"Your son. He's lying...and I think you know it."