Flower Child (Peter Parker, MCU)

First Day Jitters

Anti-Hero — Taylor Swift

Peter had never been so thankful that May had to work early at F.E.A.S.T. before. And it wasn't even because that meant Lila would pick him up for school, either. No, he was grateful because when Ted pulled up a block away, stopped by NYPD, he knew things were going to go wrong.

Other kids he recognized were being greeted by teachers standing next to the police, lists in their hands. Peter had gotten an email the week before, one that had been sent to the entire school. The students would arrive by grade, showing their student ID's to the teacher before a security checkpoint in front of the school. They had informed the student body of these protocols due to the staggering amount of press Midtown had been getting as they neared the beginning of the school year.

MJ and Ned were already there, waiting on the sidewalk. Funnily enough, so was Flash Thompson, looking camera ready for his first day, a book with his face on the cover in hand. Lila told Peter all about it, how he'd spent the entire summer writing a book about how he was best friends with Spider-Man. Self-published, and it only sold about a hundred copies. Most of which were bought by Flash so that he could sign and distribute them.

Peter and Lila both thanked Ted, the latter giving him a kiss on the cheek before exiting the car. Lila's dad wished them luck on their first day, and the pair stepped out into the noise. A wall of noise was the most apt description, for people crowded the sidewalks as best they could to catch a glimpse of Peter Parker. He kept his eyes trained on the police officer who eyed him warily, until he felt a hand slip into his.

He looked over and saw Lila standing right next to him, almost shoulder to shoulder. Together, they looked a little bit past the police line and saw what the walk ahead looked like. It wasn't ideal at all.

There had been barricades set up along the sidewalks, leaving the street clear and open like Peter had seen at parades. Unfortunately, he wasn't a parade float, he was just a kid trying to get to class, swarmed by the masses. He could hardly stand to look at the crowds of people.

He thought people had better things to do on a weekday morning than stand and ogle at underage kids trying to get to class, but apparently it was sensational news that Spider-Man was a senior in high school. His friends flanked him, his girlfriend stood next to him, and Peter took three deep breaths before walking over to the teacher with the list in her hand.

A small mercy was that she asked all of them to show their student ID's, even Peter, before instructing the policeman to wave the four (five, he kept forgetting Flash) of them onward. That was when the real hell began. Michelle whispered a small "Holy shit," as someone in the crowd yelled out his name. And suddenly, all eyes were on him.

News reporters flanked the crowds, their cameras and portable lights thrusting their reality into view, and Peter tried his best to keep his eyes forward. Posters of his face were up above people, some with devil horns painted on, some with "Hero" written above him. The noise level was ridiculous, jeers and taunts coupled with whoops and hollers created a cacophony of overstimulating noise. 

Worst of all was that not all the noise was directed at him. "MJ! MJ!" A voice nearby called, belonging to a grown man with last year's yearbook photo of MJ on his shirt. "We love you, MJ, power to the truth!"

"Delilah!" Another voice shouted, a young woman a few years older than them the culprit. She began coughing, a cloud of smoke leaving her lips that smelled distinctly like something that wasn't legally allowed near a high school campus. "Gardening girls for life!"

The crowd somehow felt like it closed in, the walkway towards the school feeling narrower. Police were heard shouting at bystanders to back up, though it didn't seem to help. The noise was just as oppressive.