One Change, One Chance

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"Hey! Don't turn your back on a fight, Parker!" Flash Thompson whispered in Peter Parker's ear viciously as he grabbed the smaller boy's shoulder and spun him around ripping the ratty backpack off of his shoulders to one of his cronies and slammed him into the lockers near by. The book Peter had been reading sliding out of his hands onto the floor nearby. The smaller boy felt the glasses on his face fly across the empty hallway, and shortly after, heard the flatter of the spectacles as they hit the floor. He prayed that they hadn't broken.

"Flash, please," the brunette begged through his blurry vision, "If you let me go now, I won't struggle tomorrow, I promise."

Not that he had struggled against the other boy's grip in a while, he had long since succumbed to being beat up, but it was worth a shot. Not.

The boy at the disadvantage could plead all he wanted for the football player to stop or try to make any deal with him, but it wouldn't work. The blonde would never deliver the mercy, or agree to the deal, and even if he did, he would break it. not that peter was planning to keep it.

"Penis Parker trying to be smart, trying to be clever, you're pathetic," Flash laughed to his friends, right before landing a punch straight to one of Peter's high cheekbones. The spot already turning a dark purple-black color on his pale-easily-bruised-colored skin.

Peter tried to blinked the black spots that had appeared in his eyes away. Faintly seeing the bully gesture to his gang to come kneel down and help him finish off their victim, it wasn't long before Peter felt the pain of several fists punching him everywhere. His arms. His legs. His chest. His back. His head.

When the larger boys got bored of punching the poor boy, they stood up and started kicking him, barely leaving a pause. In the short pause though, Peter was able to cover his head with his sore arms.

The pain was everywhere. Peter was sure that this time, they would never stop.

"Hey! What are you boys doing?" The faint call of a teacher startled all five boys (four bullies and one bullied). As the teacher came walking over to see what was going on, the steady click-clack of her heals seemingly the thing that alerted the four football players that it was time to leave so they weren't caught and punished. But before they went scurrying like the rats they were so alike to, Flash face Peter a warning look, one that said, 'If you say anything about what just happened, you're dead.'

The small brunette didn't need anymore warning than that.

The teacher turned out to be Mz. Ashley King, Midtown High's school librarian.*1

The woman in her mid-thirties had long brown hair, a heart-shaped face that had a mother-like quality to it, and soft blue eyes that were a brownish-hazel near the pupil.

~

She had come across the scene of Peter Parker, slouched against some lockers, with more than a few bruises and a bloody nose more times than she could care to admit.

She had also taken him to the nurse's office for more than half of these occasions.

But, unknown to her, her favorite student wouldn't let her do that today. (And yes, she does have her favorites. The perks of being a librarian instead of a teacher.)

"Sorry, Mz. King, but I can't go to the nurse today, I have to get to Avenger's tower!" He could barely get the words out he seemed so excited. Or that was the split lip.

She would rather think it was excitement.

"Now why are you going there?" She said with a concerned look and a hint of a English accent as she walked across the hallway to pick up the boy's thankfully not shattered glasses. How they managed the flight, she would never know. Softly blowing on them to dust away the dirt that, having landed on the ground collected on the lenses, she also bent down to grab the blue and black backpack that had fallen.

"I got an interview to become an intern for Stark Industries. Can you believe it Mz. King! I'm really going to Avenger's tower! And if I get the intern position, I'm going to be living there for a few months!" He was struggling to stand at this point. So the librarian lended him a hand to pull himself up on.

The woman may look fragile, but she grew up top of her class, P.E. Class. Plus, Peter Parker was as small as fifteen year olds could get. So it would be easy for anyone to lift him into a standing position.

She gently slid the glasses onto his face and then held it in her soft hands.

"Wow, I'm so proud of you, but don't get too excited there. Don't forget to breathe. does harry know?"She gave a little laugh and smiled softly at him, then gave him a gentle hug, knowing his body was in the process of bruising.

When she pulled away she bent down to his level (she was a tall woman at 5'9 also in high heels adding a good five inches. making her 6'1 almost towering Peter at his height at 5'2.)

But, even as she said it, Peter started to wheeze, and quickly pulled out his inhaler along with some of the medicine, he shook the little bottle and assembled the inhaler. *2

He took a few deep breaths with it pressed against his thin lips and was able to take it away and place it safely in his pocket for easy access. And as he did, he got a glimpse of his watch, the red digitalized numbers read 3:30.

His interview was at 4:30.

He had to go! It would take at least ten minutes to walk there, as he had no car and the New York hussle and bussle could slow him down. But he also wanted to be able to make it there a little early.

So shouting a quick bye and thank you to Mz. King, and yelling that no, harry doesn't know, he was planning on surprising him if he got it. he started out the door as fast as he could, only able to walk a few steps before the woman reminded him that he was missing something before he was rushing back to grab his bag swiftly from her hands.

Mz. King watched him leave, while picking up the book he had dropped and forgotten to put in his bag before he rushed off with a small smile on her face, she sure loved Peter Parker, and who couldn't?

*1- I don't actually know who the librarian for Midtown High is, but I've created her for a parental figure at school for Peter. She is an OC of mine.
*2- Peter has asthma, because i felt it would give some character to the story that makes it mine (and I know that I'm the not first one to think of this) but I think it will help pronounce Peter's non-Spider-Man persona.

*edited*