Marvel High

Chapter Forty

*Peter's POV*

I hadn't returned the files. I kept hoping and praying something would turn up. Some invisible righting that could be seen only when it was held up in the light, some secret code that had to be broken, something besides "Classified" under History.

I knew I should've put them back when I could. Stealing teacher files could've gotten me in a lot of trouble. I could've been expelled.

That's why I wasn't surprised when I got a knock on my door from Mr. Fury.

"Sir?" I said. "Is everything alright?"

"Principal Lee would like to see you in his office," Mr. Fury hissed. "And be sure to bring him what you took from his office."

I knew right then and there that I was screwed. Worst than screwed. MEGA screwed. I knew there was no point in denying I took them. Who else would've taken files specifically on people with the same last name as me?

Plus, Mr. Fury was kinda intimidating. I don't think I'd ever have the guts to run on him.

So, I followed him to Principal Lee's office with my head hung. I could feel everyone's eyes watching me. They all knew I was in trouble, too. I happened to look up to see Harry walking with Gwen. He froze the moment he saw me. He knew, too. But he knew more than anyone else did.

When we came to Principal Lee's office, I could see two other people standing there. Mr. Fury shoved me into the room and closed the door behind me. That's when I realized who the teachers were.

"Mr. Parker," Principal Lee said. "Please, sit."

I looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Parker before sitting down in the seat across from Principal Lee.

I'm screwed. I'm screwed. I am oh so screwed!

"Mr. Parker," he said, learning forward at his desk. "It has been brought to my attention recently that you may or may not have taken the private files of Mr. and Mrs. Parker."

I couldn't look any of them in the eye. I was too scared. I didn't want to see the disappointed looks they were all inevitably giving me. I didn't want to have to own up to the fact that I had did it. Or rat out Harry. This wasn't entirely Harry's fault and I wasn't about to get two people suspended.

I looked down at my hands and tried to find the words to say. The words that would somehow explain what I did and why I did it. How was I supposed to explain to the principal and the two teachers I was pretty well stalking that I took the files because I needed to know if they were my parents or not. What if I was wrong? What if it was all just a coincidence?

"Mr. Parker?"

I looked up at Mr. Lee. Even though his voice was stern, he still seemed kind and calm. That's why he was one of my favorite principals...even though I've only technically had three.

"I'm sorry," I finally managed. "I did it...I'm sorry. It's...I..."

"Calm down, son," Mr. Parker said.

Him saying that did not calm me down one bit.

"Listen," Mrs. Parker said in a more calm voice. She leaned against Mr. Lee's desk and looked at me. "we're not mad. At least, Richard and I aren't. We knew you'd figure it out at some point."

My eyes widened as I looked from Mrs. Parker to Mr. Parker, who was trying to avoid as much contact with me as he could.

"Are you sure now is the time?" Mr. Lee asked. Mrs. Parker nodded. "Alright. I guess it's time for me to take a walk around campus."

Mr. Lee stood from his desk, nodded to Mr. and Mrs. Parker, then left. It was just me and...my parents.

I spent my whole life thinking my parents were dead. Aunt May never told me anything about them, besides the fact that they had left me with Aunt May and Uncle Ben. I guess my little mind just put two and two together and made up the death story. I never really wanted to know much about their deaths, so I didn't ask.

Mr. Parker sat on Mr. Lee's desk. I was suddenly feeling overwhelmed. My parents. These people were my parents.

My throat became tight and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Mrs. Parker quickly knelt in front of me and helped me to put my head between my knees. I took deep breaths as she rubbed my back and continued to tell me "breathe, honey, breathe", like a mother. Like my mother.

I looked up at her, trying to see her as the Mrs. Parker who was teaching me a little while ago. But all I saw now was my own eyes.

"So," I finally managed. "it's...it's true?"

"It is," Mr. Parker finally spoke. "We're sorry, son. I guess we have a lot of explaining to do."

I shook my head. "I don't want to know anything...except...why here? And now?"

They looked at each other, trying to find the words to say. "They". "They" are my parents. But I still couldn't bring myself to call them that. My whole life, Aunt May had been "mom" and Uncle Ben had been "dad". Now there were these two people, my teachers, who were telling my they were my parents. It was hard to grasp.

Did Aunt May know? Did Uncle Ben? If they did, were they ever going to tell me? Or would they just wait until mom and dad came home? What if they never did? Would they tell me then?

Uncle Ben never got to. He died after I got my powers.

I looked up at the two of them. "Did you know Uncle Ben died?"

Mr. Parker...dad's face fell first. Mrs. Parker...mom put a hand on his back, soothingly, the way she had just helped me.

"Yes," she spoke. "We heard through the news. I'm so sorry, honey."

I looked back down at my hands.

"This is all a lot to take in," I mumbled.

"We know," Mrs....mom spoke again. "We were hoping to tell you before school let out for summer. That way, you'd have more time to process it. We didn't want this to interfere with your school work."

"Not to mention everything else going on right now." I thought I said that to myself.

"What?" I guess I didn't.

"What's going on, Pete?" dad asked.

I looked up at the both of them. Suddenly, I was looking at two worried parents, not two teachers. They were my parents. They had to believe me, right? They had to know the rumors going around. Nobody would tell any of the teachers in fear of getting in trouble.

But these weren't teachers. These were parents. My parents.

I gulped and looked up at the two of them.

"There's...something going on," I began. "Something with the school."