I'm Just Human

Chapter Eleven

"Is everything alright, Miss Cat?" Peter asks, taking the hand that's offered to him and following the teacher out of the classroom. He's been in Grade One for the past month and a half with Miss Cat as his teacher.

"I have some questions for you, Peter, if that's okay," she says. They walk down the hallway until they get to the guidance counsellor's room. It's small and empty, but his eyes widen when he realizes there's a couch. He races over, letting go of Miss Cat's hand to jump onto the couch.

She takes the chair opposite him with a smile. It doesn't quite reach her eyes, but Peter doesn't seem to notice.

He smiles obliviously, kicking his feet which don't reach the ground from the couch.

"Is everything okay at home, Peter?" she finally asks.

"Uncle Rhodey and Auntie Carol don't visit as often anymore," Peter says, taking a deep breath as he prepares himself to launch into rambling. "They don't live at home anymore from what my daddy's told me. They're both too busy with working in other places. They used to visit every few weeks, but they don't come around anymore. Mister Steve hasn't been around either. Daddy won't tell me where he went, but he hasn't been home in a long time. Daddy's been kinda angry lately. He shouts sometimes and he forgets a lot. But that's okay."

"He shouts?" Miss Cat asks. She's noticed the distinct smell of alcohol on Peter's clothes since he started Grade One. "Does he shout at you?"

"Not really at me," Peter says, frowning in confusion. He shrugs carelessly. "He just shouts. He gets angry more often than he used to, and he forgets a lot. He's been busy with work too. He works in the garage on cars and on his other things, but I'm not allowed in the garage. He goes in there a lot."

"He just shouts?"

"He sometimes shouts at the walls which is kind of funny," Peter explains. He's too young to understand what any of this means. "Whenever he runs into them, because he's really clumsy, he shouts at them. And sometimes he shouts at the TV. Or at himself. Not at me, though."

"That's... That's good that he doesn't shout at you," she says, obviously trying not to worry Peter. The last thing she wants to do is meddle in Tony's life, but there are some things that she can't just ignore. Her students are her number one priority. "What sorts of things does he forget?"

"He forgets to make dinner." Peter's voice has gone quiet as though he suddenly understands the seriousness of the situation. "He forgets to tuck me into bed or to read me bedtime stories even if I ask him. He's been forgetting to do the laundry too."

Peter grabs the hem of his shirt and lifts it over his nose. He sniffs it, dropping it with a wince. "I think this shirt was dirty, but I don't have anymore clean ones. He forgets to make me lunch and breakfast too. He just forgets everything."

"What have you eaten today, buddy?"

"I had cereal for breakfast. Without milk because I'm not big enough to get the milk from the fridge. And I had some gummy snacks for lunch... And a juice box." Peter frowns as he thinks about it, touching his stomach tentatively. "Still kinda hungry though."

"I'll get you a sandwich as soon as we're done talking, okay?" Miss Cat offers gently. "I need you to think really hard for a second, okay? Does your dad drink alcohol? From bottles?"

Peter frowns harder at that, confusion crossing his doe eyes. "Like the ones that say Jack on them?"

"Jack Daniels?" she asks.

"Yeah!" Peter exclaims excitedly. "Yeah! Daddy drinks those all the time. And he drinks wine a lot. When Auntie Carol used to live with us, she used to drink wine with dinner all the time."