Cereal

Substitute

Tony walked into his social studies class, and to his surprise he saw a teacher he had never seen before sitting at Ms.MacLaine's desk. He had a huge bushy black beard, and was wearing a green flannel. 

"Could everyone please get to your respective seats? I'm Mr.Goulden, and I will be your sub for today. First, I need to do attendance. I will go around the class, and you need to tell me your name." He told the class, his voice loud and deep. He looked at the girl with auburn hair to his left. 

"And your name is?"

"Mia. Mia Chiasson." She responded in her sickly sweet voice.

Mr.Goulden worked his way around the class until he got to Stephen.

"My name is Stephen, sir."

"And your surname?" The professor asked.

"It's Strange."

"Look. I really don't care what your name is. I need it for attendance." He misunderstood.

Stephen sighed. This was common. "No my surname is Strange. S-T-R-A-N-G-E." he specified.

The teacher apologized, corrected his mistake and moved on the the next student. 

______

"He seemed nice. I wonder if he'll be here tomorrow?" Bruce asked. He didn't like Ms.MacLaine, their regular teacher, all that much.

"Hopefully." Tony was mutual on Bruces feelings for their normal teacher. Same with Stephen.

Across the hall, their classmate Mia was watching the three boys. She had a feeling that then and all the kids from flat 706 were up to something. She just needed some proof. Mia watched as Natasha and Loki joined the trio for lunch.

"You realize that Mia girl is following you, right?" Natasha asked. She was very observant.

Stephen raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Odd. I wonder why." 

"Do you want me to do something?" Loki inquired, he was bored.

"No, she probably just has a crush or something on one of you. Something really stupid like that." Natasha told Bruce, Stephen and Tony.

_____

"Where are you going? You always leave after school every second Tuesday, and you've never told me where you go." Tony asked Stephen as he grabbed his bag and rain jacket.

"I go to Physiotherapy at the clinic." Stephen told the curious Tony. " For my hands." He added.

"Still? You hurt your hands years ago. When I sprained my ankle I only went for two weeks." 

"Yeah, but I still need to work and strengthen some stuff. You've seen my handwriting, it's appalling." Stephen explained. 

"Do you want a drive, then? It's pretty harsh out there." Tony offered, nodding to the storm outside.

"That would be wonderful, thanks." Stephen beamed.

______

Tony watched as Stephen did a number of hand stretches, grip exercises and movements with the help of a young woman in turquoise scrubs. It all looked like fun at the beginning, but after half an hour the exercises started becoming a bit more challenging. He felt bad for Stephen when he saw how frustrated he got when he couldn't open his hand with and elastic around the fingers. He wanted to help, but he couldn't. Tony loved him, and he hated seeing Stephen so distraught.

After about two hours, they returned to the car. Stephen looked upset.

"So... wanna get some MacDonalds?" Tony offered, trying to cheer him up. This backfired, and Stephen only started to tear up.

"I-I wish I never got on that bike. I wish I had never decided to cross that street, because then I wouldn't be here. Then I wouldn't be such a failure. I should be better that this." He cried, all his grievances and guilt had finally gotten to much for Stephen. "I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, Tony. Now I can't even squish a stupid foam ball."

Tony grabbed Stephen's hand. "But you would never have gone to Kamar-Taj and met Wong, and I would have never even met you." He comforted the wizard, who was hugging his knees up to his chest. Stephen looked at Tony with a small, soft smile. 

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"What for?"

"Complaining like that."

"It's okay. Who have to deal with me complaining and whining all day about the most idiotic things. You have a right to be sad." 

Stephen used the sleeve of his grey cardigan to wipe off his face. "Thank you."

______