chapter twenty-seven

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The next day at Midtown High, Allie dully sat in Principal Morita's office after Peter did, fiddling with her fingers with her legs crossed. She looked anything but interested in this conversation. Her mind was completely somewhere else.

"Alex, you're a good kid and, you're smart..." Allie glanced up at him, surprised by his wording, "...even if you don't think so. Just... keep your head straight. And next time there is a family emergency, let the school know instead of just leaving the building, okay?"

"Okay," Allie murmured, and he smiled at her.

"Okay, get on out of here," he said, and she nodded before she got up from her spot. She walked out of the office, her school bag tossed over her shoulder. Waiting there for her was an anxious Peter, and she stared at him oddly.

"Are you expelled?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Are you going to that school on 46th where the principal has a crossbow?" he asked.

"Boy, I just said no," she said, and he nodded, looking relieved. But she pretended she didn't see that.

She just stared at him a moment, a frown on her as he stared at her curiously, his head slightly tilted. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said before she began walking down the hallway, and he followed her.

"I know a lot happened yesterday..." he began, and she scoffed. That was an understatement, "But we should probably talk."

"I swear to God, if you ask me about Emma or wanting to go after those guys again–"

"I was going to ask about you," Peter said, and Allie was so caught off guard that she stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. He stopped with her, the two looking at each other as she stared at him, baffled.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, yesterday, you were... like blind... in rage. And I always knew you had a... tough... personality, but I never knew... you were so angry," Peter nervously said, and Allie's face dropped, a tense expression over her, "And then today... you just look... sad..."

Allie was silent for a moment, trying to gather the courage to say what she wanted to say. And it made her realize she had never actually told anyone about her struggles before. No one had ever asked.

"I could go on forever about every traumatic thing that's happened to me, Parker," she started as he stared at her, listening intently, "But... I'm upset because... these guys are profiting, getting rich off of Avenger-based disasters. And it's personal... for many different reasons. One being that I have been at all those disasters, right in the middle trying to stop it. But... also..."

"Alexandria..."

"I like how you say my name."

"Then I'll say it a million times over... Alexandria."

Allie blinked, not wanting to tear up in front of Peter, who continued to stare at her intently. "...That includes the Battle of Sokovia, and... I lost someone... very important to me there... sacrificing himself to protect me... from Ultron..."

"Your boyfriend?" Peter asked, and Allie stared at him with her eyes lit up in shock, "Last year, Emma mentioned her friend's boyfriend dying... I'm assuming that's you..."

She hesitantly nodded before continuing, "He took shots that were aimed for me. It's my fault he's... dead."

"It's not your fault," Peter said as Allie's jaw clenched, "It's not your fault, Allie... It's Ultron's. He pulled the trigger, not you."

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