Spider-Man Season One: Freestyle

4-1: Big Bad World Part 1

"Okay, tell me what's up."

I blinked as I partially closed my locker door, finding Harry on the other side. He stared at me with a serious look.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He grinned just a little. "We've been classmates for almost our whole lives, Pete. I haven't always paid that much attention to you, but from what I remember, you've never been as upbeat as you are now.

I chuckled, looking into my locker at my backpack, where my costume was tucked away. "And you want to know why."

He shrugged. "I'm curious."

I knew the truth, of course. The truth being that I was feeling really good about myself after stopping an illegal international transfer of dangerous blood, saving the girl (whose life I had accidentally endangered), and getting a sweet new costume.

But I couldn't tell him all that. I had to keep this a secret, because if I didn't, he could be targeted. It didn't matter how many bad guys I could take down by myself, all it took was one guy with the right idea to hurt someone I cared about.

I shrugged and tried to wing an explanation. "I guess I just...feel better now. After everything that's happened, things are going well, and that makes me pretty positive. Like maybe I can still live a happy life."

I grabbed a few things I needed and shut the door. Right after I did, Harry said something that startled me. "It's his birthday on Thursday, right?"

His words bothered me. I looked up at him. "How did you know that?"

He swallowed. "Oh. I guess I never...I've been, uh, texting your aunt."

"You what?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing weird, Pete. She was the one who asked me to see you when he died. She's just worried about you."

I looked away, but I knew it made sense. May really cared about me, and it was easy to forget that caring means people pay attention to you.

"Yeah, it is. And I'm...I'm fine. Thanks."

He smiled. "I gotta get going. See you around."

"Yeah."

I glanced back at my locker, thinking about the costume again. I don't know why it made me so giddy, exactly. For one thing, it fit incredibly well, and had just the right snugness to it that made it still breathable. Second was probably the fact that I had...earned it. It seemed like I was wearing a badge of my first big success as a superhero. Not that I could tell anyone where it came from, since that would probably create an international incident. 

It made me way more excited to get out there each day, so I only loosely paid any attention in my classes. I had caught up, thankfully, so I didn't have to put a ton of focus into the work. There were some basic lessons in algebra and biology, history was review, and health, my final bell, was a bunch of stuff about a project we were starting soon.

Although that was the bell where I got called out on it. I was specifically considering how I'd have to wash the suit when my teacher said, clearly a little exasperated, "Mister Parker? Is that arrangement fine with you?"

I swallowed, and looked back at him. In all honesty I didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but we had a handout with all the details anyway, so I was going to be fine. "I, um...yes. Yes, sir."

He gave me a sort of disappointed but amused look, and turned around to keep talking.

I settled down a little, and took a look around the room. Nobody was really paying much attention, but I noticed, curiously, Flash looking at me out of the corner of his eye. When we exchanged glances, his focus snapped to the front of the room. If he wanted to not be suspicious, that really wasn't the way, since the last thing Flash Thompson would be doing is paying attention in class.