Secret World

12

    The next morning I stood in the office awkwardly next to Happy who had a permanent scowl on his face. It had been there since last night, some guy with sandy hair had fake birth certificates and everything all ready by the time we pulled up to the compound. Wanda had a backpack sitting next to the elevator door, and a bag of brand new clothes on the table for me. It was all I could not to want to cry, I hadn't had people like this around me before.
     And now I stood next to a very unhappy Happy as he finished signing me in, Peter standing outside the office biting his bottom lip eagerly as he watched, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
     "Alright Mr. Hogan, your daughter is all signed up. You said you like for her to stick with Peter Parker, is that correct?" The secretary asked smiling at him. 
    "If that's okay." He responded gruffly.
     "Well, he's in quite a few advance classes, do you think your up to it.." She looked down and read my name again before looking back up to me. "Echo?"
     "I'll be fine. I'm a pretty quick learner." I smiled, have to be quick. Other wise I would still be wandering around lost in this damn world. Actually, if I wasn't quick I would be crawled up in a straight jacket somewhere.
     "Alright, well first period is about to start." She stated, I turned to look at Happy who just grimaced.
     "Stay out of trouble." He growled as he turned toward the door, I followed him out and walked over to Peter.
     "I can't believe that worked." I stated shaking my head as follows Petter through the packed halls.
    "And you doubted me.. Echo Hogan." He chuckled to himself.
     "How?" I laughed as we started going up a set of stairs.
     "I called up a couple of people right after Happy pulled away last night. Clint is really good about getting false documents. And Wanda was really eager to help, they all were." Peter shrugged.
     "You should of seen Happy's face last night when Clint walked up with the papers and told him Congratulations its a girl." I giggled.
     "I'm totally going to have to have Friday pull that video up." Peter laughed again.
     "Hey Parker!" A male voice shout from some where behind us, Peter stopped dead in his tracts and groaned looking up at the ceiling. "Who's your tag along?"
      "And that is?" I asked leaning closer to Peter while looking over my shoulder in the direction of the guy.
     "Flash." Peter replied simply. "It's a new student."
     "Poor girl and she was paired up with you?" The guy asked as he caught up with us, he slung his arm over my shoulder.
"Penis Parker."
I shook my head trying to throwing the disembodied voice away. It was no doubt this kids voice and the fact he took to making fun of Peter made my blood boil.
"Come on Parker, if your such good friends with Spider.."
I couldn't take it and threw his arm off me immediately.
"Don't touch me again." I growled lowly enough this kid could here.
"What's your problem?" Flash snapped, his brows pinching together as stepped a head of us and turned stopping both Peter and I.
"Just don't want you to touch me." I rolled my eyes at him. I looked over at Peter, his lips formed a thin line as he looked over to me and then back at the idiot standing in front of us.
"Look Flash, we got to get to class, and I wanted show Echo her locker before we had to get there so if you'll excuse us." Peter stayed, grabbing my hand and pulling me around the other guy.
"Aunt May, you gotta meet her."
I almost stopped dead in my tracks, suddenly I felt like I had invaded his personal space. Listening to a conversation that I shouldn't have. The moment was brief before he released my hand after we had passed Flash. He gave me a small smile and continue to press forward though the sea of teenagers.
"So, your in advance classes, how many?" I asked as I struggle to keep up, trying to keep focused on him. Students bumped into me, multiple visions and a canopy of voices rose above the noise becoming almost too much for me. "Peter."
He stopped and looked back, he must of heard the panic in my voice. Suddenly he was right beside, and moved me closer to the wall so I wouldn't bump into as many people. It helped, I wasn't hearing half as much ruckus, but it was still all so overwhelming.
"Echo, are you going to be okay?" Peter whispered, leaning in closer to me.
"Yeah, just, so much going on at once. I need to figure out how to turn it off, I've never had this much at once." I breathed, as he guided me to a nearby class room. A few students had already been seated, and Peter led me to a desk and chair dead center of the room. He sat down behind me, and dropped his bag on under it. Gently I tucked my own under mine as well.
A sharp bell rang as more kids filed in, everyone talking as they found their seats. I saw flash come in second to last and my annoyance sparked again at him.
"Alright class, so it looks like we have a new student. Echo? Did I get that right?" The teacher, her plate of the desk said and Vandamort, asked while looking around the room till her eyes landed on me. "Why don't you stand up and tell us about yourself."
Great, not what I really wanted to do.
"Sure." I said a bit sarcastically, I stood and looked around. "I'm Echo Hogan, recently moved here from Brooklyn. This is my first time in a public school."
"And she's Penis Parker's girlfriend." I heard Flash quip out earning a couple of laughs as I was sitting down. I rolled my eyes again as the teacher chided him and resumed class.
It was a discussion on World War Two and the role the Howling Commandos took to help win the war against Hitler. The secret organization known as Hydra and its leader the Red Skull that Steve Rodgers aka, Captain America took to help bring this man to justice. About half way through the class the teacher lowered the lights so she play a video on the tv that rested in the corner. I brought my knees to my chest knowing that the shadows under the desk were dark enough for the shadows to come out.
I felt Peter slide his hand up onto my shoulder, it had a calming effect as my nerves had started to raise. I heard chuckling coming from the side of the room where Flash was and I saw him pointing over toward me and Peter. Anger welled up again inside me, that when I saw the shadow creatures move and skittered around Flash's feet. How wished they would something to him. Nothing too horrible but, enough to wipe that stupid smug smirk off his annoying face.
I turned back to the tv and focused on this history, one that didn't exist in my world. Something I would need to know so I could continue to pass off as normal as possible until I could find my own way home. It amazed me on things were the same yet completely different, all the while Peter softly stroked my shoulder, just barely. It was reassuring at least, having him know the truth.
The bell rang and the teacher flipped on the lights yelling something about page 234. A crash startled me and everyone looked over to see Flash, face first on the ground. Everyone was laughing but I looked toward his feet and saw that his laces had been in tied in multiple knots one after another until none of the shoes strings were alone, they looked like big faint knots. My heart thudded in my chest, as I stared at his shoes till Peter gently grabbed my elbow and led me out into the hallway once again.