Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

come live with me

Grabbing his backpack from where it was nestled amongst the others in the hallway, he slung it over his shoulder while he walked away from the music room. Band practice had gone as it normally did: played a few songs, prepped for the Spring Concert, talked about the next season's football schedule so they knew what home games they had to play etc. etc. Nothing too interesting. Adjusting his grip on his clarinet case, he dug into his hoodie pocket for his phone to check the train schedules.

Usually he could make the four forty-five train, but practice had run a little long thanks to his conductor's rambling. Not that it was a bad thing! It just meant he would probably have to get the five o'clock train instead which put him back home a little after dinner was supposed to start. Something he'd have to relay to his aunt May so she wouldn't have his uncle Ben come looking for him.

Last time he hadn't told her about a study session with Ned at the school, Ben had showed up all dramatic, saying how he had searched far and wide for his boy. In reality, he had just drove to the school, figuring that was one of the two places Peter was. Still, he liked to make a big deal of things. Not that Peter was in any trouble, his aunt and uncle were just protective. Or rather, caring. That was the better word.

But thankfully, he managed to slip onto the earlier train right before the doors closed. Flopping down into an empty seat, he kept his backpack on him and slid his clarinet case in between his legs so it wouldn't trip anyone trying to get on or off the train. As he checked his phone with one hand, his other hand shuffled through his hair. May's voice echoed in the back of his head, tsking that he needed a haircut.

As the train sped down the tracks, Peter took the opportunity to film it. Quickly navigating to his camera app, he swiped against the screen until the the video option was displayed. With the phone recording, he twisted his torso to look out the window he was sitting in front of so the camera could capture the scenery flying by. He had over a hundred short clips from various train rides he had taken throughout the school year. Both scenery-wise and of other passengers. At the end of the year, he planned to put them all together into one big movie. Show the passage of time through the lens of multiple train rides to and from school. A day in the life of Peter Parker. How ever lame that may be - and even if he only showed it to Ned and his aunt and uncle.

With his clip for the day filmed, he traded the camera app for the various social media apps he had on his phone. The apps provided brief glimpses into his classmates' lives outside of school. Not that he really interacted with them inside of school, but it was still a form of entertainment to make the train ride pass by a bit faster. While he was at band practice, some of his classmates were participating in other after school activities that he quickly tapped through: sports practice, chess club, Ned was building something in Minecraft, yearbook club...

His thumb paused in its tapping at Liz Allan's story. The only reason he could see the junior's story was because she was on the decathlon team with him. And big into team building, even if she wasn't the captain of the team yet. Though she probably was going to be next year since everyone loved her - she was so great. At the start of the year, she made everyone follow each other and exchange numbers so they could be in one big group message to make it easier to share decathlon information. Even though he could, he never texted her outside the group. Too nerve wracking. Also, sometimes, if he knew she had posted something, he would make a point to avoid watching it or liking it because he didn't want to be weird. Or maybe it was weirder to not watch it or like it.

Either way, her newest story was playing on his phone, the audio filtering through his earbuds. Allowing him to watch as she lip synced to some song he didn't know. Clearly in her car, the camera then swung around to show an annoyed looking Molly Proctor, glaring at the camera. It didn't faze Liz as she continued to zoom in Molly's unamused face, giggling and singing until the story abruptly ended. Not caring about the next story, he exited out of the app to text Ned about what he was building in Minecraft.