Behind a Smile

C8 -Return to hell

A/N:

This chapter contains a few trigger warnings, I will be mentioning them here and provide a summary of the chapter at the end.

Trigger warnings:
Brief contemplation about religion
Mentions of injury due to dissociation
Derealisation
Presumed loss of parent
Implied child (teenager) neglect

If you do want to read the chapter but want me to remove a bit and send it to you, just tell me :D

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Peter didn't know what to feel when he stepped into school. It felt like everyone was staring at him, whispering about him. He did not know how much they knew, he knew June had arranged an obituary for May, but he doubted the kids at his school read those. Maybe their parents did. Oh god, do they all know? Do they pity him, is everything going to be different? Is he not even going to get normalcy at school?

He stepped into English class and got a solemn look from his English teacher. He guessed she knew, but he would imagine the school would have informed his teachers. He didn't like it though, he now knew already that he would get pitying glances the entire day to remind him of what happened.

As Peter sat down next to Ned he noticed that MJ was not there yet. There was still plenty of time before class was starting but MJ was usually there before anyone else. But he didn't worry yet, they might have overslept, or forgotten their bag making them miss the bus or something similar. If they were not there yet at the end of class, he would start to take action.

As soon as Peter read the material they were going to be covering today, he felt ready to burst into tears. They were going to cover Oliver Twist. This had to be some kind of twisted joke. Life couldn't possibly be this terrible. If there was something out there calling the shots, they certainly had it out for him because this had become unreal. How did this happen to him? How did life decide to screw him over again and again and kick him while he is down? He just couldn't believe it.

At least Ned was there, laying a comforting hand on his, just knowing that he was there was helping. Peter was going to have a rough day ahead of him.

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Unfortunately for Peter right now, not everyone was pitying him. As soon as he reached his locker and moved to open it, he was rammed into the lockers by the shoulder of one of Flash's buddies. Alright, the physical pain was there, now where is the quip....

"Honestly Parker, when will you get that no one wants you around? I mean even your aunt. That has to be a pretty big indicator. I mean come on, you are in a school for geniuses, you have got to be able to see the pattern." One of Flash's buddies said.

Another one piped in. "So where are they going to dump you now? Can't exactly go to family, so.... Are you going to be fostered? Tossed from house to house? Or have you chosen to see that you don't deserve a home and took a garbage bag full of belongings to the streets? Huh?"

Peter shrunk into himself but in the corner of his eye, he noticed something strange. At the mention of living on the streets, Flash went rigid. Where before this he had an uncomfortable but relaxed position. But right now, all the muscles in Flash's body seemed to tense. He looked like he was about to speak up, but decided against it.

Another one of them started to speak but this time Flash actually interrupted. "Lay off him. You have made your point, there hasn't even been a funeral yet. You hurt him physically and mentally now walk along." Peter stared at him with doe-like eyes. Was that really Flash that said that. His bully for years now said that. Peter was flabbergasted.