Spider-Man: Unmasked

Chapter Thirty-Four

Peter woke up early Monday morning. He looked at his clock and groaned. He was going back to school today.

"Do I have to?" Peter had whined the night before. "I can just be homeschooled. Dad, you can teach math and science, and Pops, you can teach history."

Steve just shook his head. "Sorry, bud. You've already missed weeks of school."

Peter stood up and slid on jeans and a sweater. He grabbed his bag from beside his desk and walked out to the kitchen, where Tony was already seated. He barely slept in anyways.

"Morning," he yawned, going to a cupboard and grabbing an apple. He and Ned were going to go eat breakfast together before school, so he didn't want to fill up at home. He sat at the table next to Tony.

"Morning bud," Tony said, sipping his coffee from his Earth's Best Defender and Father mug that Steve and Peter had gotten him on his last birthday. There are a lot more of those mugs than you'd think. "You ready for your first day back at school in... weeks?"

Peter gave a small groan in response. "I'm not. Maybe you should let me stay home."

"If it makes you feel any better, your Pops talked to your teachers and you don't have to do all the homework you missed. If we had it my way, you wouldn't have any, but..."

Peter nodded. A smile tugged at his lips as he ate his apple. "Thanks. That's a bit less to worry about. Still not ready though."

"Hey, if you can get through this day at school..." Tony said, glancing at the hallway. "... Maybe your Pops and I will have some news for you."

Peter perked up a little. "Oh? Well, in that case-" Peter looked at his watch and stood up. "I've gotta go and meet Ned for breakfast."

Tony nodded and stood up as well. "Have fun, try to survive." He gently kissed Peter's forehead and went to the sink. "Good luck."

Peter nodded, readjusted his backpack, and headed out into the world.

——————

Peter walked into the cafe where he and Ned were going to meet. He immediately saw Ned sitting at a table, waving excitedly at him.

Peter grinned and walked over to Ned. He instantly gave Ned a hug, happy to see his best friend in what had been forever. Ned had visited Peter when he was in the hospital, but then with school and then also the stress of everything, they hadn't been able to really see each other since then.

"Dude! You. Are. Amazing!" Ned exclaimed as he and Peter sat down. "I can't believe you did all of that! How are you? Is the world going to be in mortal danger anytime soon?"

Peter laughed and shushed Ned. "Maybe you shouldn't yell that so loud?"

Ned nodded. "Sorry, sorry." He cleared his throat as a lady came by with two coffees and some chocolate croissants.

After the woman left, Ned looked right back at Peter, excited. "So? How'd you do it? How are you feeling?"

"I feel... good. It just feels great to be back and to see everyone." He took a sip of his coffee and added, "Well, doesn't feel good to go back to school."

"Yeah... Pete? Everyone kinda maybe thinks that you're dead."

Peter nearly choked on his coffee. "W-what?"

Ned nodded. "You've been gone for weeks, and they know how the Avengers have been fighting Ultron, so they've kind of assumed that your dads took you with them or something and.."

"Oh please," Peter said, recovering from a near-death experience by choking on coffee. "My Dads wouldn't have let me go if they had it their way."

"Me and MJ were the only ones who didn't think you were dead," Ned said. "I think she kind of missed you."

Peter blushed faintly. "Seriously?" MJ was a girl in their grade that never seemed to show interest in... well, anything. She was... okay.

Ned nodded. "Yeah, which proves my theory that-"

"No!" Peter said quickly, blushing deeper. "No theory!"

Ned laughed. "Fine. But you know I'm right."

Peter shook his head and went to change the subject. "How's Flash doing? You know, since he couldn't give me a black eye?"

"He's occupied himself by tormenting freshmen now." Ned wiped chocolate off of his lip. "He says, and I quote, 'if Parker really is alive, then he is in for a treat when he gets back.'"

Peter tried not to snort. "Man, I'm shaking. Really. I'm terrified."

Ned and Peter continued talking until they finished their food. They began their walk to the school, talking all the while.

"How are your Dads feeling about the whole... spider situation now?" Ned asked as they approached the school.

"I don't know. We haven't really talked about it, so I don't know how they feel or if they'll ever let me be him again."

It was true. And Peter was still fine with that at the moment. While he did want to be Spider-Man again soon, he also was fine with time to relax. He didn't love the idea of going to school for obvious reasons, but it felt nice to feel... normal.

Peter walked inside and everyone suddenly went quiet. He took a deep breath, looked over at Ned, then walked to his locker. So much for feeling normal.

"I thought he was dead," A random girl whispered to her friend as Peter passed.

"Yeah? I thought I was too." Peter saw the look on her face and held in a laugh. He stopped at his locker, everyone still staring. Ned headed to his locker after saying they'd talk later.

"Hey, Parker!"

Peter sighed as he heard a too familiar voice. "Hey, Flash. Done tormenting freshman?"

"Of course. Now that you're back." Flash closed Peter's locker, nearly getting Peter's hand. "So you're not dead? That's too bad."

Peter gave him a look. "Yeah, then I wouldn't have to listen to your bad comebacks."

"Come on, Parker. What's wrong?" He looked down the hall. "Did you miss your girlfriend?"

Peter blushed as he saw MJ walking past them. She seemed to have heard what Flash said and turned back to them, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Aw. She feels the same way, doesn't she?"

MJ just looked at Peter. "Could you hold this for me?" She asked, passing him her things except for a book. Peter nodded and held them.

"Aww, having your boyfriend carry your books for you?" Flash taunted, latching. "You glad he's not dead?"

Before Peter could tell Flash to shut up, he was shocked to see MJ hit Flash across the face with the book she was holding. Flash let out a shout and held his nose, stumbling away.

MJ looked back at Peter and grabbed her things. "Thanks, Peter," she said, acting as if nothing had happened. "Glad to see you're back and not dead."

Peter smiled gently, stuttering a shocked thank you. He noticed Ned waving his eyebrows at Peter across the hall and Peter just mouthed shut up.

When he had recomposed himself, he reopened his locker and grabbed his books. He closed it again and began heading down the hall, meeting up with Ned.

"Not a word," Peter said as Ned was about to speak, most likely about MJ. Ned shrugged and they walked their way to their next class.

Everyone kept looking at him strangely, looking like they had all seen a ghost. Which they most likely thought that Peter was. He was ninety-nine percent sure that a kid had reached for him when he thought Peter wasn't paying attention.

Peter took a deep breath as he and Ned reached their first-period classroom.

"You ready?" Ned asked, looking at Peter.

Peter nodded. "Yeah. I am. Let's go."

Together, they walked into the classroom, Peter excited to feel normal - if only for a brief moment.