I Am Karen - Spider-Man / Peter Parker [1]

Chapter Nineteen - To Be Peter Parker

At school, Peter of course was having to face the consequences of his actions over the last few months – the skiving, and the disappearances in DC and from detentions. One afternoon, Maria was stood by her locker which gave her a view of the principal's office. Peter was currently sat in there with the headteacher. Ned, as his best friend, was sat outside waiting for Peter, clearly very worried about Peter's future at the school of his jolting left leg was anything to go by. Maria had heard all day of Ned's worry that he thought Peter would be expelled but Maria knew that thanks to Peter's previous track record being so good, he wouldn't be. The school would be stupid to lose such a student.

The corridor was silent and empty apart from Maria so as Peter came out of the headteacher's office, she could hear his conversation with Ned. She kept her locker open and watched out of the corner of her eye but concentrated solely on their speech.

"Are you expelled? Do you have to go to that high school on 46th where the principal has a crossbow?" Ned asked anxiously the moment Peter left the office. Maria chuckled softly at his question. He was so worried; it was sweet really.

"Pretty sure that's an urban myth and no I'm not expelled" Peter said, his voice tinged with sadness. Looking over to him properly, Maria noticed his downcast face. The headteacher had obviously tore Peter a new one, Peter's behaviour had been unacceptable and he probably did come close to being expelled – Peter could have lost everything. Maria could only imagine what Peter had to do now; the detentions alone would be hell.

"You're so lucky" Ned replied. As the boys began walking in the opposite direction to Maria, she slowly closed her locker and sighed.

"Is he expelled?" a new voice asked from behind her. Maria jumped slightly but she recognised the voice immediately. It was Michelle.

"Don't think so" Maria commented, her eyes staying locked on the boys' retreating figures. She felt Michelle copying her actions. A silence fell over them before Michelle turned to face Maria.

"What is wrong with him?" Michelle suddenly asked. Maria didn't need clarification to who she was talking about, it was very obvious. Michelle wasn't an idiot, she had begun to piece things together slowly but surely and Maria knew it - but she was going to allow Michelle to figure it all out.

"He needed a reality check and I think he got it" Maria explained cryptically. With that Maria gave Michelle a smile before she turned on her heels and began to walk towards her class that she was officially late for.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Michelle asked from behind her. Maria didn't have to turn around to know the look of annoyance that would be cast across her best friend's face.

"Nothing" laughed Maria. Glancing over her shoulder, Maria gestured to Michelle with her hands. "Let's get to class."

~8~

Weeks had passed, Spider-Man had disappeared and Peter was figuring out how to be himself again. It was strange. On the one hand, the streets were missing Spider-Man and criminals were slowly but surely showing themselves again but on the other hand Peter was finally getting back to being Peter. Maria had been trying to pick up the slack a bit with the criminals by alerting the police and on very odd occasions sending out one of her father's suits (with his permission of course) to get the odd criminals.

Unfortunately, Peter and Maria had yet to talk which meant that Ned and Maria's friendship was strained and boarding on being hidden. Maria wasn't sure how to approach Peter after their disagreement and Peter didn't feel like he could face Maria yet. but that didn't mean the distance wasn't affecting the pair of them - they had began to become quite close but the argument had blown their friendship up. One thing that they both would admit was that they missed one another dearly but didn't know how to fix it.