Just Out of Touch by ClaraLicht on AO3

part 1

Ned could not be happier.

Okay that's a lie, but he was really excited and nothing else really mattered right now.

That was actually another lie.

"Why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're constipated."

Ned's face scrunched up at MJ's nonchalant words. "I'm not! I'm just excited!"

MJ looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow.

"...and a bit nervous, I guess."

MJ kept silently staring at him.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...okay fine, I'm worried about Peter!"

As if saying Peter's name was a spell to summon him, Flash suddenly appeared with a big, mocking grin. "Parker ditched, huh? Should've known, we're about to uncover his secret, after all."

Ned and MJ rolled their eyes, already used to Flash's insistence of proving that 'there's no way Penis Parker has an internship in Stark Industry, I don't even qualify, let alone him!'.

"He's not ditching, he just has other things to do!" Ned said, knowing that telling Flash that the internship was real would be meaningless.

"Go away already, Eugene. Your yapping is hurting my brain and I need it for the decathlon, unlike you, first alternate."

"W-Wha-"

"Mr. Thompson! Please sit down, the bus will be moving soon!" Mr. Harrington called out from the front of the bus.

Grumbling, Flash gave the two stink eyes before finally leaving them to his own seat. The bus took off only a few minutes afterwards.

"So why is he not here, actually?" MJ asked, eyes never leaving her book.

Ned sighed, "He's not allowed to go, a punishment for lying, according to the school."

"Lying? About the internship?"

"Yeah. Peter told me that Principal Morita berated him for spreading rumors about a fake internship and submitting fake documents, saying there's no way someone like Tony Stark would personally sign an internship document for a high schooler or that he would be an emergency contact for someone unrelated to him."

"Such documents would have numbers to call in case of forgeries and misuse. No one bothered to call?"

He just shrugged. "It's high school, man. No one believes a nobody teenager who said their emergency contact is one of the most influential man in the world."

"Right, how can I forget how idiotic the system is?" MJ scoffed, rolling her eyes.

As the bus pulled up to the tall tower in front of them, nearly everyone in the bus gawked at the view outside.

Stark Industries Headquarter located in the previously Avengers Tower really was a sight to behold.

Mr. Harrington ushered the students inside and approached the receptionist, leaving the students to marvel at the interior of the building.

The lobby's ceiling was high and seemed to be glowing softly with several pillars supporting them. On the far east was a café bustling with activities, employees and visitors getting their dose of morning coffee. On the west was glass sliding doors leading to a waiting room. There were three reception stations with entrance to elevators in between where there were lines of people waiting to go through the scanner and swipe their badges. Sofas and tables were placed on strategic locations.