The Boring Life

Two weeks passed since then and no one messed with me anymore.

School went swimmingly, see what happens when you don’t put up with crap.

My grades were at the top as usual, there was some talk about detention but nothing came out of it. The principal, Mr Ditko, was very understanding of my situation. More importantly there were tons of witnesses observing the incident, so they couldn’t just put the kid getting bullied in detention.

Not to mention me playing up the weak nerdy science kid really sold it.

In the end nothing came out of it and it was swept under the rug.

They made Flash apologize to me in person at the principal’s office. Hughie Lawson had a sprained ACL, so he had to undergo surgery which would diminish his chances of getting into the NFL. That’s one of the few things I was a little guilty about.

When word reached Uncle ben, he was concerned to say the least but when i assured him that it was self defense and nothing more he finally relented.

I didn’t overreact like ole Tobey did in the movie, i understood his concern and addressed it in an adult way.

I even asked for more chores as punishment to show my sincerity.

I ended up really enjoying the time I spent with Aunt May cleaning up the dishes and doing other housework. High school homework was way too easy at this point, I was coasting through so might as well help around the house, you know? It brought memories of helping her out when I was a kid.

“Oh you need to mix it well or it won’t bake right! Do it properly Pete.” Aunt May chided and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Wait till Uncle Ben sees this one, I’m sure he’ll have a blast laughing it up!”

“Oh hush Peter, you’re more cheeky than usual these days. He’ll like the cake if you’re the one making it.” She scolded me but there was no heat in those words

“Ahhh why don’t we just buy a store cake Aunt May, then i wouldn’t have to bake cakes”

“Peter Parker, aren’t you the one who asked to make the cake! Now put some elbow into that and stir it well.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Okay okay I bit more than I could chew by volunteering to bake the cake. Turns out superpowers won’t make you into a good cook.

“Besides, you know you like baking cakes with me!” I did

She wanted to be stern but I could tell she was beaming with joy when I asked if I could make the cake for Uncle Ben’s birthday.

She helped me with it and boy was I glad for it.

I enjoyed every second I spent with my aunt and uncle. They were good, honest, hardworking people who deserved everything in life and I’ll make sure they have nothing to want for. Even the part of me that was foreign began quickly warming up to them. They were no longer just Peter’s Uncle and Aunt, they were now his too.

The birthday celebration decorations were up and the cake was going well too. Well I mean it was okay but serviceable, you know?

I can’t wait to see his reaction to it.

“Oh wait, I have to throw these out first.” I remembered the plastic I forgot to throw out.

I went to the backyard where the garbage bin was when…

“Oh shut it you tramp.” A man cursed loudly from the house nearby.

‘Oh they’re at it again.’ I thought

My neighbors door opened and shut loudly and from it came Mary Jane Watson.

I put the garbage inside the bin.

She just stood out there looking outside blankly, while occasionally angrily blowing air.

“Rough day, huh?” I started the conversation

She looked startled, turned her head to see me and then sighs in relief.

‘Oh she thought I was harmless, nice to know.’

“Oh uh yeah.”

“Hmm”

We just stood there silently for a few seconds before she proceeded to burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, it’s just..” she squeaked in between her fits of laughter

“This is so weird. I’m sorry Peter.” She said when she regained control.

“Hey that’s alright MJ. I’m used to a little awkward.”

She smiled and nodded. We talked about random things for some time but then the topic of Flash Thompson came.

“I heard about the fight you had with Flash, He…doesn’t…mean to be so…”

“Mean.” I finished

She smiled ruefully “Yeah.”

“Well it wasn’t much of a fight anyways. It’s all good, we kissed and made up” His goon didn’t last ten seconds, so I don’t know if you could even call that a fight.

“That’s good. He just loses control sometimes and he wants to impress everyone, try to be a hero and all that!”

“Yeah, I can relate!” Not really but whatever.

”He’s good people though! He’s just going through a difficult time now though.”

I mean who doesn’t have it rough and it’s not really a justification to act like a dick but then again whatever.

The topic then moved onto her aspirations of becoming an actress. She couldn’t wait for college to finally move out.

For some reason a lot of kids felt that way, I didn’t.

I wanted to spend as much as time as I could with my family and moving out felt like it was going to be painful.

The conversation followed in that direction for some time.

It became clear as the conversation went on that I no longer had a thing for her.

I mean she seemed real nice but it felt wrong.

Since now I have twice the lived experience, I can safely say I had a childhood crush on her and nothing more.

It was a simple boyish infatuation I had growing up.

She seemed like a good person and I hoped for nothing but the best for her but I didn’t see a life with her and that was alright.

I was destroying whatever continuity left. Peter Parker’s iconic love interest has always been Mary Jane. I was carving my own path forward.

“We’re baking a cake for Uncle Ben. I’ll give you any leftovers we have. Assuming it’s edible, since I’m the one baking it!”

“Yeah I can see that.” She said pointing to my face

‘Oh sheesh, is that why she was laughing when I saw her.’

My face froze in embarrassment and she’s struggling to not laugh again.

“There’s some cream on my face isn’t there?” I muttered

“You should’ve seen your face. You looked like a small kid!” Her hands welded her mouth closed as she began to give into her rising giggle.

“Wow this is unbelievable, you try to cheer a gal up and this is what you get. Sucks to be me I suppose!” I said shaking my head in mock disapproval

“Well……..yeah.” The redhead began laughing even harder but this time even I joined in.

Wiping the cream off my face I say, “Well I’m glad to make your day but gotta go, have more cream to accidentally get on my face. I’ll send some later okay!”

She waved and was about to say something when….

“Girl GET inside the house now.” MJ’s face tightened, almost refusing to let the interruption sour the moment.

Then she gave in to her anger and couldn’t help but respond to her dad.

“STOP yelling.” She yelled back but then turned to me apologetically.

I went inside my home and sighed, “What’s that guy’s problem?”

“You two look good with each other.” My dear aunt commented while scaring the shit out of me.

“Jesus, what are you a ninja?”

“A what now?”

“It’s….you know what, forget it! Let’s make sure we get this cake right or we won’t hear the end of it!”

“I mean it. You and the Watson girl look nice together.” She said, turning her back to me.

“Whatever.” I mumbled

POV – Benjamin Parker

“Ben, sit down” Matt the younger salesman said to him in an unusually respectful tone.

The sales rep maintained a cold distance to those underneath him, he was warmer to corporate though.

Benjamin Parker sat down in the office chair expecting bad news; he didn’t have to wait too long for it.

“We…I have some bad news Ben.” Matt said tersely

“I won’t mince words, Ben. I have to let you go.” The words no man with a family to feed wanted to hear came out of the younger man.

Silence filled the dingy office.

“Matt, I have a kid.”

“I know Ben, I know. It’s from above.”

“He’s gonna go to college next year, he’s a smart kid Matt. Real smart!”

“I know buddy but I got no say in this. Cuts are coming, you’re just the first of many Ben.”

Benjamin Parker was a proud man but even proud men needed to provide for their family. He didn’t want to beg but he would if it meant he could keep his job.

“Please. I need this job, you know I work hard. Matt, tell them. I got a kid, they have to understand.” His voice cracking at the end

Matt looked like he ‘understood’ for a second.

Just for a second he looked like he wouldn’t fire him.

For a second he thought he wouldn’t have to explain to May why he couldn’t provide like a man ought to.

For a second he thought he wouldn’t have to tell Peter why he couldn’t go to the college of his choice.

“I’m sorry Ben. It is what it is!”

The man said with the kind of cold conviction that left no room to argue.

That would not deter Ben Parker, even if there was a sliver of hope!

“Matt….You sure nothing can’t be done.”

He asked him earnestly, looking straight into his eyes which the younger man could not meet.

“I’m really sorry Ben. You know how it is!”

Benjamin Parker didn’t know how it was.

He worked extremely hard for them, yes he might be getting older now but he could still work and work real good.

Matt turned his attention to the newspaper he was reading and resumed smoking his cigarette!

Benjamin Parker knew there was no winning this bout, as much as it hurt to throw the towel sometimes that‘s all a man can do. Throw the towel and call it a day but he would give a piece of his mind before he left.

“Son, one day you’ll have a family and I hope that day those men will be kinder to you than they were to me!”

Even vengeful Benjamin Parker couldn’t lower himself too much.

A hint of shame came across Matt who replied with

“You’ll be the first to know when there’s a spot available.”

The man kept up the appearance of familiarity if all but for show.

Exiting the office that smelled of cheap cigarettes and booze.

He went to the place where he always went after work.

The bench in the park right around the corner.

Feeding some pigeons before going home was a routine he did ever since he got his first job as a carnival barker. Back when he was twenty.

‘Oh that was ages ago. I’m so old now my bones creak when they move.’

There was no arguing that feeding pigeons was good for your soul, for Ben it kept his mind steady and heart humble.

“Oh Peter, what am I gonna do now?” He said aloud

The thought of Peter not going to college made his heart hurt. He might not have been his son but he raised that boy. He was proud of his kid more than anything in this world. The thought of breaking his heart hurt him more than anything.

It cut deeper than the wounds he received in Vietnam.

Ben sat staring as the cars whiz past the newly tarred road.

It was getting dark, time to head home.

“I’ll figure out something, like I always do!” Ben Parker said to himself.