TW : dysphoria, bullying.

He didn’t sleep at all this night, laying awake in his bed after having to beg Ned’s mother to let him go home and not to tell anything to his aunt. She was asleep once he arrived, and he smiled as he saw an empty plate on the table in front of their couch. Trying not to gasp in pain, he put a blanket over her body and kissed his forehead before going to his room. Once he got up in the morning, she had already left, leaving a note on the fridge : ‘I had to go to work early, have a great school trip buddy. I love you, Aunt may.XX’. He smiled while biting in an apple, remembering of the day out they were supposed to have today. He wasn’t excited to be with the other student, but at least he wouldn’t be alone, and there would always be a teacher near them so he was safe from any punch. 

He made his way to school slowly, still limping. The pain was so strong he couldn’t wear a sports bra and he was wearing the biggest hoodie he had find, one that belonged to Ben when he was younger. He felt good in it, even though feeling the fabric against his chest constantly reminded him of it ; the feeling of having something on that belonged to his family before eased the stress away. He couldn’t forget about yesterday, and made sure to tuck his t-shirt in his jeans, putting a tight belt on and even didn’t wear his packer. It felt odd not having it, it felt wrong, but he wouldn’t be able to bear another humiliation like yesterday, and he was almost… ashamed of wearing this pair of socks down his boxers now that Flash reminded him he was just hiding his lack of male genitals. It hurt him so much he thought about it until now, until he was sitting in the bus that was going to drive them to the museum.
Ned by his side, he shakes his head firmly in order to forget everything he just thought about. It will make no good to just rehash what happened. As he grabs his phone, he proposes an earphone to his friend, putting his own in his ear and waiting until the other teen does the same to finally hit the button play of his playlist. At least msic will make Flash’s laugh shut. 
They both stay silent for the whole trip, trying their best not to give any attention to the boys in the back of the bus. Trying to shut them down wouldn’t work, so they don’t put effort in it. They just keep their anger to themselves, silently wondering why don’t the teachers intervene and tell them to stop. It’s pretty much obvious that the laughs aren’t just because of innocents jokes, but more because of the way they all sing ‘Penis Parker is a tranny’ together.

Peter sighs as he takes back his earphones, already tired of this day. He knew before he arrived that the news would have made to every students, but now that he is hearing this song Flash and his friends invented, he wants to go back home.

He gets up before anyone in the bus once they are finally parked, earning a pat on the shoulder from Ned. It’s a little gesture, but it means so much in the situation they are in. It means that the teen isn’t alone, that he has someone by his side, that he can count on his friend, that it’s going to be okay, he’s going to be okay. It means so much yet it seems to be insignificant, and Peter smiles at the thought. He doesn’t know what he would do without his best friend, and he is so thankful to have him in his life, so thankful that Ned never let him down, never listened to anything people invented or said about Peter. He is so thankful for his friendship.

Quietly, the friends make their way to their teachers, who are waiting for them in front of the bus. Once everyone is out, and in group, they lead them to the entrance of the museum - only after giving them a lecture about how well-behaving in the building will be important as the reputation of the school is on the line. Peter just rolled his eyes when they finished it, well too aware that some obvious students won’t bother to be careful about their behaviour. 

The sight of the museum’s hall makes Peter gasps of excitement. By his side, Ned has a smile eating his face, and both can’t help but look at each other in a total state of joy. The group of students stops to wait for their teacher to go find their guide, and the two boys are almost jumping because of all the things they want to see and are excited to learn. The fact of being here makes them forget about the other teens that are with them, blocking them two from hearing every mean comment Flash tries to address them. They are way too gone in their own thoughts to listen to him. All they can think about is the new exposition the museum has, the one from a famous laboratory of the Osborn Industry and who especially works on the effects radioactive chemicals can have on humans and animals - mostly on those who have been contaminated because of explosion or a too long exposure near to the products. It’s one of the newest problem that scientist have been highlighting lately, even though it’s been years that they are working on it.

“Guys, please,” one of the teachers’ voice interrumpts everyone’s chatting.

She waits for everyone to look at her and then turns to the man at her right side, an employee of the museum, who nods in response to her glare.

“Okay so hello everybody !” he quickly greets the group in an excited tone, “My name is Roman and I will be your guide for today’s visit. Before we go, I will explain to you really fast the program okay ?” he stops for a few seconds, looking at every students, not really waiting for answer. “So, we will start with the first floor of the museum, where all of permanent expositions are. It’s mostly about the evolution of technologies throughout time, but nothing that elaborated. It will easily take us around two hours and a half. Then we will come back here and you will be able to eat your lunch - we have a cafeteria just at the end of this corridor.” With a little movement, he shows them a point behind them, and claps his hands together, “after that we will see the new expositions, including the one of the radioactive chemicals department of Osborn Industry’s Laboratory. This will mark the end of the visit. Any questions ?” silence answers him, and he waits ten more seconds before gesturing them to follow him, “Then let’s go !”.

The first part of the visit isn’t really interesting, neither it is boring. Peter feels like it doesn’t really learn him anything, as him and Ned already searched almost everything on the subject of the exposition last year when they did a presentation for a class he can’t remember. But still, he happily follows the group, enjoying the fact that he is surrounded by something that passionated him, and actually taking advantages of his knowledge to joke with his friend. They don’t participate to anything the guide says, and go on making themselves quietly laugh, earning some deathly galces by Michelle - who manages to still be reading without being reprimanded for it, which amazes the two boys.

They end up finishing the tour of the first floor rather quickly, and Peter is surprised to find out that it really took them more than two hour to see all of it. However, his smile doesn’t come off his face as Ned and him quickly go to find a calm spot in the cafeteria after getting the authorization to do so. Most of the class are sitting all together, but the two friends decide to eat at another table, putting as much distance as possible with Flash’s group, while still being able to see their teachers in case they would call them. They start their lunch almost as soon as they are sat, continuing their conversation.

“It’s still crazy that they managed to have a piece of Tony Stark technology !” Ned mumbles with his mouth full of food, amazed, “Do you imagine ? they have a part of his Iron Man suit !” His eyes light up as he speaks, as do Peter’s. 

It was probably the only moment where both of them went quiet during the visit : when they saw the helmet of the man they both adored, not quite prepared to find such an important piece in the Technology’s history here. They should have predicted it, as lately Stark industry started to make way more donations to associations and museum - but still ! They went quiet for almost ten minutes, as attentive as they could while listening to the guide, even though they already knew everything about Tony Stark’s suit. 

“I know !” Peter answered, as excited as his friend, “We actually got to see it in real life !”.

The happiness he felt at the sight of the precious object was making him forgetting everything. The overwhelment he felt wasn’t quite comparable to Ned’s one. It was different. Because it wasn’t the first time he actually got to see something like - but the second time. And it reminded him why he really started to admire Tony Stark and Iron man, when he really decided to interest himself to science, and physics and technologies.

When he as a kid, around eight or nine - maybe ten - years old, Peter actually got to meet the man himself in real life. Surely, he escaped death this day, but it was still one his best memory. He doesn’t really remember what was happening at the time, but he went to an event with his uncle and his aunt, and the event himself got attacked. And, as the little child he was at the time, thinking his iron man gauntlets’ toy would really work, he didn’t follow his family when they tried to get him to move, and find himself facing the bad guy. He can’t see precisely how the scene was, but he clearly knows that if Mr.Stark didn’t come on time this night, he would have died. But he didn’t realize it at the time, and instead of being afraid he was amazed by the man standing by his side, who was only one his favourite heroes, but will quickly become his idol, the man he would look up too to inspirate himself - and he still does.

A nostalgic smile on his face, Peter continues eating while talking to Ned,
“But dude, it’s actually crazy that we already knew everything, right ?” Both of the boys laugh at his comment, because they both know it’s true. What chances on Earth did they have to be able to already know everything about this exposition without having seen it ?

“But is it really when we know how much time we pass talking about it, huh ?” Ned answers, giving the other teen a confident look. “I mean, you do realize it’s almost all we do except building Star Wars LEGO and talking about the Avengers, right?”

Peter chuckles, nodding his head in agreement, and goes to answer, only to find himself interrupted by a voice coming from the other side of the table they are sat to.

“You guys are so lame…”

Quickly, they turn their heads in the direction of the girl who just spoke, sighing when they recognize Michelle, quietly eating her lunch surrounded by four books, plus the one she is reading.

“Girl what do you want ?” sasses back Ned, rolling his eyes.

It’s not that they don’t like their classmate, but more that they are tired of getting those comments, especially when it comes from someone who is as passionate as they are  even if it’s with something else. And Michelle is, it’s easy to understand it, judging from the way she is always reading : in class, doing sports, during school trips, at lunch, during their breaks… 

“Nothing, just wanted to express my opinion,” she says back, shrugging her shoulders. “I was getting kinda bored by your fanboy moment.” Her tone isn’t even mocking, and it confuses the two other student. It’s almost like she is being honest, like she just wants to discuss with them.

“Then why are you listening to us ?” asks Peter, furrowing his eyebrows, unsure of what the girl wants.

“‘Got nothing else to do,” Michelle explains, her eyes back on the book she was reading, as if it was casual for her to act this way.

Peter and Ned exchange a confused look, before glaring at her again.

“But weren’t you reading ?” Ned demands, even more confused by the situation.

“Yup’,” the girl replies, accentuating the ‘p’ at the end of the word, not bothering to look back at them. “What’s your point ?” 

At this point, she is messing the hell out of the boys, who find themselves incapable to answer a proper argument. Silence finishes by taking place between the three teens, and Michelle smiles once she realizes that her classmates are just glaring at her, confused at possible. She doesn’t do anything, taking the time to finish the last page of her book before closing it and putting of her stuff closer to the boys, coming to sit by their side.

“It’s not because I am reading that I don’t pay attention to the others,” she explains with a proud smile, “I’m really observant in fact. And you two are the less stupid people of this class, so it usually makes you the more interesting. However, this conversation you were having - it was lame as hell guys ! I mean, come on, seriously ? Gossiping about Tony Stark and his suit, about all the Avengers ? Don’t you ever get tired of it ?”

Peter and Ned don’t react. They glare at her, eyes widened in shock, not really knowing what to say. 

“But...erm… I mean, Michelle you-” starts Peter, only to be stopped by the girl.

“My friends call me MJ,” she randomly states, not noticing the look on the other’s face.

“But…” the second boy says, confused, “You don’t have friends.” His tone isn’t harsh at all, he doesn’t mean to hurt her by saying that. It’s the truth, but MJ only responds with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t”, she lets out, before getting up and walking towards their teachers who are gesturing them that the lunch is over, leaving behind her two consterned boys.

Sorry for the wait guys ! I kinda forgot to correct this part (I'm pretty I missed mistakes though, my eyes hurt as hell right now) and then I got caught up with some events !
However, I hope you liked it ! It's a little bit happier than the previous ones (or at least lighter ? I don't really know how to phrase it, but Peter gets a break !)
Stay safe and hydrate,
H.