Physics class went by with the speed of molasses uphill in winter.

"Okay, so how do we calculate linear acceleration between points A and B?" The teacher, Ms Warren, pointed at Flash, who was holding up his hand with a smirk.

"Flash?"

"It's the product of sine of the angle and gravity divided by the mass." The smirk widened, only to fall when she shook her head.

"Nope."

Peter watched another hand go up out of the corner of his eye, gaze falling back down to the screen in front of him.

"Peter. You still with us?"

He sat straighter, pulling his eyes away from a video of his own alter ego to smile bashful at the teacher. "Uh... yeah, yeah."

Closing the laptop, he scanned over the diagram of the gravity pendulum. "Uh... Mass cancels out, so it's just gravity times sine."

"Right." Ms Warren smiled proudly. "See, Flash, being the fastest isn't always the best if you are wrong."

Laughter spread through the classroom,, and Flash turned to glare balefully in his direction.

"You're dead," he whispered angrily.
Peter stared at the clock wistfully.

11:38 a.m.

"I got a copy of this movie he wanted me to watch, and I wrapped it up with a note that said I Owe You, with a thing of his favorite candy, and I did a card asking him out. Like, Tony has a whole theater room, and I thought we'd watch it with snacks, and blankets and stuff. But I told him if his answer was yes, to be there at seven tomorrow night."

"Wow." Ned stared blank faced at him.

"It's a horrible idea, isn’t it?" Peter dropped his head into his arms. "He's going to hate it. It'll be so weird."

"No, it's not a horrible idea." Ned put an arm around his shoulders. "It's cute. He's gonna like it, Peter."

"You don't think it's creepy?"

"No."

Peter stared at him intently. "You do. You think it's creepy."

"I don't. I just don't know if it was the best idea to drop it in front of his door, and then just leave, right before you go to your aunts house. He'll think you're avoiding him."

"I just- I need to stop overthinking it, before I start making it creepy."

"Too late."

They turned to look at the end of the table, where MJ was sitting immersed in a book.

She hadn't taken her eyes off of the page while addressing them. "You guys are losers."

"Then..." Ned tipped his head to the side. "Why do you sit with us?"

"Because I don’t have any other friends."

12:23 p.m.

Decathlon practice dragged on even slower than the other classes.

Liz stood at the podium, reading over the quiz cards. "Let’s move to the next question. What is the heaviest naturally-occurring element?"

"Hydrogen’s the lightest," Charles piped up, before lowering his head and grinning sheepishly. "That’s... not the question. Okay. Yeah."

Abe rang the bell. "Uranium."

Cindy looked up from frantically searching the books, sending a withering glare at Abe.

"That is correct." Liz smiled. "Thank you, Abraham."

He gave a small fist pump. "Yes."

"Please open your books to page ten," Liz continued.

"Peter, it’s nationals."

Peter dragged his attention away from the team in time to catch the last part of Mr Harrington's sentence.

"-there no way you could take one weekend off?"

"I can’t go to Washington because if my- if Mr. Stark needs me, then I have to make sure that I’m here."

I've got to stop doing that.

One day I'm going to call him dad in front of everyone, and then the whole act will be up.

"You’ve never even been in the same room as Tony Stark." Flash spoke up from behind them, voice cynical.

Cindy frowned. "Wait, what’s happening?"

Sally Avril looked up from the pages of notes spread on the floor. "Peter’s not going to Washington."

"No." Cindy stood quickly, palms flat in the desk, eyes narrowed. "No, no, no, no, no. No. No."

Abe rang the bell beside her, face bemused. "Why not?"

"Really?" Liz tipped her head, gaze disappointed. "Right before nationals?"

"He already quit marching band and robotics lab," Michelle piped up.

Everyone looked at her curiously.

"I'm very observant," she said quickly. "And I like knowing things. For blackmail."

With simultaneous shrugs, the group accepted that as a reasonable explanation.

"Flash..." Liz sighed. "You’re in for Peter."

"Ooh, I don’t know." Flash stood,, stretching dramatically. "I gotta check my calendar first. I got a hot date with Black Widow coming up."

Abe rang the bell again. "That is false."

Mr Harrington threw his hands uo in exasperation. "What did I tell you about using the bell for comedic purposes?"

Peter rolled his head over to stare wearily at the clock.

1:18 p.m.

The afternoon classes passed even slower.

He watched the clock hands with anticipation, ducking out the minute the bell rang.

The last piercing ringing sounds had barely stopped before he was already out of the building, heading for the gate.

Giving a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, he jumped the fence without touching it.

He took a different train back towards the direction of the apartment, deciding to make a pit stop.

Peter jogged towards a deli and gave a nod to a man sitting at the corner.

"Hey, what’s up?"

"Hey, man."

He stepped into Delmar's Deli-Grocery and headed to the counter, tracing his regular path.

"What’s up, Mr. Delmar?"

"Hey, Mr. Parker." The older man leaned over the counter, smile wide. "Number five, right?"

Peter swiped a bag of jelly beans from a side display, dropping them on the counter. "Yeah, uh, with pickles, and can you smush it down real flat? Thanks."

The clerk shrugged. "You got it, boss."

Mr Delmar tipped his head. "How’s your aunt?"

Peter shrugged thoughtfully. "Yeah, she’s alright."

The older man turned to the clerk behind him, chuckling. "La tía de é les una italiana muy bellissima."

His aunt is a very hot Italian woman.

The clerk grinned back. "Ah, sí?"

Oh yeah?

Peter narrowed his eyes. "Cómo está tu hija, eh?"

How is your daughter, huh?

The clerk laughed abruptly, and Mr Delmar's grin faded. "That'll be ten dollars."

Peter blinked. I've made a mistake.

"It’s five dollars."

"For that comment," he corrected. "Ten dollars."

Peter smiled guilelessly. "Hey, come on, I’m joking. I’m joking."

He pulled a bill from his wallet, handing it to the owner, who took it with a disgruntled look.

"Here’s five dollars."

Peter backed away, raising his hands innocently, changing directory toward a cat lying on the counter.

"What’s up, Murph?" Peter rubbed at his belly. "How you doing, buddy?"

Mr Delmar watched him while wrapping the sandwich, eyes squinted thoughtfully. "So, how’s school?"

"Ah, you know, it’s boring." Peter shrugged. "Got better things to do."

"Stay in school, kid. Stay in school." Mr Delmar gestured to the small store. "Otherwise, you’re gonna end up like me."

"This is great," Peter said indignantly. "Best-"

"Best sandwiches in Queens," Mr Delmsr finished with a grin. "I know."

He handed the sandwich over. "Have a good one."

"You too."

Y'all, so much has happened.

I'm living with a family member now, and trying to do two classes completely in a MONTH, along with my therapist having Covid, so it has been a MONTH.

Yeah.

Anyway.

Who's excited for Harley and Peter’s 'date'?

Me!

ME but in caps