CHAPTER ONE:  graduation

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MONROE JANVIER STACY HAD UNDERSTOOD, THAT SOMETIMES, PETER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO MAKE IT ON YIME TO EVENTS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT, THERE ALMOST ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE SOME CRIME HAPPENING IN NEW YORK. So, Peter was late to their graduation.

"I'm gonna call him, make sure he's okay," MJ whispered to his sister. He pulled out his phone, quickly opening it before scrolling through the contacts. He quickly found Peter's contact, pressing on the button to call him. The phonephone rings for a second before it was picked up. "Hey, I'm sorry, I'm running a bit late. I got stuck in traffic."

"You're timing in so terrible, it's starting. You're lucky you're last name is more than half way through the alphabet." Monroe told him.

"I know, I'm sorry." Peter replied.

"Where are you?"

"1st Broadway, 2nd and Broadway, 3rd and broadway. Five minutes. Ten tops."

"Are those sirens?"

"No."

"Peter," Monroe spoke with a strict voice.

"No."

"Peter."

"No sirens. No-" Peter went silent for a moment.

"Peter, what is happening? Peter?" Monroe asked, now worried. "Peter. Peter. Hello? Are you okay? Peter."

"I'll be right there. Promise."

"Pete-" the phone was hung up.

"This year's Valedictorian, please welcome Gwen Stacy," was spoke at the booth that stood on top of the stage.

Everyone clapped, cheering as they did. Monroe began to clap. Gwen walked up the stage, handshaking the man before she approached the mic. "Good morning, esteemed faculty, and families of my fellow graduates. It's an honor to be standing up here today. I know we all think that we're immortal. We're supposed to feel that way. We're graduating. But, like our brief four years in high school, what makes life valuable is that it doesn't last forever. What makes it precious is that it ends."

"I know that now more than ever," Gwen continues. "And I say it, today for all days, to remind us that time is luck. So don't waste it living someone else's life. Make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you. No matter what. Because even if we fall short, what better what is there to live?"

Monroe glanced back, wanting to see if Peter had arrived yet. He hadn't. People clapped.
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"Oh, my god, what if he doesn't make it?" Monroe asked his sister. "If I were before him, I'd delay it."

"Michael Oates," was called from the stage.
People clapped.

"How would you delay?" Gwen asked.

"Trip," he says. "Fall on stage. Pretend I'm dizzy. Need help back to my seat."

"I don't think that'd buy much time."

"Julia Orchard-Heymans," the principal called out another name. Once again, people clapped, cheering. "Alexis Ortiz."

"I'm gonna pass out, right here. They'll have to pause for a minute, right?" Monroe asked to himself. His sister was still on stage.

"Bo Parisi," was called.

"Oh, no," Monroe glanced around again.

"Peter Parker."

"Hey, I think I know that guy," an old man called out. The school librarian.

"Peter Park-" the man called again.

Peter ran up on stage, reaching a hand out. He took the diploma with the opposite hand, then shaking his hand with the man. He shook Gwen's hand, moving over to high five the other man's hands.

He quickly exited the stage, instead of going to his seat, he made his way towards Monroe, pulling the boy a step out of the line, wrapping an arm around his waist, he pulled Monroe into his space and leaned in to kiss the boy. He gently placed his lips on the other's.

Monroe smiled into the kiss briefly, before he kissed Peter back.
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"You want to go see Peter?" Gwen teased her brother.

"A: you're a jerk. B: he's talking to his aunt. C: people are coming up to talk to you."

"Here he comes," Gwen says in a sing-sing voice.

"MJ," Peter smiled as he walked up to the other young man.

His aunt was behind him. "Okay. Guys get together. A quick one. All right."

Peter wrapped an arm around MJ's shoulders, pulling him in close.

"Cheese," May says as she holds up the camera.

"Cheese," the two smile.

"Okay, I'll just be over here," May tells the two.

"Yeah, just give me two seconds," Peter replied. "Don't go too far."

"It's good to see you," MJ tells May. "Hey," MJ turns to Peter. "Um, did your traffic jam have anything to do with the Russian Mob and machine guns by any chance?"

Peter scratches his head.

"You could have told me." MJ tells him.

"What am I gonna do? Gwen was about to give her speech," Peter reasoned. "And if you knew, she would have known. And it would have ruined her speech, and you would have been worried until I showed up."

"MJ. honey. Family photo," his mother spoke.

"Okay," he called back out, the turned back to Peter. "You coming to dim sum?"

"Can't keep me away. It's at eight. Don't be late."

"I won't be."

MJ leaned forward, kissing Peter. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Pete," he jokingly spoke.

"Yeah, but it's different."

"Oh, right...because one is a rather very important part in life, and the other is-"

"Accepting a diploma." Peter smiled.

MJ smiled, cheeks rapidly being to turn red as a blush appeared. "You are so cheesy."

"Peter. Join us? Come on," MJ's mother waved him over.

"I gotta find my aunt, I gotta find my aunt," Peter reasoned with her. "But, I'm gonna catch up later, thank you."

MJ turned quickly, pecking Peter on the lips before joining his family. Peter stared after MJ, watching as he joined his family in her photo.

"He's really in love with you," Gwen tells her brother. "I never understood how you never saw it."

"Be quite. Smile. There's a picture being taken." MJ smiled at the camera.
Gwen laughed at him.
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