8 Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Midtown School of Science and Technology. As you can tell from the name, this school emphasises science. Of course, like any normal school, sports are also emphasised. For example, football was popular in our school, as it is in many places.

And so many students tried to get into the school team, because it will bring them popularity, and as we know, popular guys are popular with girls.

For example, the dumb jock and star of the school team, Flash Thompson. Despite his rudeness, stupidity and other flaws, he started dating another popular girl at school. namely, high school cheerleading star Liz Allen. It's all rumour, but as they say, there's no smoke without fire.

They're both in my class, by the way.

- Hey, Peter.

- Hi Peter.

My classmates started saying hello to me as soon as I entered the classroom. Mostly girls, they would make eyes at me, hoping that I would pay attention to them. But because I liked Gwen, I usually ignored their attention. My conditional "popularity" was because I wasn't bad looking, I wasn't a squishy kid, and I was an honours student. All of these things combined to create an image that many girls liked. And I owe that to my late Uncle Ben.

He was in the military, and from the day he took responsibility for my upbringing, he made me play sports. His favourite motto was "in a healthy body, a healthy mind". At first, due to my age, I did not like to do sports. But under his keen supervision, which made me unable to slack off, it became a habit. And to this day I am incredibly grateful to him for that.

As I threw my rucksack off my shoulders, I was just starting to pull out my supplies when a voice came over the radio:

- Peter Parker, please report to the principal's office! - The voice of his secretary rang through the office.

Immediately, my mind was filled with surprise and confusion. After all, this was the first time I had ever been called to the principal's office.

The next moment, a small wave of anxiety and fear swept over my heart.

- "Did they really find out that I was climbing in the lab during the lizard incident!"?" - a thought flashed through my mind, but I immediately brushed it aside and calmed down. After all, I had pulled it off cleanly and without a trace.

Putting my rucksack on the chair, I looked around the classroom and saw that everyone was looking at me.

Many of them were surprised, because usually going to the principal's office didn't end well for anyone. In addition to the surprised faces, there was one gloating face that rejoiced at my misfortune. And it belonged to Flash Thompson.

He disliked me, to put it mildly, for a year ago, when he had been made captain of the football team, he had been instructed to recruit other members of the team who, in his opinion, would be well suited to the sport.

At that moment, he immediately became incredibly proud, for he had been entrusted with a rather responsible mission, and thus considered an "important" person.

His ego grew even bigger when every person he approached accepted his offer to join the team unconditionally. And then he made one mistake, and that was inviting me onto the team, in a particularly rude way. As if I should obey him and join the team without objection. And besides, to run headlong across the field in the fog and rain, to get bumps, bruises and possibly fractures, all this did not please me in any way. So without a second thought, in the middle of the whole class, where he approached me, I turned him down.

This short-sighted man decided that I was mocking him and disrespecting him, so after shouting in front of the whole class that I was too arrogant and didn't know what was best for me, he left the class. And from that moment on he holds a grudge against me, because I questioned his "authority", which he didn't even have.

Thinking about all this, I did not notice how I found myself near the principal's office.

Gathering myself, I knocked on the door and then opened it and went inside.

- Ah Peter, you've finally arrived! - Andrew Davis, the headmaster, smiled at me. Besides him, the school's football coach, March, was also in the office. No one knew his full name, just "Coach March."

Seeing the two of them together, I immediately had suspicions about why I had been called here.

- Peter, we won't keep you long, as classes will start soon, so I'll get right to the point. - Mr Davis spoke.

- Coach March has mentioned you to me many times, that he's sorry he couldn't get you on the football team to be captain. I realise that your studies always come first, so Coach March and I have worked out some bonuses for you to take over the school team. - the principal spewed absurd information at me.

- Stop!" I raised my hand, signalling for the principal to stop his speech.

- Me as team captain? That's the first time I've heard of that. The only time I ever got an invitation was from Flash Thompson. And he was pretty rude, saying that if I joined, I'd have to obey his demands, so I turned it down. - I quickly explained the situation, and I knew right away that something was wrong.

The coach and the director realised it too, as their faces frowned a little.

- Peter, is what you say true? You know that lying and slandering another person is severely punished. - said the headmaster.

- Our whole class witnessed it. - I answered bluntly and confidently.

- Hmm, we heard you. Don't doubt that we will find the truth. However, it does not cancel our proposal, as it is fully approved by the school budget, study this document, and answer whether you agree to lead the team on such terms? - He pushed the A4 paper to the edge of the table.

Going to the table, I picked up the document and began to study it, and with each line, I wanted to agree to this position more and more, because the conditions were as follows:

Sports increased scholarship, free meals in the canteen, the possibility of not attending classes on training days, as well as skipping exams with the possibility of getting a "higher grade". In addition, if I perform well, I will receive a special letter of recommendation to the college, with which I can enter almost any college without a single exam. And if my leadership made the whole team better, I would get a double scholarship, as well as free college tuition after graduation.

These conditions were unbelievable, because thanks to them, the problem of paying my tuition would be taken off Aunt May's shoulders, and she would be able to spend that money on things she needed. Of course, with my powers, it's no problem for me to get the money, but I'm afraid I just won't be able to explain to her where I got it from.

- So Peter, do you agree? - Coach March smiled, as if he knew I would.

- Don't worry Coach March, I won't fail your expectations! - I smiled back.

- That's great! - He almost jumped for joy, and then came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

- Now, Peter, go to class, for the bell's about to ring. And as for Thompson, you can be sure he'll be punished for his deception. - a glimmer of rage slipped into his eyes.

- Well, goodbye, then! - I said goodbye to them, and then left the office and headed back to class.

***

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