P1 - Chapter #3: Jealousy

A/N #1: Thank you for the number of reads and collections! :D I'm quite shocked by it. Therefore, I would like to appreciate your support <3

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(Nearly three hours later...)

It was Biology class now. The classroom was quiet, filled with sounds in form of whispers of confusion and groans between students. Not just whispers and groans, but sounds of Biology textbook pages being flipped back and forth, and the sound of pen scribbles on answer sheets. Only several minutes left before the end of the class for submission. Some threw their hands up in the air, some kept on doing the assignment.

The Parkers and the redhead were doing the assignment too. However, something set them apart than the rest of their classmates. Peter's eyes wouldn't move away from the assignment, simply moving from the textbook to the sheet back and forth. For one moment, he would frown his eyes on a question he couldn't answer. But then he would have an "Eureka!" moment seconds later. Kaine himself was listening to a variety of musics and songs through his black earphones, going with the flow like water. At times, one confusing question would stop him and make him grit his teeth, causing him to curse under his breath and move on to another question. As for Annabelle... she looked so lost and confused. Yet, she kept trying to do the assignment, sometimes asking for help from her friends, while humming Korean and French songs.

"Alright, class. Time's over!"

Just like that and most of the class were in complete chaos. Everyone, except the trio, was rushing to finish their papers. The three students exchanged grins and brought their answer sheets to the teacher's table.

The teacher chuckled at the three, amused on how they submitted the sheets together. "Not bad, Three Musketeers."

They giggled and returned to their seats and soon their classmates submitted theirs. Now, everyone's attention was on the Biology teacher as he was about to speak to the class.

"So. This is just a little reminder for everyone. Tomorrow is the field trip to one of Oscorp's labs. It's just a little tour to give you some insight on how science can help life." He then turned to Peter, "And perhaps satisfy the curiosity of one's mind."

Kaine and Annabelle turned their eyes to Peter, smirking at him. All the younger Parker could do was let out a deep sigh, as he was perhaps the only curious student among the trio. But he gave a certain look at his older cousin, his expression saying //"Dude, you are too."// Which made the older brunet snort.

"Remember to arrive on time, at 6:30 AM. Please keep in mind not to go to the classroom, but to the basketball field. The buses will be waiting and we will break down the details and activities of the trip. Afterwards, we will immediately go to the destination. If you have any questions, please contact me via e-mail. That's all for today, students. Be safe on your way home and have a good day!"

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(Minutes later, at the school pick-up/drop-off site...)

"...Yes. Yes. Then turn right and go straight and you'll see the entrance to the school. I'm waiting at the pick-up/drop-off site... Yes. Thank you, sir. Much appreciated." Anna then pressed the "call off" button on her phone's screen. Before shoving her phone into the pocket of her black jeans, she gave a glance at her phone's digital clock and sighed to herself.

//"Got only two and a half hours and I'm still not yet home..."//

"What is it, Ann?" Kaine, who was sitting beside her on a bench, asked in a curious tone.

The redhead turned to him with tired eyes. "Eh. Just that I have music class at half past six," she let out a groan, "Wish I could just... ugh, have a little nap. But hey, at least I can have a little productive distraction."

The brunette teenager could only nod and gave her a sympathetic look.

The girl then asked, "K, is your dad gonna pick you up?"

The normal look on Kaine's face turned into a sourful one in seconds, just at the mere mention of his father. As if something was going on between the son and the father. "N-No. I'm with Peter's parents for now. My dad's been... busy," his eyes were slowly filled with bitterness.

Those eyes... Anna could feel the radiating emotion from her friend's eyes. The bitterness of a child towards their parent, was so familiar. The two looked at each other, feeling that they had something in common. The red-haired teen moved her hand to Kaine's shoulder and patted him gently.

"I know that feeling..."

Just for a brief moment, the bitter feeling was gone. It felt... lighter. The brunet returned the gesture with a grateful smile. A little comfort from one of the people he trusted was all he needed.

"Hey guys! Bought the ice creams you wanted," Peter was heading toward his friends while holding two blue bubble gum ice creams on his hand and his own on the other.

His friends turned around and smiled as a sign of gratitude and accepted the ice creams, which the younger Parker responded with a smile. Peter then sat next to his cousin as the three began to enjoy their ice creams under the afternoon sky. It was a little lonely, but at least they could kill some time while waiting to get picked up.

Before they could finish however, a cab and a car entered the school's pick-up/drop-off site. The three teenagers knew they had to part away. With their backpacks on their shoulders, the youngsters stood up and walked toward the vehicles.

"Too soon..." Annabelle sighed to herself.

"Ann?"

The redhead stopped and glanced at Kaine, "Hm?"

"*Au revoir, mon incroyable amie. Take care." (*Translation: Goodbye, my amazing friend.)

"Goodbye, Anna!" Peter followed.

The girl smiled and waved her hand as a goodbye, "*Au revoir, mes amis." (*Goodbye, my friends.)

And so, they entered their respective vehicles, going their separate ways.

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(Inside Peter Parker's parents' car...)

"Heya, kiddos! Welcome, welcome." Peter's mother, Mary, greeted her son and her nephew.

Kaine let out a laugh when his aunt referred him and Peter as "kiddos."

"Mom, come on! We're not kids anymore."

"Heh. You're still my kid, little scientist."

Meanwhile, Peter's father, Richard, was restraining himself from giggling, which eventually broke into snorts. He shook his head, "Mary..."

The woman threw her hands up in the air, giggling to herself, "Alright, Rich. Alright."

The younger Parker sighed and rolled his eyes, getting an amused reaction from the older one.

Richard then began to drive the car, with Anna's cab in front of the Parkers' car. Soon, the vehicles went to different paths.

The teenagers continued to eat and finish their ice creams. Their eyes were staring at their surroundings through their car windows. Along the way, there were stores, bakeries, apartments, and buildings. It wasn't all buildings. There were trees and plants around the street corners, too. And sometimes, ad boards for movies could be found. Most of the boards were advertising upcoming superhero movies. The very sight of those boards made a smile form on the face of the teenagers–a smile of enthusiasm. It wasn't surprising, considering that they lived in an era of superhero movies.

Peter's father glanced at the rear mirror, noticing the smile on the youngsters. A soft, warm chuckle escaped his mouth. It suddenly reminded the adult when he and his brother were young.

"So, how was school for you two?" The man asked while his eyes returned to the street.

"It was fine, Dad. Just..."

"A little messy," the older twin added, with disgust in his voice as he recalled the very event that happened during the second breaktime. But the teen just laughed it off.

Upon hearing that, a hint of concern appeared in Richard's eyes. "Was it because of that Thompson kid?" He asked his nephew, which earned a nod from the latter.

The man sighed softly, //"History really is repeating... First it happened to my brother. And now, his son..."//

Recalling the event made the teenager have this poisonous feeling inside him. The brunet rested his head against the seat's head pillow and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He just wanted to forget this feeling... But it was still there, bugging him.

Kaine shook his head and opened his eyes. He let out a small groan and gritted his teeth. A small thought was wandering inside his mind: Why did bad things mostly happen to him? He had been bullied during his years in elementary school and now he was bullied in senior high? And then there was the problem he had with his father...

He kept on asking why to himself over and over... until he heard a conversation between uncle Richard and his cousin. It wasn't an important conversation, but it was the way they interacted that caught his attention. Kaine froze for a moment. Seeing his uncle and his cousin happily talking with each other, was like... seeing a perfect mirror–a foil like in stories. And he himself with his father? They were just imperfections.

A drop of tear trickled down from his eye. Not wanting others to notice, Kaine wiped his tear and averted his eyes to the car window. Tears wouldn't come out, like they were stopped by a rock. A rock it was... A hardened heart, trying to contain the negative feelings inside him.

It was painful.

The older Parker remained silent through the whole journey. Unbeknownst to him however, Peter noticed this. And he knew what was going on in Kaine's mind. Yet, the younger Parker let his cousin have his time alone. Perhaps a later time would do...

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A/N #2: Looks like something big is coming for Kaine's and Peter's lives ;) (If you know, you know.) But we'll save that for a future chapter. And apparently, Kaine has some daddy issues :0 You might have known a bit but you'll get to know more in the next chapter ;) So stay tuned for chapter four! Because May Parker will be in it ;) Let me know what you think of it in the comment section below. Feel free to give a star and share this to your friends and family! I'll see you on chapter four. Au revoir and have a good day :D