Chapter 68: The New Suspicious Teacher

Antonia Aguilar, whom Matt described as someone who "enjoys toying with others," was leisurely flipping through a biology textbook.

Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious Night Demon had fabricated a story about her laziness to cover for her recent actions. As she examined an intricate diagram of an embryo, she found herself lost in thought.

"Hey, Antonia," a familiar voice called.

Gwen Stacy appeared behind her, lightly tapping her shoulder. Both of them were in the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Not running late for a change?" Antonia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Guess not," Gwen replied with a casual shrug. "Maybe today's just one of those rare mornings without chaos. Life's unpredictable like that—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It's all up to fate."

Gwen added with a grin, "If I were late every day, Miss Fish would definitely chew me out. No one wants to endure her endless lectures."

Antonia gave a small nod of understanding. "Makes sense. Saving people probably doesn't fit neatly into a school schedule."

Antonia couldn't help but notice how quickly Gwen had adapted to her double life as Spider-Woman.

"By the way, did Liz invite you to her party?" Gwen asked curiously.

"She did," Antonia replied. "But I turned her down."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not really into that sort of thing."

"Same here," Gwen admitted. "I've never been big on parties."

A nostalgic look crossed her face as she added, "The last one I went to was our spring graduation dance."

She went on to describe the awkward event, "Imagine wearing a corsage that's been sitting in the fridge all day, dressed in a stiff white evening gown with a wide belt. Add black slacks, shiny shoes, and being posed on stage like some contestant in a weird TV audition. Everyone snapping pictures with their Kodaks and Polaroids—it was uncomfortable."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "And to be honest, I always get this strange feeling at events like that."

Antonia looked up from her book, studying Gwen's expression. "Strange how?"

"I don't know," Gwen said, searching for the right words. "It's like a sense of dread, like something bad is bound to happen."

Antonia frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"It's hard to explain." Gwen sighed. "But every school party seems to end in disaster. Remember the Museum of Natural History trip? Almost got hit by the subway. Then there was Frank's debacle on the football field."

She propped her chin on her hand, adding, "Oh, and who could forget the game against Stadler?"

Antonia shook her head. "I can't say I recall."

"That's not surprising. A lot of people forgot the details. But I remember."

Gwen's tone grew more animated as she recounted the incident. "A guy named Bruce Trevor was cut from the team a week before the game. Someone found a kilogram of marijuana in his Civics textbook, and he was framed. We ended up losing the game—114 to 56—and missed our shot at the championship."

She paused for dramatic effect. "But that wasn't the worst of it. During the fourth quarter, all hell broke loose. Trevor started a fight, insisting he'd been set up. Four people ended up injured, including a coach who got whacked with a first-aid kit."

Gwen chuckled at the memory of the chaotic scene but quickly composed herself. "Anyway, I get the same weird vibe now, like something bad is about to happen. Though maybe it's just rotten apples coming my way."

She deliberately avoided mentioning her darker premonition—one tied to death and her ominous belief that "Death always favors Gwen Stacy."

Before Antonia could respond, Gwen leaned closer and whispered, "Did you hear? We've got a new biology teacher."

"Really?"

"Yep. Miss Susan's on maternity leave. The replacement started today."

Before Gwen could say more, the bell rang, cutting their conversation short. She hurried back to her seat.

The sharp clack of high heels echoed down the hallway. Moments later, the classroom door swung open.

A tall woman strode in, immediately commanding the students' attention. Her burgundy velvet shorts and white silk blouse accentuated her striking figure.

Excited whistles erupted from the boys, with "King Kong" Thompson leading the charge.

Unfazed by the rowdy welcome, the teacher smiled and wrote her name on the board: Helen Nolan.

"Well, it seems I've received quite the enthusiastic reception," she said warmly. "That's a relief."

"Miss Helen, do you have a boyfriend?" Thompson asked cheekily.

"Yes, I do," she replied without hesitation. Turning to Thompson, she added, "I can introduce him to you if you'd like."

Her tone was playful but sharp as she described, "He's a spoiled, wealthy 'mama's boy' who loves flaunting his Volkswagen or Dodge Charger. In fall, he's always in his fraternity windbreaker; come summer, it's bright striped tank tops. He starts by charming the pretty girls and ends up following them around like a lost puppy."

The class burst into laughter, leaving Thompson red-faced. Her veiled jab hit a little too close to home for his liking.

Meanwhile, Antonia, seated in the back, watched the scene with narrowed eyes.

She felt a strange sensation—a heat rising through her chest, accompanied by a quickening heartbeat.

The alien embryo within her, which had been dormant for weeks, suddenly stirred.

Was it a warning? A reaction to danger?

Her gaze shifted to Helen Nolan, standing confidently at the podium. The teacher radiated an aura eerily similar to Frank's—but far more potent.

Antonia's instincts flared. Whoever this woman was, she wasn't ordinary.

"Today, we'll be discussing the relationship between parasites, such as fungi and spores, and their hosts," Helen announced, flipping through her textbook.

Her sharp eyes scanned the students, lingering briefly on Antonia before continuing her lecture.

Antonia's mind raced. The alien within her recognized something in Helen, something dangerous.

For now, all she could do was stay alert and figure out what kind of threat this new teacher posed.

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