Lord-Campione
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Chapter 014: Coming of Age Part: II
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 04:18:31 +0000 UTCThe first lesson passed without much incident, though Gwen and Ethan shared a few glances as the teacher introduced the concepts they would be covering. To Ethan, it was all review—he’d been studying ahead for years now.
The advantage of having gone through most of these subjects with minor variations during his first run, though he noticed an increasing level of change and new laws as he delved into more complex subjects.
Still nothing he couldn’t fix by having the focus of a paranoid and scared shitless adult thrust into a kid’s body…no diddy.
It made him a bit blasé with it all, only participating enough to secure a good grade and refresh his memory of a subject he barely needs.
Gwen, on the other hand, was visibly engaged, her hand shooting up every few minutes to answer questions.
It was pretty cute, watching her work so hard.
For her, education was crucial, it was the pathway to success and the direction her whole life was based on. The logical conclusion when you didn’t factor the presence of super powered individuals, massive threats popping up every weekend and the near absolute certainty that you’d end up brutally murdered by at least one of them at some point.
Then again, her doom was less some Avenger level threat and more like a green dude with a superiority complex and a very bad fashion sense.
That, or gravity.
As the bell rang to signal the end of class, Gwen turned to Ethan, grinning. “So, you coming to the science club meeting after school?”
“Science club?” Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Peter was part of it, obviously, and often tried to rope his best and oldest friend into joining despite his hellish schedule and preferring fields where he could work safely behind a screen instead of manipulating dangerous chemicals and hoping for the best…which is not having to use his power publicly to avoid melting his face off.
“Yeah, we’re doing an experiment today. Something about magnetic fields. I think you’d like it.” She said happily, which meant he at least wouldn’t have to worry about her slipping and pouring acid all over her pretty face.
That was something.
It also meant that this bullshit advanced school’s extracurriculars were prepared and ready to start the very first day.
“I’ll think about it.” He considered it for a moment, weighting the pros and cons.
“You better show up,” Gwen teased, packing up her things. “It’ll be fun.”
Ethan watched her walk off, and saw one bubbly reason to actually attend that club experiment, a small smile playing on his lips.
‘She certainly has possibilities,’ He’d lick his lips if he wasn’t in public.
Yet another display of the physical superiority of this world over his own.
Never has he seen such a nice bum.
Ethan stood in the hallway, watching Gwen disappear into the crowd of students. She was... different. Calm, collected, much like him in some ways, but with that infectious enthusiasm that caught him off guard in the best way possible.
Unlike Peter, whose boyish excitement made Ethan want to run the other way, Gwen's energy intrigued him. It was like watching a controlled fire, burning bright but never out of control.
With a sigh, he headed to his next class. He wasn’t much for school clubs. They felt like distractions, a way to pass the time that could be better spent elsewhere—like refining his powers or training at the dojo, yet did nothing to relieve his stress or make a hard day easier.
But Gwen's casual challenge hung in the air…just like the opportunity to check her out again.
‘Maybe I’ll stop by. Just once,’ He thought, finally reaching a compromise between his brain and his weiner.
A man’s life in a nutshell.
. . .
Lunch came quickly, and Ethan found himself in the far corner of the cafeteria. His usual spot, quiet and isolated. A few kids waved at him as they passed, and he returned the gesture without much thought. He liked the silence, the chance to observe.
Turning more and more introverted was an obvious result of spending years with juvenile minds who did not—could not understand his interests, fears and ambitions.
Let alone share them.
Midtown High wasn’t much different from middle school, just with bigger expectations. Bigger buildings, bigger egos, bigger everything. But at the end of the day, it was all noise.
“Mind if I join you?” These words were the same, just noise
Very sweet sounding noise.
Spoken in a slightly teasing voice, the kind one used when they sensed the makings of a catchphrase or inside joke.
Gwen’s voice broke through his thoughts again, and Ethan glanced up from his barely touched tray of food, no matter how much money was thrown at the school, the cafeteria would always make dubious food at best and actual rat poison in some cases.
It was a universal constant.
A Canon Event.
“Sure,” he replied with a small smile, gesturing to the seat across from him.
“I was wondering where you disappeared to. You always sit back here?” She sat down with a small smile.
“Usually,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair. “Less crowded.”
“Not a fan of crowds?” She asked, picking at her plate of what seemed to be mashed potatoes but somehow tasted like fish.
“Not really.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Gwen said, glancing over her shoulder at the bustling cafeteria, and the at least four bullying sessions happening in the background.
Jocks against nerds.
Preps against Jocks.
Thugs against Preps.
Emos being a general eyesore.
And the rest of the wallflowers content to watch things happen, half-amused and half-hoping that they never get to experience being on the receiving end of the ritual social humiliation.
Surely, such an ideal environment could only bring about the most mentally stable, well-adjusted young people there is.
Right?
Ethan nodded, chewing through his single slice of pizza, a meal that would make every single Italian out there rise up and march to end this utter travesty.
“So, are you coming to the science club?” Gwen asked, her voice casual, but there was a hint of challenge in her eyes.
“I’m thinking about it,” Ethan replied, taking the last bite of his ‘technically pizza’ and hoping his bladder wouldn’t raise hell later on, “Depends on what I’m doing after school.”
Now that was a lie, the opportunity to spend time with a hot chick with a nice personality and enough brains to give Parker a run for his money, he would be a right fool to pass it up.
Still, wouldn’t hurt to leave her hanging a bit, build up some suspense, and make her work for it.
The more time she spends trying to get him to do something, the more she’ll think about him, the more she’ll later on wonder why she kept thinking about him which would lead her down a very desirable rabbit hole as far as he’s concerned.
Now he could also just be pleasant, joke around with her and see if they have chemistry while hoping for the best, but where’s the fun in that?
In any case, it seemed to be working.
“Oh, come on,” she teased, but he could see the gears working inside that pretty, brilliant little head,“what could be more important than electromagnetic experiments and watching Peter Parker argue with everyone over tiny details?”
Oh, so that's what she’s going for, taking advantage of his not so secret enjoyment of seeing Pete doing silly stuff.
Smart.
“Now that’s just mean,” Ethan let out a short laugh.
“You’re not fooling anyone,” Gwen smirked, and he had to force himself not to keep looking at those lips, “You two have an interesting dynamic.”
“You could say that,” Ethan said, eyes narrowing slightly. “He’s just... a lot.”
“He’s passionate,” Gwen said diplomatically, and he didn’t really like how long they spent talking about not-yet-spidey, “A little awkward, but he’s got a good heart.”
“Sure,” Ethan agreed, though he couldn’t help the edge in his tone. “He’s not a bad guy, just... intense.”
“Sounds like you,” Gwen countered, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m intense?”
“Not in the same way. You’re just... focused. Like, always calm, but you’re thinking ten steps ahead. Peter’s intense in a... "I might accidentally blow something up’ kind of way but it’s fine because science!” She said in an over the top tone.
Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
“Fair point.” He conceded.
“I like that you’re different, though,” Gwen added after a beat. “It’s refreshing.”
That was sweet.
So sweet that he almost forgave the amount of time she spent talking about Peter while being around him.
Almost.
Ethan tilted his head, studying her for a moment. She was also genuine, which made her words land differently than the usual high school flattery.
“Thanks,” he said, his voice softer than before.
Gwen just smiled again, and the moment stretched in the quiet space between them.
“So you’re coming ?.” She asked with that bright smile still on, and even he didn’t have the heart to deny her.
“Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
