"Okay, class," the teacher said, only a second after the bell rang, not even looking up from his book, "today, we should be discussing the Cold War, but we won't."
The room was unusually quiet, except for one voice.
"Won't that make today's class boring?"
The teacher put his book down. There was only one student in the room. His shirt was buttoned up all the way, appearing to be choking him. His glasses couldn't be any thicker, else he be blind.
"Go home, Meekis."
"But I'd mess up my record of perfect attendance, all the way back to preschool."
"That didn't stop anyone else in your class from taking their semi-unofficial holiday."
Mary Jane caught a glimpse of her watch as she flew through the city, hanging on to Spider-Man's neck.
"I can't believe it's 9:30 in the morning on a school day and we're webslinging!" she shouted.
"But is it really a school day when every single teacher is anticipating every single senior to be missing?" Spidey shouted back.
"And yet the administration still gets pissed every year!"
"It's one of their last chances to impose their authority over us." Spidey landed on the roof of a skyscraper. "But don't be surprised if you ever try to visit the school after graduation, and they won't let you in."
"Security?"
"Yeah, they think every former student wants to come back and blow up the school."
"If I wanted to blow up the school, I would do it before I graduated. Why would I bother coming back after graduation?"
"We live in a world of stupid people," Spidey replied.
"I'm glad you're not one of them."
"Back at ya."
Mary Jane walked to the edge of the building and looked down. Everything below her appeared so small, like toys.
"So, what are you going to do this summer?" she asked. "I mean, school won't be taking up so much time. And the Planet won't take up all your time."
"I'm going to try to find out about my parents."
"Well, I might be able to help you there," someone said behind Spider-Man.
"I know that voice," Spidey said.
"Some old dude behind you that looked like he just climbed up the wall?" Mary Jane suggested.
Spidey turned around. "Ezekiel. I would say how nice it was for you to drop by, but I really don't care."
"I really wish you would like me, Peter," Ezekiel said.
"It's kind of hard to like you when you always pop up at the worst times with cryptic messages."
"True. I apologize. But there really isn't too much else we have in common, is there? At least, not that we know of. And all of our conversations have been business."
"If you call riddles business."
"See, that's what I'm talking about. You're always defensive. Just try to be open minded about me."
Mary Jane could see Peter relaxing a bit under his outfit.
"Fair enough," Spidey replied.
"Do you like coffee?"
"I guess."
"Then meet me at the Daily Grind. You know where it is?"
"Sure."
Ezekiel walked to the edge of the building, and turned his head. "Race you," he said, jumping off.
"No fair!" Spidey shouted. "I have a passenger!"
Two minutes later, Peter and Mary Jane walked into the coffee shop to see Ezekiel sitting in a booth. They ordered their drinks and joined him.
"So, are you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?" Ezekiel asked as the couple sat down.
"Ezekiel, this is my girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane, this is that old guy I've been telling you about, Ezekiel."
"So I noticed," MJ replied.
"Charmed," Ezekiel said with a smile.
"So, what's your story?" Peter asked.
"You first."
Peter turned to MJ. "He acts like this and then wonders why I act hostile towards him."
"Just tell him," MJ said.
"But I thought he already knew."
"I know some of the basics," Ezekiel said. "But why do you do what you do?"
"I was at a scientific demonstration. Things went bad. A spider was infected by radiation, and it bit me. I developed powers. At first, I used them for money, but after my Uncle Ben died, I realized I needed to use my powers for more benevolent means. Besides, it's more fun to hang out with the superheroes than the movie stars."
"Really?" Ezekiel asked.
"Sure," Peter replied. "I mean, the Hollywood people are all one-dimensional, and not concerned about too much, and definitely not anything that is really important. All of the superhero people have lives outside of their job, and so they can always surprise you."
"So I guess you want to hear my story now."
"It'd be nice."
Ezekiel sipped his coffee. "It started many years ago. I was in South America, studying various cultures. I was visiting one culture, one which worshiped a spider god. They took me into a temple. I don't remember much else of that trip. When I woke up, I found I had incredible powers."
"And you probably don't think that you got your abilities through any religious ceremony."
"Oh, I do. I just don't think I got them from any god, or through any magical or mystical means."
"What makes you think that?"
Ezekiel pulled up the right short sleeve of his shirt. Peter and Mary Jane saw a medium sized round scar.
"I don't know of many religious ceremonies that use injections."
Jimmy knocked on the door to the apartment.
The door opened to reveal a beautiful black haired girl with her hair up in a ponytail.
"Um, hi, Carolyn," Jimmy said.
"Jimmy! So glad you could come over! Come on in!" Carolyn replied.
Jimmy walked in and looked around. "So, you have your own apartment?"
"Well, not really. My parents got it for me for college, but I come over every once in a while, to get used to the place. Make yourself at home."
"Okay," Jimmy said, walking to the sofa in the parlor, and sitting. Carolyn sat on the other end. "What did you want me to come over for?"
"Nothing, really. Just to hang out. I mean, you did say you didn't have plans for senior skip day."
"Actually, my friends and I are going out to a movie tonight . . . "
"But that's not for several hours. And, I guess I wanted to see if I was anything more than just a trophy date for the prom."
"Trophy date?"
"Jimmy, have you ever had a girlfriend?"
Jimmy sighed and looked down. "No."
"And I bet a lot of people were surprised when I showed up with you at the prom."
"I guess."
"They didn't expect Jimmy Olsen to be able to find a girl. But no one knew me."
"Not really."
"So I come out of the blue and show up at prom with you. Not even your friends knew about me beforehand."
"Well, I wasn't ready to tell them yet. Besides, I wanted a secret of my own. They all seem to have their own secrets, and be sharing something."
"What do you mean?"
"Peter, Victor, Mary Jane, and Natalie. All four of them seem to be part of some exclusive club that they let me think I'm part of. But I see right through them. They don't tell me everything. Last summer, Peter and I hung out a lot. But then, once school started, and he met Victor Cranston, they've nearly become inseparable."
"And that bothers you?"
"A little. I mean, they have a bond. I don't know what it is, and I can't get in on it."
"But it's not just them."
"No. Their girlfriends on in on it too."
"That's not what I meant. Their bond isn't the only thing that is bothering you."
"How do you know?"
"I can tell. You're not exactly good at brooding."
"It's just that, well, all through school I was average. I never really stood out at anything, but I was never really bothered by people. I made friends, but I was one of those middle guys. I knew all of the popular, and 'cool' people, but I could never make it into their ranks. But I was still above the nerds and losers in the social ladder. When I met Peter, I knew who he was. He was one of those bookworms.
"But then, something happened. He didn't quite achieve the big popularity or coolness, but he got really damn close. He got a girlfriend. A nice looking one at that, too. Meanwhile, I was sitting there, watching. I'd been working for years, not to really 'fit in' so much, but just trying to not make myself look like a total idiot. I just wanted my share of the high school experience."
"Do you feel you got it?"
Jimmy inhaled deeply. "Not how I thought I would get it. And definitely not like how they show it on TV or in movies, or even from hearing others talk about it."
"And what is that?"
"Having a girlfriend, going to parties, just hanging out with friends."
Carolyn crawled closer to Jimmy. "I think I can make you feel better," she said as she began unbuttoning her black shirt.
"Uh, Carolyn?"
Carolyn put her index finger of her right hand over Jimmy's mouth. "Shh," she said, taking her shirt off, and bringing her mouth closer to Jimmy's. They began to kiss. Jimmy felt his hand rubbing her back.
"Go ahead. Take it off."
Jimmy hesitated.
"You know you want to. Go ahead. I don't mind."
Jimmy ran his arms down Carolyn's shoulders, sliding the straps down down her arms, all while kissing passionately . . .
Victor and Natalie were strolling along Central Park, holding hands. Victor was feeling much better after his encounter with the Molten Man, but he was still a bit sore. It was early afternoon. They had already enjoyed a nice lunch at the deli that was just around the block from where Natalie lived. The couple often went there for lunch, and sometimes dinner.
"I almost feel like I'm wasting the day," Natalie said. "There's so much we can do."
"Does it really matter?" Victor asked. "I mean, no matter what, we'll be thinking there's something else, bigger and better to do on senior skip day. But, we can't do everything. And sometimes . . . it's nice to just do something simple."
"I guess."
They walked a little further.
"Victor," Natalie began, "we haven't really talked much about college."
"No, I guess not."
"I mean, you know of all the places I applied, but things have been so busy, and you've been concentrating on all sorts of things, as the Shadow and as Victor, that there hasn't been time. I never told you where I decided to go."
"I never even thought about that, to be honest," Victor said. "Every time I thought about it, I assumed we were both going to Empire State." He paused. "You're not."
Natalie shook her head. "I didn't hear back from them in time. I had already made a decision by the time I got my acceptance letter."
"And this conversation wouldn't have such a somber tone if you got accepted to any other school in the city, or even within a short driving distance."
"Victor, I'm going to California."
Victor groaned and rolled his eyes. "As far away as you can get without leaving the continent."
Natalie let go of his hand and turned to face him. "I'm not trying to get away! I just . . . I don't know. I liked what I saw."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you, and I'll support any decision you'll make about college. It's just a bit hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea of a long distance romance."
"I know."
"Especially since we've known each other forever."
"I know," Natalie repeated, even softer.
"So, which school is it?" Victor asked.
"USC."
"In LA. Not bad."
"I'll be back every summer and during my breaks."
"I know," Victor replied. "And I'll come out to visit occasionally. But it won't be the same."
"It probably wouldn't have been the same even if I was going to college with you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"We're reaching that point in our lives where it's time we find out who we are. That's what college is about. Well, after the higher education and earning degrees bit. College isn't the place where we get a piece of paper that says we're supersmart and can do this one thing really well, so give me a job. It's where we learn who we are. Graduation isn't so much about ending high school as it is about beginning the next step of our journey. The journey to ourselves."
"And you think you can find yourself in LA?"
"Yes. No. I don't know." Natalie sighed. "Look, you just said we've known each other forever. We've been romantically involved for a few years now. It's almost at the point where we're being identified in relation to the other."
"I'm not clear. Did you intentionally pick a school in LA because it's the other side of the country, or just because it's not New York?"
"I picked the school that I could visualize myself going to the best. And for once, I tried to make a decision that didn't revolve around you and what you were doing."
"Wait, you make decisions based on me?"
"All the time," Natalie replied, her eyes getting wet.
"Natalie, you don't have to do that. Just be yourself. Do what you want, and if I happen to be there, all the better."
"I know," Natalie said, wrapping her arms around Victor and burying her head in his chest, beginning to sob. "I know."
That evening, Peter, Mary Jane, Victor, and Natalie all gathered at the movie theater. They were inside, waiting to buy popcorn.
"Where's Jimmy?" Peter asked. "He said he'd be here."
"Hey, Parker!"
"Oh, great," Peter groaned as he turned around. He saw Flash Thompson standing behind him. "What, you can't give me enough trouble at school? Or you just trying to get a few last cheap shots in before graduation?"
"Ooh. Nice backbone you grew there. But no. I'm not here for that. Come over here," Flash said, pulling Peter aside.
"Look, Parker. I won't lie to you. I never really liked you. I guess it was because you were smart and all. And for so many years, you just set yourself up to take the fall. But now, I've realized that you're an okay guy. Maybe not as cool as me, but hey, we can't all be perfect!"
"I'll keep that in mind," Peter said.
"But, yeah. And if I do anything to ya between now and graduation, don't take it personally. In fact, I hope you haven't really taken anything I've done to you personally."
"Actually, I have. Kinda hard not to."
Flash shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Now, go watch yer movie!"
"What was that about?" Mary Jane asked as Peter returned.
"Flash just being his usual dumbass self."
The four teens were walking into the theater when Jimmy finally showed up.
"I knew you'd make it!" Peter exclaimed. "But I thought you'd bring Carolyn."
"I was thinking of doing that too, until this afternoon."
"What happened?"
Jimmy glanced over Peter's shoulder to make sure the other three had gone into the theater.
"I was over at her place. And we started, um, making out. It was getting pretty heavy. I mean, second base kinda stuff."
"Second base already?"
"Just listen. Anyway, we were kissing, and I took off her . . . top."
"Dude, I don't need the details."
"That's just it. I don't remember anything after that!"
Next issue: Facing the future . . .