Summary:The Graduating Class of 2019 sees its end…and Peter sees Gwen begin again. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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"And now, for the graduating class of 2019, this year's valedictorian…PETER PARKER."
A few catcalls, the usual hooting, a spirited yell from Harry from his seat next to Aunt May, who is smiling broadly. She's probably thinking about Uncle Ben being here in spirit, if not in person.
Peter walked up to the stage podium, wearing cap, gown, and gold ribbon. He looked out at the crowd, then took a deep breath.
What did we learn in Midtown High?
In the year fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
If that is what we learned—facts, figures, formulae…then we're human fact processors. Pour answers in, get them out again to put in a blank space. That may make us good at testing, but not much else.
If you learned something else, what was it? Did you learn that you had an aptitude for something? Science, sports, literature, history? Building something, learning how to do something? Did you learn something here that you can take with you? Something that you can make a career in?
High school isn't to tell us how we should behave in college. College is going to be a rude awakening for those who intend to go on, but think it will be just like high school. It's not. The teachers there get paid the same whether you pass or fail. You will be expected to act like adults. To take responsibility for your actions. To own up to mistakes, and figure out ways to improve. And your textbooks will be the leastve. And your textbooks will be thel
And your textbooks will be the least of what you can learn there…"
In the audience, there is one member who feels out of place. She feels as though she shouldn't be there. And yet she feels as though there is nowhere else in the world that she /should/ be at this very moment.
In the center of the room, unobtrusive and unassuming, sits a young blonde, with hair twisted up in an elegant updo. Her dress is also elegant. Black, modest, and simple. She isn't looking for attention. No, the attention should all be on one other person tonight. After all, it's /his/ night. And she wouldn't miss it for all the world. She beams, smiling at every word Peter Parker utters. Clapping with everyone else. Above everyone else, as if she could somehow carry his words to the heavens with her praise. In a world and a day when he spends half his life hiding in shadows, tonight is his night to shine.
Gwen isn't an imminent threat, so the Spider-Sense is showing no alerts, but he DOES get this sense of…awareness. He just can't pinpoint the source. He was trying not to forget the words right now.
"…Some of you will not go to college. You have other paths to follow. A family business. An internship at a company. A trade school. Or even no further schooling at all, beause you know all you need to know. For the last group, I hope you're right, because a high school diploma cannot get you very far these days. For the rest of you, success is still in the cards, because you know what you have to do and you know how to take a firm grip on your future.
There are those who have, regrettably, coasted through in one way or another. The reasons are many. But the rubber meets the road tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen. It is an unfair world. Nice guys *do* finish last. What determines your destiny are the choices you make and why you make them. The world only values you by what you can do. So DO SOMETHING. Or else you won't get bigger in the world…you'll only get OLDER.
To the graduating class, I have only one thing left to say…EXCELSIOR."
He steps back from the podium as there is some scattered applause. It's not the rah-rah-rah people were expecting, but many of the adults have approving looks on their faces.
The principal steps forward and says, "All right…As I say your name, step forward. Lewis Algernon…"
As far as Gwen Stacy is concerned, Peter is exalted. She rises to her feet and applauds along with the most boisterous of his cheerleaders. For every single person who doesn't cheer, Gwen will cheer harder, and those others alongside her will fill the venue with sound. From somewhere, there's an airhorn, contrary to the posted rules. It's hard to prove where it came from or whether it existed at all, once it's done its job.
Peter is in the moment of grasping his high school diploma when he sees a flash of blonde hair, a smile that seems playful, and OHMIGOSH Gwen is here!
He is startled for a moment, then realizes he has been shaking the assistant principal's hand for a second too long and nods, extracting his hand and heads down the stairs in the center of the stage. He heads to the left, seeming there to re-take his seat, then steps to the right and heads to the small alcove made by the stairs and the curtains. Wow…it really IS her. She's here…
Gwen is watching Peter, clapping proudly for him. And then he's back to his sea—nope. He's off again. She's been spotted! Gwen rises and slips deftly down the row, and back out of the audienct to join Peter in the alcove where he disappeared. "Congratulations, Peter," she says as she steps out of view of the others in the crowd. "You have NO idea how proud I am of you…"
Peter blinked, and for a moment, he is nervous all over again. "H-hey, Gwen. Wow…thanks. That really means a lot, I mean forget ME for a minute. Are YOU all right? I sent you messages, but after awhile I just…wondered if you just needed some time or something. And then D…uhm, the guy we know showed up in that weird getup, and mentioned your name. Listen…I gave him the results of that project I was working on for you. Did he get it back to you?"
"I haven't sen him in a few weeks," Gwen explains, shaking her head. "I'll get in touch with him at some point. Thank you. I want you to know that whole thing was entirely his idea. I don't know how bad it was. And I don't think I want to." She shakes her head. "But tonight's about you. I found out you were graduating, and I had to be here. I just had to. Cause we stick together, right?" She looks hopeful, even if she's not offering any sort of explanation. "I'm sorry. I just…needed to gather my thoughts and put them all back in the right order again…I didn't mean to seem like I abandoned you….you guys."
Peter looked at her for a few moments, then smiled wryly. "I get that, Gwen. We're not exactly dealing with little stuff. If you need time to yourself, just say so. We'll give you your space. And you know you can talk to any one of us, for any reason, if you need someone to talk to. I'm just glad you're okay. We have a couple of new faces in the list of icons. We have another Spider-Girl, and someone calling herself Blackbird. We've also been mixing it up with the Nightfall, and there's some new files on the shared server we have set up now."
"Oh…more…spiders…Wow." Gwen blinks and takes a deep breath. "All right, okay…No, that's fine. But it reminds me…I have something for you. A graduation gift…"
Gwen opens a black sequined clutch and pulls out an envelope with the name 'Peter' written in script across the front. "It's for you. Or for y'know…the clan. Or just for you."
Peter nodded as he took the envelope. "Yeah. There's even a rumor of another Spider-Guy, in a black costume. No contact with that one, though. And the other Spider-Girl is apparently from another universe where a mucholder-version of me was her mentor, so it's pretty freaky…"
He's babbling again. What is it about Gwen that WD-40s his jaw, and it just pops open? He smiled at the script, then opened the envelope.
Inside the envelope is a cashier's check for $5,000, along with a note that reads:
Dear Peter,
I don't know of anything that I could give you that would mean half as much as the things we've already seen. So I saved my modeling paychecks for two months. Please let this help you on your way to start college, or if you've got that covered with scholarships…use it for the clan, or for your projects. The world's a better place because of the decisions you make. I trust your judgment more than my own.
Fondly,
Gwen
Yep. That'll do it. Instant lockjaw. He looks up from the note to Gwen, and he tries to speak. Above him, the names have only gotten to the S's and Flash is getting antsy.
A few seconds more, and he finds his voice. "I'm…wow. This is…this is big. I know the 'clan' could use it." He looks to Gwen. "This is a lot of money. I had no idea you made this much…but then again, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. You have the charisma for it." He took a deep breath. "Thank you, Gwen. This means so much, I can barely describe it."
Gwen smiles. "It was the least I could do, Peter. You have done so much for me. You will never know how much. And the rest of us, too, I'm sure. And I just disappeared. I wasn't around. But I will be around. I am not gonna abandon you, or any of the others." She gives him a lopsided smile. "You're our rock. All of us. I'm sure of that. I just wanted you to know how much. I don't have half your intelligence, but if I can help in any way, I hope you know I will."
Peter looks relieved. "Well, welcome back. Tell the others, and I'm sure they'll say the same. You're a force to be reckoned with in your own right. Don't let anyone take that from you. Listen, there's going to be a party after the ceremony. If you want to come, I'll intro you to Aunt May and Harry, and then we can go from there."
"Sounds good, I'd be glad to. I don't know of anything I have going on. Except y'know…" She peeks out of the curtains. "T through Z…" She winks and grins, shaking her head. "What would I do without ya? So encouraging. All the time. You're just the best." She leans in to try and hug Peter gently.
Peter hugs Gwen gently, angling his head up to keep the square board from hitting her in the forehead. "I'm only trying to do right by Aunt May and Uncle Ben. I…really do miss him." He sniffs, then says, "Sorry…with these kidnapped kids, he's been on my mind lately."
"Well I'm gonna be helping, however I can," Gwen rubs Peter's back gently and shakes her head. "I know it's hard. But you know he's here in spirit, watching over you. Proud as punch, just like the rest of us. How could he help being proud of you?"
This is…the best way he never saw it happen. Gwen is back. Spider-Woman is back, and he actually feels hopeful about this whole thing. He draws back to look at Gwen, then tilts his head. "Dang. They're up to the W's. I have to get back." He straightens the ribbon, then looks at the envelope and suddenly puts it into his pocket under the robe. "Uhm…stik around, we'll find you, and then you can say hello to Harry and Aunt May and everything will be all right."
Gwen smiles, nods, and helps straighten the ribbon. "Everything will be all right. I promise."
Peter smiles, then grasps Gwen's hand in his own. "Thank you again." He nods to her, still smiling, then heads to the front corner to slip back onstage before the last name is called, and then all stand for the closing.
And just like that…childhood is over.