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On the bus ride to Midtown Tech, Hawk learned how Peter and Harry had met.
Not that he didn't already know.
Peter's parents, back when they were still alive, had been scientists at Oscorp Industries.
Both of them.
Because of their work, they often had to bring Peter with them to the lab.
That's where he had met Harry. They had become fast friends.
After Peter's parents died in a plane crash, he had stopped going to Oscorp, but Harry, who already considered him a close friend, would still come to visit whenever he could.
They had never lost touch. Even in high school, when Harry was away at boarding school in England, they had kept in constant contact.
And now, here he was.
Today was Harry's first day at Midtown, and the first thing he'd done was go and find his best friend.
Harry was thrilled to be reunited with his old friend, and even more thrilled that they would be going to school together.
Peter was just as happy. This was the best news he'd had in the two months since his Uncle Ben had passed away.
Yes.
Ben Parker was still dead. He had been killed just a few days into summer vacation. And because of that, New York City had gained a new, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
When Hawk heard the news, he paused for a moment, then offered his condolences.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's okay."
Peter managed a small smile.
His Uncle Ben's death had taught him one thing.
With great power comes great responsibility.
So—
These days, whenever he was out there, doing what he did, he could almost feel his uncle by his side. And that made the pain a little easier to bear.
The bus continued on its route.
...
About half an hour later, now packed with students, it pulled into the parking lot of Midtown Tech.
The doors opened, and students began to file off.
"Hey, morning, Gwen."
"Morning, Liz."
"Gwen, long time no see."
"You too."
"Gwen, please tell me we have a homecoming dance."
"We do. It's tradition, Mark."
Gwen was already in the parking lot, leaning against her car. She smiled and greeted her classmates as they got out of their cars or off the buses arriving from all over the city.
Just then.
Hawk, following Peter and the new kid, Harry, stepped off the bus, his backpack slung over one shoulder.
Gwen's eyes lit up.
She was about to walk over to him, but then, in a flash, someone else appeared in front of him.
A girl with a waterfall of long, dark hair.
Jennifer Check. (From Jennifer's Body, played by Megan Fox.)
The captain of the cheerleading squad. Seductive, beautiful, with a pair of captivating, fox-like eyes that drew everyone's attention.
Gwen instinctively stopped, her brow furrowing.
"Hey, Gwen." Mary Jane Watson, who had just gotten out of her own car, walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. "What are you staring at?"
Mary Jane followed Gwen's gaze.
She saw Jennifer, dressed in a revealing outfit that showed off her perfect figure, standing directly in front of Hawk.
"Ugh."
"Jennifer."
"Wow, she really hasn't given up, has she?"
Mary Jane rolled her eyes. "Is she really trying to get the 'Asked Hawk to Every Dance for Four Years, Every Semester' achievement?"
Standing next to her, Gwen's voice was cool. "It's not just every semester."
"Huh?"
Mary Jane looked at her, confused.
Gwen's voice was low and dangerous.
"She asked him to prom in June too. He said no."
"Like he would ever go to a dance anyway," Mary Jane shot back. Then she paused, a look of realization dawning on her face. She turned to look at Gwen.
Gwen didn't say anything. She just narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on Hawk—and Jennifer Check, who was now smiling brightly at him.
...
"Hey, Hawk. Happy new semester~"
"You too, Jennifer."
Hawk smiled back at the girl who had materialized in front of him the second he'd stepped off the bus.
He had a pretty good idea of what she wanted.
After all, she did this at the start of every school year, asking the same question.
But he wasn't going to jump the gun.
What if he guessed wrong, and that wasn't what she was here for?
Jennifer fixed him with her captivating gaze. "Hawk, you said no in ninth grade, you said no in tenth grade, and you said no in eleventh grade. This is twelfth grade. Our last year. You can't say no again."
As the captain of the cheer squad, Jennifer had no shortage of admirers.
And she never missed a dance.
But none of her dates had ever been Hawk.
Maybe, back in ninth grade, she had just been drawn to his handsome, brooding loner vibe.
But after he had rejected her that first time, it had become an obsession.
She knew he would probably say no.
But what if? If he said yes, it would be the ultimate validation of her own desirability.
After all, for the past three years, it was a well-known fact that Hawk never, ever went to parties.
Unfortunately for her, there was no "what if—"
Hawk shook his head.
"Jennifer, you know I don't go to dances."
"But if you did, you'd ask me to be your date, right?"
"Yes, if I went... But I'm not going."
"That's all I needed to hear, Hawk."
"Goodbye."
That was the answer Jennifer had been looking for.
What I can't have, no one else can have either...
That was enough. As long as he wasn't going with someone else, her reputation remained intact.
Having gotten what she wanted, Jennifer leaned in, gave Hawk a quick, lingering kiss on the cheek, and then, with a cheerful wave, walked away.
"..." Hawk watched her leave in a whirlwind of perfume and confidence, then shook his head. He turned to Gwen, who was still standing by her car, and started toward her.
Gwen watched him approach, a small, unreadable smile on her face.
"She asked you to the dance?"
"Yep."
"Did you say yes?"
"Nope."
"Oh."
"..."
...
Jennifer Check Image!
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