Peter ran a hand through his hair self-consciously. It was a bit long. Hung over his forehead in that classic nerdy-kid style. He'd never really thought about it before.
"There's a very good barber on Fifth Avenue," May continued. "I already made you an appointment for Saturday morning."
"You made an appointment without asking me?"
May smiled sweetly. "I'm your aunt. I don't need permission to help you look your best."
Ben grinned into his coffee mug. Wisely stayed out of this debate.
"Fine," Peter said. "But nothing too dramatic."
"Of course not, dear. Just something that makes you look less like a boy and more like a young man."
Peter had a feeling he was going to regret this.
---
Saturday morning arrived. Peter walked into the upscale barbershop Aunt May had chosen. The place had leather chairs and expensive-looking mirrors. Classical music played softly in the background.
The barber was a middle-aged man with an Italian accent. He studied Peter's face from several angles.
"Your aunt called ahead," the barber said.
"Told me to make you handsome. But you already have good bone structure. Strong jawline. We just need to show it off properly."
Thirty minutes later, Peter looked in the mirror and barely recognized himself.
The barber had cut his hair shorter on the sides. Left some length on top but styled it back and to the side. Clean lines. Mature. Professional-looking but still age-appropriate.
"You look like a different person," the barber said with satisfaction. "The girls at school will notice."
Peter paid and left. Aunt May was waiting outside in the car. When she saw him, her eyes got misty.
"Oh, Peter. You look so grown up."
"It's just a haircut, Aunt May."
"It's not just a haircut. It's..." She wiped her eyes. "You're becoming a young man. I'm so proud of you."
Peter felt uncomfortable with the emotion but also touched. "Thanks for making the appointment."
"You're welcome, dear. Now let's go look at that house on Maple Street. I have a good feeling about it."
---
Monday morning. Peter walked into Midtown High with his new haircut.
The reaction was immediate.
Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Heads turned. Girls stared. Even some teachers did a double-take.
"Dude," Flash Thompson said, jogging up to him. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Haircut," Peter said simply.
"That's not just a haircut. That's like... a transformation." Flash circled around him. "You look like you could be in a magazine or something."
Harry Osborn joined them at Peter's locker. "Parker? Is that you under that new hair?"
"Very funny."
"I'm serious. You look completely different. Good different. Like someone who actually cares about their appearance."
"I've always cared about my appearance," Peter protested.
"No, you've always cared about being clean and wearing clothes that fit. This is different. This is style."
Peter changed the subject. "Did you guys hear about the basketball tryouts?"
Flash's expression lit up. "Yeah! You thinking about trying out? Didn't know you played."
"I've been practicing." That was an understatement. Peter had spent subjective months in his temporal dimension working on basketball skills.
Dribbling. Shooting. Strategy. His enhanced physique and reflexes made him naturally gifted now. But he'd still put in the work to understand the game properly.
"Tryouts are Wednesday after school," Harry said. "We should all go. Could be fun."
"I'm in," Flash said immediately. "Parker, you better not make me look bad out there."
Peter smiled. "No promises."
Down the hallway, he noticed MJ, Gwen, and Felicia all staring at him. He caught each of their eyes in turn. Gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
All three looked away quickly. But Peter had seen their reactions. The surprise. The interest.
'This is going to be interesting,' he thought.
---
First period: Advanced Physics. Peter sat in his usual seat. Gwen Stacy walked in and did a visible double-take when she saw him.
She slid into the seat next to his. "New haircut?"
"Very observant," Peter said with a slight smile.
"It looks good." Gwen opened her textbook, trying to appear casual. "Very... mature."
"That was the goal."
"Well, mission accomplished." She glanced at him sideways. "Are you doing anything after school tomorrow? I'm working on a research proposal for the science fair. Could use a second pair of eyes on the math."
Peter considered. He knew what this was. Gwen creating an excuse to spend time with him. Her interest wasn't subtle. But it also wasn't unwelcome.
"What's the topic?" he asked.
Please support if you can on Patreon and access up to chapter 33 at marvelstark.
Thank you.