Spider-Man Mayhem

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Parent-Teacher Conference



[Third Person's PoV] 

*Beep* *Beep* 

Peter honked his car horn, watching as a few moments later, Felicia stepped out of her house. She gave her cat a gentle nudge with her foot to send it back inside, then shut the door firmly behind her. With a quick glance around, she bounded over to the car, her silver hair bouncing with each step. She slid into the back seat, leaning in to give Peter a light kiss on the cheek before settling in beside Gwen. MJ sat comfortably in the front seat, already buckled in, giving Felicia a small smile.

Felicia let out a dramatic sigh as she settled back, which made Gwen look over with a raised brow. "Alright, what's up with you this time?"

Slouching further into the seat, Felicia muttered, "My mom's decided she's coming to the parent-teacher conference. Of all the days she could actually show up, she picks the one day I didn't want her to."

Gwen rolled her eyes playfully. "So, how much trouble do you think you'll be in when she finds out about the...let's say extensive absences?"

Felicia winced. "Look, it's not that many! Just, you know, a few weeks of classes… I'm so getting grounded." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

Gwen tilted her head. "I'll never understand why you don't just come clean with her about what you're doing."

Felicia scoffed. "Oh, sure, let's tell my lawyer of a mother that her teenage daughter is out doing illegal, life-risking things at night instead of studying. That should go over well."

MJ chimed in from the front seat, a confused expression on her face. "I thought she was a criminal defense attorney?"

Felicia let her gaze drift out the window, watching the passing scenery. After a moment of silence, she murmured, "She already lost my dad to his 'nightly adventures.' I don't want to worry her about losing me too. The less she knows, the better. Trust me."

Gwen's expression softened, and she gave Felicia a small, understanding smile. "Got it… You really do love your mom, don't you?"

Felicia rolled her eyes, huffing. "I have no idea what you're talking about," which made the others chuckle as Peter continued driving them toward school.

As they pulled into the school parking lot, they spotted Harry leaning against a sleek limo, shoulders slumped and a frustrated look on his face. Just as the group stepped out, they caught part of his conversation.

"Come on, Dad," Harry was saying, his tone tired, "shouldn't you be focused on rebuilding Oscorp?"

Norman Osborn's smooth voice carried over, tinged with a bit of paternal pride. "I am, and it's coming along fine. But I'm also concerned about how my son's doing in school. I know you don't want me to mess with your personal life—trust me, I get it. I was the same with my father. But you're barely home these days, Harry. I need to make sure you're doing alright."

Harry's shoulders sank further. "Alright, alright," he mumbled, grabbing his bag, which he slung over his shoulder before turning and walking over to his friends as the limo pulled away.

Felicia gave him a sympathetic pat on the back, their shared frustration evident. "Brother, I get it. I really do."

Lizzy strolled over, her fingers making a peace sign as she grinned. "Lucky for me, I'm still new enough to have a perfect record!"

"Harry…" Peter started, a look of shared misery on his face.

"Yeah?" Harry sighed.

"Your dad's gonna kill you."

Harry groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This is all your fault, Pete! When he eventually kills me, I'm haunting you!"

The group's laughter rang through the halls as they made their way to class. Once Peter was at his desk, he pulled out the rune book the Ancient One had given him, absorbed in studying it as the hours ticked by. It was a short school day, and as soon as the clock hit noon, they were dismissed.

---

Later, Peter found himself seated between Aunt May and Uncle Ben in a small, stuffy office across from his homeroom teacher, Mr. Patrick. The man adjusted his glasses, clasped his hands together, and began, "I won't deny it—your nephew is an intelligent young man, but—"

Peter scoffed, crossing his arms. "Just calling me intelligent is an insult to my actual intellect."

Aunt May and Uncle Ben shot him a warning look, and he quickly silenced himself.

Mr. Patrick sighed, leaning forward. "Peter is a straight-A student, but he doesn't apply himself or take things seriously. I get the sense that he believes he doesn't have to try—that his natural intelligence will carry him through life. But if he doesn't start putting in the effort now, he'll find it isn't that simple."

Peter raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. 'What is this guy talking about? I'm a multimillionaire, for goodness' sake!'

Sensing Peter's frustration, Aunt May placed a gentle hand on his arm to calm him. Mr. Patrick continued, glancing between Aunt May and Uncle Ben. "I'm sure it's been difficult for Peter without a strong maternal or paternal figure to—"

Peter's patience finally snapped. "And that's where I draw the line!" he interrupted, making an X with his arms.

"Peter!" Uncle Ben admonished, giving him a stern look. "This is a parent-teacher conference, not a student-teacher one. Let me handle this."

Uncle Ben turned to Mr. Patrick, his voice firm but respectful. "Listen, sir. I know Peter is...a handful. He can be immature, lazy, even a bit rough around the edges."

Peter gave him an offended look. "Hello? I'm sitting right here!"

"But he's a good kid, and I don't appreciate hearing that he lacks parental figures," Uncle Ben continued, his tone sharpening. "We may not be his birth parents, but we raised him the best we could. Frankly, Peter's already accomplished more than many adults, and if he's not fully engaged here, it's because he's ready for challenges beyond what high school offers."

Peter leaned back with a smug smile, and Mr. Patrick seemed taken aback by Uncle Ben's conviction.

---

"Your daughter Gwen is a good kid, with a bright future. Her only problem however is that she hands around the wrong crowd…" 

Gwen was slouching slightly on her seat hand over her forehead trying to not look at anyone as George sat looking at Gwen with a raised brow, "Does she now?"

"If she could learn to distance herself from those bad influences, I just know she will excel" 

"I bet it has to do with that boyfriend of hers doesn't it?" George scoffed with a gruff. 

Gwen looked towards him, tilting her head in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"We have found her multiple times displaying PDA, when they should have been in class. I'm concern it's becoming more of a problem"

"Don't worry I share the same concerns you do, I don't want my baby girl to one day announce that she's pregnant by that bastard…" 

"DAD!" Gwen groaned, "What the hells matter with you! Why would you say such a thing!" 

"What? It's not like you tried to hide the fact that your sexually active with the punk" 

"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT IN FRONT OF MY TEACHER! OH MY GOD! JUST KILL ME NOW!!" 

"NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL WHEN I LEARN THINGS I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!" 

"IS THIS WHAT IT IS? REVENGE?" 

"Hey I don't think this a conversation–" 

"SHUT IT!" Both Gwen and George said before they turned towards each other again.

The teacher cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses as he looked directly at Lydia. "Mrs. Hardy, your daughter has been with us for a few months now. At first, she was integrating well, participating actively, and even excelling in some areas. However, her behavior changed. She began associating with, well, some rather bad influences, and she's started missing and skipping out on several of my classes." He slid an attendance sheet across the desk, the columns filled with classes Felicia had missed, each absence highlighted.

Lydia studied the sheet, her brow furrowing. She glanced up at her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "You're not… doing drugs, are you?"

Felicia blinked in disbelief, her voice coming out in a huff. "What? No, I'm not doing drugs! Unless you're counting the anxiety meds that have been prescribed."

Lydia pursed her lips. "Well, he mentioned 'bad influences,' so naturally, my first thought was drugs... You aren't in a gang, are you?"

Felicia sighed, crossing her arms. "No, I'm not in a gang… or anything remotely close." She paused, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. "Nope, definitely not a gang… I think?"

Lydia tilted her head, pressing further. "Then who are these 'bad influences'?"

Felicia rolled her eyes. "He's talking about Peter."

Lydia's expression softened, now genuinely puzzled as she looked back at the teacher. "The Parker kid? Peter Parker? That boy is polite and respectful. Why would he be considered a 'bad influence'?"

Felicia leaned back, crossing her arms with a smirk. "The teachers here are just intimidated by Peter's intellect. He's a little too smart for their comfort, so they're holding a grudge."

Lydia nodded, catching onto the unspoken tension. "Understandable. He is, after all, the owner of a multimillion-dollar company and has a good head on his shoulders. Felicia, you could learn a thing or two from him." She shot her daughter a meaningful look.

Turning back to the teacher, Lydia's voice turned icy. "You, however, should be ashamed. You're a grown man, envious of a child's capabilities." With a dismissive wave, she stood, gathering her bag over her shoulder. She turned to Felicia with a nod. "Come on, honey. Let's go. This has been an utter waste of time."

Felicia's eyes sparkled with a triumphant glint as she followed her mother out, secretly pumping her fist. 'Yes, crisis averted!'

As they walked out, Lydia's voice broke through her relief. "I may have cut this meeting short, but don't think you're off the hook, young lady. When I'm back from work, you and I will be discussing every one of those absences. I know they're real."

Felicia's grin faltered. 'Oh no… My bad luck strikes again!' 

---

Norman Osborn glanced at the teacher with a slight scoff. "I'm not here about attendance. I'm more concerned with my son's academic performance. How are his grades? As long as he's scoring at the top of his class, he can skip as much as he likes."

Harry's heart skipped a beat. 'Could it be… Am I off the hook too?' 

The teacher handed Norman Harry's report card, the grades gleaming with perfect scores. Norman's brows lifted in surprise. "All 100s… You've improved."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, a bit bashful. "Yeah… I've been studying a lot lately. I want to be ready to help with the company."

A rare, genuine smile crept onto Norman's face as he clasped Harry's shoulder. "With grades like these, I might have to retire sooner than expected and see how you handle things."

Harry chuckled, but his amusement wavered as he felt his father's hand tighten, his expression growing distant, almost determined.

'I have to help him,' Norman thought to himself. 'Seeing how hard he's working, I can't deny him the future he deserves… The Future he deserves' 

Unknown to Harry, he'd just reignited his father's passion—a passion to secure his son's legacy, no matter the cost.

---

Meanwhile, in a different classroom, Felix slumped forward, his face buried in his hands as he groaned softly. 'Why can't someone just end this for me?'

On either side of him sat his parents. His father, a distinguished-looking man with silver-blond hair and a neatly trimmed silver beard, wore an immaculate suit with legs crossed, exuding an air of authority. His mother, a poised woman with chestnut-brown hair tied in a tight ponytail, donned a smart pencil skirt and blazer.

The teacher looked at them, clearly uncertain. "Mr. and Mrs. Petterson, I can't say much about your son yet, since he's only been with us for a week. However, his behavior… It's concerning. He's been falling asleep in class regularly and has been… snapping at anyone who disrupts his naps."

Felix's father gave him a stern look. "Son, we've talked about your sleeping problem."

Felix groaned in exasperation, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, why are you doing this, Dad?"

Felix's mother offered the teacher an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, but Felix has a mild case of narcolepsy. No matter how early he sleeps, he's still tired in the mornings."

The teacher's demeanor softened, her voice tinged with understanding. "Oh, I had no idea it was so serious. He never mentioned it…"

Felix's father nodded gravely. "As you can see, he's rather embarrassed by his condition and prefers not to discuss it."

"Understandable," the teacher said kindly. "Shall we proceed with reviewing his grades and upcoming academic goals?"

"That would be much appreciated," his mother said with a nod, her voice laced with feigned concern.

Once the meeting concluded, the three of them exited the classroom. Felix sighed in relief as they walked down the hallway. Then he glared at his parents.

"I hate both of you," he muttered darkly.

At that, his parents shared a mischievous look, and in an empty corridor, both reached into their pockets, pulling out small, pen-like devices. With a quick flash over their faces, they reverted to Peter and Felicia, both wearing victorious smirks.

Felicia nudged Felix with a laugh. "Just checking in to see how my son was doing in school."

Felix opened his mouth to retort, but the soft beep from Peter's watch caught his attention. Peter scanned their surroundings, then flicked his watch on. "Yes?"

A hologram of Aria flickered to life, her voice calm but urgent. "Kraven is about to land shortly. I thought you'd want to be informed."

Peter's expression shifted to one of seriousness. "Thanks for the heads-up, Aria."

Felix's eyes lit up with a smirk of his own. "Can I come?"

Peter grinned. "Hope you brought your suit."

"Never leave home without it" 

"That's my boy" 

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