Ch-26 BIRTHDAY

[Peter POV]

The subway ride to Gray's place was filled with the usual chatter…Ned rambling about his latest conquest in whatever MMO he was playing, Harry texting someone with a smirk that meant trouble, and me, well, I was mostly just trying not to drop the birthday cake I was carrying.

Gray didn't make a big deal about his birthday, but we all knew he'd appreciate us showing up. The guy was smart as hell, always a step ahead, but still a nerd. That's what made him part of our weird little friend group. And today, it was about celebrating him.

When we got to his place, the door swung open before we even knocked.

"Figured you guys would be on time," Gray said, stepping aside to let us in.

"…", I looked at him deadpan, we were early by 15 minutes.

"Fine… I was coming out every few minutes to check.", he said.

All of us burst chuckling at his crapy sense of humour.

"Happy Birthday!" we all shouted at once, making him roll his eyes with a small smile. The place smelled like something good…probably his mom's cooking, and the huge house had that cozy-but-organized vibe that was so typically Gray.

We set the cake down on the table while Gwen, Flash, and a few others piled in. Ned immediately grabbed a plate of snacks and parked himself on the couch.

"So," Harry said, nudging Gray. "Any big plans for next year?"

Gray leaned against the counter, smirking slightly. "Actually, yeah. I am planning to start a media company along with Peter and Ned."

"Nice, can I join in as well?", Harry asked mockingly.

"Sure, but nothing has really started, we haven't even decided the name yet", replied Gray raising his hands.

I completely forgot about the company, well I guess I could try to help him on weekends.

"Actually, I have applied for an internship at Oscorp", I commented.

That got everyone's attention.

"Dude, no way!" Ned nearly choked on a chip. "Oscorp? That's insane!"

"Yeah, under Dr. Connors," I continued, looking at Gray. "Figured I might as well aim high."

Dr. Curt Connors was kind of a big deal in the science world, especially in genetics and biotech. I'd read a bunch of his papers…guy was a genius.

"Whoa," Harry said, genuinely impressed. "That's amazing, Peter. Connors is huge in regenerative medicine. If you get in, you could be working on some next-level stuff."

I shrugged, but they could tell I was excited. "Nothing's set in stone yet, but I've got a good feeling about it."

"You'll get in," Gwen said confidently. "They'd be idiots not to take you."

Harry grinned. "Maybe you'll get access to all the cool, classified stuff. You know, the secret projects."

I just laughed. "If I do, I'll be sure not to tell you."

The party went on...some video games, a lot of trash talk, and way too much cake. We all decided to go to a bowling alley. Damn must be nice to have the money to take all the friends to bowling.

[Gwen POV]

The night was still young, and there was no way we were letting Gray's birthday end without doing something fun. So, after way too much cake and some competitive rounds of video games, we decided to hit up the local bowling alley.

It was one of those neon-lit places with old-school arcade machines lining the walls and the constant sound of pins crashing against the lanes. The smell of pizza and soda filled the air.

"I hope you guys are ready to get absolutely destroyed," Flash boasted as he grabbed a ball, rolling his shoulders like he was about to step onto an NFL field.

"Yeah, sure, big guy," I said, smirking as I laced up my bowling shoes. "We'll see if you can even break a hundred."

Gray, always the quiet competitor, just picked up his ball and took his turn without a word. A smooth throw, a perfect curve, and… it just went straight into the gutter, missing all the pins.

The entire group erupted in laughter, and Gray just sighed.

"Seriously?" Ned groaned. "You're bad at this too?"

Gray just shrugged. Only the two of us knew how strong we really were. I mean, I could pick up the heaviest ball as if it were made of Styrofoam. Gray looked at me and handed me a lighter ball—probably to help me hide my superhuman strength.

It was my turn. I lined up, took a breath, and rolled. The ball spun down the alley and… strike!

"WHOOO!" my team cheered.

I turned to see Peter grinning.

Peter and Harry went next, both putting up decent numbers, though Harry nearly tripped over his own feet on his first throw, making us all crack up.

"Not bad, Gwen," Peter said. "But check this out."

He stepped up, took a deep breath, and sent the ball flying straight toward the pins with surprising momentum… knocking all of them down.

Whoa. He doesn't look that strong. I glanced at Gray, wondering whether he had given Peter Extremis as well.

Gray stood there, shaking his head, palm on his forehead, looking at Peter with immense disappointment.

The night carried on with friendly trash talk, ridiculous trick shots, and Harry insisting that the lane was rigged every time he didn't get a strike. Gray, as usual, stayed cool and composed, missing pins effortlessly, while Ned ended up winning the "Most Creative Throws" award for somehow bouncing a ball into the neighboring lane.

By the end of the night, we were all exhausted, but no one was ready to say goodbye just yet. We stood outside the bowling alley, the cool night air hitting our faces as we joked about who had the best performance.

[???? POV]

The laughter echoed down the hallway, bouncing off the metal lockers like some kind of cruel symphony.

I kept my head down, clutching my books tight against my chest. Maybe if I walked fast enough, if I pretended not to hear them, they'd lose interest. But I knew better.

"Hey, smartass!"

A rough hand shoved me forward. My glasses fell down my nose as I stumbled, barely keeping my balance.

"Where you running off to, nerd?" It was Johnny…broad shoulders, empty head, and an infinite supply of insecurity that he loved taking out on me. His friends chuckled behind him, always there for backup but never brave enough to do anything on their own.

I adjusted my glasses, pushing them back up with one finger. "I'm late for—"

"Nobody cares," Johnny interrupted, knocking the books from my hands. They hit the floor with a thud, pages splaying out like broken wings.

I clenched my jaw. I could feel the heat rising in my face, but I forced myself to stay calm. Reacting would only make it worse.

Johnny sneered. "And no one cares about your stupid little science projects. You're never gonna be anything."

The words shouldn't have stung. Logically, I knew they meant nothing. Johnny and his friends wouldn't even understand the kind of things I was working on. But still… I felt the weight of them. I bent down, gathering my scattered books, pretending their words didn't matter. But deep inside, I made a silent promise.

One day, I'd leave this place. One day, I'd build something so incredible, so beyond them, that they wouldn't even be able to comprehend it...

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Drop a comment I hope you like the chapter, The updates will be a little slow as I have exams coming up. Though I will try to upload at least 4-5 chapters a week.