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“Ned!” Peter hissed, desperately trying to get his friend to shut up. People were staring. “Why would you say something like that?”
Ned, however, didn’t seem to understand the warning in his tone.
“What? It’s true! Mr. Stark-“
“Is nothing more than my boss,” Peter insisted, cutting him off. “We’re not friends or anything.”
Flash snorted derisively.
“Of course not,” he laughed. “I bet he doesn’t even know your name, Penis.”
“He so does!” Ned hurled right back, making Peter want nothing more than to clap a hand over his mouth. “Mr. Stark lent Peter one of his cars for his driving test!”
Peter appreciated that Ned wanted to defend him, he really did, but fighting back only ever seemed to encourage Flash more. All Peter wanted was for him to stop. He’d never even done anything to Flash. He was just an easy target.
“Oh, I’m sure,” Flash sneered, sarcasm dripping from every word. “And what did you do to earn something like that, huh, Penis? Were you really good for ‘Mr. Stark’? What exactly does your internship entail, again?”
Peter’s face flushed with mortification. That was- The insinuation that Mr. Stark would- No. He felt sick to his stomach on his mentor’s behalf.
“I help him in the lab,” Peter said, trying not to let too much defensiveness slip into his tone. Flash was crass and loathsome, but it wouldn’t do to let him know he’d found a sore spot. It would only make him aim there more. “That’s all. Come on, Ned. We need to get to class.”
He grabbed Ned’s arm and tugged him along, knowing that he would only go for Flash again if Peter didn’t. Flash’s laughter rang in Peter’s ears as they fled. Ned huffed.
“What is wrong with that guy?” he asked Peter, shooting another glare over his shoulder.
“Just leave it,” Peter said tiredly.
He’d been putting up with Flash ever since he got to this school and knew he would be for years more to come until they graduated. The torment and insults were just something he’d have to deal with. Flash certainly wasn’t going to stop. Peter hoped he wouldn’t post any if his newest insults online. That would be a shit storm waiting to happen.
Besides, Mr. Stark didn’t need to be dragged into Peter’s problems.