Felicia Didn't Like Science, but Rather...

Felicia Didn't Like Science, but Rather...

Peter had always liked photography.

That old camera of his had been bought secondhand after he scrimped and saved for a long time.

Still, it performed quite well.

The two of them headed toward the bus stop, where a girl was already waiting ahead of time.

"Morning."

Mary Jane was dressed brightly, her fiery red hair spilling over her shoulders. Two dimples appeared whenever she smiled.

"Morning, Mary Jane," Ben replied.

Peter stammered out a greeting, then pressed his lips together and fell silent.

He truly wasn't good at dealing with girls. It wasn't just Mary Jane; he was the same around Liz, the girl he liked now. Even when he saw her, he didn't dare go up and say hello.

Mary Jane, however, seemed quite interested in Ben. The two of them chatted about all sorts of things, making Peter feel somewhat unnecessary.

But he had long since gotten used to it.

Compared with "unremarkable Peter Parker," Ben had always been extremely popular.

His grades were good, and he was decent at sports. Flash had always wanted Ben to join the Baseball Club, and sometimes he would drag Ben off to play basketball too.

But Ben had turned him down every time.

"Do you want to come watch us rehearse this weekend?" Mary Jane looked at Ben eagerly. "A few others and I formed a band. Gwen Stacy from your class is in it too, and I'm the lead singer."

"I don't know whether I'll have time." Ben didn't agree outright.

It was easy to imagine that he would be busy for quite some time. Watching several pretty girls sing and dance onstage?

That was certainly appealing, but it was nowhere near as appealing as the machines in the lab.

Actually, Ben didn't like science all that much either. He was simply desperate to change the Parker Family's current circumstances.

"Are you planning to become a singer someday?"

"A singer, or an actress. Who knows?" Mary Jane clearly had no plans for her future.

Not long after, the school bus arrived. Mary Jane parted ways with them and sat beside her friends.

When Flash saw Ben, he greeted him while wrapping an arm around his Girlfriend Liz. "Morning, Benny. Got time to play baseball this afternoon?"

"Morning, Benny." Liz waved enthusiastically at him as well.

Peter's expression darkened further at the sight.

"No time. I have other things to do."

Flash pushed Liz aside. "Move over."

Then he shoved Peter, who had been following behind Ben, aside as well and leaned closer. "Did you hear about what happened on the Williamsburg Bridge last night?"

"Spider-Man fought the Lizard Man. Of course I heard." Ben glanced at Peter, who immediately looked away.

"Spider-Man? That's a pretty good name. Much better than the one the Daily Bugle came up with." Flash nodded at once.

If Jameson was Spider-Man's biggest hater, then Flash Thompson was his greatest admirer.

"He was so cool!"

He abandoned his Girlfriend and launched into an enthusiastic discussion with Ben.

Liz was furious. She turned toward Peter, who had been left behind just like her, and pulled him away to sit somewhere else.

"She definitely likes me!"

In front of the school gates, Peter declared this confidently to Ben.

"Did you see her sit with me? On the bus! I could smell the fragrance of her hair..." His face was full of blissful intoxication.

"Can you stop acting like such a creep?" Ben rolled his eyes.

My little jailbird brother is really beyond saving.

"You just sat on the bus together, and you didn't even dare say a single word to her. Besides, she only sat with you because Flash cast her aside."

Liz wasn't really a bad person, but she was the typical kind who liked attention.

She looked down on unremarkable Peter Parker.

Ben shook his head, stopped paying attention to Peter, and headed for his classroom.

The moment he entered, he saw Felicia spreading out her textbook and studying with her head lowered.

"You're really working hard." He set down his backpack and sighed.

With Felicia's status, she had no need to study so diligently. The Hardy Foundation's funds were enough to make her a young lady of high society.

"You weren't late today?"

Felicia had actually spotted Ben at the school gates, but she still hadn't gotten over her anger then and had originally planned to ignore him.

But seeing that Ben came to speak with her as soon as he entered the classroom, Felicia's anger instantly vanished.

"Since I was little, my father told me that no matter what I did, I should do it as well as possible!" Felicia said proudly. "Like, if you like basketball, don't be satisfied with merely being a cheerleader. Go play in the game yourself."

"That's how he taught me to pursue perfection and excellence."

As she said this, a lonely expression appeared on Felicia's face. She wasn't a genius. She was always chasing perfection and excellence, yet remained far from reaching her goals. And the father who had taught her this principle had long since disappeared.

At that moment, she was like a stray kitten on the streets, pitiful and helpless.

But she was also as strong as a wildcat.

She quickly cast those feelings aside, looked into Ben's eyes, and invited him again. "So, can you join a Study Group sometime? I asked Gwen, but she seems to have joined a band, so..."

"It'll just be you and me."

No time.

Ben wanted to say that.

But when the words reached his lips, he changed them. "We might need to set another time."

"Really?!"

"You agreed?"

Felicia jumped to her feet in delight. She hadn't expected Ben to actually accept her invitation this time.

Just the two of them—this was practically... a date!

At the thought, Felicia felt as though pink bubbles were about to float out of her entire body!

"That depends on my schedule," Ben emphasized.

He glanced at Felicia, who was spinning in circles where she stood, and thought:

Harry's little bit of funding really isn't enough. If I genuinely run out of money, I'll have to turn to the Hardy Foundation. She's a little rich girl who might invest in me in the future, so I should build a good relationship with her.

Felicia liked science, and science just happened to be Grey Matter's specialty!

After school.

"Don't forget the Study Group."

Ben left the school after Felicia reminded him.

Peter went to Osborn Enterprise as originally planned. Ben parted ways with him at the subway station, his destination being Williamsburg Bank.

The building was very European in style, with a domed roof and a four-sided clock tower. It looked a little like a castle.

"Benny, over here!"

When Harry saw him, he pushed open the Rolls Royce's door and stepped out, waving from afar.

Ben looked over at the sound, just about to respond when he froze in place.

Because Harry hadn't come alone. Someone else got out of the car with him and stood beside him.

He was a stern-looking middle-aged man in a suit. His face was somewhat long, and the ends of every wrinkle curved downward. His temples were slightly gray, but his hair was combed flawlessly. Merely standing there, he exuded an extraordinary pressure.

Ben frowned slightly, his heart sinking halfway.

—Norman Osborn.