Chapter 304: Ned's Big Boast
"So, what do you think?" Ned said, nudging Peter's arm.
Peter's jaw remained dropped, his face a picture of utter disbelief. This had to be fake.
"Hi, Ned~" Just then, Betty Brant walked over, casually slipping her arm through Ned's.
Ned immediately puffed out his chest and said, "Betty, this is Peter Parker, and next to him is Silas Parker. They're brothers and my best friends."
"Nice to meet you guys~" Betty gave a friendly wave before leading Ned out of the classroom.
"Silas, how on earth did he do that?" Peter asked, a twinge of envy creeping into his voice. Even this was possible?
"Don't ask me, I have no idea," Silas replied, rubbing his chin. Perhaps this was Ned's secret superpower.
The brothers then headed to the gymnasium. Mary Jane wasn't in this specific class; she was in the neighboring section, and they only sat together when their schedules aligned.
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The PE teacher blew his whistle, and the students quickly fell into line.
"We'll start with a few sets of warm-up exercises. After that, we'll split into pairs to supervise each other while we do sixty sit-ups," the teacher announced.
Five minutes later, the warm-ups were over, and the students began choosing their partners. Peter naturally gravitated toward Silas, seeing as his best friend Ned was currently flirting with Betty Brant—they were clearly a set pair for the day.
"You go first," Silas said, sitting casually on the floor to hold Peter's legs.
"By the way, Silas, Ned knows I'm Spider-Man," Peter whispered as he began his sit-ups.
"Oh, really?" Silas didn't seem surprised; he had anticipated this. As long as his own identity remained a secret, he didn't mind.
"Yeah, he found out by accident the other day. But knowing Ned, he'll never tell a soul," Peter said with absolute confidence. While Ned usually seemed a bit unreliable, he was more dependable than anyone when it truly counted.
The Boast
"Keep it up, Betty! You're doing great," Ned said, holding Betty's legs and offering encouragement.
"Thanks for the compliment," Betty laughed.
"No, I mean it. I probably couldn't even do one," Ned joked, patting his own stomach.
"Haha~" Betty giggled. As they chatted, the conversation naturally drifted toward recent superhero events.
"You know, Ned, Spider-Man is my favorite. I think he's so cool. Don't you?" Betty asked.
Hearing that Betty liked Spider-Man, the urge to show off surged within Ned. "I actually know Spider-Man personally," he blurted out.
"You know Spider-Man? Pfft—hahaha! You're so funny, Ned." Betty took it as a joke.
"Yeah, right. You know Spider-Man? Why would he know a regular guy like you? Stop dreaming," a nearby student chimed in, having overheard them.
Harry Osborn, who was mid-sit-up, suddenly stopped. He turned around, his expression darkening as he looked at Ned. "You really know Spider-Man?"
"I... I certainly do." Ned suddenly remembered Peter's warning about keeping his identity secret. But it was too late to turn back now; he had to commit to the bit.
"Oh?" Harry's lips curled into a smirk. He slowly stood up, walked over to Ned, and then spread his arms to shout to the entire class: "Hey, everyone! This weekend is my birthday, and I'm inviting all of you to a party at my house!"
"And Ned here is going to invite Spider-Man to come along! Isn't that right, Ned?" Harry lowered his arms and gave Ned a disdainful look.
The students were already excited about a party, but hearing that Spider-Man might attend sent them into a frenzy.
"No way, Ned! You really know him?!"
"That is so cool!"
"Spider-Man is coming to the party!"
Spider-Man's popularity among the students was sky-high. Even Flash Thompson was staring at Ned—if his idol was going to be there, he was definitely interested in this party.
"Don't talk nonsense, Harry. Ned was just joking," Betty said, stepping in to try and help Ned out of the spotlight.
"Booo!" the crowd jeered.
"I wasn't joking! Peter and I both know Spider-Man! Isn't that right, Peter?!" In a moment of panic, Ned threw the ball into Peter's court.
Every eye in the gym shifted to Peter, who was still in the middle of a sit-up.
"Holy..." Peter's mouth twitched. He had literally just told Silas that Ned would keep the secret. What on earth was this?
Silas couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't expected the "face-slapping" to come so quickly for Peter.
"Well... I..." Peter stammered, wanting to deny Ned's claim under the intense collective gaze.
But Ned rushed over to his side and shouted, "Don't worry! You'll all see Spider-Man at the party this weekend!"
"YEAH!"
"Awesome!"
"See you at the party then!"
The students didn't care what Peter had to say; they only cared that Ned had promised a superhero appearance.
"Ned, you..." Peter stared at his friend, lost for words.
Ned gave him a pained, apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Peter! But you are Spider-Man. You can just wear the suit, swing by for a few minutes, and say hi to everyone. It'll be easy!"
"But Ned, that's not what Spider-Man is for," Peter said, shaking his head. There was no way he was going to do that.
"Please, Peter! Just a quick walk-through. Don't overthink it," Ned pleaded, pressing his palms together.
"No. I'll come to the party, but Spider-Man will not," Peter said firmly, turning back to his sit-ups and ignoring his friend.
Ned then turned to Silas, his eyes filled with desperation. He hoped Silas might be able to talk some sense into him. Silas simply shrugged, indicating he was powerless to help, and went back to counting Peter's sit-ups.
Ned felt a mountain of pressure on his shoulders. He had talked a big game; now he had to figure out how to make it happen. Harry walked slowly past him and whispered, "I'll be waiting at my party for this Spider-Man of yours."
"Don't worry, he'll be there," Ned lied through his teeth.
"Hmph." Harry turned and walked away. If Spider-Man actually showed up, Harry had a special welcome prepared for him.
The Aftermath
Ned returned to his spot, basking in the envious glares of his classmates while his mind raced for a solution.
"Do you really know him?" Betty asked, her eyes shining with excitement. She had thought he was kidding, but the idea of knowing her idol was just too cool.
"Uh, yeah," Ned said, unable to lose face in front of his girlfriend. He could only smile and nod.
When training ended and free time began, Ned followed Peter like a lost puppy, begging him to just "stop by" or even just wave from a distance. But Peter remained resolute. He wouldn't agree to such a reckless request.
More importantly, Peter worried that if his enemies found out a regular college student like Ned knew Spider-Man, Ned would become a target.
"Stop it, Ned. I'm not doing it," Peter said, grabbing Silas and heading for the exit, leaving a helpless Ned standing alone in the gym.
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