[The following video plays for all to see, at 7:15 PM.]
[A very young Peter Parker sits in the back of an SUV, strapped into a car seat. He can't be more than four or five at the most. He kicks his feet as the two people in the front seat talk about some project the man is working on. A moment later, the car is rammed hard head-on and there's a sickening crunch of metal and glass shattering. There's a cut across his forehead as he dangles upside down in his seat, crying for his parents. They don't answer.
The scene shifts and Peter's older now, eleven or twelve. He sits at the park, watching some of the other kids playing, but he doesn't join in. He pulls a book out of his bag and starts to read, instead, jumping when someone throws a soccer ball at his head and it hits him.
"Penis Parker! Pay attention!" another kid yells as several others start laughing at the nickname.
Peter doesn't respond, simply tucks his book away and stands up to head away.
"That wasn't very nice," someone comments and Peter looks over at him but remains silent. The kid is older by at least a few years -- and there's a book in his hands. Jack Kerouac. "Kids are awful sometimes. You all right?"
"Yeah." Peter looks down at his feet, scuffing his shoe on the ground.
"You look like you could use a friend. I'm Skip," he tells him, holding his hand out, and after a moment, Peter shakes it.
"Peter Parker," he responds.
"You like to read, too, right?" Skip smiles at him, and Peter nods, smiling back tentatively. "I think we're going to be good friends."
***
Aunt May looks nervous, uncertain even as she threads her earring through her earlobe and looks at him in the vanity mirror. "You're sure you don't want us to stay home? You weren't feeling well earlier," she says.
"May, the boy's fine," Ben remarks with a huff of laughter, resting a hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezing. "And he's not going to be alone, anyway."
"I'll be fine, Aunt May. It was just a stomach ache," he tells her earnestly.
She hums and moves to look at him, studying him for a moment and then pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Okay. But we'll be back early."
Cut to Peter sitting on the couch beside Skip, their legs stretched out and feet resting on the coffee table.
"You're going to love this movie," Skip tells him, hitting play on the remote and Peter smiles, nodding. The first few minutes seem normal enough, but then the men on screen go from fighting to making out. One of them shoves the other against the desk, undoing his pants. Peter's eyes are wide as both men get completely undressed.
"Isn't this great? Most kids your ages aren't mature enough to watch this sort of thing." Skip elbows him in the side and Peter smiles again, but it's weak, confusion clear on his face but Skip says nothing as the movie continues to play. "You're one of a kind, Einstein."
***
Cut to a few weeks later. There are dark circles under Peter's eyes, like he hasn't been sleeping. He's paler than usual, and Ned buzzes around him at recess, asking him if he's okay. He nods and shrugs, but looks like he's moments away from falling over and passing out.
Hours later, Aunt May fusses over him worriedly even as he tries his best to reassure her he's fine. She doesn't look convinced, and this time Uncle Ben doesn't either, but they leave, May giving him once last worried look as they head towarrd the door that evening to go to a fundraiser, Skip resting a hand on his back and smiling at them.
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of him, Aunt May," Skip tells her and she relaxes, smiling at him.
"Don't know what we'd do without you, Skip," she tells him, blowing Peter a kiss on the way out the door.
***
"I don't wanna watch this," Peter says, voice sounding quiet and worried as he stares at his hands. Skip pauses the porn that he'd popped into the DVD player.
"Okay. We don't have to watch," he tells Peter, leaning in closer to him, and pressing a kiss to his temple.
Peter cringes away but Skip grasps onto his skinny wrist, tugging it over until it's resting in his lap, over his crotch. "Show me what you've learned, Einstein."
***
The next scene shows a slightly older Peter, maybe thirteen or so, looking grumpy as they cross the street, heading toward an office building.
"I want ice cream," Peter tells him, uncharacteristically whiny.
"After the appointment we'll talk about it," Uncle Ben tells him.
"But we have time now," he argues, and Uncle Ben sighs.
"All right. One scoop. Your aunt May will kill me if I let you ruin your dinner."
Peter brightens instantly and beelines for the man selling ice cream from a cart. He slows down as he realizes he's arguing with a customer, who seems really upset about something.
"You owe me!"
"Hey, is everything okay here?" Uncle Ben asks, voice calm as he frowns, looking between the two angry men.
"Mind your own business, old man!" the customer shouts, waving a gun around that he seems to have produced from out of nowhere.
The gun goes off.
Uncle Ben looks down at his chest. There's a bright red stain blooming over his shirt. "Pete," he whispers.