What is it like to study at Midtown High School?

[Switch to Peter's perspective from this chapter]

On an ordinary morning during the winter vacation, the doorbell rang unusually.

Aunt May was busy knitting our sweaters, and Alan was sleeping in as usual and missed breakfast. I looked around and found no fourth person in the house, so I had to put down the book in my hand and open the door.

"Hello, I'm looking for Alan Parker." At the door was a girl who was only as tall as my chest, with an exquisite appearance and a sweet smile—but it was undoubtedly an illusion.

"Meera?" I was a little surprised why the little girl from the Strange family would come to visit, but I still kindly let her in, "Alan is still sleeping, come in and have a seat."

Mela came in obediently, and greeted Aunt May with a smile. Aunt May still remembered the little girl: "Is it Nick Brownie's sister? Why are you here in such a cold day?"

I clearly saw the corners of Meera's mouth twitch, and then replied with a smile: "My brother and Alan have made an appointment to study homework together, let me ask why he hasn't come yet."

lie.But Aunt May obviously took it seriously. She pulled Mela to sit next to her, complained that Nick was an irresponsible brother, and at the same time urged me to call Alan down.

I went upstairs in response, but still hesitated at Alan's door.

My relationship with Ellen has been at a terrible standoff since Christmas.

On the one hand, it is difficult for me to accept Alan's concealment and distrust of me. On the other hand, I always harbor guilt towards Alan.It breaks my heart to think of the long period of pain that Alan put himself through.

I wanted to question Alan why he was going through all this alone.

I also want to tell Alan to transfer all the pain to me.

But Alan obviously didn't want to say anything to me. He always locked himself in the room, or ran out without seeing anyone, and occasionally bumped into me on the stairs. He just greeted me as if nothing had happened, and then hurriedly Leaving does not leave me room to speak.

Those words were never spoken, and in the end they rotted into a swamp.

Aunt May is a great mother. Even though Alan and I could still perform "respect each other as guests" tacitly, she still keenly noticed that the atmosphere between me and Alan was becoming more and more rigid, so she secretly pulled me to talk: "Peter , what happened to you and Alan?"

I can only coax her: "It's nothing, just some misunderstandings."

Aunt Mei was worried: "You know, kid Alan...I'm very worried about him."

I remained silent. Aunt Mei told me about Alan's life experience when Alan was in a coma. He was not the biological child of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but was picked up on the street in winter night.At that time, Aunt May also said with concern: "I'm afraid that if Alan knows about this, will he be afraid that our love for him will be reduced? Otherwise, why would he suddenly start studying hard?"

Although it was just an embarrassing misunderstanding, all I could say was, "Aunt May, Ellen is just mad at me, and it might get better after a while."

Weird.

I finally knocked on Alan's door, and after a while I heard Alan's "come in" before pushing the door open.

Allen was already awake, but he was still wrapped in a quilt and lying on the bed reading comics. He didn't raise his eyes after I came in, but just asked, "What's the matter?"

"Meera is coming for you."

Allen blinked, but still didn't look up: "Just say I'm not awake yet."

"Just say you're dead, okay?" Meera's voice suddenly appeared behind me, and I looked back, and the girl was leaning against the door, hugging her shoulders, and looked at Alan with sarcasm in her eyes.

Allen lay on the bed unmoved: "It's ok, my epitaph will say that I've got to hang up beforehand."

"You!" Meera frowned dissatisfiedly and stomped her feet.

I suddenly realized that it was not Meera who wanted to see Allen, but Doctor Strange behind her, and it seemed that Allen didn't intend to make the appointment.

Mela frowned and took out her special cigarette: "Alan, my dad has been acting weird since he came out of the illusion. I can tell that he is really anxious to see you."

Allen had already buried his face behind the cartoon and pretended not to hear.

Meera finally let out a helpless smoke ring: "What kind of secret is there between you..."

Another secret!How many secrets does Allen have in him!

Meera continued: "No matter what you want to say, Alan, my father said that your physical condition had better not be delayed, otherwise..."

"Physical condition?" I immediately caught a key word, and blurted out, "What's wrong with Alan's body?"

Allen wailed and hid himself under the quilt, while Meera showed me a helpless smile: "I don't know anything, but my dad doesn't look like he's lying. I've always wanted to see Alan, but Alan...you know."

Other things are fine. I can't take it lightly when it comes to Alan's physical condition. Thinking of Alan's depressed psychological problems in the past two years, plus the coma some time ago, no matter how I think about it, I feel that Alan is extremely fragile-look at him That small body and complexion.

"Alan!" I took advantage of my health and dug the dark-faced Alan out of the quilt, "I know you don't want to talk to me at all now, but I can't ignore your health problems."

"He's meowing." Alan glared at Meera with a dark face, and Meera looked back calmly. In the end, Alan was defeated and began to put on his shoes angrily, and then walked past us to the bathroom. After a while, we heard There was a sound of running water.

Meera and I don’t have much friendship, but it’s not a problem to just sit and watch her smoke. I thought about it and said hello: “Meera, I heard that you have been being trained, how are you doing now? ?”

Meera shrugged, she looked cute, but what she said was not so cute: "It's okay, I can see the luck of most people now, such as you, you have been very unlucky recently."

"..."

Meera pointed in Alan's direction with a half smile: "That guy is the only one I can't see the future."

My heart tightened, and I heard Meera say again: "I don't know why he resisted meeting my dad, but I hope you know that I didn't come to persecute Alan, the main reason is... my dad is not in good condition. Great."

Before I had time to ask Dr. Mela Strange what happened to him, Alan had already come out, and Meera also stopped talking inside, and asked instead: "Do you want to go after breakfast?"

Allen pinched her face: "No, I know there must be a lot of pudding in your place."

Although Doctor Strange probably didn't want to meet me, Meera didn't object anyway, and Alan just frowned, so I went with them calmly.

It was only when I saw Doctor Strange that I realized what Meera said "what's going on that the situation is not so good". Now Stephen Strange in front of me is sitting in an armchair with a sallow complexion. Although his body is covered with a blanket, he seems to have lost weight.

As soon as he saw his father Meera, he couldn't hide his worry anymore, and immediately sat aside and held the doctor's hand.

I was quite at a loss—to be honest, the original intention of my trip was to worry about how Alan would be treated by Doctor Strange, but now... I looked at Alan beside him and found that not only did he look normal, And quite a bit of ridicule.

Doctor Strange looked at Allen, and even smiled: "You are finally here."

Allen shrugged: "Is there any way, if I don't come, everyone will know that I am going to die."

"Alan!" I looked at Alan in shock, but Alan waved at me immediately: "Don't be surprised, it's not that serious."

Doctor Strange smiled and waved his hands: "Spider-Man, Allen, you all sit down first."

I was still immersed in the shock that Alan's life was in danger, but Alan sat down like an outsider and began to eat the small cake on the table: "Say it, what do you want to say?"

Doctor Strange stared at Allen, and said slowly, "You always knew what I wanted to say—you just didn't want to hear it."

Allen spread his hands: "But you still have to say it, don't you?"

I finally couldn't help but interjected: "So are you going to talk about it or not?"

Allen swallowed a small piece of cake with a face full of indifference: "Okay, I'm full, let's start before Spider-Man rushes up and shakes your neck, doctor."

Doctor Strange looked at us, put away the smile on his face, and looked up at the big clock on the wall: "Alan, I remember I told you that this clock was given to me by an old friend .”

Allen nodded.

It's not the first time I've seen this clock, but it wasn't until now that I set my sights on it seriously and found something unusual.

The doctor nodded: "This clock has never passed since I got it, and in order to make the second hand move again, I entered an illusion and became what it is now."

I carefully observed the doctor's expression, only to find a trace of annoyance, while Allen on the side obviously sneered.

The doctor glanced at Allen: "As expected, you guessed it—yes, I did do something very shameless and was punished. So, what have you recalled?"

"Not much, but I probably know what you want to do." Bored, Allen took off his shoes and curled up on the chair.

I stared at the doctor, and finally let him understand that there is a bewildered person here, and explained with care: "The owner of this clock is a great magician who has mastered the time. Before he leaves, I left this clock and watch to me. In order to further enhance the control of time, I have been studying it for many years, so I want to learn about the magic of time through studying it."

Allen curled his lips and said, "So he brought the clock into the illusion - that is the place where the magic department's supernatural beings are tested, and it is also where the great wisdom in the legend is. As a result - the owner of the clock was offended and received deserved punishment."

I gritted my teeth, looked at Doctor Strange who shook his head and sighed, then looked at Alan who was full of boredom in his brows and eyes, and finally said the question that has been in my heart since just now: "So, what happened to Alan? What? What is the relationship between him and the legendary magician?"