Well, it's that time of the year, my Layla/Warren obsession is bugging me again so I decided to write a new story about them. Hope you'll like it though. Not very inspired I'll admit. Oh and the book Layla and Warren are reading is Hemingway's The Sun also Rises.

Rebels and Redheads

She thought he was the most interesting person she had ever seen. That didn't mean she had a crush on him, it just meant that his long hair and his leather jacket reminded her of those movie stars whose posters she kept in her room.

And he could create fire! He acted so distant and cold to everyone but his power was so warm. She imagined him lighting up the fireplace in a cosy little cottage. They'd sit in front of his fire and talk all night long. She shook her head. Those dreams were very odd.

But she didn't have a thing for him. She was impressed and enchanted, like she had just discovered a rare plant. He was a very special lethal carnivorous plant, but she liked it that way. However, odds were against her.

Not only were Will and most of the high school against him and thought he was a delinquent because his dad was a villain, but also he was a sophomore and he had a girlfriend to boot.

She often saw him and Freeze Girl lock lips in the hallways, against the lockers. They were exact opposites and they always argued, but that was the main attraction between them. She cooled him off when he warmed her up. They did almost everything together. There were few times when Warren was alone. Usually, that happened at lunch, because Freeze Girl, Jessica, sat with her friends and Warren probably didn't liked them or preferred eating alone.

Layla took advantage of these moments to look at him thoroughly, but he never looked back.

She couldn't talk to anyone about her current fascination, because her friends thought only bad of him and Will was adamant about keeping away from him. That's because his dad had put Warren's dad in jail and Warren seemed to have a big grudge on Will due to this little fact.

Whenever they met in the hallways, he threw him some very nasty looks.

Layla knew she shouldn't wish for him to look at her, because he was not the friend for her. And maybe he was a jerk who would laugh in her face if she ever tried talking to him. She was Will's best friend and she probably embodied everything he disdained: cheerfulness, naiveté, childishness…

But maybe he was secretly tolerant?

The only way to find out was to talk to him.

On Thursday afternoon she saw him reading a book on the school grounds and thought this was the perfect opportunity to approach him. There weren't many people around either, so if he did lash out at her, at least not many would see.

She took out her own book and sat down next to him.

He flinched visibly and looked at her over his book. She smiled and waved her hand shyly. She thought she would start shaking soon, but she managed to hold her book.

He shrugged his shoulders and flipped a page.

Suddenly, she noticed they were reading the same book.

'You're reading The Sun also Rises too?! What are the odds?' she burst out happily.

He glanced at her surprised then looked at the book in her lap.

'Do I know you?' he asked warily.

'Well, I guess not exactly, but I'm a freshman, my name is Layla, I'm a Sidekick and I love flowers,' she said extending her hand. She talked so fast that Warren barely understood what she said.

'Uh, right,' he said nodding, 'ok, Sidekick.'

When she saw he wouldn't shake her hand she dropped it awkwardly.

'You're Warren Peace, I assume,' she continued. 'Oh and you can call me Layla. Sidekick sounds so offbeat, doesn't it? I mean who believes in these silly standards anyway? We're all gifted, there shouldn't be two sides.'

'Okay, hippie,' he said turning to his book again.

'Hippie? Well, I wouldn't call myself that, maybe environmentalist. See, hippies talked much, but didn't do a lot and I plan on doing many things, like saving some rain forests. They need saving, you know?' she babbled.

'Yeah, you go do that. But I'm reading,' he said a bit annoyed.

'Oh, right. How do you like the book? Don't you find Brett annoying? I mean she plays into this femme fatale, but I don't buy that. She just breaks hearts and acts like she owns everyone, which I think is nasty. And why is everyone in love with her?'

By now, Warren had dropped his book and was staring at her like she had a second head.

'You talk a lot, you know that?'

'I'm sorry! I'm just happy when I get to talk to someone about common things. I mean I don't always get to do that with my…'

'Okay, okay, I get it. Lucky me,' he said rolling his eyes. 'Look, I'm not the friendly type, so I'd appreciate it if you went to your hippie crowd and let me read.'

Layla was taken aback for a second or two, before waving her hand.

'Of course, of course, but if you ever need to talk…I mean of course you wouldn't…er, I'm just going to go now. Happy reading!'

She rushed out of there very embarrassed. She didn't stop until she reached her locker. She almost wanted to bang her head against it.

That hadn't gone that well, but at least she had talked to him! Sure he was antisocial, but she was a big load on people sometimes, so he had actually acted polite, hadn't he?

…but now he probably thought she was a psychotic little crush girl. She prayed he didn't really think that. Probably he didn't think of her at all. Was it better if he thought she was a bit off, than not thinking about her at all?

She couldn't decide.

A slender blonde girl sat down next to Warren and snaked her hand around his neck.

'Reading again, I see. You could do something better with your time,' Jessica said smiling mischievously.

'I really don't know what you mean,' he said smirking. She hit him in the chest.

'Who was that redhead that just left you?' she asked curious.

'Oh, that,' Warren said putting his book down. 'Some weird kid that couldn't stop talking. She was funny.'

'I think I've seen her around school. Isn't she best buddy with Stronghold?' Jessica asked, raising a brow.

'I wouldn't be surprised,' Warren said. 'She's his feminine version probably.'

Jessica laughed and kissed him softly.

'What did she want with you anyway?'

'Nothing,' he said kissing her back. In the back of his mind he had to admit though, that he hated Brett's character too.

The following day, Layla went to school with some confidence that she had had her first talk with the mysterious Warren and that maybe now she was entitled to say hi to him in the hallways.

Then again, she had been introduced to Gwen too, the most popular girl in school and yet she didn't try catching her attention.

She saw him walking down the halls with Jessica.

'…it was really hard wasn't it? I was completely lost with that exercise, I thought I was going to squish my head. The homework they give here is really just an excuse to make us feel sorry for ourselves, don't you think?' Magenta told her, but Layla was still looking at the couple in front.

'Layla? Earth to Layla!'

'Right! I'm here! You're right, we shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves,' she stammered.

Magenta raised a brow.

'Something on your mind?'

'Not much,' she said quickly. 'I'm just thinking of gym and then Sidekick classes and then we have Physics and…'

'Rough day, I know. But hey, there's some excitement. I heard we were going to be sorted into pairs. You know, Sidekick-Hero pairs. I'm really curious about that.'

'Really?' Layla snapped. 'But that's silly! Now they've really pushed the limits! To think they can just do that without our assent…'

'Who wouldn't assent to this?'

'I wouldn't!' Layla said firmly. 'It's abusive.'

But then she realized that maybe, just maybe, she'd be paired with Warren and suddenly, part of her anger disappeared.

'Abusive or not, we have to do it. We'll find out after lunch. I just hope it won't be Lash or that other idiot, Speed,' Magenta said sighing.

'Me too,' Layla said truthfully. If she had to do this, she hoped it would be Warren.

As she tried opening her locker in order to take her books out, she realized it was stuck. She pushed and pulled at it, but it wouldn't budge.

Layla saw that Warren and Jessica were some feet away and they were just saying goodbye.

She hoped maybe he'd see she was in need of a hand and maybe offer to help. He was a Hero after all.

She smiled gracefully to him as he passed by, but he didn't stop to assist her, he just walked by, minding his own business.

She looked after him befuddled. Well, that hadn't been very nice.

After lunch, each and every Sidekick collected their letters from the School's Office. Inside were the names of the Heroes they'd be joining.

Layla opened her letter with shaky fingers. When she saw the name she couldn't believe it.

Freeze Girl. This was the next best thing.

Leave a little comment if you liked it or not:)