Tosh is about as normal as normal can be, Lash… not so much. It's clear he has a lot to learn, and Tosh is happy to teach, but is it possible that he could teach HER a thing or two while they're at it?

Learning to Bounce Back

Chapter 1: Tosh Behind Bars

"Hey, Tosh! Wait up!" Eyes that tended to be more turquoise than green rolled heavenwards, but the young woman's pace slowed, if only slightly. An impatient glance was tossed over a slightly boney shoulder and a tired sigh slid quietly passed parted lips.

"What do you want Karin? I have stuff to do before I can go home today, can you make this quick?" Tosh knew she was being rude, and to one of the only people who still talked to her at all after the 'UFO' incident nearly six months ago, but she was tired and she really did have something she needed to do.

Then again, she probably could have started tap dancing and singing at the top of her lungs and Karin wouldn't have noticed. A gossipmonger, the blond -Very much fitting the stereotype.- didn't notice much of anything when she was Dishing. "Did you hear? They're starting a new program, working with that nearby Juvie Centre to tutor and counsel some of the inmates there. Isn't that scary? And it seems kind of stupid, I mean, who do they think is crazy enough to volunteer for that?"

Tosh sighed again, and fought the urge to say something uncharacteristically snappish. "I am. That's where I'm heading now, to turn in the required paperwork and meet my assigned inmate." And she was terribly nervous, after all, these people were potentially dangerous, but she wanted to be a criminal psychologist and this was an opportunity she simply couldn't pass up.

"…You're serious? Why would you do a stupid thing like that?" Tosh grimaced at such a question, wanting to accuse Karin of thoughtlessness, but she knew it would be unfair of her. For all that they were friends, Karin knew very little about her, and that was the way she liked it. Times like this, though… times like this were frustrating.

She realized her mistake too late, Karin had seen her expression. Watching the blond open her mouth prompted her to speak first.

"You know me; I thought it might be cool. Besides, I have this really unfortunate weakness for bad boys." And she released a quiet, entirely fake, airheaded giggle.

There, let Karin chew on that for a while. Tosh had no doubt that it would be all over the school by tomorrow morning, Karin did not distinguish when it came to gossip, no one was safe from her viperous tongue.

Leaving Karin to stand there with a gob-smacked expression on her face, Tosh continued briskly on her way. Balancing files with one hand, she dug through her purse with the other, trying to find her keys, all the while dodging other students as they, too, headed for their cars. She had to ignore unpleasant words being thrown her way more than once. Student parking at Maxville High was probably akin to one of the nine circles of hell, and it definitely wasn't limbo.

"Watch where you're going, Green! …Freak." Her polite smile did not waiver as she made her way to her clunker of a car, a first edition Prius that had seen better days. Sometimes, in one of those rare moments of weakness, she wanted to throw all of her things in their faces and scream obscenities at them. Call them out on their unfair, unkind behavior; make them realize just how cruel they were being. But then the moment would pass, she'd collect her wits again, and remember that she had better things to do with her time.

Let them be cruel, it would not impend her ability to achieve her goals in any way, and that was all she cared about as far as high school was concerned. They could all jump off the nearest cliff.

She paused in the safety of her car, taking a slow, deep breath, calming her mind, clearing her thoughts. "Well," she whispered, glancing at a macaroni bracelet hanging from the rearview mirror, "wish me luck Amberlean." There was no response of course; she was the only one present in the car. She huffed another sigh, smile pulling at her lips again, –If it had ever faltered to begin with.- and pulled out into the stream of traffic.

It felt like forever ago that Lash was first arrested for aiding and abetting the Super-criminal known as Royal Pain. Gwen Grayson, Sue Tenny, …whatever her name was, had been the first person to actually see any potential in him, or so she claimed. It was his own stupid fault for believing her, for letting that belief turn him into a witless, mindless follower, not really stopping to consider what would happen if they failed.

He had been fool enough to believe that they couldn't.

And then fate –Bitch that she was.- had to come and rain on his parade. They had not only failed, they had failed so epically that he had been defeated by the melting kid he was always shoving into lockers. That was possibly the single most disgraceful day of his entire life. And things only seemed to get better from there.

His parents hadn't even shown up for his trial, that was okay, that was to be expected, what was intolerable was the looks of pity from Stronghold and his merry band of do-gooders when they realized he was standing alone before the judge. His saving grace had been Speed's parents, without their advocating for him, he would have ended up being tried as an adult.

The horrible bit, the truly miserable bit, wasn't the five years of imprisonment. It was the five years of imprisonment without the use of his power. He felt like half a person without his power. A shell.

He was no better than the average citizen now, only, unlike them, he knew what it felt like to be extraordinary. To be so completely reduced was degrading, and there was no doubt in his mind that the loss of his power was the worst part of his disgrace.

And now this.

Part of the agreement for his being tried as a juvenile was that he would continue to work on his schooling, completing work so that he could graduate. He was having difficulties. So they were bringing in a tutor for him, a plain citizen with no powers to speak of, and no knowledge of the Super world except that which was common knowledge.

He was not to reveal himself, he was not to discuss the reasons for his imprisonment, he was not to be difficult in any way. He was supposed to do whatever the stupid Normal told him to do, and he was supposed to be happy about it.

Yeah.

…Right.

The paperwork had gone smoothly, as she knew it would, and she had been informed that she had everything in order. The boy she would be helping –All she was told was that his name was Lash.- was already waiting for her in one of the study rooms, if he gave her any difficulties all she had to do is call out and help would be there in an instant.

Today was just a trial day, the man handling her had said, they were just supposed to meet one another and maybe go over what he needed help with. The way he said it, however, gave her the impression that he didn't believe they'd get that far. She wasn't sure if she should be insulted or worried. She decided it would be best simply to ignore it for the time being.

Now she was facing the door that had the potential to change her life, her goals were just that much closer to fruition. She nervously pushed her braid of strawberry blond hair over her shoulder and did one last check of her outfit, making sure she looked clean and professional.

Then she walked in.

One look and her mind flashed back to her words to Karin, they had been false, a way to distract her. Tosh should have known better. Shouldn't have even put it out there into the universe. She could almost hear Amberlean laughing at her.

He was cute.