Carly Quinn stood surrounded by pink, starting into her closet as she debated what to wear for her first day of school. Why she seemed to find this a problem this year she didn't know," she thought. Her hand reached out to touch a blouse colored pink with lace but she jerked it back. Well, maybe she did know. She was tried of pretending that her life didn't consist of pink, lace, makeup, shoes and all the other frivolous things that made her a girl. It was silly. Signing, she instead grabbed green cargo pants and a plain top. "Silly," she huffed and lifted a foot to step inside of the pants.
Somehow long ago her mind had become twisted up in the typical nonsense of high school. Nonsense that wanted to label you by what you wore on your body. Pink clad girls with glossy lips were said to be eye candy without enough brains to think past how to swipe a card. She was determined not to be labeled as one though she privately did envy them their popularity with the other students. She wasn't quite an outcast but seen more as a loner. Her best friend a black cat named Star Dust helped prove that to them as she was always sneaking her into school. She was her friend pulse she could eat whatever loathsome gurel that the cafeteria was serving that Carly refused to try. She didn't chose her loneliness. Her life just didn't spare enough time for her to worry about being social. Her robots, experiments, calculations and so much held whatever attention that was taken up by school. Those were the things that she wanted to be known for and if it it meant that she had to hide her girly loving side from her classmates, then she would do it.
A knock sounded on her door. "Darling," her mother said, "breakfast is ready."
"Coming Mom," she called, grabbing her school bag and headed to the door.
Bailey Quinn surveyed her daughter with a frown of disappoint, taking in the cargo pants and shirt she wore. Where were the adorable jeans with their sparkling designs and lacey tops she wondered that she had brought for her school year. She had even broken down and decided to splurge on some new accessories for her including their latest beauty supplies at the boutique. Turing sixteen was an important time for a girl in her life and she had wanted to treat Carly for this school year. Carly squirmed feeling like a worm stuck on a hook. "I thought you would wear one of your new outfits that I bought you and use a little makeup," she stated, continuing to look at Carly until she had to get away from those eyes.
Carly slipped past her mother and began to descend the stairs. A rich aroma of caramelizes bananas filled her nostrils. She inhaled. "Smells amazing Mom." It was a cheap trick to change her mother's attention but Carly really didn't want to try to explain the workings of her mind when it came to clothes or at least to what she wore to school. She had instantly loved each piece withdrawn from its plastic imprisonment and admitted her Mom truly understood what colors and scents suited a body. They would get plenty of wear at home or on vacations. Carly walked into the kitchen to find her Dad already seated chopping down. "Morning, Dad," she greeted, padding over to kiss his cheek.
"Morning, Carly," Matthew returned around a mouthful of pancake and kept eating.
She loved that about her parents. They never felt a need to keep a never ending conversation going with her like parents who thought space required no fillment with words. Just one of the many things she loved about them. They seemed to respect her lone behavior, leaving her to work as much as she wanted. She was given control to decide little things in her life like drinking too much soda. Yep, pretty cool she thought, seeking out her own pancakes. Her favorite. Round circles of cooked dough heaped with caramelizes bananas in a rum substitute. As cool as her parents were, they did still believe in some thinks such as not drinking until a certain age was reached. Carly dug in. An apprective noise escaping her throat as flavor rushed into her mouth.
Bailey smiled at the noise. A good cook knew that noise was often the best compliment to their dish. She helped herself to a plate and sit down to. Wanting to bring up the clothes again but knowing her daughter, she was going through some stage. There were certainly plenty of them. One had to only look at the robots and gadgets shattered around her room to know that. So, she would let it pass. "I take it as you enjoy the menu," she stated and cut a piece of her own.
Carly swallowed. "Yeah, it's really great, Mom."
"Very nice, dear," her father added as he finished.
"Good," her mother replied and brought the fork to her mouth. They continued their meal in silence for several minutes while Matthew lingered over coffee.
Too soon, she was finished and Carly resigned herself to the fact that she needed to head out or risk being late on her first day. She didn't have issues with school. There were a few subjects that kept her interested. For example, Science. Most bored her though. Literature was a art fast going extinct. Few written works worthy of a read she felt. Non like the tales of Tolkien or Poe or even Shakespeare. It was hours spent somewhere else when she could better use the time home with her creations. She pushed back from the table and rose. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom," she said and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I should head out before I'm late." Shrugging into her backpack, Carly said good bye to her father and left the kitchen.
Her scooter sat perched against the hall wall, waiting she realized and grabbed it. The bright morning light blinded her. She was vaguely aware of birds chirping. Stepping on her scooter, she took off.
West Point High spread out before her. Carly could see the seniors idly leaned against their cars as she make a sharp turn into the parking lot. All if not most of them would do the fashionably late bit she knew. Teachers for some reason seemed to give them more slack, letting them do what they deemed as cool without consequences. Maybe, it was just a last year thing. After years with them, she herself wouldn't want to see them again either. One shouted something out to her but she ignored it.
Like every other year, the halls smelled of wax and lemon. Girls daring the non enforced dress code wore their skirts high. Blouses were low and tight. Boys flattered themselves that you wanted to see their choice of underwear. She sighed at the ritual. "Why?"
"Why what," a voice asked.
Carly turned. "Oh, hi Robert," she said. She swept her eyes over him. Took in his dark wash jeans and tee. "Nice shirt."
Robert flushed. Carly had spoken more words to him just now than she had their last two years of lab together. He didn't really know what to make of her but she was cool. "Um, thanks." He awkwardly shrugged off his backpack and dug inside. "They had matching he and hers." He shrugged. "I know you like this kind of stuff.
Carly watched him pull a shirt out and hand it to her. Not knowing what else to do, she took the shirt. "That was nice, Robert." Struggling with what to say, she managed. "Um, I didn't figure you paid that much attention to me." Another flush colored his cheeks and she looked away.
Robert Powell had been her lab partner the last two years. It didn't seem purposeful on the part of the teacher so, she had shrugged it off as considence. He was a decent partner who could hold his own. They didn't really associate outside of lab though. "So, know what you have first after home room," she asked.
"They put me in lab first thing for some reason," he answered. "Lab is a evening class."
A uneasy ripple passed over her though Carly had no way of knowing what it meant. "I guess we're lab partners for the third year in a row now then. She turned back to face him."The shirt was a really nice thought Robert," she told him.
Warmth flooded his cheeks again. Robert mentally winced. He wished he would stop. "No biggie, Carly," he replied. "Hope you enjoy it." The shrill sound of the bell echoed through the hall, saving him from more awkwardness.
"See you in Lab," she called back over her shoulder and made her way to home room. More unease rippled through her as she stepped over the threshold. Several students followed her and fanned out into groups. Carly chose a front desk. She watched more students mill in. Classmates from previous classes in the pass. Anna Rucksack walked in wearing a sparkly pink mini. David Lawson strutted in and she suppressed a snort at his mistaken view of fashion. The room gradually filled. The teacher more lack on the first day.
When the room was full, she swept in and closed the door. "Good morning Students," she sang. Silence met her. Nothing new for a teacher and she continued. Papers were handed out with directions to have parent sign. A handbook thumbed through ignored as usual. Carly looked at the clock to cage how much longer until switch off. She startled. Her brain unsure of what her eyes witnessed. She blinked. The little red time marker ticked down.
Carly shook her head afraid to think of what she thought had happened yet compelled. Something like that couldn't happen she knew. science wouldn't allow it. A voice cut through her thoughts. Jostled, she came back to reality and stared into the eyes of the teacher. "Ms. Quinn, do I need to repeat myself"
Darting a look around, Carly realized everyone had their eyes on her. "Sorry," she said. "I wasn't paying attention."
"I asked what you did over your summer vacation."
Summer she thought. Her mind still groggy."Um, I worked with my robots and stuff," she said. Snickers sounded around the classroom.
"No trips or community service," the teacher ventured.
"No."
She stayed for several seconds more before deciding Carly was a lost cause and walked to the next student.
Carly still felt eyes on her. Judging eyes. She ignored them. The droll of the teacher as she asked another student about their rousing summer eased her back into her thoughts.
By the time the bell rang, Carly had convinced herself that the incident with the clock had happened. She stuffed papers into her backpack and headed to Lab. To Robert. She could talk to Robert. Her body gave a pulse almost like telling her that was a good chose. He was ok, right. He would listen with the ears of a scientist with something to discover.
Robert was already seated at a table when Carly walked in. He looked up. His eyes an open invitation though they always partnered in lab. She walked over and took a seat. "Heard you had trouble in homeroom," he said.
She blew out a breath. Already people were saying how weird she was and it was the first day. "Talk moves fast," she said. Carly dug in her pack to give herself a few seconds. "Just zoned out was all." She came back up with a pen and notebook.
He looked at her. A strange feeling prickling around his nerve endings. Almost like protection. "Anything you want to talk about," he asked. Robert dug in his own bag and took out a candy bar. He broke it in half. "It's a Zero bar," he offered.
Carly smiled. Warmth spreading through her as she took the offered chocolate. "Full of surprises today, Robert," she told him and took a bite. Sweetness coated her mouth. A noise of pleasure slipped free of her mouth.
Something stirred within him at the noise. The way her mouth moved as she bit and chewed. A foreign sensation to him. Robert bite into his own half.
"No candy in my lab," the teacher announced, sweeping into the room at the sound of the bell. Carly rolled her eyes and took another bite determined to finish her treat. She picked up her pencil and scrawled across a notebook page, sliding it over to Robert. He read. His own handwriting added to the page as he replied. He wanted to write more but knew they could talk once the teacher assigned them a project so, he waited. Swallowing the last bit of chocolate, Carly gave her attention to the teacher as she rambled on about what the class was and their goals to be met. Robert stuffed his now melted chuck into his mouth and did the same.
Carly huffed as she read the print out handed to her. "Is there a problem with my assignment, Ms. Quinn," the teacher asked. Her eyes hard as if daring Carly to answer.
Normally, Carly would have said no mama and apologize but she felt different now. A strange feeling brewing inside of her. One that demanded that she speak up, tossing the quiet girl aside. "We're 16 not toddlers," Carly retorted. Her glaze unflinching as she continued to stare at the teacher. "Where are the mixing of complex chemicals and dissections? "Every eye in the classroom was on her. Carly Quinn, the weird lone girl, was showing some life in her and to the teacher at that. Robert stared at her feeling a mixture of encouragement and protectiveness ready to lash out at the teacher if she hurt Carly. The sensations making his stomach churn and he blamed it on eating chocolate this early in the morning.
Carly saw the fury in those eyes and prepared herself. "Leave my classroom right now," the voice almost snarled. The teacher turned and continued on to the next student.
She sat there. "I haven't given you any right to remove me from the classroom." Robert placed a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. "I have a right to be here and taught things on my age level."
A face loomed in front of hers. This time the voice was so low with barely controlled rage that Carly had to strain to hear. "Office now and I will make sure you stay out of my classroom."
A emotion like electricity licked over her flesh and Carly shook with it. "I don't need your damn classroom anyway," she screamed. Carly pushed her chair back, sending it crashing to the floor. She jerked up her backpack and materials then stormed to the door, slamming it so hard the small pane of class rattled.
She slumped against the wall and breathed. What is happening to me. A blinding pink light suddenly flashed over her t hen dimmed. Carly stood frozen unable to do little more than watch as the light began to form into shapes. Cool metal pressed against her arms and legs. Gloves and boots Carly noted. Her own clothing seemly to dissolve into the light as it fashioned new cloth over her. She could feel a tingle in her scalp and reached up, feeling a long braid of hair.
At that touch of hair, Carly suppressed a scream. She rushed to the restroom and looked into the mirror. A grasps ripping from her throat as she saw the image starting back at her. She shook her head over and over again as if somehow the negative gesture would make everything disappear. "This can't happen," she sniffed. Tears threatening to spill. "It's not rational."
The door opened. Panic surged through her and she ducked into a stall. She listened to the thud of shoes enter and walk across the floor. "Carly are you in here?" She didn't answer.
Robert silently cursed, hoping he had gauged correct and Carly was in here. The feelings that had been growing within him racing through him to a point of busting. He didn't know why he was almost obsessed to be with Carly but knew that he need to be. He stepped to the first stall and lightly pushed against the door. It swung open. Empty. "Carly, come out please." Still no answer. One by one, Robert pushed on doors and saw empty space before coming to the last stall. "Carly, you have to be in there."
Carly squeezed her eyes shut. Her body a statue as it perched on the toilet. "Leave me alone, Robert," she muttered.
At least, she'd answered him he thought. "I can't," she heard him say. She heard a creak and opened her eyes, thinking for one moment that he was forcing himself in. Instead, she watched through the narrow slit as he slumped to the floor and leaned back against the door. "I'll just have to stay in the girl's room if you won't come out." He dug a book out of his pack and began to read.
She waited. Robert didn't move. She waited more. Even when a couple of girls came in, he simply said what's up and kept reading. Carly groaned. "Ok, Robert," she said, "I'll come out but you won't like what you see."
Robert scrambled up and stepped back. "Honestly, you're not bad to look."
Carly snorted and slide the blot back, stepping out. She stood in front of Robert.
He started at her. "Did you change into a costume," he answered.
She shook her head. "No" Carly touched the bow on her front. "It just happened." Her fingers brushed the jewel embedded in the bow's center. She gasped. Memory swirled in her mind and Carly felt herself falling. Instead of the hard tiles of the bathroom, she felt warm encircle her.
"Hey now," Robert said, holding Carly as he eased them down to the floor. "It's ok." He brushed her hair from her forehead. "I'm here."
Carly looked up. Her eyes unfocused as the restroom slowly came back into focus." One image remaining sharp in her mind. "Armor," she whispered.
The soft spoken word boomed inside his ears. "What around armor, Carly?"
She moved and tried to rise but Robert kept his hold on her. "What about armor," he repeated.
Lifting her arm, Carly studied it. Symbols and writings seemed to be etched into the glove. She tried to make them out but it was no good. "This can't be possible, Robert," she said. Carly offered him her arm. "How can it happen?" Her eyes pleaded for an answer. A way to make sense of it.
Their depths pieced him almost like a physical pain. He wished he had an answer to give her but Robert knew he didn't. He didn't understand it himself. Robert stroked her arm, feeling the smooth metal surface then warmth. He kept stroking. A steady heat forming as if it was coming to life.
The symbols and writings started to make sense to him. Signs of protection. Words that sounded like incantations of healing. Robert ventured further, trailing his fingertips over her shoulder. More protection and incantation. Carly watched as he continued to run his fingers over the covering, watched the symbols and writing glowed under his touch.
When he reached the bow, Robert moaned as pleasure licked along his nerve endings. A flood of images only intensifing the pleasure as he watched a woman fight. She wore a type of armor that glowed with different shapes and writings. The monster lunged and he saw blinding light shoot from her palm. The beam slicked the monster, sending sparks up, but not before its claws scraped along her arm. Robert stared as the wound began to heal itself. Blood seeming to to be sucked back in.
It spun back around and let lose a terrible hiss. The woman thrust both hands out. A beam of light from both palms shot out, piecing the monster's chest. Sparks hissed. Smoke filled the air. Robert watched it crumble into a hissing smokey heap. An instant later pink light concooned her. A glimpse of nakedness showed then she was wearing normal clothes.
He came back to find Carly gazing up at him. "You saw something also," she stated.
Robert stared down into her face. "Yeah." He blew out a breath. "We'll figure this out together, Carly," he told her. "Think you can stand now?"
Carly nodded and managed to get her legs under her. Using Robert's shoulder, she got to her feet. She reached a hand down. Robert took her hand and let her help him up. "I'll go the office with you so you'll have some backup," he said.
"Why are you out of class," she asked.
Robert shrugged. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright so, I followed your lead and pissed the teacher off too. Only way I could get away without somebody coming to hunt for me."
She laughed. A warm musical note that pleased his ears. "Seems we are both changing." Carly walked towards the door. "Might as well get this over with, huh?"
The principle looked strangely at them as they entered and took the seats in front of his office. "What are the two of you doing in my office." he asked. Carly and Robert were good students he knew and had never had to visit him in the office.
Robert began to speak but Carly interupted him. "Our Lab teacher didn't seem to understand what age level we are," she replied. "She got upset when I mentioned it." Her eyes were unflinching as she continued. "Robert wanted to make sure I was ok so, he did something too."
Paul let her words sink in, processing them.