Parent week was something many of the students dreaded. Not because their parents would get to find out exactly how well their children were doing in their classes. Not because some parents would find out that their child wasn't in the classes they had been led to believe they were. Not because teenagers in general were embarrassed to be seen with their parents.
This parent week was dreaded because the majority of this particular group of parents… wore spandex.
Yes parent week had arrived at Sky High, the high school for super powered kids. And super powered kids usually had one or more super powered parent. During parent week, each class had a day designated where student's parents were welcome to come and see the school, meet the teachers and have lunch with the principle. Seniors day was Monday, Juniors had Tuesday, Sophomores had Wednesday and Freshmen had Thursday. Friday was a day of mercy. The students had Friday off. A reward of sorts for enduring the embarrassment of having their parents walk around their school in skin tight, neon colored spandex.
The gang had survived Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday morning saw them contemplating the approaching embarrassment that was to be the next day. As they approached the front steps Will spotted the most reluctant member of their little group sitting in his usual spot, engaged in his usual morning activity…reading.
"Hay Warren." Will said as they came up to the step. The addressed teen looked up to acknowledge the presence of the group and then promptly returned to his book. The group sat around him and continued their lamentations about the next day, when it would be their turn at torture.
"Hay Warren," Layla said rather suddenly deciding to verbally include the teen into the conversation. "Is your mom coming today?" Only she was brave enough to ask such a question. The group had discovered the teen wasn't as volatile as he led every one to believe he was, but there were still some topics that they just didn't dare bring up. Warren's family was one of those things.
Warren inwardly rolled his eyes at the group of people that had decided to invade his life. At the red head's question the rest of them had gone wide eyed and held their breath. He glanced over at the girl and then returned his gaze to his book. "No, she has to come tomorrow, if she gets back from her mission in time."
"That's cool." Will said. They were all really curious about his mother. She hadn't gone to Sky High, so none of their parents knew her. No one they had asked even knew what her powers were. And none of them were brave enough to ask Warren yet. So they all had their own privet speculations about what she was like.
It wasn't long before the bell rang and the group of friends moved toward the building to begin their day. Each with their silent thoughts of amusement and horror at the parents they saw, and dread for the next day.
Lunch time found the group sitting at their usual table. The Monday after homecoming the group decided to sit at Warren's table. Truth be told, Will and Layla had decided that it was a good idea. Ethan surprisingly had been the most supportive of the idea; claiming that he and Warren had bonded over trashing Speed and Lash. Zach and Magenta had reluctantly followed suit. That had about the same effect as when Layla decided that Warren was her homecoming date. But the group persisted. And gradually, the reclusive teen spent more time at the table before grabbing his bag and book and stalking out to sit in the quiet of the halls or the front steps.
They weren't expecting said teen to even be at the table today. He hadn't been all week long. When he hadn't shown Monday, they had sent Layla searching for him to find out why. She returned in one piece and not crispy with the news that he didn't want to be around such a concentrated number of parents that only knew him by association. Half way through the outraged speech on stereotyping and prejudging the group silently decided it would have been better to send Will instead of the outspoken flower girl.
So now was the time that they had to voice their speculations about a certain friend's family.
"Do you think she's like, Chinese? 'Cuz that could be why he speaks it." Zack asked.
"Will you guys just stop already?" Layla burst exasperatedly. "We'll meet her tomorrow. I don't think Warren would appreciate us, who call ourselves his friends, talking about his mom like this."
The boys involuntarily ducked at her tone. Sufficiently chastised, the all mumbled an apology.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She said, looking each one of them in the face. There was a collective cringe at the thought of going up to Warren and saying something along the lines of "Sorry for invading your privacy behind your back." Yah…that would go over just great.
There wasn't much time to enjoy the awkward silence that had descended over the table before the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Layla rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag and followed Magenta toward the door. The rest of the day passed as normally as it could with the parents of the Sophomore class in attendance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
The dreaded day had arrived. The freshmen of Sky High had all woken that fateful morning with a collective prayer in their hearts that their parents would not give the upperclassmen ammunition for teasing or pranks. The mood on the bus was somber, no one spoke. The five friends exited the bus and moved to occupy their usual spot to wait for the first bell. It wouldn't be long before the second round of busses, carrying their parents would arrive. An overwhelming sense of dread had settled over the school grounds as groups of teenagers milled about speculating on the day's coming events. This feeling was shared by this particular group of teens, but it was also tempered by a rampant sense of curiosity. Yes today would be the day that their parents would no doubt embarrass them for the rest of their lives, but today was also the day that they got to meet Warren's mother.
The group took their customary positions and waited. It wasn't long before the second group of busses landed and they were accosted by their overly excited parents. The five of them endured the exuberant re-introductions, reminiscing, cheek pinching and hair mussing. All the while Warren sat in his usual seat on the steps reading his latest book looking as undisturbed as a statue.
Will had come to the conclusion that his most reluctant friend should have to share in the mutual embarrassment and was about to drag his parents and thus everyone else's over and include the pyro in the "festivities". Just as he made a move in the pyro's direction, he saw the other teen look up, a slight quirk to his lips. Will followed Warren's line of sight to see nothing but a tree. Confused he looked back to his friend. Noting that he was still looking in the same direction; he to returned his attention to a spot to the left of the group of friends and parents. Josie noticed her son's attention was focused elsewhere and asked "What is it sweetheart?"
Ah yes, the pet names. All parents had them for their children. And this was generally one of the major points of embarrassment during this whole week. He was about to respond that he didn't really know when he saw the shadows under the tree begin to move. Josie's question alerted the rest of the group that something was happening. They looked at Will and then in the direction that he was looking. Soft gasps of amazement were heard as the entire group noted the swirling of the shadows beneath the tree. The group automatically stiffened, the heroes of the group preparing for the possibility of a confrontation. The sidekicks of the group tensed waiting for instructions. The group did not move as a woman stepped from the swirling shadows.
She was strikingly beautiful. Her posture spoke of strength, elegance and poise; serenity with an underlying current of danger. She did not wear the costume of a super hero, but the elegant dress of a wealthy busness woman. Will watched as her gaze found their group. He saw her eyes harden and then with a minute nod she turned her eyes from them. Her face was hard as she searched the school grounds. He decided that he had never seen anyone so beautiful when he saw her harsh countenance melt into a dazzling smile when she found who she was looking for. Will couldn't take his eyes from her as she began to move. Her graceful strides took her in the direction of the steps, and he felt his jaw drop as he watched this vision of beauty wrap the school's most unapproachable student in a bear hug.
Layla, predictably, was the first to move. Shaking her head at her friends and their parents she moved toward Warren and who she now assumed was his mother. Her first steps toward the duo seemed to break the spell that had settled on the small group of friends and parents. Curious they followed the redhead, albeit with caution.
Layla however, was as bold as ever as she approached them. "Hay Warren." She all but chirped. The woman turned to face her and elegantly raised an eyebrow. She glanced at her son, a subtle prompt for him to introduce them. Warren let out an exasperated sigh. By that time the rest of the gang had gathered around the two. "Mother this is; Layla Williams, Will Stronghold, Ethan Matalino, Magenta Kulay, and Zach Everly, and their parents. Everyone this is my mother, Laura Peace."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Peace." Layla said offering her hand.
Mrs. Peace had a tight lipped smile on her face as she looked straight into Layla's eyes. Apparently pleased with what she saw, she accepted the redhead's hand. "Charmed." She said, the word was tinted with a crisp British accent. Before she could say more and have the boys drooling even more than they were, the bell rang.
"Well, looks like it's time to get to class." Warren said offering his arm to his mother. She graciously hooked her arm around her son's and he led them away from the stunned group. No one noticed Warren's uncharacteristic departing words, as they were left reeling from their encounter with the mysterious Mrs. Peace. In fact, it took the whole group a full minute to realize that the duo had disappeared into the school building. Shaking themselves as if from a daze, the group hurried after them.
"You couldn't just take the bus?" Warren asked his mother, slightly mortified by her entrance and the attention she had drawn.
"Of course not Xiao Xing (Little Star), you know that I never do anything the easy way." Her eyes sparkled with delight at the opportunity to tease her son.
