The Thorns of Life
By: me
Disclaimer: This is me not owning any of it…
Summary: I saw the movie a long while back with a friend. She was disappointed with it, but I wasn't really listening to her (ouch, what did I say, Michiko? It's the truth…). So, anyway, she randomly started talking about it the other day and the proceeded to challenge me to write this. We (cough-she-cough) decided that it would be about Layla. I don't know the pairing yet, but she wants it to be Warren. So yeah… be forewarned of some serious OOCness and the fact it will be different… deal with it.
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Chapter One
(This is the intro part. If you don't want to read, scroll down to next part)
(Michiko wrote this by the way)
ahem takes on announcer voice…
It was definitely not an average day for the Rosewood household, yet one couldn't tell by the outside. The house was in a nice suburban neighborhood, complete with a garage and stone walk-up to the front door. It was designed with a red-bricked front along with many plants littering the yard; one could only guess how jealous the neighbors were. Even when meeting the occupants, one would not suspect a thing; they seem natural and normal. A mother raising a daughter, working jobs, paying bills, gardening; it all seems like a normal life. But then again, that family never knew a normal life. They had powers. Unlike the powers read about to children as they lay nestled in their beds, these powers were real and came with a price tag. To many, it was a price too high.
The morning marked the first day of school for the daughter, Layla. Her power is that of controlling nature's plant life. Differing from many other children, she had not inherited her mother's power of talking to animals. However, not many dwell upon the topic and concentrate on bigger and more pressing issues. Now of the proper age, Layla's mother agreed to send her daughter to the famed "Sky High" that she had attended years before. The school was created for children like Layla; it helps them to harness their power(s) and teaches them to fight criminals as heroes and sidekicks … or hero-support as Layla calls them. That's Layla, though; she's not too into labels or social classification based on things that they have no control over. It all started a long time ago… but that's a story for later (I plan to have this pop up in the story sometime).
Luckily for her, she had someone to talk to about her opinions with. Not wanting to bother her mother with what she knew her mother would label "teenage angst" or a "cute phase of rebellion," she talked to her best friend, Will Stronghold. If asked, she could go on forever about him. He was the son of the two greatest heroes of the time: The Commander (Steve Stronghold) and Jetstream (Josie Stronghold). However, Layla saw him as more than that. He was nice to her, stood with her through the tough times, and she had the biggest crush on him. Naturally, she still had feelings for him; she was just waiting for him to take the hint and make a move of some kind. In fear of flat-out rejection which would crush her heart and their friendship, Layla didn't say anything.
The rays of the early morning sun shone through a window beside a bed in a small room. It was a beautiful morning with the whole birds chirping thing going on too. But, the silence was ultimately broken-
"Beep! Beep! Be-"
The sound of an alarm clock was abruptly cut short by a hand emerging from a pile of blankets and pillows on the bed. Around the bed, the room was fairly clean, for a teen-aged girl; colored with earth-tones and an apparent garden theme. A dresser was close by the bed with music boxes crowded upon it with a mirror somehow finding room to fit. Along the walls was plant-like and nature decorations varying from actual plants to beautiful stones to sea shells. Following the hand emerged a head poking out of the covers.
With a yawn, the room's occupant sat up and stretched her petite, slim body. The girl, Layla, sixteen years old, ran her fingers through her dark red hair as she shot a glare at the alarm clock with fiery green eyes. She let out a small growl thinking back to her interrupted dream.
"Why did you have to wake me up then? I was having a great dream…" she trailed off with a sigh, forgetting her anger. Closing her eyes, all she could remember of the dream was a pair of dark, intense eyes boring into her very soul.
Outside her window, looking into the fenced yard, a tree was growing at an alarming rate. One of its branches crept in through an opened window. A blossom grew to an apple, falling off the branch, ripe, onto her outstretched hand. 'Yum. Breakfast,' she thought to herself, taking a bite. Finally choosing to get up, she wiped her lips and made her way to the closet.
As she walked down a softly creaking stairway, she sighed once again, passing the pictures hanging on the wall. The pictures were of a happy family. She and her mom looked obviously younger and were joined with a mysterious man. There were pictures of them on a beach, in a park, and finally outside of the house proudly holding up a sold sign. Yet, in all of the pictures, the man seemed to always have his face just out of the picture, behind something, or blurred from movement.
The stairs ended near the front door, but she turned right, towards the kitchen, looking around. She was met with silence in the room. Giving a quick glance to the clock, she then gave a once-over around the room. 'She's probably talking to the neighbor's dog right about now…'
"Layla," a voice from the back of the house called out. Looking toward its direction, she made no movement towards it.
Instead, she started up some sort of search. She looked on the table, on the chairs, and on the counter, but couldn't find the prize. The newspaper.
"Layla Rosewood!" The voice shouted out, much stronger.
Giving up her search, Layla made her way to the house's rear. When she made it outside, she saw her mother standing up from a crouched position beside the fence. The tall woman in her early thirties brushed off her black jeans and motioned her to come closer. She gave her daughter a hard stare with dark eyes through a pair of off-balanced glasses.
"The robins tell me you've been using your power again," she started, her hands on her hips.
"And I suppose they spelled it out in the air with twigs, saving you the effort of using your own power?" Layla sarcastically interjected.
Her mother seemed as if she wanted to say something, but held her tongue a moment longer. "I suppose I can forgive you on your first day of school. After all, you'll need all the practice you can get to be a hero."
Layla stayed quiet.
"With your power, though, I would think they might put you in hero class anyway."
"Mom-"
"But I guess it is all too possible you'll be a sidekick." She paused. "After all, I was one too. At least I won't have to worry about your grades that way. I mean, you should already know everything you'd need to for those classes."
"Mom… you know I don't-"
"Sky High… it's been such a long time since I've been there." Her eyes became distant, as if recalling a long past memory.
"Mom!" Layla raised her voice, gaining her mother's attention, snapping her out of her reflective daze.
"What?"
"If I don't go now, I'll be late for my first day."
"That would make you stand out some. Someone important might notice you if you walk in after everyone's already there."
"Mother!" Layla ground out, making her mother laugh.
"Jeez, can't you take a joke?" Her mother said, even though it was not a joke at all.
Without another word, Layla turned on her heel and left, grumbling all the way. Her mother's gaze followed her into the house before she was distracted by geese flying overhead asking to stop for food.
Reaching her bus stop, she only saw two other people there: a guy wearing a black leather jacket who was being annoyed by a preppy jock (no offense to jocks) wanting attention and someone to listen to him. Not wanting to stick around and see what happened, or see if the jock would bother her too, Layla started walking again in the direction of Will's house, not catching that the boy in the leather jacket turned to see her leave.
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Author's stuff: So… this is my first story on fanfiction… ever… The last story I can remember writing was back in middle school (long time ago) about being turned into a hamster, getting me locked in the school, and having to survive until I changed back… I'm not too good in the imagination department, so any comments or suggestions would really help me out for future chapters and their writing styles.
What I'm trying to say is please review and tell me if I should continue or not (ouch! Michiko, stop hitting me!)
I'll try to update when I can.
Bye-bye for now… 안녕, 再见, さようなら, مع السلام, adeus, arrivederci, au revoir, adios, and Auf Wiedersehen.
I can only hope the different fonts showed up right.