(AN: I'm sure something like this has been done before, but this came to me so strongly after watching The Incredibles that I had to write it down. It's nothing special…just Violet's thoughts of her family, school, life, etc. Sorry if there's another story just like this…and I bet there is. I don't know why, but the character of Violet speaks to me somehow. I don't think I was nearly that self-ashamed back in my middle school days, but I was probably close. Oh yeah, I don't know if Disney's ever said how old she was in the movie, but I'm guessing thirteen.
I don't own the Incredibles, Disney, Pixar, or anything else that, if I did own it, would make me rich. Please don't sue me.)
I knew I was dead even before I got my test back.
"Aaw, man!" I could hear all my classmates yelling. "And I even studied for this thing!"
Grabbing my textbook, I pulled it open and buried my face into it, pretending to read. Yeah, Violet, this looks really normal. Just reading your textbook for the hell of it, huh?
"Are these going to be scaled?" My face burned up even more when I heard that voice. Tony Rydinger.
I forced myself to look at him. His face wasn't the normal, gentle, self-confident… Oh Violet, stop it!... that it normally was. He looked downright worried. Sick, almost. Probably at the prospect of how far down this test dragged his grade point average.
"Of course they will be, right?" some other kid said hopefully. "You always scale our tests."
"Yes, usually I scale them when no one gets a one hundred," said my teacher, and now I felt like I was going to throw up. "But one student did get a one hundred this time."
Please, please don't say my name…
Of course, my teacher had no respect for the privacy of students' grades. "Great job, Miss Parr," she said, handing me my test. One hundred percent.
I slunk back in my chair, trying to hide under the desk, as I could feel all of my classmates glaring at me.
"HOW?" someone finally screamed at me after a lengthy silence.
"Well, I studied," I mumbled inaudibly.
"So did I!" this stupid kid yelled back. "And I got a friggin' fifty-six percent!"
"That will be enough, Colton," my teacher said, glaring at idiot boy. "Apparently, Violet's study skills are more honed than yours are." She smiled at me, and I nearly groaned, predicting her next words—the worse possible words she could have said. "Maybe you and Violet could study together."
"Yeah, sure," Idiot-boy Colton sneered.
I slipped down in my chair even more, pushing my hair over my eyes—more than it usually covers my eyes, and that's saying something. If there is a merciful God, I thought to myself, he'll take me right now.
…………
In truth, it wasn't my study skills that got me that perfect grade on my test. I actually didn't study for that one very much—but if I had told them how I actually knew everything on that test, I would have been in a hell of a lot of trouble. And my family, too.
The test was on the supers of the "olden" days… and believe me, I could have slept through all of my teacher's pointless lessons and still have gotten a one hundred on that test, no problem. My parents have told me all about their glory days as superheroes, and I know practically everything.
Of course, they kept the truth away from me as long as they could. I guess they didn't even want their kids to know. In fact, if I didn't have superpowers of my own, I bet they'd never have told me.
They were kinda forced to explain, though, when I first became invisible. I remember the day well. I was about three years old and Mom, I remember, was pretty pregnant with Dash. Mom was trying to get me to eat something I didn't like… probably vegetables, or something, and Mom was giving me that, "You're going to eat your vegetables now, or you won't be allowed to leave the table until they're all gone!" crap, and she had those gross things on her fork, and brought them to my mouth, and I just… turned invisible. Only for a second, but it shocked me, and it shocked Mom too. She screamed, dropped the fork, and yelled, "Bob! Get in here!"
Amidst the confusion, I slipped out of my chair and turned invisible again. Being three years old, I thought this was really wicked, and it certainly seemed to be a good way to get out of eating my vegetables. Plus, the illusion of my clothes just moving by themselves was really cool.
One thing about that day that I can remember really well is when my dad, uh, "saw" me invisible for the first time. He ran into the room, took one look at my clothes just floating there, and his jaw dropped. Literally.
Of course, I was still pretty shocked at my newfound power, but Mom and Dad seemed to get over their shock pretty quickly. They just looked at each other sadly. "Violet… show yourself," my mom said after a while. "Your father and I have something we need to tell you."
And there it all was—Mom and Dad told me, for the first time, how back in "the day" they had been superheroes, but because of a string of lawsuits they were forced to go into hiding and live ordinary lives. Well, they didn't use those exact words, obviously. I was only three.
What they actually said was more like this—
"Violet," Mom began, "you have a very special power, and it didn't come from just anywhere. Your daddy and I have special powers too. Our powers—and now your power, too—make us different from most other people. Before your daddy and I got married, we used our powers to help other people, but they… started to get jealous."
"And stupid," Dad threw in.
"People like your daddy and I… we had to give up our superhero lives. Live normal lives like normal people," Mom continued. "When you were born, Violet, we didn't know if you'd have powers like us or not. You seemed normal enough, in that respect, that we decided that you probably didn't. But now…" Mom leaned forward to get very close to me, using her powers in front of me for the first time. "Vi, you must promise me to never use your powers in public, and only when you really have to here at home. Do you understand?"
I nodded dumbly, managing to ask (hey, I was three, at the "why" stage), "But why?"
"Because," Dad said, giving me this really sad look, "people still haven't learned to accept people like us as we are. Some people might get angry, even try to hurt you, if they found out. That's why you can't ever use your power outside of the house."
Mom gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry we had to keep this from you for so long, sweetie…"
"Still," Dad said, actually looking excited, "becoming invisible is a cool power, Violet! If we're ever able to come out of hiding—"
Mom glared at Dad. "Bob…"
And that was that. As much as I liked my power back then, I only became invisible when I was in my room, when Mom and Dad weren't there.
Of course, after Dash was born, things were completely different. I remember that we could tell Dash had superpowers too, since he always moved his arms and legs so fast. And once he started to crawl, there was absolutely no way to keep up with him.
I didn't find out about my other superpower until later, when I was about six and Dash was about three. Dash was chasing me around the house, the annoying turd, and of course he was way faster than me. I was pinned in a corner, and he was charging at me, and in self defense my arms flew out and suddenly, BAM!
Dash started to bawl, and Mom was there in an instant, punishing me, although I kept trying to tell her that I hadn't done anything! I just put my arms up and…
And then I began to realize. Mom did too. "Try it again," she said. "Just don't aim at us."
I faced the wall, lifted my arms in front of me, and my second forcefield appeared… not for very long, but it was pretty obvious that I had another superpower.
Oh boy, was Dash jealous. "How come I only get one superpower and she gets two?" he kept whining. Yeah, as if Mom and Dad just handed out superpowers to their kids. I'm sure.
Dash shouldn't complain. I got crap for powers. Seriously. What good does turning invisible do you if it doesn't affect your clothes as well? They're nothing but powers for self-defense. Dad seemed to think that if it were the old days, I would have made an awesome superhero, but that's a load of bull. All I can do is hide and throw a shield around me to protect myself.
The force fields do have some potential though, I must admit. If I could get the hang of them.
So—and Mom and Dad would kill me if they knew, but I don't give a damn—every night for the past year or so, I've taken off all my clothes, turned invisible, snuck out to the park about two blocks away from my house, and practiced my forcefields.
Yeah, I know. I'm running around nude in the middle of the night. Enough of a reason to get a police citation.
And I can't wear shoes, either… and have you ever walked barefoot on a sidewalk? It HURTS. There's billions of microscopic pebbles that you wouldn't even notice with shoes. And I have to be totally silent as I leave the house, too. One slammed door, and even though Mom and Dad wouldn't see me, they'd probably suspect.
I've been getting pretty good at them, actually. I have a feeling I could make them bigger, but it's hard. Damn. Like I said, I got crap for powers. Mom, Dad, and Dash don't even have to strain themselves with theirs.
So anyway… that's why I got a one hundred percent on our superhero history test. Because I have first-hand knowledge of it.
I felt like I wanted to die that whole day.
Finally, school let out. I got out of there as fast as I could and hid behind the railing of the front steps of the main entrance, waiting for Mom to come and pick me up. As much as I hate being at home, it's better than school.
I could hear Tony talking as he walked out of the building and, idiot that I am, turned and looked at him. Damn, am I such a stupid giggly little junior high girl! I can't believe I've got a crush on him! Of course, the chances of him liking me, especially after what happened today…
He stopped and turned around, sensing me looking at him.
I froze and turned invisible without even thinking about it. Which would have looked completely retarded if he had seen all of my body, with just my clothes hanging there. I slid down and became visible again, whispering, "He looked at me!" with all the giddiness of a silly little school girl. I wanted to kick myself.
"Violet, come on!"
Thank God, and I couldn't believe I was thinking that, but I was. Mom was here to pick me up.
Like I said before, being at home was better than being at school, but not by much. Even without the superpowers, my family is so dysfunctional. And annoying.
When we got home, Mom immediately started—get this—cleaning the house. As if anyone's coming over, and as if anyone cares besides her. Complaining about how much she has to do—and wasting her precious time by guess what? Cleaning. The. House.
"Violet, your room is a mess!" she hollered at me. I was sitting in the living room, reading some trite teen magazine, and she was obviously in my room. "Come in here right now and clean it up!"
"I can keep it however I want to," I yelled back at her. "It's my room."
"Not when you're living in this house!" she screeched back. God. Why can't my room be how I want it? I threw the stupid magazine down. Fine, Mother. I'll clean my damn room.
Why can't she just leave me alone?
Mom walked out of my room; I walked in. I sighed to myself as I half-heartedly made my bed. Some life. Some pointless life, more like it. What's the point of it? What's the point of anything?
That sounds pretty suicidal, huh? Well, get that thought out of your head. There's no point in dying, either. It would have just been better if I had never been born.
I looked out of my door and saw Dash, giving Mom this big hug. He gets in trouble at school, and now he's smiling and hugging? I would say suck-up, but I know he's not. He's just a cuddler. Lucky sap. He's got such an easy life. He probably always will, too. He's obviously Mom and Dad's favorite… well, more so than me, anyway.
"Violet, could you watch Jack-Jack while I make dinner?" I heard Mom yell.
"Fine…" I mumbled. Well, at least I didn't have to pick up my room now. I went into the living room and looked at my baby brother, sticking a block in his mouth, drooling, and grinning as if he'd just won the lottery.
"Live ain't all fun and games," I muttered to him. What a kid. Had to go and mess up my life even more. One little brother is enough, let me assure you. I didn't want Jack-Jack. Although I don't think Mom and Dad did either. Come on, there's nearly ten years difference between him and Dash. Definitely an "oops" baby, I must say.
And he had to be a boy, too. I remember how happy Dash was when we found out he'd be a boy. And how upset I was. Then again, I don't think Jack-Jack would be much more bearable if he'd been a girl. I didn't want another sibling, period. In fact, I'd be happy without Dash.
The door opened and Dad shuffled in, looking like crap. Like he always does. You know, even though Dad and I hardly talk anymore—neither of us do much talking to anybody—I can almost feel sorry for him. He's stuck in a no fun, dead-end job, and comes home every night to this fun-filled house. Ha.
I didn't say anything to him, and he didn't say anything to me. In fact, I don't think he even noticed me. Fine with me. I know that when I'm upset—which I usually am, nowadays—I just want to be left alone. And Dad seems to be like that, too.
Well, of course he's like that, now that I think about it. Although I got my looks from my mom—thank God, I'd die if I had Dad's bulk—personality wise, I'm definitely my father's daughter.
He finally noticed Jack-Jack and me, and grunted a bit in greeting. I maintained eye contact with him, returning the greeting.
He flopped down on the couch behind me and turned on the TV.
And so life goes on…
The days passed. I could tell that my family was on the edge of falling apart. Dad wouldn't talk much, and when he did, he'd just be yelling at Mom. They tried to pretend to Dash and me that nothing was wrong, but we knew better. At least I did. I think Dash is too trusting of them.
I didn't think things could get any weirder. But they did.
Dad's dead-end job seemed to be picking up a bit, actually. He was gone for a weekend at some conference, and I guess there's more to follow.
Good for him. Wish things would pick up for me…
And I have no clue why, but after that, my family was actually starting to act more… happy.
How? Let me give you some examples…
As I said before, Dad doesn't usually talk that much to us. Normally. But lately, he's been spending far too much attention to us.
He's been taking Dash on all these sort of father-son outings. Really weird. I mean, Dash has always been his favorite, but before, that just meant that he'd actually have conversations that lasted longer than thirty seconds with him. But no, now he would take him to the park nearly every day and play baseball, or whatever.
He actually helps us take care of Jack-Jack… without Mom asking. Trust me, that's different.
In fact, he's been acting different with Mom, too. More romantic, more… gross stuff. Like pinching her butt and stuff. Stuff I don't wanna see. And probably even more stuff that I'm glad I'm not seeing.
He's even talking to me lately, asking me how school is, just making conversation. Weird. He even came in to the living room one day, totally unexpectedly, and kissed me on the nose.
The old Dad never did that.
Not that I'm complaining. It's great he's happy.
Although, you've got to admit, it's really weird.
I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that. When he was on another one of his business trips, Mom just decided to go after him and left me in charge. I wasn't sure what was happening, but it must've been something. As Mom said, "Either he's in trouble… or he's gonna be."
I left Mom's room and flopped down on the couch, pondering this turn of events. I kinda suspected something had been going on, but the question was, what?
"Hey Violet! You need to come see these!"
Before I could ask exactly what Dash meant by that, he grabbed me and, in an instant, we were at Mom's room.
I noticed for the first time that Dash was wearing this weird red and black costume. And I noticed soon afterwards that there were two others—one about Mom's size, and one about my size.
Mom pushed us out of the room, although the damage was done—Dash was wearing his suit, and I had mine in my hands.
Weird. Dash had said they were… special?
"What makes you think they're special?" I asked him after Mom slammed the door behind us.
"I dunno… but why did Mom try to hide them?" he asked with a grin. Then he was gone.
Special…
I turned my hand invisible, and touched the suit…
And it turned invisible too!
These really are special suits…