Disclaimer: I do not own Sky High. Also, my characters have dirty mouths, dirty thoughts and a penchant for italics. So, heads up!
"Since the birth of language, the term "no" has always been understood and respected. In all honesty, it was Jennifer's favorite word. "No." Simple, concise and with the right attitude, it had the power to shut down even the most annoying of busy bodies. (Though if we're going to be specific, the busy body in question was less annoying and more...overly enthusiastic.)
To be fair, Jennifer owed Layla. Big Time. Capital letters intended. She knew that without the aforementioned flower child, and Layla's quest for all things equal and right, she would still be stuck playing Save the Citizen with the weird boy from Power Genetics and Displacement who oozed blue slime over everything.
And the worst part was, Layla had no ulterior motive for helping her get out of what Boomer lovingly referred to as 'Team Building', the sociopath. But still, everything she did, she did out of the kindness of her own heart.
Even still, blood debts and favors aside, there was a limit to everything and Layla was seriously pushing hers.
"No." The blonde stared at the redhead, stone-faced as she sipped her coffee. The girl knew exactly how to soften Jennifer up. With coffee in her system she was much more agreeable, and Layla was well aware of the blonde's caffeine addiction, the little sneak.
"...Jenna come on, it's only a month!" Layla pouted, her own cup of jasmine tea sitting untouched in front of her as she folder her hands beneath her chin in an attempt to look cute and convincing. It wasn't working.
Jennifer scoffed and sat her cup down. "First of all, don't call me Jenna. We've talked about this, that is not an acceptable nickname for Jennifer! They're two completely different nam-"
"Semantics." Layla waved, cutting Jennifer off. She then picked up her cup, gave a deep inhale (and seriously Layla, what the fuck is up with that?) and as she looked at Jennifer over the rim of her cup, her eyes narrowed.
Taking a sip, Layla lowered the cup and stared unblinkingly at the blonde as she squirmed uncomfortably at the attention. "Jenna, It's only a month, and I think it'll be good for you both. Plus, I've already signed you up." she stated.
Jennifer, still focusing on the fact that Layla called her Jenna...again, almost missed the end of what Layla had said. "Wait, what?! Layla, no. No. No. do you wan't in spanish?No.
Fast forward nine days and Jennifer Revenue, in all her blonde glory was still confused as to what kind of flower magic she'd been doused with. Because there, as she was boarding the bus, was her name on the bunk assignment, typed neatly next to a one, Warren Peace. What the actual fuck, Layla.
The thing about this summer was that Jennifer was actively looking forward to it. Every rising senior participated in Sky High's mandated, Power Enhancement Growth Advancement Strategic Enrichment Summer; or for those who had a lick of sense, P.E.G.A.S.E.S.
She had heard stories even as a new sophomore of how incredible P.E.G.A.S.E.S. was, not only for the growth and development of their powers, but the fact that it was essentially a huge, adult summer camp. So climbing on that bus after handing the driver her bags wasn't the issue.
The long haired heat blanket creeping up on her right was the reason that Jennifer was feeling a sense of dread about her summer for the first time in years.
When she saw him come up next to her to get onto the bus, she just breathed. She had already prepped herself this morning in front of her mirror that she was not going to let him get to her. She was going to envelop herself in her music, the pool and the further training of her powers, and maybe snag a cute senior from one of the visiting super schools that shared the camp grounds with the P.E.G.A.S.E.S. program.
To be quite frank, Jennifer knew she wasn't completely innocent in whatever it was, that she and Warren were going through. Originally from New York, her non-super parents had adopted her when she was a few days old, but her gift of powers was never an issue.
New York was already a substantial breeding ground for weirdness so having an astrophysicist for a mother and an anthropologist for a father, while trying to navigate a super influenced middle school wasn't the strangest thing to happen. However, when her father went on Sabbatical, her parents jumped at the chance to travel to Maxville and study the superhero populace.
And officially uprooted Jennifer from her nice, semi-normal life. Goodbye NY, hello Maxvile.
It wasn't that Jennifer disliked Maxville. But the silence was disconcerting, especially coming from a place where sirens and train whistles lulled her to was of course another undeniable truth.
However, Jennifer couldn't deny the fact that, since her appearance sophomore year, she'd grown to love her school. And most of the people in it.
Except Peace. And Boomer with that banana hammock he calls a pair of gym shorts, because gross.
On her first day, sitting through Power Placement in a new place was hard enough on her psyche. Having Boomer call her up onto the stage, purposefully using his powers to try and knock her off her feet? Not cute. And so she may have…overreacted.
When she got her powers and discovered, to her parents delight that she could control and manipulate matter, she figured she had hit the jackpot as an alchemist. As such, she may have underestimated how much trouble she would get it in, had she for instance...drawn on the resources beneath the gym, pulled a crossbow from the floor and proceeded to shoot seven arrows into the side of the gym wall.
To say that Sky High's less than beloved gym teacher was unhappy would be a very kind understatement.
Now to anyone who asked, and she promised this was her own recalling, Boomer screamed, got misty eyed and whispered hero before excusing himself for a few minutes. Layla tells a different story, but that one is far too boring to keep anyone interested.
Still, after her placement, she made her way to the bleachers as she was instructed by Principal Powers, and waited for the rest of the interim students to be placed. Jennifer had first met Layla because the redhead had been assigned to be her tour guide and while the chipper girl had rattled off where she could find all her classes and invitations to eat with her and her friends, Jennifer couldn't help but smile and nod along. What could she say, the girl's enthusiasm was catching.
After walking her to class, and subsequently finding and introducing her little clique of quirky supers, Jennifer and Layla separated with Layla making the blonde promise to find her at lunch so that she could make the final introductions to the only group members who had been missing throughout the day.
Jennifer quickly realized, that superhero high schools were apparently cut from the same cloth, and she was thankful that she picked up the materials in her early classes quickly.
First, was A History of Supers, followed by Super Self Care and What Makes a Name; all of which remained very similar to the classes she had been taking in NY. All of which left her drained and bored, JUST like the classes in NY. 'It figures that the first piece of Maxville to remind me of home is homework.' she thought to herself, slumping in the chair.
With the shriek of the bell, alerting her that her lunch period had finally arrived, Jennifer hopped up, slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and made her way to the double doors Layla had pointed out to her earlier.
Jumping on the lunch line, and narrowly avoiding the swing of a baseball player's scaly tail, she grabbed a cheeseburger and fries, and turned to look for her new friend when she saw the girl frantically waving her arms from across the cafeteria, very obviously trying to get her attention.
Flushing from the scene Layla was inevitably causing, Jennifer made her way over to the redhead quickly urging her to put her arms down as a two boys and a girl, whom she had been previously introduced, Ethan, Zach and Magenta, snickered softly. Giving them a small wave and a quiet "hey" she sat down across from the three.
The three she learned were sidekicks, though Layla vehemently declared that the her/sidekick dichotomy was "…pure bullshit. Seriously did you know last year, that withou-"
"Still telling that story to any princess willing to listen, Layla?" a deep voice cut the redhead off mid story. Jennifer turned to see who exactly had joined them, and figure out what the hell princess meant, when she was struck silent.
To this day, Jennifer can't deny that when she first saw Warren Peace, her first thoughts ranged from 'goooood damn' to 'where can I get me one of those' to 'I wonder how hard he'll let me pull his hair when he goes down.'
However none of that translated to any form of english, and instead she stayed silent and stared at the tall, broa shouldered, leather god before her (and Jesus could she be any thirstier?)
He made eye contact with her, quirked an eyebrow and frowned before asking her "Is there a reason you're staring princess?" There it was again.
Shaken out of her daze, she narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Who the fuck are you calling princess?"
Let it be said that Jennifer's brain to mouth filter could use some developing. Even still, she'd said what she said, though her internal wince regretted her choice of phrasing, and so she stood her ground. Embarrassment be damned, she was no princess and he didn't even know her to be doling out such judgmental nicknames.
The thing is, Jennifer is well aware of what she looks like. Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, she's practically a walking billboard for white girl privilege. Add in her robust hips (thanks genes) and a matching booty, she grew up with a level of undesired attention from the opposite sex, and was used to flash judgements from people.
That didn't mean she was accepting of all the things said to her. Especially considering that she thought her 'first day outfit' consisting of dark jeans and a soft cream sweater were unobtrusive enough to let her pass without causing attention.
Apparently the fates had a different plan in mind.
"What."
It took everything in Jennifer not to repeat herself, and instead addressed the boy in front of her with a quirked eyebrow of her own. "I said, who are you calling princess? Because that's not my name...sweetheart." She tilted her head at him after the use of the moniker, a sarcastic smile creeping on her face.
His left eye twitched and Jennifer felt satisfaction curl around her belly as he started to...smoke? "Don't. Call. Me. Sweetheart." he snarled in her direction.
The flames licking up his arms should have given Jennifer all the clues she needed to take her mother's much needed, and often said advice, and shut...up. But like she was glutton for punishment, she leaned closer to him, puckered up in a mockery of a kiss and whispered, "Go fuck yourself, pumpkin."
And that is when all Hell broke loose.