Kim sighed irritably up at the towering building before her. In huge bold letters a sign read "Ford Institute, Private School for privileged young adults". Inwardly, she cringed.
This was the third move they'd had to make. The first move was to Middleton, a nice place that had ample job opportunities for her parents. Then… the "incident" changed everything.
No one knows how it happened, or why it happened, and even her genius parents couldn't figure it out. Kim can't even remembered what did happen. All she remembers is waking up on the grass at Pre-K with everyone surrounding her. Her teacher was frantically asking her if she was alright, and had already informed her that her parents were on their way. Once her parents arrived, the teacher was erratically explaining that Kim had started glowing an odd reddish color and then passed out.
Of course, her parents had taken her home and put her to bed after her mother gave her a full examination. Nothing seemed to be wrong with her… until she woke up and her room was lit up with flames. Her parents were shouting at her, trying to get to her, and in her panic, she simply ran out of the room, straight through all of the flames.
And the flames did nothing. They didn't burn or hurt her in any fashion. She was completely fine. It mystified all three of them. But, still in danger, her father quickly ushered them out of the house and onto the safety of the street. Their house was burnt to the ground before the firefighters could put out the flames.
After that, smaller incidents occurred at the townhouse they were renting, often when Kim lost her temper or became upset. The more it happened, the more Kim panicked, and the worse the incidents got. Until… at school, a bully was picking on Kim's budding friend, Ron, and she'd accidentally lit the mean boys pants on fire. The bully had minor burns after the fire was put out, but no one wanted her around their children any more and the teachers were too terrified to keep her in the same building, let alone the same room.
So they'd moved a second time, out to the secluded ranch her Uncle owned in Montana. Under the watchful eye of her parents and Uncle, she practiced honing her newfound power so it wouldn't rage out of her control. It was recognized that the best limit her powers was one, not to let her near any open flame or hot surface. It increased her powers and allowed them to grow in volume and heat. Any type of heat. Even electricity could be converted, if Kim murmured the right 'incantation', as her Uncle deemed it. That brings us to the second limiter, which was a task to arrange a list of names and organizing a set of 'spells', to help Kim focus and channel her ability. It restrained it from being used explosively and without warning, and also made it more malleable to do as Kim wished with it. In other words, she didn't get a roaring bonfire trying to light a candle.
The process took years. She was home schooled, and avoided the public as much as possible. Unfortunately, she was prone to curiosity and loneliness, so she begged to go into town with her parents. Sadly, the incident from Middleton seemed to shadow them, as it was broadcast nationally on the news. When people realized who her and her family were, other then the two newest members that were terrorizing their grade school, they demanded the Possible family move. Well, more like ran them out with threats and small shows of violence.
So, much to everyone's regret, Mr. Possible gathered his family of five, counting himself, and moved a third time. They'd changed their last names and buried their talents into hidden secrecy. They changed their job outlook by entering into entirely different fields then they previously ventured. Mrs. Possible was now Mrs. Hope, IT Security expert. Mr. Possible was now Mr. Hope, a Self Defense and Home Security expert that held classes out at a secret organization called GJ and private classes in a rented dojo in downtown Go City.
Mrs. Hope and Kim had both dyed their unmistakable red hair to black. Both wore eyeglasses, Mrs. Hope out of necessity, and Kim in way of further looking unrecognizable. Kim's hair, not only dyed, had been recently cut. Not by choice, either. Nor out of necessity. No, her hair had to be cut because her loving brothers had to test their latest invention… which was a mass of goo that refused to part from her hair after they'd spilled nearly all of it onto her long soft locks after she'd washed out the dye. The new and well disguised Kim now sported a fly-away pixie cut (that suited her, even though she hated it and vehemently denied was nice when sparring with her father).
So, here she was, standing outside of her new school, and hating every moment.
She hated being in public places, being noticed. After all the fear and hate that had been directed towards her, she'd lost her usual fondness for her fellow man. She was wary of them, and had learned how to "disappear" and remain "invisible" to most. Though her father and been determined she know how to physically defend herself, it didn't mean she could fend off a mob if she were cornered. Especially a mob hell bent on seeing you in an early grave.
She fingered the maroon jacket of her uniform crossly.
She hated uniforms. After living out in the country with jeans and a t-shirt, the button-up blouse, tie, and jacket felt stifling. Her shoes squeaked too much and her checkered skirt was disturbingly airy. The knee high wool socks also itched irritatingly.
She'd begged to go to a public school, but her parents were insistent she go to this school. Why? They never told her. They just told her she had to go. There were no if's and's or but's.
Plus, her father's employers in GJ were footing the bill. After showing amazing skill in martial arts and insight on several budding experiments, they were trying to bribe her into joining their company after she graduated. Not that she was going to, but they didn't need to know that.
It was also well publicized that this was the best school in the city. Not only did the students get top marks, most graduated and went to renowned colleges. Even she saw the advantages to that.
"Time to seal my doom," she muttered tersely. She hefted her book bag higher onto her shoulder and hopped up the steps to push her way through the front doors.
As impressive as the outside, the interior of the school was richly decorated in wooden walls and waxed floors. The school Seal was grandly carved above every door, and even more ornately above the well filled trophy case next to the main office.
Kim was actually impressed, but did remarkably well hiding it . She was glad that everyone else was already in class, as it meant she didn't have to run into anyone trying to find her way around. She reached for the office door.
BANG!
Kim stumbled back a few steps, sight filled with stars.
"What-?" questioned a voice.
Kim rubbed the growing lump on her head. Mentally, she was cursing at the door for opening outward and being caught off guard.
"Are you alright?" asked the voice.
Kim couldn't quite hold back her glare as she looked up. She did, however, realize that causing a scene wouldn't help her "invisible" impersonation. "I'll live."
The stranger's answer… was a damned smirk.
"Quite a lump," remarked the girl that had beamed her. Before Kim could move, the girl stepped forward and brushed Kim's bangs aside. "You should have the nurse look at it."
Affronted by being approached so casually, and being miffed at being caught off guard a second time, Kim jerked away. "I'm fine!"
"My, a spirited Pixie!" mused the girl.
Jaw having managed to drop, Kim was rather speechless. After gaping for a good several seconds, Kim finally managed her voice… and her anger. "I AM NOT A PIXIE!"
There went the 'I-am-invisible' theme.
The girl chuckled as a head popped up from around the doorframe.
"What's going on out here?" questioned the man, his graying hair combed back and his jaw lined by a trim peppered beard.
The girl smiled sheepishly. "I accidentally hit her with the door. I was going to take her to the nurse."
The man took one look at Kim and nodded. "Yes, it seems she does have quite an egg. What class is she from?"
The girl shrugged. Both turned to regard Kim questioningly.
Kim was trying to smother the remainder of her anger, amazed she'd been so quick to get riled up. "I'm a new student. I was coming to find out where I was placed."
Both blinked at her before the man suddenly brightened and snapped his fingers.
"AH! Miss Hope! We were expecting you! Principal Matters." He held out his hand.
Kim just stared at him. "Principle matters?" she asked in confusion.
The girl burst out laughing.
The man huffed in mock irritation and mumbled something about "Happening every time," or some such. He cleared his throat as the girl kept laughing. "Um, not principle matters, Princip-al Matters." Still seeing the somewhat confused look on her face, he sighed and held up his hands heavenward. "Mr. Matters. Mr. Simon Matters. Current Principal of the school and person in charge." He even went to the lengths of pulling out his driver's license and pointing to his name.
Sudden comprehension dawned on Kim, and she blushed furiously at the same time she tried to smother her own laughter.
He huffed at the other girl who's laughter was dying down. "You know Miss Heero, suggesting to the Board that the school's motto should be Principle Matters, doesn't help. I still say you earned a month's worth of detention for that."
He mock glared at her, but the corner of his mouth twitched in obvious amusement.
Again, Kim was confused. "Hero?" she questioned.
The girl scoffed while Princpal Matters chuckled.
"It's Heero, not hero! There's a double E!"
"Even though you're both," snickered the principal.
Kim just cocked her head to the side while the girl huffed irritably to dismiss it.
"Let's just get her paperwork so we can go to the nurse!"
"Oh! Right!" Matters thumped his fist into his hand. He smiled. "Follow me, and I'll explain how things work around here." Both girls followed him into the office and over to the secretary's desk where a blond was studiously typing away on her computer. "Ms. Faux, can you hand me Miss Hope's folder?"
The blond didn't even spare them a glance. She merely reached out and lifted a folder from her desk. Matters thanked her and turned back to the teenagers.
He flipped through a couple papers. "Alright… let's see… Ah! You're in the Beta classroom."
Heero jumped. "What? But that's my class! She's a freshman!"
Principal Matters chuckled. "Actually, her test scores make her a senior, but the Board wasn't willing to place her there on account of her age. So, they bumped her up only one grade." His gaze turned thoughtful as he rubbed his chin. "Actually, I'm surprised you never tested out of your junior year, seeing as you're smart enough to do so. The only reason you're in your junior year anyway is because you have a late birthday."
The older girl huffed and crossed her arms. "That would only mean more work. No thanks."
The Principal merely chuckled, seemingly having heard the remark before. "Anyway, since she's in your class, it will make things much easier because you can take her there after she's done with the nurse. That also means I can leave all the explaining up to you!"
"What!" roared the girl, trying to glare at him as he hustled them both out of the office.
"You know, explain the rules and stuff!" he answered cheerfully. "You can be her mentor! Good luck!"
Before either of them could protest further, he shut the door in their faces and walked off whistling.
"Thanks a lot!" huffed the girl. She grumbled under her breath before turning to find a befuddled Kim staring at her with wide eyes. She sighed and ran her fingers through her thick black hair. "Sorry 'bout this… stupid principal… I'm-"
"!" screeched a voice excitedly, seconds before a small bundle collided with Ms. Heero and knocked her to the floor.
"Ugh, Cammie, get off! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"
Kim just gaped as a bubbly blond released the older girl and bounced to her feet.
"But I just can't help it!" squealed the blond. "You're so squishy!"
That caused both black haired girls to blush.
"Cammie!" groaned the older girl. "Do you have to embarrass me all the time?"
"But Shego! I'm only being honest!" Cammie threw an adorable pout at the girl as she stood and dusted herself off.
Kim blanched. "Shego Heero?" Odd name. She-go-Hero… It almost made her giggle.
Shego, as if reading her thoughts, quickly shook her head. "No! That's not my name! I mean, not my real-… er, my name is Saturday! Saturday Heero!"
Two blinks later, Kim was laughing uncontrollably. She was practically on the floor, clutching her sides as she breathlessly laughed and laughed. She was laughing so hard she started snorting.
The newly unveiled Saturday was blushing madly. "Damnit! This is why I go by Shego! At least it's better than Saturday!"
Cammie blinked innocently. "But, you are a hero, Shego. You even have a super hero outfit!"
Saturday's blush confirmed the comment.
Kim had tears in her eyes, gasping heavily as her body trembled with mirth. She was seriously contemplating the possibility of death occurring from laughing so hard. "She…go…Heero!" It only made Kim explode into another fit of laughter as Saturday glared at her poisonously.
"Shut up Pixie! Or I'll add another lump next the first!" Saturday tried to look imposing, but Kim could hardly breathe, let alone care less about Saturday's threats.
"There She-goes! The Saturday Heero!" Kim just rolled.
It was several minutes before Kim was calmed enough she could stand again. A minute more and she was able to talk as Saturday lead her through the halls with Cammie clinging to Saturday's arm.
"A hero, huh? What, like a super hero?" Kim trailed behind, a smile still splitting her face.
Saturday merely grunted, while Cammie was all too happy to answer for her.
"Yep! Her and her brothers got hit by a comet! They all turned funny colors and it gave 'em all weird powers! They save the city from the super villains!"
Kim had to cough into her hand to avoid another bout of laughter. It all sounded rather ludicrous. "So, um, is Shego, like, you're super hero name?"
"Yep!" Cammie answered again. "She's Shego! Her brothers Hego, Mego, and the Wego's! Hego is the oldest! Mego goes to school with us! He's a senior! The Wego's are twins! They'll be freshmen in a couple years!"
He-go… Me-go… We-go… She-go…
Kim slapped her hands over her mouth, gut wrenching.
There He- go. The boy Hero.
There Me- go. A self-centered Hero?
There We- go. Twin Heroes!
There She- go… The girl Hero.
Could it get any more comical? Were they seriously trying to prove that a person could die from laughter?
Kim's face was turning a purplish red, eyes bugged and tearing as she fought to contain her guffaws. When she noticed Saturday turning around, she whirled away and hunched down to hide her obvious amusement. Saturday's eyebrow twitched at Kim's shaking frame, knowing full well what the younger girl was doing.
"As much as I wish you'd choke on a lung, we need to be getting to class soon." Saturday frowned at the shorter girl, one hand resting on her hip.
Kim started gulping like a fish out of water, hands clutching her collar in vain attempt to assist her breathing. When she'd finally managed to swallow her laughter without smothering herself, she stood up and straightened out her uniform to face the other two girls. "Yes, to class…"
Saturday eyed her dubiously, but decided that she didn't want to chance another outburst and continued towards the nurse's office.
As they walked, Kim finally realized that Saturday's skin was actually a pale, almost greenish color. She also noticed that her hair, though indeed black, had a greenish tint to it. Fascinated, she began wondering if her eyes were green.
"We're h-" started Saturday, turning around to face Kim.
She was cut-off by the close proximity and intense stare of the younger girl, who, in turn, giggled and bounced up and down excitedly.
"You really are green!"
Saturday blinked at her while Cammie just watched the younger girl in amusement.
"You didn't notice earlier?" Saturday couldn't believe it. Was the girl nuts?
Kim actually looked down sheepishly while scratching her head. "Um, no, not really… It wasn't until Cammie mentioned the colors…"
Saturday just stared. How could she not notice? Everyone noticed that first!
Shaking herself, Saturday snorted. "You gonna laugh again?"
Kim cocked her head to the side. "Laugh? Why would I laugh?"
Saturday leveled a burning gaze on her. Cammie remained wisely silent, knowing full well that the older girl was sensitive about her skin tone.
"He-llo?" Saturday waved a hand up and down her figure. "Green skin? Freak of nature? Not normal? You know? Perfect thing to joke about?"
Brow scrunched in confusion, Kim just continued to stare back. "Why would I tease you about that?" She honestly couldn't figure it out. To her, it was like someone teasing her about her 'magic'. It was something personal and out of her control. It seemed too far below the belt to even consider it. Besides, skin tone never made the person. A person was made by their actions, their words. Just because it wasn't one of the normal differentiating racial skin tones, it didn't mean it wasn't one; it shouldn't be criticized any more than the normal racial ones.
The bluntness and truth in her words and actions took Saturday by surprise. The only other people who hadn't given her a hard time about her coloring were Principal Matters and Cammie. And that was mostly because Cammie had been her friend since forever, and Principal Matters was just that cool.
"You're weird, kid." Saturday mussed Kim's hair before turning towards the Nurse's door.
"Hey!" Kim ducked away and tried to flatten her fly-away hair.
-Classroom: 30 minutes later-
"Okay, so here's how this works," started Saturday. She sat with her legs crossed on the desk in front of Kim, feet resting on the chair. "This is currently our 'fifteen-minute break'. We can do whatever we want, like talk, get a drink, go to the bathroom or our lockers, etcetera. At the end of that fifteen minutes, our new teacher comes in and we start class again. Unlike most schools, we don't change classrooms. The teachers do. So we stay put while different teachers come to teach us different subjects. Senior year gets a little more interesting because your classrooms are divided up by subject interest. So, if you're gearing more towards Art, you'll go into a classroom where others are with similar interests. Likewise with Math, English, and so on. Junior year is similar, but is still broader. So, say, you were interested in English while I was going for Art, we would probably be in the same class because some of the subjects overlap because they want you to understand that there is correlation between them."
"What, like English can be an art form, in the way of poems and such? While, Art can be poetic or a story in itself?" puzzled Kim.
Saturday grinned. "Now you're thinkin'. Now, for more specific things, like playing an instrument or doing sports, outside of gym, there are clubs. The clubs meet after school to practice. If you're good, you can play with the seniors who are majoring in music when they do concerts and the like. Or, for sports, play in games and participate in tournaments."
"Why is it just the senior year is spent with the freedom to choose you're class?" asked Kim.
"Well, they wanted to have the entire three years based off of that, but most kids that come in as freshmen still have no idea what they want to do when they grow up. That, and if they teach all the mandatory classes in your junior year, the last year means you're free from further excelling in classes that don't pertain to your area of interest. It's almost like introducing you to your first year of college."
Kim nodded sagely, thoughts whirling with ideas. What did she want to do once she graduated?
"Don't think too hard there, Pixie." Saturday poked her in the forehead. "You might fry you're brain."
Kim huffed and waved the offending digit away. "I think I'd be closer to dying of laughter before frying my brain."
"Tch!" Saturday crossed her arms at the reference to earlier that morning. "It's not my fault my family named me Saturday! Nor is it my fault what my last name is!"
"No… no, I suppose not," agreed Kim. "But, you did choose Shego."
"No I didn't!" protested Saturday. "My stupid brother did! I was too young and stupid enough to go along with it! It wasn't until-!" Saturday cut herself off and bit her lip, letting the sentence remain hanging in the air unfinished.
Kim arched an eyebrow but didn't ask her to elaborate. Instead, she sighed and plopped her chin onto her fist and stared vacantly at the board at the front of the room. "This is so boring. I already know all this stuff."
"What, you got geniuses for parents or something?" ribbed Saturday. She leaned back on her arms casually.
Refusing to look away from the board, Kim just shrugged in answer.
Not quite sure if that was a yes or a no, Saturday rolled her eyes and decided to change topics.
"There are a lot of clubs, by the way. From gardening, to singing, to sports, it's all there. They even have a drawing club, drama club, and well, pretty much whatever club you could possibly want. All you have to do is find enough people interested and find a teacher that's willing to supervise, and you have yourself a club."
Kim couldn't resist. "Oh? So, they have a Hero club, then?"
Saturday flicked her on the forehead… hard. "Shut it, Pixie."
Kim smirked. "So they do have one? Wow, who'd-a-thunk."
Saturday growled at her, green eyes flashing. "Do you have any idea how irritating they are? They're insufferable! They smother me with their 'you are perfection!' crap! All they do is bow and scrape and spout useless dribble about and to me! It's maddening!"
"Does your brother Mego hate it too?"
"Are you kidding? He loves it!" Saturday sneered in disgust.
"Hmm… Me-go is suitable for him then."
Saturday stared at her a breath before she started laughing loudly.
She was still laughing even after the teacher came in and had everyone return to their seats.
Because Saturday sat in front of her, Kim was able to hear her snickering sporadically throughout the rest of the lesson. It made her grin.