SC: Wow, this went over surprisingly well. I'm really grateful. I'm getting seriously into this fandom, so this is more than likely NOT going to be my last story. Hopefully, anyway.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High or any of its characters, just the ones I made up.
Chapter 2
I had learned two things in the hour or so I'd been back at my grandparents' ranch-
One: Do not start a splash fight with your cryokinetic little sister, and
Two: Warren Peace looks really good in nothing but swim trunks.
Magenta tilted her head to the side slightly, watching as the boys played chicken in the pool. "You know, I am beginning to see the merits of sitting out."
I smiled, watching the same thing she was. "Magenta, you are one of my best friends, but if you don't stop ogling Warren, I will not hesitate to melt your eyes from your sockets."
"If that's the last thing I see, I will bleed to death with a smile on my face."
Layla was trying to peer inconspicuously over her sunglasses. Obviously, it wasn't working. "I knew Warren had muscles, but…"
"Seriously- stop it. You both have boyfriends. Look at them."
"You're turning green, Alexa." Lily piped up from my lap. I was busy braiding her waist length blonde hair so it wouldn't get knotted in the pool. "Lou, be careful! You aren't indestructible!"
"Whatever." Louis called back, trying to wrestle Zach off of Will's shoulders. Zach attempted retaliation, practically leaping off Will's shoulders, but only hit air as my cousin teleported out of the way and reappeared next to Carson on the opposite end of the pool. Us girls were busy cracking up as Zach, Warren, and Will all ended up going under.
"What's going on out here? Louis, what did you do?" Aunt Kendra asked, walking outside. The twins had inherited her dusty blonde hair and bright green eyes.
"Why do you automatically blame me?"
"Because you do usually have something to do with it." I reminded him.
"And I wonder whose fault that is." Aunt Kendra said, giving me a 'look.' I put what I hoped was a look of total and complete innocence was on my face. "Yeah, uh-huh. That look stopped working when you were seven."
"Dang." Of course, that isn't what I actually said, which is why my aunt smacked me upside the head as soon as the word left my mouth.
"Watch your mouth."
"Like they haven't heard worse." I responded. Kendra conceded to this with a sigh, scooting me over to finish braiding her daughter's hair.
"Thanks!" Lily called, jumping into the pool, splashing Warren and the other boys.
"Be nice, Lily." Her dad called from inside. We had barely been here thirty minutes, and my dad and uncle Peter were already playing cards. I swear, that's all they ever did around each other. That, and tell embarrassing stories.
I looked up as baby coos suddenly came outside. "Look who wants to see his cousins." Allison laughed, her usually curly black hair cut short in a way that suited her pixie-like nature better. That, and- from what I'd heard- Aubrey was a hair puller.
I rushed over, being the only dry cousin. "Hello Aubrey." I cooed, taking him from my aunt. He burbled, tugging my hair. I winced, grateful that neither of his parents had super strength. Fuzzy brown hair covered his scalp, and he had his dad's bright blue eyes. Carefully, I pried his fingers away from my hair as I walked over and sat down by Kendra.
"I wanna hold him!" Lily said, rushing over, water flying everywhere. I turned up the heat just enough to make it fizzle out before it hit me or Aubrey.
"You're all wet." I told her. "Dry off first."
"You aren't his mom."
Allison walked up beside me. "You're all wet, dry off first."
Lily rolled her eyes and walked off. I went back to playing with Aubrey, until a shadow got in my light, and Aubrey squirmed in my arms trying to see what it was from. I looked up to see Warren standing there, already dry, as Will and Zach went off for their towels. "Aubrey, right?" He questioned sitting down.
"Yep." I could practically feel my aunts' gazes boring holes in the back of my head. I sighed. "Warren, my aunt Kendra and aunt Allison. Auntie dearests, this is Warren." I shifted the still squirming Aubrey so he was sitting in my lap and could see Warren. He was apparently fascinated.
"Aw, cute. The kid likes you, Warren." Magenta teased.
"Aubrey likes everyone." Allison told her. "He's a sweetheart."
That's about when my mom walked outside. "Why don't you guys go get unpacked and changed before dinner's ready?"
"In other words, Aria wants the baby." Kendra translated.
"That too." My mom laughed. I stood up, handing Aubrey off to her as the rest of us went inside.
5674575
As Magenta, Layla, and Alexa got back to the room we were sharing, Alexa shut the door behind them. "Okay, I'm about to swear you guys to secrecy."
The two of them glanced at each other. "Why?"
"You two are about to see something that Warren doesn't even know about."
"Ooh, I feel special." Maj laughed.
"I'm serious. This never leaves this room." She warned them, going over to her suitcase and opening it up. Digging through her clothes for a minute, Alexa finally unearthed her 'big secret.' Turning around, she showed them. "This is Cody McStuffington the Third."
Cody McStuffington III was a teddy bear. And he was a very worn out old teddy bear. Patches of threadbare fur sparingly decorated his mocha colored body, and on of his eyes had obviously been replaced, as they were different colors and sizes- a large green one and a smaller and more natural looking chocolate brown one. A frayed, blue bow was tied around his neck.
"You sleep with a teddy?" Magenta asked.
"He's like my security blanket." Alexa explained, hugging him to her chest. "I got him when I was, like, three, and I haven't been able to sleep without him since."
"I think it's cute." Layla said. "But… he's kinda worn out."
"Battle scars." Alexa clarified. "Don't ask. Please don't tell the guys. Especially not Warren."
"Okay. Your dirty little secret is safe with us." Magenta assured her. "Now let's get out of these wet suits and into some clothes."
"Good idea." I said- though mine was dry already. It didn't take us long to get changed, but I decided to stay behind to unpack as Magenta and Layla headed downstairs.
I was about halfway done when I heard someone clearing their throat and looked up. "So, are you going to stay in here the rest of the day, or are you coming downstairs to make this less awkward?"
"Nope, I'm staying in here and letting fend for yourselves." I laughed.
Warren smiled and walked in, putting his hands on my waist. "Let me rephrase that- get your butt downstairs, now."
"What about the rest of me?" I asked, just trying to be annoying now. Warren quickly solved this problem as he scooped me up and carried me out of the room. "WARREN!" He just laughed and took me down the stairs.
"Got her." He announced, dropping me on the couch, on top of Will and Uncle Peter. I pulled my arm back, aiming a fireball toward the back of his head.
"No fireballs in the house." My grandma warned, and I extinguished it with a sullen 'fwoosh,' scooting off of Will.
"You just wait." I warned my boyfriend.
He grinned at me cockily. "Shaking in my boots over here."
"Don't tease her, she'll do it, grandmother or not." Aunt Kate warned. "And I really don't want to put the house out again."
"Again?" My friends asked automatically.
"One of Alexa's infamous bouts with Amanda." Daniel clarified, playing with his remote controlled plane and flying it in circles near the ceiling.
"Which one? Alexa's set the house on fire, like, six times." Lily said. My friends all looked over at me, and I suddenly decided that the ceiling was a very interesting color.
"Well, technically, the first time wasn't her fault." Uncle Robby (Robert) defended. "I mean, none of us can control our powers when we're two years old."
"Not helping." I growled, still looking at the ceiling.
"So, was Alexa bad about that as a kid?" Magenta asked.
"Well, she kept me busy." As previously mentioned, my uncle Robby is known as 'Surgeon' in the hero world- he's an Alpha class healer. In other words: he's good. "I've gotten more practice at healing burns in this house than out in the field."
"You know what, I'm gonna go help grandma in the kitchen. All of you can rot." I said, standing up.
Or attempting to, at least. This is why I didn't sit next to the people with super strength. Peter grabbed my arm and tugged me back down. "C'mon, Alexa, we're just kidding. We won't embarrass you in front of your friends any more."
"Tonight." My grandfather teased.
"Oh, haha, you're all so hilarious." I dead-panned. "Check your beds before you go to sleep tonight, losers."
"Now, now. Don't be so touchy, Alexa." My grandmother said, walking out of the kitchen. "And if anyone cares, dinner's ready." I was the first one up and into the kitchen, my face still red. When I saw what we were having- hamburgers and hotdogs, stuff like that- I suddenly remembered something and turned back to the living room. "Hey, Daniel? Do you mind sharing with Layla? She's a vegetarian too."
"Really? Finally! Someone ELSE is in the house that can help me argue with you guys."
"Don't count on it, squirt." Carson said, coming into the kitchen and grabbing a plate. "We're immune to both of your arguments."
"Okay, I'm taller than you are now, stop calling me squirt!" Laughter echoed from the living room as Carson gave Daniel a literal case of cold feet.
Everything was going great during dinner, which meant no more stupid stories about me. It was mostly just about back when all of our parents where in Sky High still.
"You know, I remember when Robby started at Sky High." My dad said, nudging his younger brother. "They stuck you as a sidekick." Robert muttered something rather rude sounding under his breath.
"Well, you have to admit, you were a pretty ideal sidekick back then." Julie said, shrugging. "I mean, what hero wouldn't love having a healer for a sidekick. Plus, it was so rare a power."
"Thanks, guys. Making me feel so much better." Robby said, rolling his eyes. "All I remember about my first year at Sky High is Brad and Peter and Katie teasing me all the time about being a sidekick."
"Well, we did stop after a while." Peter defended.
"Of course you did." I said, popping a fry in my mouth. "Now, was that before or after he refused to keep healing you guys so you wouldn't get in trouble for fighting?"
Everyone laughed at that one. My uncle leant across the table, toward my friends. "See, this is why I keep on Lexi's good side- she is evil."
"I'm not evil." I said calmly. "Just… vengeful."
"Ain't that the truth." Lily laughed.
I flicked a fry at her. "Watch it, squirt."
"What, we all know it's true." Louis said, jumping to his sister's defense. "Admit it, Alexa. You have a way bad temper."
I 'hmph'ed. "Only around certain people."
"Yeah, like Lash and Speed." Magenta teased.
"No, I never really had anything against Speed, except that he was always around Lash."
"Who are Lash and Speed?" Alison asked.
Will rolled his eyes. "They were kids who went to school with us. They graduated last spring."
"Thank god." Warren added in.
"They were a couple of the kids who helped Royal Pain to turn everyone at Homecoming last year into babies." My father clarified.
"Oh yeah. I heard they got out. Their parents had to pay out their asses to spring 'em." Peter chuckled. My grandma whacked him with a spoon. "Ow!"
"'Ow' says the invulnerable one." Julie joked. "The spoon bent!"
"Mom hits hard."
"Watch your mouth and I won't have to hit you." She retorted.
The front door slammed open and we all looked up. "Sorry we're late, everyone. We had to go pick up an extra someone."
That would be my uncle Bradley. I could suddenly feel all my cousins staring at me as I moved my gaze toward my food.
"You say it like I wanted my car to break down, dad." Three pairs of footsteps entered the kitchen. "Wow, we're really late this year, huh?"
And that was my worst nightmare. I glanced up from my food at the three standing in the kitchen door. And, while I was so happy to see my aunt and uncle, my gaze traveled directly to the she witch herself.
My college bound cousin looked glamorous, as usual, in all designer clothes with a Channel purse hanging off her arm, and matching sunglasses dangling from her hand. Her dark brown hair was in a tight braid down her back, and her green-blue eyes surveyed the extra guests at the table curiously, falling, not surprisingly, on Warren. "Doesn't look like there's any room for us." She teased, her eyes not moving.
As much as I wanted to, I would not start the feud this early. Pushing my chair back, I stood up, grabbing what was left of my food. "You know what, I'm finished, Amanda can have my spot." No one bothered to stop me as I threw my plate in the trash and headed upstairs. I heard my friends excuse themselves and come up after me.
"What was that?!" Magenta asked, sitting down a good distance away from me on my bed. I was kind of flickering in and out of flaming right now. Through gritted teeth, I explained the situation between Amanda and I.
"That explains a lot." Ethan said, nodding.
"What a bitch." Zach agreed. I chuckled. "I would've fried her."
"Trust me, I had to restrain myself." We looked up as their was a knock on the door.
"We're done with dinner, think you can manage coming back downstairs?" Carson asked.
"I guess I can try." I growled. "But I see Amanda look at Warren like that again, I'm melting her face and not even Uncle Peter's gonna be able to stop me." I added under my breath as I walked out.
But, judging by the smile on Warren's face as I passed him, he heard me anyway.
--
SC: Trust me, this is only gonna get better. Or worse, depending on your standing. R&R please!
Ja ne
SC
