** Chapter 2 **

Once I was finished with my lunch, I gathered my garbage together and got up to throw it away in the trash can. Josie continued to prattle on about something to a bored Baron as I left the table. I walked over to the trash can and tossed it in. I looked back over to the popular table as I still stood next to the garbage, thinking about Josie's giant crush *cough*obsession*cough* on Steve.

I can see why she and most of girls at the school like him. I mean he's got big muscles, a good smile, everyone knows he's going to be a fabulous superhero, and he has a charming personality.

… Okay maybe not the last one.

Don't get me wrong. Steve's a great guy and totally drewl worthy, even crush worthy. However, at this point in time he's not really the relationship type, not to mention he's not the conversation type either. Then again Josie goes through so many boys I can hardly keep track. Of course, she just says at the end of each relationship that she just didn't feel the spark she feels with Steve. *snort* That girl hasn't talked ever to Steve longer than a minute at a time and with him only paying half-attention to her. Although considering she talks so much, she only needs you to be paying a quarter of your attention to her.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I turned to go back to our lunch table just as the bell rang. I looked up in surprise at the time. Huh, I must have been standing here thinking longer than I thought. I walked back to the table to get my board and was surprised to see a red faced angry Josie and a glaring Baron. I looked between the two warily as I picked up my board like they were wild animals about to attack.

Before I could ask what had happened, Josie huffed dramatically and stomped away, disappearing in the crowd of teens leaving the lunch room for their next class. I raised an eyebrow at Baron and he just shook his head, meaning that he didn't want to talk about it. I shrugged and walked with him in the hallway as he cooled down. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. When Baron gets mad, his power flares up. Meaning that you really don't want to touch him if he's pissed, and I can't tell how mad he is considering he's keeping his glare steadily on the floor. I nervously eyed his clenched fists that were probably aching to either punch something or chuck a fireball at someone's head.

'Baron? Are you alright?' I poked him with my board carefully. His sharp gaze shot up to my face and I nodded towards the board. He looked down at it and then looked back at my wary gaze. A reluctant, small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Carls. No worries. Me and Josephine just got into a little-" he hesitated, "argument."

I nodded and decided not to push the issue. That was totally normal and really I would be more concerned if they didn't get into fights. They were complete opposites that only allowed the other's presence as long as I was around. See while Josie was my best girlfriend, Baron had been my best friend since… I don't even remember. And as opposite as the two were, I clicked with both of them.

Not to mention, not many people really want to hang out with someone who can control your every move by just talking to you. My power was multiple things: cool, weird, dangerous, useful, threatening, stupid, etc. But it was also a friend repellent. Just my voice alone makes anyone within hearing distance go into a trance. I can command them to do anything in the world that I want and they'll do it.

With absolutely no memory of what had happened or what they had done.

That's why I carry the blackboard around. My power doesn't have an on and off switch. And I'll never be able to have someone help me learn to control it better since practicing would send them into a trance and… you get the point. I even have to be careful when I laugh. While it doesn't send people into a trance like my voice, it does kind of stun them. I don't really know how to explain it since, well, I've never been affected by it. I just know that whenever someone hears my laugh they usually end up staring at me and I get uncomfortable. So I just try to stifle my laughter if I can.

I shook my head out my thoughts once again as Baron nodded at me as we parted ways for our different lockers. I smiled at him and gave him a small wave before he disappeared into the crowd. I looked for Josie when I got to my locker and a small frown curled my lips as I didn't see her. Huh. She must be mad if she didn't wait around to rant about whatever Baron had done. She loves giving me all the details about their arguments and I'm usually able to settle it. Usually.

I swiftly opened my locker and pulled out my book for my next class, Mad Science. I gasped in surprise when my locker was suddenly shoved closed.

I glared fiercely at the puny freshman (even though he was slightly taller than me) that was against my locker shivering like a leaf. His terrified blue eyes were hidden behind giant block like glasses that reminded me of Baron, but on this kid they just made him like more… pathetic. His brown hair looked like someone had dropped a mop on top of his head. Adding to his dorky look, and making him look even scrawnier, were his baggy clothes that looked like his mom had picked out for him. He was obviously a sidekick.

However, I was surprised when his frightened eyes darted behind me and became even larger. He gulped loudly as he continued to shake and he squeaked out, "Help m-me!"

I turned around to see a familiar face from my grade. He wasn't as big as Stronghold, but he was intimidating with thick muscles. His temper was easily snapped and he wasn't afraid to pick on anyone smaller than him. His brown hair was styled as a mullet just the way he liked it. His brown eyes narrowed while he scowled at me for blocking him from his prey. Tommy Boomowski. More well known as Boomer.

"Move it, Carlie. That's my nerd for the day and he hasn't gotten his swirlie yet," Boomer sneered as he tried to look around me at the shivering freshman. I rolled my eyes at him now that I knew why my locker had been so rudely slammed. The poor kid had probably been shoved into it.

'Really, Tommy? Picking on nerds that can't protect themselves?' I raised an eyebrow tauntingly at him as I held up the board for him to see.

"It's Boomer," he growled. "And I don't have time for this! Just give me the pipsqueak."

I sighed as I rolled my eyes at him. He doesn't have time for this? Honestly, he's the one preventing me from going to class! My eyes narrowed in anger when I saw that we were making a scene with a crowd starting to form around the three of us. Screw it. I'm not wasting my time on him.

"Hey-" Boomer started to shout as I quickly grabbed him by the ear and jerked him down for me to whisper to him.

"Apologize to the freshman for your immature behavior and temper, apologize to me for wasting my time, and then go to your next class," I whispered into his ear, hoping that I spoke quiet enough for no one else to hear as I felt him go stiff as soon as he heard my voice. My voice sadly sounded a little raspy since I barely ever used it. However, it felt nice to talk again even if only for a moment. I let go of his ear and took a step back from him.

He immediately straightened up as his eyes got a glazed look over them. In a much quieter voice then I've ever heard him use before, he turned to the freshman still hiding behind me. "I'm sorry for picking on you. I behaved very immaturely and should learn to control my temper better."

The kid looked like he was about to pee his pants as he stuttered out, "I-it's o-ok-kay."

I rolled my icy blue eyes as the crowd around us gaped that Boomer had actually just apologized. Boomer then turned to me and I felt a smug smirk work itself onto my lips.

"I'm sorry for wasting your precious time," Boomer said still quietly and with that glaze firmly still on his eyes. It wouldn't disappear until he was sitting down in his next class. He turned around and made his way through the hall as the crowd dispersed with kids gossiping like crazy.

Great. More gossip.

"I-I- Umm-"

I turned around to see the freshman looking at me with wide eyes. He looked grateful, confused, and a little terrified. Eh. He should just be happy that he's not getting a swirlie.

I raised an eyebrow at him patiently as I waited for him to get out whatever he was trying to say. I could see sweat bead on his forehead as he gulped once again and his gaze shot to the ground. He mumbled out, "Th-thanks for s-saving me-e."

I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face as he peeked up at me before quickly looking back at the ground. I covered my mouth as I tried to stifle my giggle, my straight black hair swinging with the motion. I quickly jotted a note to him on my board with amusement.

'No problem. What's your name freshman?'

I smiled again as he was still staring at the ground, so he couldn't see my message. I put the board in front of his downward gaze. His blue eyes jerked up to me and back to the board a few times. I raised an eyebrow patiently. He gulped. This guy gulps a lot.

"J-jonathan B-boy," he stuttered. I smiled at him and a giant red blush spread across his whole face, causing my smile to widen. This guy is just amusing. "W-what's yo-yours?"

'Carlie,' I wrote for him to see. I glanced up at a clock on the wall and realized I needed to get going if I wanted to make it to class on time. 'Catch ya later, Jon.'

I gave him one last smile before I swiftly turned around to hurry to my class. I didn't see Jonathan staring after me wide-eyed as he whispered, "Bye."

AN: Another lovely chapter with Boomer and Mr. Boy thrown into the mix. :D I think I enjoyed picking on Mr. Boy a little too much… lol I know Boomer isn't a bad guy, but he's just got that attitude where I can sooo see him picking on Mr. Boy as a kid. :P Review! Oh and tell me if there's a specific person from Sky High you want to see as a teenager in this story.