Earth
By: TTFAN
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.
"You want me to drop you off here?" Peter asked as Terra looked at him with confusion, they the vehicle was at least four blocks from her school, he chuckled.
"I'm not sure about how things are today but back in my day, getting driven to school in a pick up wasn't necessarily cool," he said with a grin. He was a delivery man, for what ever substance needed, fruits, dairy products, even some types of animals. It was how he made a living; surprisingly it was more than enough to support both of them.
"Who said I was trying to be?" Terra asked, before opening the door and getting out. She tried to keep her mind occupied in someway, if she didn't her mind would wander then it would've drifted of to them. She spotted a green bird out of the corner of her eye then decided to ignore it.
"Just go away. Leave me alone, can't you get the hint?" she muttered hoping he would hear her, after all birds did have better hearing than humans. Then again if you were about one twentieth of their size it'd be like a booming stereo anyway. She ignored the urge to throw a rock at the bird, listening to the rustling of the leaves as it flew from tree to tree. Her two friends stood near the gate. She squinted and saw a third person with them.
"So your name's Isaiah huh?"
"Yeah, but my folks call me Joto,"
"Why Joto, is that like a season for a cartoon?"
"Actually in Swahili, Joto means-"
"Heat," Terra interjected was she walked towards her friends.
"Yeah…how'd you know?" he asked.
"She used to travel a lot. Hey Jen, this is Isaiah, or Joto," Teresa said. She had dark skin, black hair, tied up into a ponytail, and brown eyes.
"Have we…met before. You seem really familiar," Isaiah said cupping his chin with his index finger, in deep thought.
"I'm sorry. I don't think I've seen you before," Terra said, trying to keep a straight face. She wasn't going back, no one would make her. A bead of sweat was starting to form near the side her forehead.
"Oh, in that case nice to meet you…Jen, probably short for Jennifer right?" Isaiah asked extending a hand. Terra hesitated before shaking it.
"I have to go now, nice meeting you," Terra said in a rush as she practically ran into the building.
"No! The education system has brainwashed her," Amy yelled melodramatically. She had reddish-brownish hair, light freckles on each cheek, and green eyes.
"It's not like she's prejudice or anything. Jen's just been really paranoid since that green kid started stalking her," Teresa explained as they walked into the room.
"Must be hard being the new kid. I mean Jen might know. She just like, showed up last semester. Came from the orphanage and all, didn't really like talking about her past or anything. Some times I wonder why she's got to be so secretive," Amy said as they walked to their lockers.
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Terra stared blankly at the piece of paper. Written in red was 'forty-two percent', failing, all because she couldn't study for that geometry test. She sunk deeper into her chair. Why couldn't Math have been last period? Now she had to sit in English dwelling over it.
'Class discussion, Are heroes made or born?' was scribbled in italic font. Of course the 'class brainiac's' hand shot up in the air.
"Heroes are made, by what ever gift they're given and how they use it," he said with a cocky smart-ass grin on his face.
"Jennifer?" the teacher asked as Terra shoved the paper under her binder. Constant compliments from this adult that said she could've taken a job as a journalist, now what?
She didn't know what to say. She thought about herself and wondered if she wasn't supposed to be born a hero, like Superman, Batman, maybe even the Titans. She opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. Thankfully the bell rang.
"Don't forget to pick up your homework sheets," the teacher yelled as a few people grabbed the papers and ran out.
"Hey Jen, we're going to the mall later, want to come with?" Teresa asked.
"Nah, I got some stuff to catch up on," Terra replied before walking to the bus stop.
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"Brion what's a 'bastard child'?" Terra asked.
"What? Where'd you here that?" Brion asked.
"Some of the house maids were talking about it. Sometimes people at school say it. Frank was pointing at me and laughing, when we were in school. Then Gregor beat him up," she said, ever-so innocently.
"Terra it's a bad word," he said staring at the floor, practically glaring at it.
"It is?" the younger child asked guilty. She wondered if those people were talking about her, even worse she said a bad word, now her father was going to be mad at her.
"I don't want to hear you say it again okay? Now if you excuse me I have a few things to discuss with the staff," Brion said angrily walking towards the gossiping maids.
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"Last stop!" the driver yelled as she woke up.
"Going sight seeing, kid? You come here every Friday," the driver said as she shrugged.
"It's quiet, no one really comes here anymore, 'cept during summer, where a bunch of tourist end up here. This place gives me time to think," she replied. Terra looked at the back of the bus. She was the only one there, didn't surprise her, though she did wonder why a bus stop would be in the middle of nowhere. It made sense when tourists were around, but all season?
The bus halted before she got off and stared into the distance. Recalling where she stood when she met the Titans, the cave she slept in, everything. Her gaze shifted back to the ledge she stood on when she met the team.
"Stop thinking about it," Terra muttered before looking around, coast was clear. Her eyes glowed yellow as a rock levitated towards the platform she stood on. She took a step onto the rock and maneuvered it to her cave. The geomancer stared at her ragged old blue backpack. She dug thought the contents and found a worn photograph.
"I miss you guys," Terra muttered to the picture. In it were two kids, one boy, the taller of the two boys, with messed up brown hair and brown eyes. The other boy was an inch shorter, had blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She ran out of the cave and jumped over the ledge closing her eyes. The earth spun beneath her, creating a force that gently set herself on to the ground.
With her bare fingers Terra climbed up the crevasse back up to the bus stop.
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"So how was school today?" Peter asked, after setting up the dinner table.
"Okay, how's work?" Terra replied taking in a spoonful of peas.
"It was alright. I've been thinking. It's about time I went on a diet. Cause, well, it's good for my health, and maybe some of the kids at school would stop making fun of you," he said.
"You sure you can handle it? I've got plenty of time so I could help you, but if you pass out in the middle of the street. I might have a few problems," she replied with a chuckle.
"I wouldn't want to be too much of a burden, but that'd be great. How was that math test?" Peter asked.
"I didn't do too well," Terra muttered.
"You don't have to show me the grade, people make mistakes, and normally you know you can do better. Just study next time okay?"
"Sure, I will."
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Dinner passed quickly, homework wasn't too much of a problem because she finished it on the bus. Terra decided to look through her father's yearbook.
"What're you looking at kiddo?" Peter asked pushing his glasses up. He walked over and peered over her shoulder at the book.
"You never told me you used to play football," Terra stated looking at the sports photo. The subtitles read, Peter Cunningham, quarterback. More surprisingly, he looked fit for his age, bulging muscles and all.
"I really let myself go huh?" he muttered ashamed.
"Don't mind me asking but what happened? Looks like you could've gotten in the NFL or at least played well in college," she said, checking the statistics.
"Well, a lot went down hill after my girlfriend dumped me. I know, I know, pretty weak of your old man, to throw everything away for just one girl," he said flipping the page, a paper clip held a picture of a girl about eighteen, brown hair and blue eyes,
"You know in your life time when you think you've finally found the one you're going to spend your life with, things just don't end up the way you want them to. She ran off with some rich guy," Peter muttered, "I'm calling it a night, don't stay up too late, tomorrow's that camping trip of yours."
Terra stared at the photo and felt a sick feeling wash over her. Though she was young at the time her mother left, she could distinctly recognize her. A gut clenching feeling struck her, over the fact that this man could've been her father.