Chapter III
"This is ridiculous," complained Acacia. She and Charlie were discussing what classes to chose, Jake saying "What do they expect us to do all year, homework? I need electives."
Charlie checked her course options. "You get two. How many do you guys need?"
"More than that!" Charlie stared at the wall. The alternating blue tile pattern had suddenly become very fascinating. She could even see where the mortar had worn away from other bored student chipping at it to pass the time. Maybe she could add her own marks…
"Are you listening to me?" interrupted Acacia.
"No. I was being blissfully ignorant."
"You're mean. Any way, I think I'm going with Shrink School and I'm trying out for Courses team."
"Courses? Let me see that." Charlie grabbed the course book and read aloud. "You may choose to try out for team sports on the powered level such as LSSC, SSSC, Courses, Tandem, or Capture the Flag. Courses includes timed obstacle courses AND competitive obstacle courses.' Wow, like the emphasized 'and' there."
"I looked at the nonpower sports, but I didn't like my options. So what did you decide?" The two stood to turn in their forms.
"You know, I'm not really sure. My mom told me about Large Scale and Small Scale Save the Citizen, but what's Tandem? I've put down that I'm going to try out for one of the power sports, but I want to be sure I know what everything is."
Acacia nodded sagely. "Makes perfect sense. So, when are you going to do something stupid?"
"What?"
"AJ said if I hung around you long enough you'd do something stupid that would crack me up for the rest of my life." Acacia watched Charlie bang her head against the wall with interest. "Does that count?"
"No." Charlie growled. She brightened suddenly. "But me murdering AJ might. Let me see if I can find her before the bell." She ran off pausing only to glance back and yell, "Well, come on!"
"You bitch!"
Why couldn't she have NORMAL first school day? Why couldn't she just be a sheep for one day?
"I'm talking to you! Yeah you," the girl snarled when Charlie pulled a 'who, me?' face. "You'll pay for this. These are my new True-effing-Religion jeans. They cost me 700. And this is freaking spaghetti!"
"I think it was linguini actually," corrected Charlie politely. "See the noodles are flat and wide-"
"I don't CARE!" the girl was positively seething now.
"Blue, it's ok-" One of her friends tried to intervene and head her off.
"No it isn't! I want her to pay me right now for my jeans!" she conjured a ball of lightning. "I'll make her," She hissed.
Charlie sighed. Again, just one sheep day? Pulling up a slight wind she prepared to make it something larger.
"MISS IRAH! MISS FLITTER!" an outraged Principal Powers converged upon the two. Stepping between them, she glared at each in turn. "The first day of school no less. Come with me. NOW!"
She led them to a room with five desks spread around the room. It was blindingly white, making Charlie groan in realization of what it would do to her poor eyes. There was already someone in there, a sleeping Asian boy that she remembered had been classified as a hero, but she couldn't remember his power.
"You will be unable to achieve your objective if you remain asleep, Mr. Kuroso." The boy- Brandon, Charlie remembered- lifted his head.
"I know that," he stated, and put his head back down.
Principal Powers huffed. "Fine. In." she ordered the two girls. "The room cancels out your powers. Don't bother trying it." She departed as soon as the two chose a desk. As soon as the door closed, Blue jumped up and sauntered over to where Charlie was sitting.
"I don't need my powers to beat your ass," she observed, striking a pose. Charlie looked up. She must be six feet at least, she considered absently. She put her head down on her desk and sighed. This was going to be a long detention if she was going to be Blue's punching bag during the whole thing.
"So you have a choice to make. You have until tomorrow to get me either my money, or a new pair of jeans. Your choice. Or I'm afraid you'll get the shock," she giggled, "of your pathetic life."
Charlie ignored her as best she could until Blue left for a doctor's appointment.
"I wonder if I could stay in here the rest of my life," she speculated. "What do you think?"
"'Ah, it speaks, and to me? All for naught, for I have no answer,'" quoted Brandon, not lifting his head.
"Does that mean you don't know, or does it mean you don't want me to talk to you?" Charlie inquired casually.
"'Again, she spake, again I answered, and yet she left dissatisfied.'"
"Now you're just confusing me."
"'Confusion doth the lady good, thy gentle word leave much desired."
"Are those even real quotes?"
"What doth reality be but that which doth be inescapable?"
"I'm going to stop talking to you."
"Thy hearty words blister my ears though they e'er be much enjoyed."
"Does that mean shut up or keep talking?"
"Speak or don't, I shall or shan't listen."
Charlie gave up, casting a wary eye in his direction. She was only counting minutes anyway. AJ had about 3 more and Rod had about 5...and yes. There she was.
"-never seen such a display in my life! You could almost rival Miss Flitter." AJ was herded into the room followed by an irate Principal Powers. "You two have until an hour after school lets out. You, Mr. Kuroso, have until you can stay awake for five minutes. Now I want the three of you to reflect the consequences of using your powers outside of appropriate venues. If you can't give me a good answer as to why you felt it necessary to use your powers outside of those venues you will be in here tomorrow!" She left, leaving AJ to collapse in hysterics. Charlie watched her, unconcerned, until the laughter finally subsided into occasional giggles.
"Well, gee, AJ, I thought our promise wasn't in effect until tomorrow. It's nice to know how much you care. But you did cut it close."
"Rod'll be in here soon. He was playing tag as wolf-man."
"So, how did you use your powers 'outside of appropriate venues'? Your wings aren't out."
"I didn't."
Charlie waited. "Are you going to explain?"
"Oh, yeah. Owens Lariche, fish, an illusionist."
"So why isn't he in here?"
"He was late, so he hadn't gone through power placement yet. They didn't know it was him."
"Nice." There was a slight pause as the two looked at the clock, and then at each other.
"Three...two...one..." they whispered in unison.
"That's it!" Principle Powers opened the detention door yet again. "I expected better from you, Mr. Queens. This is a disappointment." She stood back as Rod walked into the room then left, slamming the door.
"Nice," AJ congratulated him, sniggering.
Rod gave a modest bow. "I do try."
"You three are crazy." Brandon had finally lifted his head. "You two got in here on purpose?"
"Yeah." Charlie didn't see anything wrong with it. They were always in detention together, normally because they all pulled their pranks together, but details were unimportant. He would have asked another question but for the bell ringing, and Principle Powers entering to usher them off school grounds.
"I don't want to see any of you in here again, do you hear me?" she asked severely.
"Loud and clear," muttered Charlie, smiling blandly as Principle Powers looked her direction. The three left quietly, and took about ten steps before giving themselves up to their laughter.
"Always five minutes before the bell rings, huh Rod?" AJ gasped, leaning against a locker.
"Of course," Rod confirmed, affronted. "How could I be anything but?"
"What do you mean, anything but," she retorted. "You are a butt!"
"No, he's a derriere," Charlie inserted.
Charlie and AJ exploded into fresh giggles while Rod began walking away. "Come on, you'll miss your bus."
"We don't take the bus!" AJ called after him. "Come on, fishy. Let's go. I assume you'll stay at Boom House during the year?"
Charlie sighed, glancing out a window. "I talked to Mom, and she doesn't want me to. But her house isn't practical. It took us four hours to get here this morning." Silent for a moment, they emerged from the school in time to be blinded by one of the buses taking off.
"Ouch," AJ noted. "Blast, now I have to wait for the spots to clear." She put her bag down and sat carelessly on the warm concrete. "Might as well join me. Rod takes the bus, so he's not here." They were gossiping to pass the time when the noticed a strange blob join them.
"If I know you I can't tell, so hi. I'm Charlie." Ever practical, Charlie stuck out her hand.
"Lash. I know AJ." He shook her hand.
"Lash? Since when have you been Lash?" AJ snorted and stood. "I can see now."
"I can't," Charlie groused. "And I can't fly if I can't see. You'll just have to wait."
"Since I got tired of Andy," Lash replied. "We need to go. The poor monkeys are calling for you." Charlie stood as the last spots faded from her vision.
"That's right, you work at the zoo," she recalled. "I gotta run by RaveHouse and get some stuff fixed anyway, so I'll call when I'm done, kay?"
RaveHouse was the local club for powered kids, one that served alcohol on the premises that the teens would be responsible about it so they could stay in control of their powers. It worked, too, since anyone who got soused enough to lose control got their drinking rights permanently banned.
"Stuff?"
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we're doing the party there, remember? It was your idea."
"Oh. Why would I remember that?" AJ had a horrible memory until it came to other people doing crazy YouTube-worthy stunts.
Laughing, Charlie turned to Lash, who had followed them to the edge of the grounds. "What's your power?"
"He's rubber band boy," jeered AJ. Lash shrugged.
"Yeah, basically. It's fun though, 'cause I can do this." He reached over to AJ and smacked her butt.
"You're such a lecherous shit." She complained.
"Gwen doesn't mind." He said innocently.
AJ rolled her eyes. "Gwen's a slut. I thought you had better taste."
"I do. That's why I'm not dating her anymore."
AJ looked at him, interested, "Really?"
"Yeah." He grimaced. "She wanted me to take to Greece for our one month anniversary."
"You're kidding."
"Actually she just decided it didn't help her image to be seen with me, and dumped me."
"Ha. You deserve it."
"Ouch, insult on top of injury."
"Ready to go?"
"You giving me a ride?"
"You wish."
"Charlie can get you to the ground, after that you're on your own."
Lash looked at Charlie curiously. "What does she do?"
"She can speak for herself." Charlie remarked mildly.
"My apologies, mademoiselle, what does the fair lady do?" Lash amended, bowing over her hand.
"Elemental. And I'm tempted to use fire."
"Be nice. Ish. He'd deserve it though. He will pinch your ass at least once if he's too close."
"He does that and I drop him." Turning to Lash, she warned him, "I just figured out I can do this. You distract me and we're both dead."
"I promise I'll be good." He gave Charlie and AJ an Earnest Little Boy smile that neither believed, but both admitted was pretty damn good as long as you didn't know him.
"Come on, stop stalling, pop your wings." AJ's power was unusual in that she literally grew wings. Each time she wanted to use them, they painfully shoved through her skin. Charlie had seen the show, and it wasn't pretty.
But however ugly the process, her wings were beautiful. She had a 15 foot wingspan, black limned by silver. And she was an amazing flyer, able to perform complicated maneuvers that would put Hawkgirl to shame.
AJ was done, wincing as she stretched her wings. "Ready?" she asked.
Charlie showed Lash how to hold on to her arms. "This'll feel weird," she warned him again. "You freak and we both die."
"'Kay." Lash did look slightly green around the gills. "Are you sure this is safe?"
Charlie and AJ grinned at each other.
"Nope!" Charlie replied, and jumped, freefalling for a few seconds. It was worth it to hear him yell.