A.N: I am a horrible person. Not touching this story for nearly a week is unacceptable. I promise I'll start updating more often. Please review! I don't bite (:
ALEX
"You're leaving again?! You only came back from your last business trip yesterday."
"I know, but business has really begun to pick up, and I can't miss this meeting. I've already arranged for you to stay with Emily."
"At least I won't be home alone for a whole day this time."
"Oh, erm, about that... I will be gone for 3 days this time."
I groan and storm out of the kitchen. It drives me crazy when Dad does this. His lawyering business has become more popular, and he's beginning to get more clients from around the world. Of course, all his clients are too lazy to fly to Los Angeles to have a meeting here, so Dad always has to go to wherever they are, leaving me here alone. At least he decided to let me stay with a friend this time.
"Alexandra Marie Coulson! Get back here!"
I ignore him as I slam the door to my bedroom shut and bury myself in the soft sea-green covers of my brown trundle bed. Dad comes in a few minutes later. "Listen," he sighs, "I know my constant traveling is hard on you, Alex, but it's the only source of income we have, and it's a good source. You don't want me to have to pull you out of LAPS, right?" he asks, referring to the Los Angeles Private School.
Emerging from the covers, I say, "No, definitely not. It's just that, things have gotten really hard ever since Mom died, especially since you're always away working. I... I miss her."
Dad hugs me. "I miss her too, but sometimes you just need to get your mind out of the past and look to the future. Could you try doing that for me?"
I feel a tear run down my cheek and try to wipe it off before Dad notices. "Sure."
"Good. I'm going to finish packing. You should start packing for Emily's."
After I give a small nod, Dad gets up and leaves my room. Life really has become an emotional roller coaster ever since Mom died of cancer about a year ago. I've never felt like the same person after having my childhood ripped away from me far too soon. The whole accident with the lightning doesn't really help my situation either.
A jingling sound jolts me out of my depressing thoughts. Larry, our beagle, walks into my room with some bounce in his step. "Hey, boy!" I say, beckoning the 6 year old dog to come. He jumps onto my bed and gets himself comfortable in the quilt I attempted to make a few years ago in a quilting class. I start playing with the electricity in a lightbulb, trying to hold off packing as long as I can.
About a month after Mom died, I was at soccer practice for the LAPS team when a huge thunderstorm rolled in out of nowhere. Everybody was able to run for cover except for me, because I managed to get the shoelace of my cleat caught to a bush. Of course, with my awful luck, the tree under the bush I was stuck to was struck by lightning, knocking me out. At the hospital, the doctors said I got the brunt of the electrocution, and should be lucky to be alive. Most of my hair was fried off in the accident, and it's all grown back in an extremely light blond color, whereas before it was a nice, normal brown. And my eyes. Don't even get me started on my eyes.
Too late. I'm already started on them. They look perfectly blue and normal, until I use my powers. Then, they turn gold. Gold. Normal people's eyes don't turn gold! Oh, right, the powers thing. I guess I should elaborate on that. Apparently, my body absorbed all the electricity from the lightning, converting it to pure bolts of lightning I can shoot out of my hands. Did I mention I figured out how to turn my legs into lightning, giving me the ability to fly? Didn't think so. In the end, I will never be able to achieve that one goal I've unsuccessfully tried shooting for my entire life - being normal. I'm a thirteen year old without a mom, I have super powers only Dad and Emily know about, and my hair is practically white. I busy myself with playing with the electricity from a light bulb and continuing my wishing for normalcy.
AIDEN
"You're crazy!" Lia just told me her plans for getting off the helicarrier for a bit. "How on earth will we steal a Quinjet?"
"Simple," she replies, popping another Cheeto in her mouth. We're in my bedroom in the crew quarters area. "We ask Becca."
I sigh. "This could actually work."
Lia grins in triumph. "Great. We'll leave tomorrow morning."
"Woah! Woah! We don't even know where we're going."
"Correction: YOU don't even know where we're going. We're going to Los Angeles!"
"Ok. I'll admit it. This sounds kinda fun, but where will we stay?"
"The Quinjet."
"How will we sleep?"
"Sleeping bags."
"So, we're basically going to go camping in a big city."
"Yep."
"Who else knows about this?"
"Becca. Now stop interrogating me. Are you in or out?"
I pause, knowing we'd be toast if anyone found out about what we're gonna do. Then again, I'll be traveling with a bunch of highly trained teenage assassins, so what could possibly go wrong? "I'm in."
"Fantastic!" Lia squeals. "I'll call Becca."
With that said, she loses herself in her iPhone. I'd always thought that if I would ever have to make any sort of secret mission that involves Quinjets, I would do it with Becca. Even though she's only 16, she's the best pilot I've ever seen, and she's a pretty handy mechanic, too. She helps repair anything broken on the helicarrier. Those talents plus her powers would make her a pretty good field agent, but Becca has always said she feels more at home in a hangar with a bunch of broken Quinjets then out in the Middle East fighting a a group of terrorists.
Oh, right, her powers. 16 years ago, Maria Hill was driving back to her apartment in New York city when she saw a basket sitting on the side of the street. Maria, being her curious self as per usual, got out of the car to see what was in the basket, and found a baby girl inside. Instantly, she fell in love with her and knew she couldn't live her alone on the street. She took her home, and after finding no form of identification on her basket, decided to legally adopt her, giving her the name Rebecca Cyan Hill. Becca had pretty good toddler years, making the helicarrier her second home. It wasn't until she turned 3 when things became, Er... Dark. Maria noticed the color of her eyes begin to change from a cheery green to a purplish goldish color. She also began to notice how rooms Becca were in seemed to either become darker or brighter. Now, Becca has gained the ability to control the darkness and light around her, but nobody knows how.
"Becca says she'll have a Quinjet ready by tomorrow morning," Lia explains after finishing the call with Becca.
"Ok," I yawn, "I'm going to bed now. It's nearly midnight."
Lia glances at the iHome clock perched next to her bed. "Oh, I guess it is. Goodnight."