Choices 2-2

I woke to the rhythmic buzzing of my personal phone.

Groggily I fumbled with the drawer to my nightstand and managed to fish it out to look at the screen. It was Lisa. "Mmmhello?" I answered the phone.

"Hey. Late night?" Came the reply

"Nnyeah." I rubbed my eyes and sat up. "What time is it?"

"Quarter to ten. But that's not why I called."

"Wha?" I'm not a morning person especially after a night out.

There was a sigh of impatience. "Wake up and get some coffee or something. I'm coming over I'll be there in fifteen." Then Lisa hung up the phone.

I just looked at the now blank screen, debating on a hot shower or some nice warm tea to wake me up.

Tea won out in the end and despite the sirens call of my bed, I managed to dress in an old worn hoodie and a comfy pair of flannel sleep pants before shuffling my way down to the kitchen.

I was just taking my first sip when Lisa popped in the back door with a loud "I'm heeerrreeee!" startling me enough that I spit the tea out all over the table.

"Oh oops." Lisa didn't sound the least bit sorry but she did grab some paper towels from the counter to help clean up. "So you awake yet?"

I glared at her in answer.

"Well maybe this will do the job."

She pulled her phone out and slid it over to me.

Her PHO app was open and was on the Brockton Bay sub thread. The top article was titled 'Brockton Bay's Newest Hero?' And beneath it was a picture of Assault and I shaking hands.

"So?"

How the hell had they had enough light to get this good of a picture?

"Taylor?"

I pulled my brain from the morning fog. "What?"

"Is it true? Did you sign up with the Protectorate?"

I shook my head slightly. "No, Assault was super nice about it but I told him that I wasn't ready to join."

Lisa looked visibly relieved.

"He did hang out with me for a while after that though. Mostly just talked about things like how to approach certain situations and when it was best to not get involved. You know just calling the cops on some of the petty stuff like dealers." I explained between sips of my tea.

"Yeah you made a bit of a mess with that dealer last night." Lisa took back her phone and fiddled with it before passing it back. I was a video taken by one of the bystanders. Just a brief video showing the aftermath of the car wreck and me tiring the guy to the car. The video stopped soon after I had teleported away.

I was a bit surprised. I mean I saw the people with their phones out but damn if I didn't think it would take longer than this to spread.

"Welcome to the modern world of capes." Lisa said reading my mind or whatever she did. "Near everyone has a phone and a death wish to use it to be the one to post the next bit of hot news."

I just continued to sip my tea, starting to feel human.

"Hey look at the bright side, they got your cape name right. Even spelled it right if you can believe it."

I waved it away. "Assault asked how to spell it so they could get it right."

That got Lisa's attention. "He did?"

"Mmhmm."

"No what I expected, but ya know I'm biased." She said.

I looked at her in askance.

Returned it with one that said it was obvious. "Duh, villain." She explained.

Oh right.

She put an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "So what do you want to do today?"

"I need to go by the library to submit my work for the week and print the next weeks stuff." I said looking at the calendar. The end of the school year couldn't come soon enough.

"Why don't you just get your GED like I did?" She asked.

"What?"

"Yeah I'm sure we could pull up the likely stuff for the exam portion for you to study. Then it would just be up to you to write a decent paper or two and bam GED. No more school work." She said it like it was as simple as breathing.

"I'll think about it." I said without commitment.

"Hmmm." Lisa hummed skeptically but didn't call me on it. "Will you be up to meeting me this weekend?"

"I don't have any plans." I accepted. "What for."

"Shopping of course." She said brightly.

.

"Why are we here again?" I asked as we navigated our way through the boardwalk.

"You," Lisa emphasized with a gentle prod of her elbow. "Need some new clothes that do not blend in with the trees at midnight."

I looked down at my dark green hoodie and brown canvas pants. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Nothing really, but variety is healthy."

"Soo, your saying it's unhealthy the way I dress?" I asked.

Lisa took a minute to think about it. "Yes and no. Tell me Taylor when did your fascination with dark and dull colors start?"

I thought about it. "I don't know it's just kinda what I have."

"Mmm what happened to all the bright colors?" Lisa has that tone she used when she was leading a conversation to an end she already knew. "Ruined by 'the trio'?" She used her hand to make air quotes for "the trio". It was her not so subtle way of mocking the girls and teasing me for the lame label I had given them.

I answered her question with a shrug. Lisa was supportive of me on the topic but she didn't let me ignore it either.

We continued on down the rows of stores until Lisa pulled me bodily into a clothing store where she badgered me ruthlessly until I tried on clothes until she was satisfied.

I wasn't.

Ass hugging blue jeans and a lavender purple shirt that all but declared my lack of breasts was not what I had in mind when it came to fashion, though I have never claimed to have a sense of the subject either. "I look ridiculous."

"No that's your insecurities talking Taylor." Lisa reaches over to look at the tag of the jeans, smiled, and ripped it off.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "I can't afford these."

"Don't worry I picked them out and I'm paying."

"You have already spent too much on me." I protested.

She waved it away with a hand. "And I will probably spend more. You are my friend, Taylor. I have money and no one to spend it on except me and you and I have just about everything I want."

"But."

"I don't have much in the way of a retirement plan." She whispered. "Let me have this at least?" She finished with a faint smile.

Ouch.

"Fine. But I'm still wearing my hoodie." I grumbled.

"Great!" Her smile widened into something more sunny and she ripped the tag off the shirt too.

I gave a defeated sigh. And grabbed my hoodie. I would put it on at the door to ward off the chilly air but still make Lisa happy.

In all she dragged me into a few more stores but didn't push me into much of anything. Mostly she accepted her win for the day and only picked for herself. Even if she did ask in each store if I saw something I liked. Despite my lack of interest is fashion, on the whole I was having fun. It was nice having a friend again.

Then, because my life's luck couldn't abide by my happiness, I saw them. All three of them.

I grabbed Lisa's wrist and pulled her towards the nearest store not caring what it was.

"What is it?" Lisa whispered, slightly alarmed and scanning the crowd.

"The trio are here."

She jerked her wrist from my grasp. "Taylor, it's fine come on."

"I don't want to deal with them today." I protested.

"Then don't." Lisa pulled a hair tie out of her pocket and attacked my hair with her hands until it was pulled back into a ponytail. Then she plucked at a few stands to hang down and frame my face. "There, now keep your back straight and shoulders level." She adjusted my posture with some nudges of her hands. "and don't look at them as we pass."

"But what if-."

"Then we handle it." Lisa straightened her own hair and smoothed out her sweater. "Lets go."

I followed Lisa's lead, walking at the same pace and looking in her general direction, but I could not fight the urge to keep an eye on the trio.

Sophia was in the lead, with Emma and Madison flanking her. Hmm, that was a change. Emma used to be the one to lead them around the halls at Winslow.

"Wow she does look like a class A bitch." Lisa said quietly beside me.

I couldn't help it I laughed out loud. Right as we were about to pass the Trio.

Emma's eyes locked on me in an instant, but it was too late we past them before she could open her mouth.

"Don't look back. Keep walking" Lisa muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

I did.

Lisa glanced back at them, disguising it by feigning interest in a shop window to which she pointed and lead me over to. "Well they saw us but kept going. That red head looked like she was going to be sick though."

"That was Emma."

"Yeah well, she looks like she has lost her place in the game." She grinned. "That other girl has taken over as Queen bitch."

"Sophia." I commented dully.

"Whatever." Lisa said airily. "They are your past and literally behind you." She looped her arm through mine. "Let's go and look at some shoes."

If there ever was going to be affirmation that the Trio was never going to bother me again then today was it. Lisa was it.

Authors note: I know.

"Where's the action?"

It's coming. The very next chapter in fact. I wanted to give Taylor a reason to fight. Really fight. And I think we have just about reached that point. The question now is who all is going to take part?

Thanks again to you whom have Fav/followed! It has really kept me motivated to work on this story, much to the detriment of The Gift. For you Gift readers, don't worry it's still going. I've just been a bit distracted with this one.

K. Raiden.