Weather Girl

Summary: Senka Poe has been in love with Warren Peace for...well, forever. As a senior, a series of changes cause her to reconsider pretty much her entire life and nothing is like she thought it would be. Especially with Warren. WarrenOC eventual, LashOC

Disclaimer: I pretty much claim nothing.

Just a note: I haven't stolen this story from Moontrimmer. It's an old pen name of mine, and when I finally started re-writing this, I realized I had no idea what email I was using two or so years ago.

WHAT IS PROJECT REVAMP/REWRITE?: I was working on my magical yearly update and decided to go back and read through the story so far. Then for the next 12 hours I went through and proceeded to revamp every single chapter, and some were almost completely rewritten. Enjoy.

THIS CHAPTER GOT REVAMPED ON AUGUST 5th, 2012.

Pre-Project Revamp notes on this chapter:

It's come to my attention that I'm ten chapters in with Lash and Senka going strong. So if you're looking for some Warren/Senka fluff or something, this isn't the story. As the poem this chapter is named after infers, there isn't some well-known truth about what love is or how it works. Besides, I'm a cynic, not a romantic.

PS GUYS, READ THE COMPANION TO THIS FIC, "The Sign Said Stop, But We Went On Whole-Hearted." IT'S ABOUT SENKA'S PARENTS. DO IT.

our history books refer to it in cryptic little notes

Lash and I were alright. In fact, after our talk at the coffee shop (and what transpired afterwards) I felt better about our relationship than ever. It was difficult to explain; it felt like we'd reached a new level or understanding and intimacy and it sounds so cliché but, well, we didn't just have sex, we had something deeper. If I proclaimed 'we made love,' that would be too far into the realm of cliché, but I started to think about that time that maybe I did love Lash. In some ways, I'd lost track of how long we'd been together, but with the end of the school year on the horizon, it'd been substantial. The idea seemed crazy to me, being in love, and I didn't really know what it meant. Sure, movies and books and a million other media all around me were giving me this lovely and idealized picture of love and romance – that happily ever after shit – but I never thought of it like that. After all, nothing in my life would ever like in the books or movies.

Of course, it didn't help that Warren was still in picture to complicate things, same as ever. When Lash and I walked together through the halls, I could be certain Warren was off sulking, determined that he knew everything and knew better than everyone else. Our mutual friends hadn't exactly been overjoyed at the prospect of Lash and I together for certain instead of in limbo, but they learned to accept it. Maj, in particular, was helpful on that front. Even though she and Zach were a completely different story, she knew a thing or two about being part of a couple other people didn't understand.

"You have to go with what feels right," she explained. "If you really care about Lash, then that's who you should be with. Don't be in a relationship to make me happy, Senka. Do it for you."

My mother felt a similar way. She knew Lash pretty well at that point, from how much I talked about him and the few times they'd seen each other. One thing I loved about my mother was that she looked at him and tried to see what I did. Mom didn't get caught up in what Lash did at any point in his life and opened her heart and home to him because, as she put it: "Who am I to question the heart? I want you to enjoy the good parts of a man while you can, Senka, because if you don't, then you're left with nothing when it's over."

Of course, the pain that my father left behind in her revealed itself a lot in statements like that. But regardless of her cynicism, she had always tried so hard, harder than anyone I knew, to see the good in people. With everything that had happened to me since my dad came into the picture two months before – yeah it was hard to believe that much time had passed – I learned I get that from her two. Why else would I have been dating an ex-villain (was it appropriate to call Lash that?) and remained open to spending time with my once completely absent father? And if Warren hadn't been so busy glaring and being a jerk, I'd probably have forgiven him just as easily.

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No one would ever have called me the best student at Sky High, or the most motivated, and I wasn't afraid to admit it. I just spent so much time with my head in the clouds (pun not intended) and I frankly lacked an interest in a lot of the subjects we studied. "Super" related subjects in particular always gave me trouble (ie, Mad Science). I did better in my ordinary classes, which I could thank hero-support designation for.

That particular day, I was pondering how quickly and easily I'd acclimated to life with Josef Storm in it, and also my impending graduation. Both of those things scared me very much and I'd been mulling over them during Hero History, and then afterward on my way to lunch. I walked into the lunchroom and expected to see the sort of thing I saw any other day; a bunch of superhero teens lounging about, talking, and eating really crappy cafeteria food. But that day I was in for a surprise: I had walked straight into a fight. Not just a random fight, either, but one between two very familiar figures: Warren and Lash. They were engaged in what looked to be a bloody fight, too. Even though Warren was a pyro and Lash super stretchy, instead of battling it out like future superheroes, they rolled around on the floor exchanging punches like barbarians.

I swear every time I think things are starting to mellow out! I thought angrily and tried to get closer to the commotion. I'd seen fights before, sure, but it was different this time, for obvious reasons. I pushed my way through the crowd to reach the pair of hooligans. The beautiful, blue sky outside visible from the large windows of the cafeteria became noticeably darker; a very loud rumble of thunder filled the gym, shaking even the tables, and the boys stopped. Lash and Warren broke apart to see me standing above them, a disapproving look on my face, and tapping my foot in annoyance and impatience.

That was the exact look I gave them both when they emerged from detention later that day. Lash looked guilty and tried to suck up to me by wrapping his arms around my waist and giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"You, Mister, are in pretty big trouble," I told him as he pulled away and I disentangled myself from his arms. "But I'll save that for later. Right now I want to talk to Warren…alone."

Lash gave me a skeptical look, but with a sigh he acquiesced. He gave me a quick hug he told me he'd see me later. That left Warren and I alone in the corridor and I honestly didn't know whether to bash his head in or kick him in the groin.

"What is your problem?" I asked. "What would possess you to start a fight with Lash in the middle of the cafeteria?"

Are you on your man period? Remained the unspoken question at the end of my sentence.

"What makes you think I started it?" he asked, and gave me a smartass grin. In return, I gave him a pointed look; we both knew Lash hadn't started that fight. Lash might not have been the smartest kid in class but he was not an idiot. He also wasn't interested in getting on my bad side over something stupid.

"Oh alright," Warren conceded after only a few seconds. "But he rubbed your relationship in my face. I know what he did to you, how can I just watch while you frolic through the fucking hallways like it's the yellow brick road?"

I sighed. Did it always have to come back to that? His comment was exactly why Warren and I hadn't spoken much since that day he gave me a ride. Not because of my father, but because he was fixated. I was tired of it.

"Warren," I began, stern. "I don't know how to make this any clearer to you: you need to back off. It was never any of your business and now it's in the past."

"Yeah, you say that now, but just wait until he does it again!" Warren exclaimed. "You deserve better than him, Senka."

The look I gave him screamed of exasperation. There was no way I could make Warren understand what'd happened between Lash and I. I knew wouldn't ever understand. But his bit about how I "deserved better" pissed me off. What was it even supposed to mean? That I was supposed to sit around and wait for some glorious and perfect knight in shining armor to come galloping by on his big white horse? Fuck that. My relationship with Lash would never be perfect but we were two imperfect people. It was enough. It didn't have to last forever or be perfect to be enough.

"Like who, Warren? You?" I asked, angry. "Lash cares about me and I don't hold his past against him!"

"Yeah, maybe like me," he answered and I stared up at him in shock. "Because I care about you too. You think I didn't notice you? I sat next to you on the bus our very first day, before you ever saw me I saw you. If I would have known…look, Lash is a fucking villain and you can't trust him not to hurt you."

"Warren, what are you saying?" my heart was on the ground – no wait, it had exploded. "I was crazy about you, ever since you shared the locker next to mine freshman year. How did you not notice? Just..ugh… not me anymore, Warren. You were too late, it's that simple…You lost your chance!"

"Then give me another one!" He shouted. "Damnit, Senka, give me another chance. You and I both know there was something special between us when you kissed me behind The Paper Lantern. I can't forget about it or you."

The whole room spun around me. I was lucky my feet managed to stay glued to the floor. In all my stupid and pathetic dreams in which Warren Peace confessed his attraction to me, I never had a boyfriend and I never turned him down. The boy I had always considered the love of my freaking life told me he couldn't stop thinking about me since I kissed him but all I could do was think of the boyfriend whom I had only started dating because I felt guilty. Whom I thought I might have been in love with. It was seriously fucked up. Naturally, I did the only thing a girl in that kind of situation could do: I resisted pulling my hair out and instead ran the other way.

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I sat in my room at home later that night and thought back to the night Lash and I made up. I remembered the way his mouth felt on mine, on my neck, and everywhere else. I thought about the way he said my name and the way he looked at me, and how whether we were in the act or not, it was always the same. I thought back to his words…I never wanted space. I only wanted you.

I felt angry with Warren for putting such a burden on my shoulders during our argument. It hadn't been fair of him. Lash was known to make mistakes as far as respecting my decisions, but Warren had a losing record. It didn't matter whether or not Warren wanted me, I realized. I couldn't place my finger where along the line it had happened, but I just wanted Lash. I didn't "deserve someone better" – though I thought bitterly I did deserve someone better than Warren.

Love was tricky, scary idea to me. I was afraid of it as much as I longer for it, and I had no idea what it was. But I did know that Warren might have been everything I dreamed of for three years, but Lash was what I wanted... What I needed! I didn't know for sure even at that moment if I loved Lash, per se, because I never thought of myself as the kind of person who loved very well. Whatever I felt with him, though, it bubbled up inside me and I couldn't fight the overwhelming desire to hunt Lash down and tell him exactly what I felt. It tugged at my heart so violently I thought it might burst from my chest and fly straight out the window to find if I didn't go first.

It was a definite turning point for me (growing up, maybe?). I called Lash to ask him if he could come over, but he said he couldn't because he was at work. I looked outside, seeing the weather reflecting my mood, and made up my mind. In what felt like a trance, I went outside, sped through the shadows, and found myself standing in front of a Circle K minimart in a matter of seconds. Taking a deep breath, I mustered up all my courage, and walked straight up to the counter.

"Hi, what can I do—Senka?" Lash turned to face me, surprised that I was standing there and still kind of wet from the rain. "What are you doing here?"

Now or never, Senka. Just do it!

"Lash, I love you," I said seriously, before leaning over the counter, taking his face in my hands, and giving him what had to be the best kiss of his life. At least that's what I went for. Considering one kiss turned into a make out session across a mini-mart counter, it very well might have been the best. Lash's boss broke up apart, though; he stood behind us clearing his throat very loudly until Lash pulled away.

"I'll take that as an 'I love you too'?" I asked with a grin. He actually rolled his eyes at me.

"You get a genius award—now go before I get fired!" was his reply, but the goofy smile that was on his face and the wink he gave me said it all.

I felt rightly satisfied with myself, and left with a wave, having never been so happy to walk around in April rain before in my life. I took a moment to ponder whether or not my feelings for Warren would ever actually disappear- I couldn't help it that every time I saw him it was like getting a painful but not necessarily bad punch to the gut. There was just something about Warren Peace that always kept me anchored to him. I tried not to remember the first time I spotted him walking down the hallway, but the memory came to me anyway. I'd been a scared, little freshman so angry about being made a sidekick and I just wasn't able to get my locker open and who then couldn't reach her damned book. Then along came a guy with long dark hair and smoldering eyes. Everything slowed down like I'd been transplanted into some corny movie. He'd worn some leather jacket. My heart had promptly dropped all the way to my toes.

By the time I reached home, I was more than ready for de-stressing. Lash and Warren's fighting aside, it had been an okay day, if not eventful.

"Hey honey!" My mom called out from the kitchen. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I ran to see Lash really quickly," I answered and kicked off my shoes, leaving a path of mud and water. "By the way, I will clean that up."

"Er, thanks," Mom laughed. "Oh, and there's a letter for you on the counter. Looks important, you know."

On my way to the couch, I grabbed the stack of mail sitting on the counter and looked through it. Junk, junk, bills, more junk…college letter? With such recent developments as my father's reappearance in my life and my relationship with Lash, the colleges I'd applied to were the last things on my mind. The name on the letter informed me it was from the University of Maxville. Slowly and carefully I opened the envelope, held my breath as if breathing would somehow ruin the moment, and took the plunge.

Dear Ms. Poe:

We are pleased to offer you a spot in the University of Maxville's latest incoming class…

The first line was the only thing I needed to read. The world felt wide open. Just one sentence and my future seemed so much clearer. I had not been particularly interested in graduating and going into the super-work force. As a sidekick, I would undoubtedly be assigned to some hero and be expected to tag along to fight crime. If I said it was a desire of mine to do that, I'd have been lying. I hadn't a clue whether or not I was actually going to attend U of M or not. I had no idea what my future would bring. But with that acceptance letter in my hand, the world would never seem more infinite.

fin chapter

And this brings an end to project revamp.

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