Invisible Girl
Chapter Eleven
The punching bag swung lightly as Sammy's fists made contact. Her hands were wrapped in the bandages, so to keep her skin from splitting on harsh contact. Shifting from foot to foot, she hit the bag again, trying to really make it swing. It was physical conditioning under Coach Boomer supervision, who patrolled the large weight room. Huffing, Sammy shoved her hair back, ponytail becoming loose so she decided to take a water break in order to rehydrate and fix her muss hair.
"Hey," came a voice. The blonde turned around see the husky speed demon coming over to get a drink as well. She smiled up at him.
"Hey, Speed. How's it going?" she asked. He gave a nod.
"It's going. You?" he asked. She shrugged in return.
"About the same," she smiled. They had a short conversation, just the basics, asking how classes were going and the like. It was pleasant to chat, now that he wasn't trying to plow her down in the hallways anymore. There were some perks to being Lash's Sidekick.
"You call that bench pressing?" yelled Boomer. The Sidekick was Ethan, who was sweating profusely and struggling with the minor weights that he had. "I want to see you pump—some—IRON!"
"Yes, Coach Boomer!" he answered, arms shaking. Boomer lowered his face, as if he had trouble hearing.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you!"
"Yes Coach Boomer!" Ethan shouted. Wincing, Sammy set her water bottle down, making her way back to the punching bag. Best look productive. One on one combat was an area she needed to work on in particular anyway. She was good with evasion, and stealth as they worked hand in hand with her power, while physical assault was not her strong suit.
She huffed as the bag barely swung on her hit. Again. Before she could go at it again out of irritation, Speed stepped up to the other side of the bag.
"Need a hand?" he offered. "Not that this thing's going that far anyway."
Sammy made a face. "Oh hush, I'm working on it." Her fist popped the bag again, not a twitch of movement coming from it now that Speed was acting as the support. He laughed aloud at her and her face flushed in embarrassment.
"Ouch Sammy, gotta say, you're not all that scary," he teased, only one hand steadying the bag. "Couldn't even feel the force through my side of the bag." Giving an indignant huff, she walked back always in order to give her a good enough start. Blue eyes glaring at the bag, her legs flexed, prepping for a quick running start.
"I don't know how much running's going to help with your hit, kid," shrugged Speed, one hand on the bag, clearly not intimidated.
"Just watch me and I'll show you!" she challenged. If her theory was right, she could do some damage this way. After all, in her opinion, her strongest limbs were her legs. Even without proper training, they had been conditioned through years of dance practice and her usual running.
"Alright then, prove it."
"Okay, I will!" She kicked off, quick, powerful steps and when she was at just the right spot, she leaped into the air. Her body twisted around, sending her leg into the bag with the hardest kick she could possibly manage.
The chain holding the bag creaked as it swung back, out of Speed's hand. He regarded her with his brows raised, impressed. She stood up straight and lifted her arms, faux flexing in victory and triumph.
"Nice, kid. Very nice," he complimented. She grinned, clearly proud.
"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to find some ice because that really, really hurt." Her grin turned into a grimace as she now hobbled to the sideline, shin throbbing painfully. Speed laughed aloud at her, but instead of blushing she grinned back.
"Don't hate, I know you're jealous!" she teased. The first aid table was well stocked with ice, plastic bags and towels which supplied Sam with the items she needed.
"Right, so jealous. I wish after one hit I would be out of a fight," he teased back. She thought about tossing an ice cube at him, but then decided that she would most likely miss, it would melt on the ground and someone would later slip on it. Better not then. Instead she tossed a small piece into her mouth, the cold refreshing on her tongue.
Speed looked up at the clock. They were going to be dismissed soon to change back into school clothes, the class drawing to a close. So, he took the seat beside the Sidekick, to which she raised a brow but made no comment on it. In a flash, he moved to the table to snag a towel and return to his seat, wiping the sweat from his face and neck.
"How fast are you?" asked Sammy, clearly curious. "I've always wondered."
He had to think for a moment. "The last time we tested, I was faster than a beam of light?"
"Wow really? That's insane," she said, impressed. "Do you ever get tired?"
He shrugged. "Honestly? Not that often. Haven't really had a situation that called for top speed and long distance." She nodded in understanding, adjusting the bag of ice. There was a brief pause before Speed decided on his question.
"So how does your power work?" he asked. "Do you wiggle your nose and turn invisible or something?" Sammy laughed aloud, shaking her head.
"Oh no, nothing like that!" she giggled. She brought up her free hand. "Here, give me yours. I'll show you." He gave her a funny look and she rolled her eyes. "It's not going to hurt, I promise. It's just easier to show than trying to explain it to someone."
Complying, he lifted his hand which was far heftier than hers. She brought their hands together so that they were touching.
"Okay, so the first part is the easiest. Just turning invisible." There was a vague shimmer and her hand was gone, but Speed applied pressure, brow furrowed. He could still feel her hand.
"I can still feel it," he said. She nodded, excited to explain it to someone.
"Right! I'm just invisible, nothing else. So in a fight someone could still hit me, or I could still hit them. It's the easiest part and since it's practically second nature I sometimes vanish without thinking about it." She took a breath. "Now, watch."
Speed's eyes squinted, trying to imagine the outline of her hand. One minute he could feel the invisible hand and the next, it was just air. He looked at her, confused. Her arm was still outstretched to him, her wrist exactly where it should be, but where her hand connected to his there was nothing.
"Now, I'm intangible. So the enemy can't see me or touch me. Well, kind of anyway."
"What do you mean, kind of?" he asked. "Isn't it a yes or no situation?"
She gave a half shrug, trying to decide. "I mean, you can't actually, physically feel me there. It's more like-oh, I can just show you." Her arm extended forward and Speed could feel a shock of cold stab his hand, making him pull it away quickly.
"Wh-what was that?" he asked, bewildered. "That was so weird!" Sammy laughed, wiggling her now solid hand and fingers.
"My hand phased through yours. So it's not a physical "feeling" if we're being technical here." She rotated her wrist before holding it up again. Now when it shimmered, Speed could still see her hand, but he could also whatever was behind it.
"Wow, that's crazy," he admitted.
"This time, I'm just intangible, so you can still mostly see me." Her hand returned to normal and she fiddled with the ice bag on her leg again.
Speed observed her for a moment, as if expecting her to vanish entirely. "Is it hard?"
"Um, yeah, sometimes," she answered honestly. "It's a lot of concentration, that's for sure."
"And you're not a Hero?" he asked honestly. Sammy stared, wide eyed, stunned by the question.
"Me? A H-Hero? I—"
"Hit the SHOWERS!" instructed Boomer, fists on his hips while his voice resounded throughout the room.
"Yes Coach Boomer!" the class answered automatically. They got up to head to their designated locker rooms just as Sam thought of another question.
"Speed, have you seen Lash?" she asked. "I thought maybe he got held up in a class, but he missed this entire period."
Speed took a minute to remember where his lanky friend had gone. He snapped his fingers. "Swing by detention. He was sleeping last class and Medulla tossed him out. He could still be there. Why?"
She gave a vague shrug. "It's not a big deal or anything, but he had the other half of our work for Team Building, so I wanted to make sure he actually did it. Thanks though!" She gave a wave as she followed the other girls to go shower and change.
He returned the wave. "No problem."
Lash stepped out of the detention room, finally free. He stretched, turning to the right and to the left. He didn't know what it was, but being trapped in a room that neutralizes powers always made him feel like he was cramped and crunched, unable to stretch fully. He swore under his breath when he checked the time. He missed Boomer's entire conditioning class. Dammit. He was actually looking forward to that.
Instead of getting worked up about it, he sighed and made his way down to his locker over in the next hallway. The halls were still mostly deserted, which suited him just fine. He wasn't in the mood to pulverize Sidekicks and freshmen alike. He would if they were present, but he wasn't feeling up to actually go looking for them.
Idly, he spun his combination, finally getting it to unlock on the third try. He had a very sensitive locker that would not, for the love of all that was Super, open unless he hit each number exactly on the point. He snagged his next subject book, flipping open to the homework page to find it incomplete. He groaned, leaning his forehead against the top of his locker in aggravation. Now he had to go find Sammy, to see if she did her share. Of course she did, she was practically done when she reminded him to be sure to finish his own.
Oh well, solid excuse to go see his fair haired Hero Support. He was game.
"Lash!"
Speak of the Sidekick and she will appear. He smirked, turning to face the blonde.
"What's up midget?" he asked nonchalantly. She jogged up to him, books in her arms like always. She shoved some loose hair away from her face before continuing.
"Not much, just wanted to check and make sure that-Come on now, I'm five foot six! That's a perfectly reasonable height!" she retorted, interrupting her own statement with a huff. Lash laughed, stepping closer, placing his hand on her head.
"Well, maybe for a Hobbit you're tall, Frodo." Scoffing, she brushed his hand off her head, feeling more like a puppy than a person.
"Oh please, Gandalf, like you're some hot shot," she mocked. Lash looked mildly impressed that she picked up the joke reference so smoothly. Hmm, that was strangely attractive. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "So, did you ever finish the homework for Team—"
"Oh there you are, babe!" The pair flinched, turning to see Amanda Sparks making her way over. She was another Hero, with gorgeous long legs, and silky dark hair that never seemed to frizz even with her talent for electricity. She threw her arms around Lash's neck, spinning the two with her momentum. She stole a kiss, her height giving her the advantage. She gave a flick of her hair as she smiled at the Hero.
"So, hey, I finally decided on a prom dress color, and I think you're really going to like it—"
"Hey, think we can talk some other time—"
"And my mom's soooo excited for pictures—"
"Really, some other time—"
"And I'm sure you'll look a hot mess like always," she winked, stealing another full mouth kiss from the flexible Super. Now, Lash pulled the girl off of him, holding her at extend arm's reach.
"Knock it off," he told her sternly. Her pink lips formed a pout.
"Aw baby, why so cold? We never hang out anymore. I've missed you."
Lash ignored the sparky girl, looking around for his Sidekick only to find no one. Swearing, he released the girl and made his way to the connecting hall.
"Sammy?" he called. "Sammy?" There was no answer but he could hear the tip tap of running feet. Running away from him.
They were just pretending the other night. Pretending. It was a cover. An act. Even if it did feel fantastic to hold her tight. Even if their banter was so much fun and so natural. Even if he loved kissing her and making her blush. Even if he did love cuddling with her, lithe body snug against his. It was still their cover. He was the Hero and she was his Sidekick. They knew they were only pretending. They both knew! So then, why did it hurt?
"Dammit, Sammy..."
Her chest heaved with quick and difficult breaths. Her form was flickering between normal and invisible as she tried, and failed, to regain a grip on her emotions. She stumbled to a halt in the hallway, unsure of what part of the school she brought herself too. Lifting her hands to her face, she found that her cheeks were slick with tears. The sound of labored breathing was due to the fact that she was crying, and her chest was hurting. She was physically hurting. Was that supposed to happen? She didn't know. She didn't know anything about emotionally trauma or shock. Sure, she experienced happiness, fear, and other types of emotions before, she was a girl after all. Yet, in all her years, she never felt this kind of hurt before. Was it normal? Or was this some version that only super teens contracted?
Her feet led her outside, where she promptly ran into Speed, face bumping against his chest. Now her nose was throbbing painfully along with her emotions, and embarrassment to stack on top of it all.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked Speed, alarmed. Her image was still shifting in and out of focus, her eyes were still burning with tears, and she still couldn't catch her breath. And there was all this hurt swelling inside her chest, she thought she might explode.
"Sammy, are you alright?" he asked again, voice concerned while he gripped her shoulders to steady her. She closed her eyes, shaking her head vigorously enough to make her hair wave back and forth.
"N-n-no I-I'm n-not...!" she managed to choke out. There was the slightest adjustment and she found herself hiding her face in the Hero bully's shoulder, shaking. He didn't ask any questions since he most likely knew the cause of the reason behind the actions.
She knew that they were supposed to pretend to be together, but she thought it would be fun, just some faux and over the top flirty. Just fun and a couple of good laughs. But then he kissed her. Kissed her! She, Samantha Winchester, received her first kiss from Lash Livingston and it was a part of a rouse. A scam. Then he shared those private kisses with her, where there was no audience to fool and she...she thought...she thought it meant something special...Like she was special...
She thought she was special to him...but she was just a Sidekick, invisible in every sense of the word, why on earth would she be?
REVIEW! Some sadness now but it'll get better, don't fret! Love to hear your thoughts as always!
