Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

Author note: Due to the fact that I'm still unable to post new stories, I've created a second account for my new stories. The link is in my profile.

...

Magenta gave Layla a small smile as she passed her with Will at lunch, and Layla returned the smile brightly. Craig, Larry, and Adam stared at Layla like she'd grown a second head.

"What was all that about, Layla?" Craig asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug.

Adam scoffed. "Uh, yeah. That was nothing. You're smiling at the chick that helped your ex cheat on you."

"Magenta was my friend before that."

"Key word? Was," Larry pointed out, adjusting his glasses. "Now, spill, what's going on? Is this one of those chick-flicks where you're both really friends and you're going to break Stronghold's heart or something?"

"Um, no. I don't think I've seen that movie," Layla said, grinning slightly. "I'm just trying to be a good friend to Magenta. She's been treated very cruelly in all of this, and I don't like to see people suffer."

"You're a better friend than I am," Adam said, shaking his head. "Either one of these guys hooked up with my girl, I'd drop 'em off the edge of the school."

"Wow, that's harsh," Craig said, eyes wide.

"Don't like cheaters, that's all," Adam replied with a shrug.

"Daddy issues," Donny coughed as he walked past the table with Wendy.

"Ignore him, Adam. Or, if you can't do that, imagine your grandmother in a skimpy bikini."

All three boys shuddered at the sudden mental image, and there was a noise of pure disgust from Donny at the front of the cafeteria. Adam snickered at the noise, and high-fived Larry with a broad grin. Craig laughing as he changed into Donny's form, shuddering with a horrified expression on his face and others at surrounding tables joined in with his laughter.

"Craig, that's not funny," Layla said, all trace of humour gone from her expression.

"Uh, what?"

"You're making fun of someone and belittling them, and it's not funny," Layla replied simply.

Slowly, and obviously confused, he shifted back to his normal form. "But it's Donny."

"Your point?"

"Uh, he's a bully on par with Speed and Lash; he's like one exploding science experiment away from becoming a full-on villain."

"Why do you say that? Because he's telepathic, or because he speaks the truth about the things he hears and it upsets you?"

"No, but... Well, everyone... I mean, everyone does it."

"Everyone does what exactly? Humiliates someone because they said something that was rude or unacceptable?" Layla asked, barely glancing over to the door where she knew Donny and Wendy were still waiting.

"Well, no, but ... you just!"

"I just what?" Layla asked firmly. "I mentioned a mental image that would cause some slight discomfort, but would only be known between yourself and Donny. It's not something that he can project to the rest of the school, and it was done as retribution for what he said about Adam, nothing more. You went one step further and made an effort to publicly harm Donny's reputation. Now, I'd ask you to apologise, but I think you've learnt your lesson," she said, now looking over to Donny, who gave a brief nod and left with Wendy quickly.

"Yeah. I won't do it again," Craig muttered, looking thoroughly chastised.

"Thank you. Now, would the three of you like to come to the movies with me and my friends on the weekend?" Layla asked, smiling at them again.

"I'll come," Craig said quickly, not wanting to upset Layla again.

"What are you going to see?" Adam asked.

"Which friends?" Larry asked dubiously.

"I was planning on watching 28 Pays Later; Warren, Zach, and Ethan have been invited as well," Layla replied.

"That's the new zombie one, right?" Craig asked, actually sounding excited. "I've heard good things about it."

"Same. I'm in, just let me know the time. Mind if I invite my girlfriend?" Adam asked.

"Not at all; who are you dating again?" Layla asked curiously.

"Lisa, she works on the school paper."

"Oh, is she the one that has three eyes?"

"Yeah, that's her," Adam said, grinning. "She's awesome. Ben's friends with her too, y'know, with the six arms? He's really good at collating the papers, apparently," he said with a slight chuckle.

"I imagine so," Layla said with a grin of her own, the bell ringing loudly to signify the end of lunch. "If you want to invite anyone, that's fine, so long as you all buy your own tickets," she added.

"No problem. Text us the details later for times," Craig said as Layla stood and headed over to Warren's table.

"Hey," Layla said, kissing him firmly and pulling away with a smile.

"Hey yourself, hippie. Enjoy lunch?" Warren asked.

"Yes, I did. We're going to the movies this weekend with everyone," Layla said.

"Whoa, what? What movie, who's everyone?" he asked in surprise.

"28 Pays Later; Zach, Ethan, Craig, Larry, Adam, possibly his girlfriend Lisa, and if I can convince them, Wendy and Donny too. Did you know they were a couple?" Layla asked curiously.

"No, and I don't care. Why are we going out to the movies with that many people? It could be just us," Warren added, voice hot and rough as he pressed a kiss just below her ear.

"Hmm, it could be, but that's not going to help with our future plans, is it?" she murmured, taking his hand and leading him out of the cafeteria.

"Really, those three?" Zach asked, sounding insulted as he and Ethan hurried to catch up to them.

"No, actually, not all three of them. Oh, that reminds me. Ethan, I have a plan to discuss with you. Warren, you'll ask Donny and Wendy about this weekend, won't you? They're in your year, after all."

"I'm not friends with them, hippie," Warren muttered, even as Ethan brightened up at the idea of getting to discuss a plan with Layla.

"That's what these kinds of outings are for: to make friends. Just think loudly in Donny's direction if you really don't want to say it out loud," Layla said with a laugh. "Zach, go to class and make sure to distract Mr. Boy for Ethan, please. I won't keep him long," she added, taking Ethan's arm and leading him outside through the hallway's side exit.

"Right. We'd better do as she says, Warren," Zach said over his shoulder, heading to English for Hero Support.

Warren sighed and headed to his own Mad Science class.

"What's the plan, Layla?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"I need you to join the school paper."

"Uh, what?"

"Adam's girlfriend Lisa is on the paper, and she's friends with Ben. According to things I've heard, Ben likes Lisa, but won't do anything while she's with Adam. I want you on the school paper to make sure they get together. Ben's only on the paper to get closer to her, and Lisa's in her senior year next year, she won't have time for both a boyfriend and the school paper."

"What? How will getting those two together help with anything?" Ethan asked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

"Think of it as the first step to gaining control. Media influences people, right? You being on the paper means we get to influence to people, to make sure they only know what we want them to know. With Lisa and Ben more focused on each other than the paper, you'll have more control."

"Like a hostile takeover: control the way your opposition's seen, and everyone will think you're the hero not the tyrant?"

"Exactly," Layla said, seeming pleased at his interpretation.

"All right, I'll do it. Mum's saying stuff about extra-curricular activities for college applications, anyway," Ethan said, grinning a little at the idea of being able to do both at once.

"You're amazing, Ethan. Let me know how it goes, okay? You'd better get to English before Mr. Boy notices," she added, and Ethan nodded quickly in return, hurrying inside.

Layla hoped that Warren would be able to convince Donny and Wendy just as easily. They needed to get everyone used to one another before they could start anything more permanent.

...

Hey, Donny! Warren thought loudly.

The other boy didn't even acknowledge the thought. Warren gritted his teeth and contemplated flicking bits of his eraser at Donny instead. Donny turned and glowered at that.

Movies with me, Layla, and a bunch of others on Saturday?

Donny's glower turned to a look of confusion, and Warren raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. Donny looked over to Wendy, then nodded quickly. Thankful that his job had been completed successfully, Warren turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla's lecture about death rays. Might come in handy one day.

A few seconds later, a ball of paper hit Warren's arm, and he took a moment to stare at it, because who the fuck passed notes like that anymore? He unrolled it, though he was seriously tempted to just burn it into a pile of ash instead.

'How do I ask Wendy out? Donny.'

Oh fuck, this is so not what he was meant to do. Why the hell couldn't people deal with their own shit on their own?

"Mr. Peace, would you care to elaborate on the topic, or is the piece of paper you just received more vital than learning the difference between a shrink ray and a death ray?" Mr. Medulla asked, sidling up next to Warren.

Warren rolled his eyes and set fire to the small crumpled piece of paper. "Remember who had to change your diaper, Medulla?" he growled under his breath.

Medulla paled slightly, gave a cough, and moved to the front of the classroom again. "As I was saying..."

Donny looked back at Warren, giving a small hand and face motion as if to say 'well?!', and Warren seriously wanted to smack his head against a wall instead of deal with this crap.

I don't fucking know! Tell her she looks nice, say you're interested, and ask if she wants to go to the movies; let her decide if it's as friends or not, and don't be a dick and push the issue if she says no.

Donny gave a slight nod, and turned his attention back to Mr. Medulla.

Fucking hell, if a damn telepath couldn't work out how to talk to someone he liked, what hope did the rest of them have?! Warren wondered, shaking his head.

...

"Be thankful you have Ethan, okay, glow stick?" Warren muttered as he headed past him to his next class.

"Uh, all right. Thanks for the advice?" Zach called after him, wary and a little confused. "Oh, hey, Layla, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. Can we talk on the way to class?" Layla asked.

Zach nodded quickly, moving so he was walking beside her. "I just wanted to apologise for grabbing you the way I did yesterday. I'm sorry for doing that, I never meant to hurt you."

Layla was ready to forgive him in a second, to brush off the whole incident, but from his expression, she could tell that Zach thought it needed more than that.

"Thank you for apologising, Zach. I forgive you, but if you try it again, I'll make sure it won't happen again, all right?"

Zach nodded, knowing he wouldn't let himself do it again anyway. "Thanks, Lay. Oh, what did you tell Eth? He's been grinning like crazy, and I can tell he's planning something big in that head of his."

"Get Ethan to tell you later," Layla said, smiling before she headed into the Mad Science classroom.

Realising that he had his class on the other side of the building, Zach turned and started running through the corridors, narrowly missing the other students.

...

End of the thirty-fourth chapter.

Thanks for reading!

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