Another Day
Erin Colleen

Chapter Two

I wasn't late for my power placement-thing, thank . . . something other than God? I knew he didn't really care if mortals said stuff like that, but I didn't want anything else on my detailed record to count against me. I didn't like extreme heat, for one thing, and I didn't want my soul to experience eternal suffering, for another thing. Go figure.

I'd just spoken with the the main authority figure, Principal Powers, and we'd decided that I'd be allowed an all day tutoring session of sorts. I wasn't here to become a super hero, and no way was I ever going to 'support' someone like the snobby little kids I'd encountered in the courtyard.

I'd achieved special treatment by telling the principal what I'd done to the pack of students running her campus, already. She was quite adamant that I never do it again, but knew she had no real way of stopping me. Limiting my exposure to my fellow students seemed the best remedy.

Truthfully, I was only attending this school because I knew I wouldn't do well going to another highschool for regular kids. I was a regular child growing up, but that wasn't the case now. Other than that . . . I was here, secretly, hopeing to find friends who wouldn't freak-out knowing that I was 'different'. Loseing friends to something I couldn't control was heart-breaking for me. Super Hero School seemed a likely place to try.

"Are you new here?" I looked up to see a redhead speaking to me from the next table. She was sitting with some other kids in her grade, and it seemed she was being excluded from the current diccussion.

"I haven't seen you before, and you seemed alone, so I thought I'd say 'hi'." Red continued to watch my face for a glimpse of emotion before her eyes darted out the cafateria windows.

Silence.

I didn't know what to do, really. I was takeing a shine to her, already, but I couldn't read her intentions. Suddenly, I felt a need for ice comeing from her. So, I reacted.

The two of us were now atop a glacier in my old home of Alaska. This girl was astonished and clasped her hands together in confusion. She looked adorable and I laughed at the picture before me. This brought her attention to me for a moment before she whirled to take in the fields of ice around us.

"This is amazing! Did you do this?" She asked me while looking at the depths of blue in the ice at her feet.

"No. Centuries of inconstant cold weather did, actually. I'm not that powerful." I was being sarcastic, but my retort had her looking at me uncertainly. I decided to take mercy on her and stop my usual play short. "I knew you would be a good person to me, and I felt your desire for ice, so I brought us . . . here." I stuck a hand out to her.

"I'm Kel." She was axious, but took my hand without hesitation anyway.

"Hi, I'm Layla." I dropped her hand after one shake, not wanting her to become more uncomfortable. She was still looking about, takeing in everything. I was becoming curious.

"Why did you want ice so badly?"

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" I could hear the startlment in her vioce.

"I can kinda sense what people need. It's weird, I know." Humans hated being seen as vulnerable, so me knowing something this important about them naturally made them uncormfortable.

Eventually, Layla told me the reason behind being an ice junkie, and why she kept it to herself.

"So, you grow things, and in doing so you always hear the vioces of plant life and feel the presence in your mind?" This was rather interesting. It remined me of the psycological diseases where people feel there are others besides themselves in their heads. Maybe she'd crack one day? Though, my Little Red here didn't seem the type to go on a killing rampage or seek world domination. Her breakdown might not be too interesting.

"Exactly. It's hard, sometimes, keeping it separate in my head, ya know?" No, I didn't really. But Layla continued happily explaining her troubled life to me, a complete stranger. "I like the ice because not many things grow here. So the vioces are quieter, and I can shut them out of my mind. At least for awhile."

"This is like an emotional vacation for you, then?"

"Yep. It's really peacful here, too. Um, where are we, exactly?"

I could tell Layla was just now wondering, being too caught up in the moment earlier to think about the sudden displacement.

"We're in Alaska. I used to live about a day from here. Humans aren't allowed on this glacier because it's too big to be toured safely, so no one will bother us here." It wasn't my favorite place in Alaska, but it was nice and had suited the need I'd felt from her at the time.

"Wow! I've never been to Alaska. Well, I've never been to a lot of places. But this is so neat! I bet you do this all the time." Layla was absolutly gushing. She was so happy to be here without the minds of plants. It was odd, the difference in her countanance from before, and now. She seemed much more confident.

"I love it here. I'd love to go to places like this for vacations and stuff, but no one would want to go with me. In fact, they'd probably wonder why I'd want to."

My ears were beginning to heat up with all her talking.It'd been awhile since I'd just let someone talk to me about themselves.I knew she needed it, though.

"My friend Will wanted to go on a road trip last summer and suggested a forest in Vermont. And every time we would learn about a place in school when we were young, like the rain forest or the red wood forests, Will would comment to me how much he thought I'd enjoy it there with all the plants and things to grow."

I made a note to investigate this Will-person when we got back to Sky High. This was obviously a guy she wanted, but he didn't seem to understand Red's wants or needs. Bummer, that a kewl person like her would choose an idiot.

"I don't think he'd really understand me, even if I tried to explain it to him. He thinks I love all plants. And I do, I just like the absense of them too, sometimes, ya know?"

Ah, so, this kid would be too closed-minded to really get it? Double damn. This girl needed a new boyfriend. She was so accepting of things and open with people. She deserved someone who'd be the same with her.

"It's not like I could really tell him, though. Heeh, I can't even tell him that I like him as more than a friend! How could I tell him that I sometimes like being in places that have no living things in them? He wont understand. He'd probably think I'm a horrible person, if I ever told him . . ."

Okay, her depression over this was becoming obvious. I had to put a stop, or a hold on this thing. Keep it out of her mind.

"Layla, I understand. I like to be around nothing that can even make noises, sometimes. I wouldn't be able to handle vioces and stuff all the time as you do. I admire your honesty about it, too." Layla smiled at this, radiant and glowing, she accepted my compliments.

"Thanks, Kel. I'm glad you understand my feelings. I hope someday Will—"

"I hope he'll understand if you choose to tell him, too. Though people don't need to know everything about you, so don't feel like he has to know. You're a sensitive person, and I think you deserve to take time off fromothers. Be they human or plant." I was smirking by the end of my tirade, even though it went on in my head to cover what a moron this guy would be to not understand her uniquness. Red seemed content to sigh dreamily and watch the sunlight play on the snow-topped peaks surounding the deep valley we were resting in.

"We should head back, Red. You still have classes, right?"

"Red?" Layla asked me as her delicate brow furrowed.

I only smiled at her and told her to get ready for people to be around again. She took a deep breath and smiled, ready.

OoOoOo
Kel in not into Layla in that way, thanks.And she's not always so mean, just that 'new girl facade', kinda thing.:DThere's more Will bashing, but he didn't have anyone tellin him whatfor in the movie. Here, he does. :P lol.