Extraordinary- Chapter Seven: Resigned to Fate

plummet: I know, I can't believe I've updated either! You know, I should be studying for final exams, but instead I decided to write the newest chapter of my fic 'cause I love you all so much. Lol. I got a review for a previous chapter pointing out a discontinuation I had completely overlooked, and I thank that person profusely for bringing it to my attention. Really, if there's anything I hate more than rotten eggs, it's making a substantial mistake in my writings. I hope I remedied it well enough to everyone's liking. Okay, I'll let you all read now! Hah.

Disclaimer: And, as I hope you all know, I don't own anything Sky High related; not the plot, the soundtrack or DVD (unfortunately), or Warren (haha). However, I do own anything you don't recognize, as in my OC and the plot of this story.

Oh, and I noticed I hadn't posted a Disclaimer (yes, again) for the previous chapter. Please, if anyone thinks I'm undermining their intelligence by posting one, let me know. Really, because if I was the writer of the Sky High movie plot, I'd be so rich I wouldn't need to write fan fiction! I'd just publish my own works! Lol. Yeah, you can all shoo to read the story now.

Keep it inside
The image portrayed
As if I couldn't stand losing; as if I couldn't be saved, no way
A small confession; I think I'm starting to lose it
I think I'm drifting away from the people I really need…- Still Frame; Trapt

After the first day of school, and as I knew it would, time seemed to fly by almost immeasurably fast, the school week ending much quicker than I had anticipated. I had fallen into a comfortable routine, you see (It's one of my more favorable qualities, being very flexible) and I was now capable of going through a school day without too many mishaps (I did manage to get lost a few more times).

I had become much better friends with Layla, as I inevitably would, living in the same house as her and all. Her parents now seemed accustomed to my part in their everyday lives', for they no longer felt the need to always be overly happy, sometimes even opening a meal conversation with serious topics such as Global Warming and up-to-date discussions on the destruction of the rainforests. However, these were all very welcome changes in my life. I craved something bright in my now bleak horizon, as I'm ultimately more of an optimist by nature, and I would want something happy to cheer me up.

All good things, as I've come to realize, must come to end sooner or later, the sooner being the one in my case.

I still hadn't received a response from Sophie.

Of course, most people wouldn't find a problem with not receiving a response right off the bat from a six-year-old girl, but I'm not most people. I know for a fact that little Sophie, like me, always made an effort to be punctual, whether it be with her chores or assignments or even opinions, she was always on time for everything. It'd be just my luck that she'd decided not to write to me, or worse still, the Sisters had decided for her.

The class schedule they'd arranged for me must've really been their last kindness. I mean, who allows such a thing to go on? They know darn well how close we were…are! Sophie can't possibly know the true magnitude of my powers, she's just a little girl, for crying out loud! They're doing her more harm than they know, not letting her stay in touch with me…!

But then, I guess they're right in a sense. I mean, who would want to have an innocent child tainted by me? She's only six, she'll move on; such logic they undoubtedly knew when they'd forced me out without even allowing a 'goodbye'. …They knew, knew they'd injure me far more than they would Sophie…They had to've known…There's no way they'd be that cruel to an innocent, I refuse to believe that. As long as they remain nuns, they will retain their holy titles in my eyes. They couldn't be the ones at fault...

Then, it must be me who's done something wrong.

No, not done; I am something wrong, something so vile and evil that it's hard for even the afflicted to comprehend. I am a mutant with some kind of warped DNA. According to my religion, 'I' shouldn't even exist!

But I refuse to believe that, too. I have to have a purpose, God had to have a purpose for creating me. No, I'm mistaken. I need a purpose, else my entire view on life will be shattered into a million little pieces (more so than it already has, anyway).

Enough of that. Enough, enough, enough! I can't go on discussing this. Sophie will write back, and everything will resolve itself. Eventually. Yes, eventually…

The chains of the porch swing rattled slightly as I shot out of it to stretch my stiff limbs. As a titled my head to the side to flex my neck, the reddish light of the rising sun caught a strand of my hair, illuminating it to a fiery orange. I stared, transfixed on the color of it, completely disregarding my problems without even really trying.

It was, without question, well past midnight now as I stood out on the porch. Yes, I had begun to wake up at my usual time once again. The transition to the Ashcroft household had thrown off my nighttime ritual, my body not being used to sleeping in a foreign bed. I'd adapted like I did to all things, and after about three days or so, my die-hard habit was back on its track.

I pondered more on the present time and noticed that the crickets weren't chirping, and the fireflies had long ago retired to wherever they went to rest…As the sun rose ever higher, I figured it must've been around 3 o'clock; too early for the birds, yet late enough for the insects to be as quiet as they were.

'High time for me to meditate…' I thought apathetically to myself.

I considered going inside for a moment, but then the depressing lack of life in the Ashcrofts' dark house didn't really appeal to me at the time.Instead, I decided to stay out on the porch and watch the sunrise. Maybe the beginning of a new day would lighten my mood a little. One can only hope.

-Layla's p.o.v…-

I couldn't sleep any longer. I had gone up to bed much earlier than I would normally (a shocking eight o'clock!), and as I'd turned over in my bed fruitlessly for the fifth time in an hour, I decided to heed my body's message of 'You can get up now' and just go downstairs. It was a Saturday, anyway. No harm in that.

As I lounged carelessly on the bottom step of the staircase, I caught a glimpse of a person sitting outside on the porch. Not knowing who else would be up at this time and, I'll admit, a little scared of the possibilities, I got up shakily. I crept up to the door and opened it, but not before grabbing a rather threatening looking umbrella from the case to my right. I brandished it in front of my person as an attempt to ward off the stranger, when I discovered 'porch-person' wasn't so strange to me after all.

It was just Ammie.

I clutched at my frantically beating heart, feeling a little stupid now after finding out who it was. She didn't seem to notice, though. Questions popped into my mind then, as to why she was out here so early and what in the world was she doing…But something told me to hold them back. It seemed almost….wrong to break the silent recluse of the early morning, so I refrained from saying anything immediately.

Immediately being in a span of five minutes. I could never keep quiet for too long.

"G'morning, Ammsters! Did ya sleep well?"

She looked over at me with a slight smile, the kind of smile only deeply troubled people ever use. I knew something serious was going on with Amelie, but I would never ask her about that. If she wanted to talk, she'd talk. That's one thing I'd never do, push someone to talk to me. No matter how much it pained me to do so, I'd keep quiet in her case.

"Eh, well enough. How about you? Good, I hope?" she inquired politely.

'If I wasn't me, I would never suspect a thing,' I thought offhandedly. But in that thought's place, I responded with a noncommittal "Pretty good".

Am's lips twitched into another smile as I unceremoniously plopped myself down next to her, the both of us choosing to watch the birds hop back and forth between the trees and on the ground, some early riser's car zooming down the street every now and then.

Surprisingly, it was her who broke the companionable silence this time.

"So, did you plan on doing anything today?" she asked me with a little tilt of her head.

"You know," I said slyly, "I was planning on going to the mall with Maj and the guys later…D'you wanna come with?" It was my turn to tilt my head.

Her brows drew together, and she frowned in contemplation.

"Is Warren coming…?"

Oh, what an opportune moment to poke fun! I smirked playfully. I had her right where I wanted her…

"Why, Ams? Do you liiiike him?"

-Amelie's p.o.v…-

Why! What in the world possessed me to ask such an idiotic question. I mean, it was out of nowhere! I hadn't even really spoken to Warren since the first day of school. We were barely even friends…!

Layla's cleverly aimed response rang in my head like the incessant buzzing of a bee. Why, Ams? Do you liiiiike him?

'Do I like him…?'

As I almost lapsed into a fantasy about his deep, soulful eyes and chiseled bod…Well alright, it's kind of hard to dislike him, even if he is kind of a stiff about a lot of things. But really like him like him, as in, have a crush on him? No, not really…

Alright, alright, a little. Just a little, nothing more. Well, for now anyway.

I'm kind of pathetic, then, liking someone and knowing next to nothing about them. And who's to say that Warren would ever tell me anything about himself? He doesn't come across as the sharing type, that boy…

Yikes, Layla's looking at me strangely…Oh right, she asked me a question.

"Uh…no. I mean, as a friend, yes. Just not, er, in the way you're implying…"

Right, Am. Nice, really nice.

Even Layla had to raise her eyebrow at that one.

"Sure, Ams. Sure thing." She winked after this, of course, causing me to blush beat red. And as if I wasn't embarrassed enough, she decided to add, "Yeah, Warren'll be there, even if I have to drag him along against his will. And don't worry. I'm pretty sure he likes you, too."

If possible, my face flushed an even darker shade of crimson. Opting to ignore what she'd said, I leapt up and literally sprinted inside, flinging myself onto the couch and attempting to bury my heated face in its cushions. Layla was quick to follow, much to my misfortune, as I heard the door open and close once again and light footsteps tread up to where I was lying on the couch.

Layla was still there, standing. I could feel her warm presence in the room with me. The seconds droned on into agonizing minutes, and still she didn't budge. Okay, my mortification was beginning to slowly ebb away, leaving annoyance in its wake…

"I'm not letting you back out now, Miss Bowen. The same thing goes for you as it does for Warren. I will get you both to come, whether it means knocking you out and sacking you, you're going."

I could practically hear the smile in her voice as she sauntered out of the room and into the kitchen.

My hands dropped from my head in weary acceptance. Somehow, I wouldn't put it past her to do just what she'd said. Plus, there was no escape from this outing that wouldn't involve me fighting her off like a made woman, and right now I knew I wasn't up to that. I sat up and shrugged resignedly.

I guess this means I'm bound for the mall.

A special thanks to:

Element Girls, Xtreme Nuisance, Kara Adar, horsebookworm, Readerfreak10, in THEgrid is where i live, shadowphoenix101,and stevenstraitrawks for reviewing chapter six. Really, thanks so much for all of your nice comments and helpful suggestions. I hope you all, and all the rest of the readers, enjoyed reading this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it! Heh. Any more comments, suggestions, please leave them! Ttfn.