It had been a while since Mary had had a chance to simply sit and leisurely enjoy a hot cup of coffee. Most mornings, she was up and making breakfast for the twins and getting them off to school. But weekends gave her a bit of time to slow down and enjoy herself. If she sat on the far side of the island counter in the kitchen, she could watch the sun rise over the row of trees that separated the neighborhood from the park. If she had been in France, she would be having a croissant with her coffee, but, alas, she had to make due with home made sugar cinnamon toast. She would need the energy to get through dance preparations.
Mary's thoughts turned back to Layla's visit last night and what she'd learned from Warren. Layla and Will needed to talk to one another, but she had a feeling he was going to sulk at home while Layla tried to have fun at the dance even though she would want to be with her friend more than anything. Mary sipped some of the dark brew and nibbled on her toast. Why couldn't they just simply talk about their feelings? Then again, she wasn't the best person to give that advice. She was trying to force herself to ignore her growing feelings for Warren.
Warren. Wonderfully stubborn, brooding, hot tempered Warren whose smile could light up the world as much as his comforting words could. Mary dropped her forehead into her hand. Great. She was reciting poetry. When did she turn into a bad teen novel? She didn't want a complicated or dramatic romance; she just wanted to have an open and trusting friendship with someone who understood her. She looked down into her coffee and frowned. Did other 14 year olds think like this or was she just stranger than everyone?
The sun was fully risen now and Mary slid off the tall chair. The twins weren't early risers like her, but they would be up soon and starving. Bacon and eggs would be good. Half an orange for both of them, too. Mary started in on breakfast and had their food ready by the time they climbed into their chairs.
"Morning, you two," she said. "Do you have everything ready for Taylor's party?" Suzy nodded and Randy shoved some eggs into his mouth. "Good. Now, I promised Layla that I would be by around noon to start getting ready for the dance. Mrs. Kowalski is expecting you at 6, so you'll have to come with me to Layla and bring your things."
"Did you pick a dress?" Suzy asked.
"I hope it's the red one," Randy said, taking a big swallow of milk. "You look good in that one. Victor even said so."
Mary smiled. "Victor's the one who made it. He thinks all of his creations are perfect. But, yeah, I chose the red one."
"Ooooh!" Suzy grinned. "Warren will like that one."
Mary raised her coffee to hide her blush. "It was that one or the blue one."
"The blue is good," Randy said, "but you'd have to re-dye your hair. The streaks are too faded to pop with that one."
Mary ran a hand over her hair. She hadn't had a chance to really do anything with the blue streaks that were starting to lose their color though hadn't faded too much. "Maybe later," she said. "Anyway, my things are ready to go whenever we leave. What do you want to do until noon?"
"Cartoons," Randy said.
"Scooby-doo!" Suzy slipped from her chair and hurried toward the living room. Randy darted after his sister, leaving Mary to clean up their plates with a roll of her eyes.
There was the usual Saturday morning cartoon line up that lasted until 11:30, when Mary made them a quick lunch, had them gather their things, and out the door to Layla's.
Mary hadn't been over to her friend's house since she got back, which was pretty poor on her part, but it was still hard to miss. The garden out front bloomed brighter than any of the neighbors' and the honeysuckle by the door made the air smell sweet. Mrs. Williams answered the door when Mary knocked, dressed in an old worn pair of jeans, a green tank top, and a pair of old hiking boots. She had a pair of gardening gloves in her hand.
"Kids, it's good to see you. Layla's upstairs. I'll be in the back working on the garden if you need me."
"Can we help?" Randy asked.
Mrs Williams chuckled. "Of course. I think I have some extra gloves your size. Let's go find them."
The twins put their bags by the door and followed the lady through the house and out the back. Mary stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
The Williams' house was more open than the Lambs' or Strongholds'. Where they had walls and corridors to separate the rooms, the Williams' kitchen and dinning room side of the first floor was open. Only low walls separated it from the living room and every available surface was covered in plants of some kind while still making the place seem uncluttered. There was an obvious smell of soil, herbs, and flowers hanging in the air.
Mary climbed the stairs in the corner that twisted slightly up to the second floor. Layla's room was at the end of the hall and the door was open, letting out the sounds of the Backstreet Boys. Like most girls, Layla had posters of boy bands up in her room but there were more plants here, as well, all bearing some kind of fruit. The curtains had been pulled back from the large windows to let in the light, something Magenta wasn't thrilled about. The goth girl wasn't thrilled about a lot of what Layla was doing to her, including curling her hair in front of the vanity.
"Hey," Layla said as she finished a curl and put the iron down on the side table. Magenta waved in the mirror.
"Hey." Mary put her things on the bed. "Listen, Suzy and Randy are going to a sleepover tonight and have to be there at 6. I'll drop them off and then head to the bus stop."
"Sure. That gives us pleanty of time to get ready."
"I don't get why we have to take so long," Magenta said, turning in her seat. "You put on a dress, you put your hair up, and you throw on some lip gloss. That hardly takes 6 hours."
"Not if you do the bare minimum," Layla said, checking the curlers in her hair to make sure they hadn't moved. "But we're in high school and it's our first dance. We should try for a little bit more, don't you think?" Magenta rolled her eyes. Layla turned to Mary. "What did you get for a dress?"
"I picked one from my closet." Mary hung the clothes bag up on a hook and pulled the zipper down. She pushed the sides away to show the red dress. Even Magenta was impressed by it.
"It's gorgeous," Layla said, running her fingers gently over the fabric. "It must have been a fortune."
"It was a gift from a designer friend back in France. He made it for his showcase and asked me to be his model. Afterward, he said I looked so good in it he insisted I take it." Mary zipped the bag back up to keep from anything getting on it. "I have a few like this back home."
"Designer friends, huh?" Magenta said, moving to sit on Layla's bed. "You go to a fancy arts school?"
"It wasn't really an art school, per se." Mary kicked her shoes off and climbed onto the bed with a brush, ready to tackle her hair. "They taught regular subjects and everything, but there was a heavy influence of art. Many of my friends were fashion designers or artists. I was one of the few photographers, so I was asked to cover a lot of shows. It was really kind of fun."
"Have you thought about joining the school newspaper or yearbook committee?" Layla took the seat in front of the vanity.
Mary shrugged, flipping a section of hair over her shoulder. "If I had time, I would. But I have to take care of the twins. That's kind of a full time job."
"I don't think they'd mind."
Mary shrugged and finished brushing her hair. She collected the curlers she'd brought and started wrapping the strands around the cylinders. She'd thought about joining them, but the twins really did take up a lot of her time. No one else was there for them. Tonight was a treat and she forced herself to think happy thoughts. She pulled out her camera and took a few pictures of the girls.
"Why are you always taking pictures?" Magenta asked as she put her hair back into a bun and letting one soft curl to fall over her shoulder.
"They're for my mom. She misses a lot of things because of her confinement, so I bring her pictures so she can still be a part of everything." Mary set the camera aside. "Besides, it's fun to pull out old photos from time to time and make fun of the fashion choices. I have one of Layla when she went through her pink phase."
The red head's mouth fell open. "You do not," she said.
Mary grinned. "Oh, but I do. Right next to Will's attempt at cutting his own hair."
Magenta laughed. "Now that I have to see."
Layla pointed her finger at Mary. "Don't you dare." Mary held her hands up in defense. Layla nodded and turned to her vanity. Mary looked over at Magenta and winked. The picture was pretty timeless.
It took a total of one hour for them to get dressed. That left five hours of them goofing off and laughing in Layla's room. At one point, Mrs. Williams brought up a few snacks and used Mary's camera to take a few pictures. Around 5:40, Mary tucked a curl behind her ear and checked her reflection in the mirror by the front door.
"Ok." She turned to her friends. "I'll drop the twins off at their sleepover and see you at the bus stop."
"I can do that for you, dear," Mrs. Williams said as she picked up her purse. "You three should go enjoy your evening."
Magenta wore her classic purple and black combo in her dress. She'd pared it with black combat boots, black fishnet gloves, and a black choker. The edgy look suited her. Layla had found a green flowing goddess style dress and styled her hair into soft curls. She looked like she'd jumped out of a mythological painting. Mary wore a single strapped red dress that fell to the floor in a semi-fitted sheath. She'd added a simple gold bangle to her wrist, a black choker, and a small red clutch.
Mary held out her camera to Mrs. Williams. "Would you mind taking a picture?"
"No problem." She raised the camera to her eye and snapped a few pictures of the girls.
"You look pretty," Randy said, picking up his bag.
"The red was a good choice," Suzy said.
Mary pulled them in for a hug and smiled when Mrs. Williams took a picture. "Now, I want you two to be on your best behavior. Have fun, but don't give the Kowalskis a hard time. Ok?" The twins nodded. "Alright. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."
The group left the house. The girls turned to the left to go to the bus stop and Mr. and Mrs. Williams took the twins to the right. As Mary waited for their ride, she checked to make sure her camera was fully charged and there was an extra card in her bag. She wanted to get as many pictures as she could tonight.
The gym had been decorated in streamers and balloons with a large disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Couples already danced on the floor or sat at the round tables provided off to the side. Mary spotted Gwen talking with Penny and a few of her clones. She didn't seem to be too sad at being dateless.
Layla pulled Mary and Magenta over to a table where Zach and Ethan were already lounging in the chairs.
"Yo!" Zach said, standing up. "You ladies are looking fine."
Magenta rolled her eyes but Mary smiled and snapped a picture of the boys. "Love the outfits, guys." Zach's outfit was as bright as it usual was. Ethan was the same way, grinning in his orange color scheme. "I really enjoy your bowtie, Ethan."
He grinned. "Thanks."
Mary set her clutch down on the table and slid the camera strap around her neck. "I'm going to take a few pictures."
"I'm going to hit the refreshment table," Layla said.
"I'll join you," Ethan said. "Want anything, Zach?"
"Punch and some munchies, dude."
"Magenta?"
She shrugged and sat down. Mary turned to the dance and started taking pictures of everything. People smiled and waved once they saw the camera. None of them sneered or frowned at her; not one insult or side look was sent her direction. It was like she was just another person. Even though she knew it was because of the camera, their positive attention felt good. After a while, though, she started to get thirsty. She'd circled the large dance floor twice.
Mary turned and spotted Warren and Layla talking by the punch bowl. She laughed when she saw Layla offer him a cheese cube. He shook his head and took it, pulling the food off the toothpick with his teeth. Mary looked him over as she approached. He hadn't done anything special with his hair, but he looked good in the black suit and matching tie. He filled it out pretty well. She raised her camera and shot a few pictures. She was adjusting the lenses for a close up when he turned. Her heart jumped into her throat at the look in his eyes; surprise, wonder, and…approval? Mary's finger hit the button and the camera clicked as it captured his expression. She lowered her camera and smiled at him when she came to a stop by his side.
Warren stared, his eyes traveling over her outfit and face. Mary pushed away the blush she felt wanting to rise to her cheeks. Layla nudged his shoulder and he jumped slightly, though he'd probably never admit it.
"You look beautiful."
Mary couldn't help the little bit of blush that colored her cheeks; not with the sincerity in his voice. "Thank you," she said. "You look very handsome."
He looked down at his suit and shifted slightly from foot to foot. "It was my Dad's," he said.
Mary reached out and straightened his tie a bit. "I like it. It's very suave."
Warren stared down at her and smiled. That smile was going to be the death of her some day; she just knew it. It also didn't help that he was standing so close to her that she could smell the hint of cologne he'd put on for tonight. He reached up and tapped the camera around her neck. "Pictures for your mom?"
Mary swallowed hard and looked down the device. "Yeah. I've been getting a lot of good ones, too. People are really photogenic. Here, look." She turned so he could see the screen of her camera and flipped through the pictures she'd taken. Warren stepped closer and leaned down a bit to get a better look. His hair fell forward, tickling her bare shoulder. She could feel the heat we was giving off against her back and felt her body relax.
"You did good, Pics." His voice sent a shiver up her spine but she turned her head to smile at him.
"Thanks-" She didn't realize how close he was. Their faces were inches apart. They stared at one another for a moment until Warren cleared his throat and stepped back a bit. Mary instantly missed his warmth.
A spotlight shined on the door and everyone's attention turned as Commander and Jetstream were announced.
"I better get this," Mary said and darted to an area where she could take pictures of the two entering. She snapped a few before moving off to the side to get a few more when they accepted their award.
In part, she wanted a good picture, but she would be lying if she said it was the only reason she'd retreated from the refreshment table. Warren's close proximity had started to affect her and she didn't want to deal with those kinds of confusing feelings right now. It really didn't help that he looked absolutely fantastic in a suit. If he pushed his hair back to show more of his face, he'd be stunning. She looked over at the refreshment table and smiled as she watched Warren pick up another cheese cube.
Her attention was brought back to the stage as electric charges brought out two large metal strips from the side of the stage. They spelt out Royal Pain in bright gold yellow. A green imp like man jumped onto the stage and pulled out a large sci-fi looking gun. A collective gasp rolled over the gym.
"Royal Pain," Commander said slowly, "is a girl."
"Yes, I'm a girl, you idiot," Gwen said, her helmet deepening her voice and adding a robot feel to it. "How I ever lost to fool like you, I'll never know. Now prepare to be Pacified."
Commander put his fists on his hips in a confident and cocky manner. "Do you honestly think you could kill me with that little toy gun of yours?"
"Why, my dear Commander, who said anything about killing you?" Royal Pain raised the gun and fired. A stream of light hit the Commander in the chest and Mary watched in shock as he started to shrink. She shielded her eyes from the light and, when she looked back, she gasped to see a baby where he had once stood. Royal Pain had turned him into a baby?
Panic quickly spread as more people were turned into babies. Mary looked for her friends. Thankfully, they hadn't moved from the table. She was by their side in a flash. Warren gripped her elbow and pulled her toward the gym exits, but stopped. Lash, Penny, and Speed had pulled the gates down, trapping people inside. Mary looked for another exit. "The ducts," she said, pointing to an air duct grate in the corner. She turned to Warren. "Get the others out. I'll cover you."
Warren blew the grate off with a fireball. Layla, Ethan, and Magenta climbed into the crate as Mary maintained a barrier between them and the Pacifier's ray. Royal Pain was aiming it at the disco ball and randomly hitting people. Mary was having a hard time trying to keep her barrier up as well as throw up enough to stop the rays from hitting the other students. She could only maintain two barriers. She threw a look over her shoulder and watched Zach vanish into the vents.
"Mary, let's go," Warran said.
She turned to go, but saw the Pacifier's ray hit the disco ball and split. Both were headed for two groups of huddled kids. She managed to throw up barriers in front of them, blocking the attack. A sigh escaped her as the kids looked up, unharmed, but her defense had caused her to drop the barrier protecting her.
The ray hit her straight in the chest, making her gasp as she felt her body start to shrink. Her knees hit the gym floor. She was changing but she couldn't stop it. She had only a moment to meet Warren's surprised gaze as he climbed into the vent before she passed out. At least he would be safe.
Where was she? Why wasn't anyone paying attention to her? Where was Mommy? Mary looked around, her lip trembling. She wanted Mommy. A wail erupted from her lungs.
"Shut up, you little brat," someone said.
Mary turned her head and cried again. A large scary green creature with pointy ears and nose picked her up. She waved her arms, trying to scare him away, but he only put her in a seat and strapped her in. No! She didn't want to be in the seat. She wanted Mommy! She started to scream again and others joined in. Where were those kids' mommies? Why wasn't anyone helping them?
Her seat stared to move and she tried to see who was carrying her. Were they taking her to Mommy? They were going through a shiny area and she was loaded onto something that was moving her. She whimpered. She didn't know what was going on and she wanted Mommy. She wanted to cry, but she was growing tired. Her eyes grew heavy and she fell asleep.
Who was holding her? She was warm and comfortable. Mary opened her eyes and curled her fingers into the shirt of whoever was holding her. She looked up. The man felt nice and safe. A coo left her lips, drawing the man's attention. He looked down at her and smiled softly.
"Everything's going to be ok. Just sit tight."
Mary gurgled happily and rubbed her head against him. She liked his voice. He shifted her closer to his chest and then set her down. She whined, reaching out for him. No. He couldn't leave her. She didn't want him to. Something hit her back and she cried as her body began to grow and stretch. Mary curled into herself and waited for her muscles and bones to stop pulling themselves apart. When it did, she felt something fall around her shoulders and someone helping her to her feet. She took a couple steps and leaned against her assistant.
"I got you," Warren said. "Easy, Lamb."
Mary opened her eyes and stared up at him as he led her back to the gym. He'd lost his jacket some time ago and his tie was hanging loose around his neck. "What happened?" Her voice scratched a bit and she coughed.
Warren stopped them and pulled her out of the main walking area until her coughing stopped. "What do you remember?"
"Gwen was Royal Pain or something and was turning people into babies." She rubbed her temple and suddenly realized that the only thing covering her was a large sheet that was usually on Nurse Spex' beds in the infirmary. Mary blushed and pulled the blanket tighter around her. Oh God! Warren had seen her naked! Could this get any worse?
"You were hit with the Pacifier," Warren said, unaware of her internal panic. "You were covering our escape and got hit. Ethan, Zach, Magenta, Layla, Will, and I managed to stop Royal Pain and Medulla was enough of his old self to make a reverse ray to change people back into themselves." He reached out and pulled her in for a hug. The move shocked her out of her mental storm and back into the moment. He was so warm and solid. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."
Mary wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she couldn't move her arms or risk the blanket falling. Her fingers curled into his shirt and she turned her face into his neck. "You all got out and saved the day. And you turned me back into a teenager." She pulled back enough to meet his eyes, smiling up at him. "You're a hero, Warren." His eyes widened and her cheeks warmed. "My hero."
Warren drew her into another firm hug. She leaned into the embrace. He'd proven himself to be just as good a Hero as any other Super. She'd known for a while, but she guessed he was just coming to that realization. His hands were warm where he pressed them against her back. Mary blushed and pulled back slightly. He gave her a confused look.
"I love the hugs. I really do," she said. "But maybe I could get them when I'm not wearing a blanket in the middle of the hallway?"
Warren looked down and she had to chuckle at the blush that sprang to his cheeks. "Right. Here." He wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to the gym. She was thankful for the support. Her legs felt like jello from the transformation from baby to teen. She found her clothes in a pile, her camera on top. She checked the camera first and, seeing that it hadn't been damaged, scooped her clothes up and headed for the lockers to change.
Once clad in her dress once more, Mary went in search for her friends. They were glad to see her unharmed and Layla drew her into a hug, recounting what had happened at rapid speed. Mary still felt a bit unsteady and so held her shoes in her hand while she used Warren as a leaning post.
"Will can fly." Mary smiled at the boy. "Now you don't have to take the bus."
He smiled back. "Yeah. How are you?"
"I'm trying to get my legs back under me but I'll be fine in a minute or two." She looked down at where Layla and Will were holding hands. "And good for you two. It took you long enough."
Will was about to say something, but Josie and Steve stepped up to their group. "Are you all ok?" Josie asked.
"We're fine," Will said. "Dad, Mom, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. This whole thing was my fault."
"Oh, you can't blame yourself," Josie said.
"Of course not," Steve said. "How were you to know your girlfriend was a complete and total psychopath?"
"No, that's not it. Um, you gave me one rule and I broke it. I let Gwen into the Sanctum and that's how she got the Pacifier. The whole party was a trap."
"And so was the homecoming," Steve said. "We all fell into Royal Pain's trap. But you defeated her. You saved Sky High and everyone in her."
Will looked at his friends around them. "Well, I didn't do it by myself." The others smiled back.
"You've shown yourselves to be true heroes," Josie said and Steve nodded proudly.
The two super heroes turned to go back to the gym, but the Commander stopped in front of Warren. Mary felt him tense a bit against her shoulder. She pressed her palm against the small of his back for comfort. Facing the man who put your dad away was pretty tense.
Steve extended his hand, shocking Warren for a moment before he hesitantly took it. "Your father would be proud." Warren blinked, his mouth falling open slightly before he recovered and nodded. Steve nodded at Mary before offering his wife his arm. Josie took it and they returned to the gym.
"Woah," Ethan said. "That was epically cool."
"Yeah," Mary said, rubbing Warren's back slightly. "Very cool." She watched him for a moment, waiting for some kind of reaction.
"Dudes," Zach said, grinning. "Let's head back to the gym and get our party on."
"You guys go ahead," Mary said. "We'll catch up." The others nodded and left them in the hallway. There were people still carrying babies into the nearby classroom with the reverse ray but they seemed to ignore the two.
"Warren?"
He looked down at her. Confusion was what filled most of his eyes. But she could also see amazement and pride. "That just happened."
Mary smiled softly. "Yes it did." She walked around until she was standing in front of him. "How do you feel?"
"A bit…surreal." He looked down the hallway where everyone had gone. "To be honest, I'm a little…happy that the Commander recognized me, you know? On the other, I'm a little guilty feeling happy about it. He put my dad away and I fought his son. I should be- I don't know- be angry or something." He shook his head as if to clear it.
Mary took his hands. "Breathe." He nodded and did as she said. "It's ok to feel happy. One of the most famous and successful superheroes of our time just called you a hero and said your dad would be proud of you. That kind of praise would make anyone happy. You don't have to feel bad about anything." Warren's shoulders relaxed and he slowly let out the air he was holding. Mary shook his hands a bit, grabbing his attention. "No matter what anyone says, Warren Peace, you are a Hero of your own making."
Warren smirked. "You should make shirts, Lamb."
"Or maybe bumper stickers," she said.
He fully smiled and shook his head. "Things are never boring with you around."
She laughed. "You may miss that some day."
"Don't think so." He pulled one of his hands free and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Thanks for being here."
Mary reached up and wrapped her fingers around his wrist as her own arm found its way around his waist. "What are friends for?" She leaned into his warmth.
He nodded and said, "We better get back in there. I owe you a dance."
Mary let him lead her back into the gym. As they danced to the upbeat song drifting through the speakers, she momentarily wondered if this pattern of excitement would continue through the year. She didn't know how to feel about that. But Mom was going to love this story on their next visit.