First thing that tipped everyone off were their eyes. No normal human or superhuman had eyes those colors unless you wanted to spend a fortune on wacky contacts. Nothing tipped them off that they were real contacts either. Of course, Coach Boomer was cocky and oblivious to that detail. He only knew transfer students were transfer students and their powers would either land them to be the next Commander or Jetstream…or they'd end up as hero support. Didn't matter to him. It wasn't the first day. Just a semi-annual check up plus transfer student power placement.
"Rayne Matters?" he called to the crowd of students. Both old and new.
Some freshman laughed, "Yeah, or else all the plants would die!"
"DID I ASK FOR A SMART REMARK?" he boomed at the kid. The kid fell back and took the hint to shut his mouth. "RAYNE MATTERS!" He sonic boomed because no one had come forward to claim the name.
One of them stepped forward finally. She was the frightening mysterious one of the bunch. He had instructed them to stand on the platform and prove their powers to be placed. Rayne wasn't one for being 'put into groups'. He stared at her. He could tell she was one with an attitude. Not an ounce of color was in her attire. Just black. Black boots, black fishnet tights, black skirt, black top, black makeup. Even her hair was black, stick straight. The kind of hair that would be straight no matter what you tired to do to it. The only color on her was a vivid indigo shining out of her glare of stubborn contempt.
"Well, I take it you heard me explain what to do, so why don't you do it?" He snapped.
"Mr. Boom-box…"
"COACH BOOMER!" he once again sonic boomed and it sent the freshman behind her sprawling but only her straight hair blew back as she held her ground. The Coach looked a bit surprised that she was stable enough to resist the pressure of a sonic boom.
"I don't want to show my power."
He rolled his eyes, he had some of them before. Those who 'refused to show their powers'. Well, they always got stuck with hero support if that was the case. No one was getting into hero status without some effort. Rayne didn't care if she was hero support, she didn't want to be there. Plus it was her last year of high school. She could stand a year of this. She only hoped her sisters could cope.
"Byrn Matters?" Except the coach pronounced it as 'barn'. Some of the kids snickered. One of the others took a step forward. She was the one that looked dangerous. She was decked out with punk wear. Studded belt and bracelets. an eyebrow ring, red and black striped necktie, baggie cargo pants, and DC skater shoes. Her hair was a dark ruby shade of red and there were natural red roots, which tipped them off that she had did something to enhance her hair at one point. She wore the smoky-eyed look around her eyes--another pair of amazing impossible-colored eyes. Blood red.
"Definite vampire," one of the paranoid freshman whispered to his friend.
No, Byrn was not a vampire.
"Maybe stoner?" his friend replied.
Well, she had dabbled with drugs in the past.
"You said my name wrong," she said calmly.
"Oh...and how else is it supposed to be pronounced?' he leaned forward and into her face very mockingly.
"Only one way, 'burn'" she said chillingly.
"Well BU-URN, show us what you've got," Boomer motioned towards the platform.
"I'd rather not," she said and stood next to the other three.
"SIDEKICK!" he boomed angrily. Byrn couldn't care less also. Just like her sister, she didn't want to be there, besides she was a Junior.
His patience was wearing thin at this point. "Gail Matters?" You knew one of the two left was going to own that name. It was the beautiful one. Ringlets of blonde flowing hair bobbed up and down as she came forward. She smiled, but it was the kind of smile that made a person stand on edge. A Cheshire cat smile. She looked like Sky High's average preppy super-girl. Maybe the reason someone was attracted but scared out of their mind when she stared at them was because in her eye there would be a black pupil, a white iris that was surrounded by a black band with black flecks, and then the white of the eye. Basically the girl had black and white eyes, and yes, they were all natural.
Boomer actually noticed those eyes because she was staring at him.
"What the hell is wrong with your eyes?"
"Nothing. I can see fine,"
"Let me guess, you have x-ray vision? If so that's a hero type 2 category…" He tried tempting her.
"Not really. I see normally." She shrugged.
"Then get up here and show us what you can do!" he said irritated.
"Uhhhm…no." she laughed with scorn and backed into her sisters. The freshman noted that Coach Boomer almost had smoke coming out of his ears from being so frustrated. What kind of girls were these? Most kids…most GIRLS would like to flaunt whatever power they had. Of course he had a couple exceptions but those exceptions were strung out over his 25 year teaching career.
"SIDEKICK!" he repeated his sonic boom. Gail didn't mind. She knew she was going to have fun with all the boys this year at Sky High. Following her sisters' thoughts on the whole situation, she didn't want to be there either. But instead of being mopey or bitter like Byrn and Rayne…she was going to make the most of it. The most of her three years as a standing sophomore.
He looked at his clipboard. There was only one 'Matters' sister left. "Terra Matters."
The last one. The puzzling one. Her dark mahogany hair was pulled up in the back and she had a retro scarf tied around her head. Again, the eyes on her were impossible. An orange with yellow. Terra's eyes were wide and innocent looking, not scornful like her sisters'.
"POWER. NOW." Boomer pointed to the platform and demanded harshly.
Terra was taken aback. She would have gladly shook his world up by giving him a peek at her power, but he was just so rude. It was partly her sisters' faults but it was their prerogative whether or not to subject themselves to be on display. She respected their decisions.
"Sorry, sir," she shook her head back and forth as Gail took her hand.
"Well, I'm awfully surprised," he turned his back to all and said but drenched in sarcasm. "SIDEKICK!" he bellowed. It knocked Terra back into her sisters. They caught her and scowled at the coach, their eyes became sort of glazed with their glares.
"I'm OKAY. I am…fine." Terra quickly said before anything bad happened.
Her sisters' glazy-eyed frowns went away and they let her go so could regain posture.
Just like her sisters, she didn't want to be there. She wanted to be home. Also, just like her sisters…she couldn't give a damn about power placement either. They all knew what they could do. She also knew it was going to be a long four years, that is, if she could get through it.
