Chapter 2.
Sometimes going to school here seems normal. I forgot I'm in a floating school surrounded by the world's future superheroes and villains. Then other times, it's blaringly obvious where I am. When you're in gym class simply trying to survive you remember that the boy on the other side does have superpowers and that your ability really isn't all that useful, despite being of hero classification. However, I had little time to reflect on that when a fireball was hurtling towards my unprotected face.
I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them to a frozen world. Layla was a foot away, the vine she had been using stopped in mid-air. I took a step to the side knowing that the current state wouldn't last very long. I still hadn't figured out how to keep the effects of my powers any longer then a minute at a time. That hadn't changed from the time I had first discovered my uncanny ability to freeze time.
I was outside, riding my bike up and down the sidewalk. Suddenly, I heard the angry snarl of a dog and the barely perceptible snap of the rope that held him captive. My gawky preteen body struggled to push the pedals faster, I dared a look back and saw the beast; our neighbor's slobbering German shepherd. Without a word everything around me paused, including the bike I was riding. I flipped over the handlebars and onto the motionless sidewalk. Beside me on the pavement an ant had stopped mid-scurry.
The canine, only yards away had been caught in his stride. Slobber hanging like deformed icicles in the still moment. I didn't realize the full ramifications, I just ran as fast as I could back to the house. As I reached for the door knob things started back up. The barking continued and the dog circled the bike as it fell to the ground. I told my father right away. Years before that he had told me about my unusual birth, now I had powers like my father…but I didn't want them.
I was knocked out of my thoughts, quite literally as time started again and Layla accidentally bowled me over with her vine. Warren started to flame up again but the buzzer rang signaling that the villains had won. Layla and I had been defeated in the first round. "Sorry Layla," I offered the apology awkwardly as she and I walked to the girl's locker room. Gym was over and it was time for lunch.
"Don't worry about it," she answered hazel eyes sparkling, "It was your first time…besides I don't like that game much. It'd be much more useful if they had an exercise where teams of students worked together to achieve different goals…"
I knew that this was going to turn into a discussion I had no wish to partake in, "Yeah," I said simply as I changed back into my normal clothes, "I suppose that will happen as soon as Coach Boomer retires."
We laughed together at the seemingly impossible idea and finished in the locker room. Magenta was waiting outside in the hall for us impatiently. "I don't think you guys could have changed any slower," she said rolling her eyes.
"Not all of us can quick change like Mr. Boy," Layla said as we walked to our lockers.
The cafeteria's comforting buzz of talk surrounded me as we sat at our usual table. Ethan smiled up at me and I took a seat next to him, uncomfortable at the knowing look Magenta was giving me. Apparently no one was just allowed to be friends with someone of the opposite sex. I looked at the food on my tray dubiously, wondering if the hero hamburger sitting before me could actually be classified as meat. The rest of the gang joined us at the table as Ethan began talking animatedly about gym class.
"That was great how you dodged Warren's fireball Dia; I sure couldn't have acted that quickly."
I opened my mouth to reply but Magenta was already getting her sarcastic jab in, "You could have just melted Ethan…sides Lydia didn't really dodge it, she paused time and stepped away."
He looked back at me as I bit into my hamburger just as he turned to verify the information. I regretted not informing all of them about my power immediately. It would have been a lot less of a hassle to say it once and be done with it. I nodded to Ethan as I chewed, eager to stifle the conversation before it went any further. Magenta's constant comments were beginning to get on my nerves. She had an answer for everyone's question whether it was directed at her or not.
"So your power is over time? Can you do anything wicked like time travel or something?" Zach asked head bobbing and hands gesticulating wildly.
I almost choked on my food and reached for the bottle of water that was open on my tray. Ethan began patting me on the back awkwardly. In a moment my teary eyes had cleared and I was able to swallow. "No," I managed in a hoarse voice, tucking a stray strand of auburn hair behind my ear.
Warren and Will seemed entirely disinterested in the conversation. The pyro pulled a comic book from his bag while Stronghold began a whispered conversation with Layla. Zach was still looking at me unconvinced, certain that a reaction like that must verify his question more then negate it. Luckily he dropped the subject and gave his full attention to the food on his tray. I finished quickly, wondering almost if I could go spend the rest of the lunch hour in the bathroom without being noticed.
Instead I opted to pull my book out of my bag and finish reading the page I had left off at during Mr. Medulla's extremely boring "Krypton: Fact or Fiction" class. It was amazing how he could turn one of my favorite subjects (science) into something so incredibly dull. On the other hand it was exciting to be doing things in labs that had been taught to me in other schools as mere science fiction. I guess that's what happens when you hire a man with a huge head er…I mean brain.
Ethan finished his lunch and folded his hands on the table. He saw the ratty cover of the book and glanced at the page, "Is that Shakespeare or something?"
"Or something," I answered quietly, turning a page as Zach threw away his trash and then hovered over my shoulder before sitting back in his spot across from me.
"You actually read that stuff? How do you understand any of it?" he asked.
"It's not too hard, I…" I started but Magenta interrupted me, her black outlined eyes flashing.
"Yeah, I'm sure it's really interesting…but I prefer to read things written by people who are still alive…or at least those who know how to speak English correctly. Shakespeare is for snobs."
Will and Layla looked up distracted from their flirting. The chlorokinetic looked concerned that the argument would escalate. The before silent pyro looked up from his brightly illustrated comic book and listened. He grunted in agreement with Magenta a smirk sliding onto his lips. That distasteful display of amusement was the last straw. My dark eyes darted back and forth at the people at the table. Zach was playing with his pop can while Magenta waited for me to respond. She knew how to get under people's skin.
"For snobs?" I asked and there was a consensual nod between Warren and Magenta. Will looked as if he agreed also but Layla just looked concerned. "Well I can tell you one thing," I said getting up to throw my trash away, "Shakespeare takes a heck of a lot more intelligence than your comic books…I'm sorry I actually like reading something instead of just looking at pictures!"
Magenta smiled and then looked at Warren, obviously enjoying the conflict she had started. She was rarely offended but the same could not be said for the hot-headed pyro. His eyes burned and I could feel his anger simmering out in waves. I zipped up my bag and left the table, giving a small smile to Layla as I passed. Why did I always have to ruin things? I hated myself and the way I always managed to screw things up. This would make two lunches in a row that ended uncomfortably, me at the center of the discord.
I left the cafeteria and opted to go outside, like I should have done in the first place. Maybe it'd be better to eat away from them for a while. I didn't want to break up their utopia because of my issues. The weather outside had cleared considerably and the grass was remotely dry. Several people were eating at tables around the campus. Coach Boomer stood a little further on, keeping a watchful eye on everyone. I turned swiftly trying to avoid him and headed to a vacant bench sitting under a tree.
I sat and opened my book again, unable to concentrate on the neatly typed words. They swam in front of my watery eyes.
"Your life isn't normal," he said placing a hand on my small head. I was only twelve. Twelve years old and deathly afraid of the powers I had discovered. I didn't want my life to be twisted this way. How I had wished that the powers that chained my father wouldn't pass to me. Now it seemed all that wishing had been futile. My father looked down at me with warmth showing in his blue eyes, he seemed proud of the abilities I had discovered.
I looked down at the page again and a shadow fell across the bench. I looked up expecting Ethan and saw no one. Confused I glanced around the school campus, about fifty feet away near the wall of the school was a man, he had bright auburn hair, very much like my own, and was dressed in a suit with sunglasses and a briefcase. He looked the epitome of a secret agent. For a moment it seemed he looked straight at me.
"Lydia," someone called from the other direction. It was Layla hurrying over with Magenta. Probably to forcibly make the shape-shifter apologize. I glanced back towards where the man was but it seemed he had disappeared. I looked around with consternation, wondering if I should tell the Principal what I had observed.
"Lydia," Layla said again breathlessly, "Ethan and Warren got into a fight."
Magenta folded her arms and looked as if everything that happened just a little while ago had been forgotten. Apparently she was as eager to forgive as she was to start the argument. I was surprised though that Ethan had actually done something about Warren's surly attitude and had forgotten the man completely.
"Ethan got into a fight?" I asked skeptically.
"Well actually, Warren started it. He said something about you being a smart-mouth," Magenta cleared her throat here and rolled her eyes, "You know."
"Uh-huh," I answered, not having the slightest clue to what the pyro had actually said.
"Anyway," Layla took over the narrative, "Ethan said he was just grumpy about being shown up in save-the-citizen…which is probably true…and the two went at it."
"Physically?" I said, trying to imagine Ethan standing up to anyone.
"Not quite," Layla answered tugging at one of her red ponytails.
"Actually he just melted and Warren slipped in the puddle but Powers still sent them to detention," Magenta finished, half-grinning at the ridiculousness of it all.
"Oh..." I replied standing up and getting my things together. It must be close to the bell anyway. As we walked back to the school I turned to Magenta, "So does this mean we're square?"
She grinned, "Sure, I don't like drawn out fights anyway, I just like arguing…sides you're going to have enough trouble with Warren as it is, he likes holding grudges."