Chapter 2/New Friends

Ana Lucia woke me at nine o' clock Saturday. Way too early for me. I pulled the covers over my head, groaning for her to go away. She persisted however, poking my thin arm until I was sure I could feel a bruise forming.

"What?" I growled from underneath my cocoon.

"Some of your . . . friends are here to see you."

I poked my head out. "Friends? What friends?"

Ana Lucia looked as confused as I felt. "I don't know. They just said they knew you from school. I've never seen them before."

I rolled off the bed, the hard ground waking me up. Ana Lucia giggled slightly as she helped me up. I stood there, blinking in the harsh light from my open window. The jersey and sweats I slept in hung limply on my thin form. Ana Lucia, being the kind of girl that she is, noticed the fabric's lifelessness.

"Alex, are you eating okay?" She asked, her eyes concerned.

I tugged at the jersey, glad it was long enough to cover the stripes on my wrists.

"Yeah," I muttered, turning to the heap of clothes on the floor which held my black jeans and sweatshirt. "I'm fine."

Ana Lucia hesitated before leaving. I quickly got changed and started downstairs for the front door. Ana Lucia had left it slightly open and when I pulled it towards me to see who was on the other side, I frowned in confusion.

Three teenagers stood before me. They looked about my age, maybe older. Two boys and one girl. I had never seen them before.

"Hello Alex," the tallest boy said, smiling good-naturedly.

I stared at him, wondering who he was and how he knew my name. The other boy looked nervous, his fingers were twitching and his eyes kept wandering around furtively. The girl just watched me through dark brown eyes. I quickly scanned their feelings but was surprised when nothing came up. I tried again. Something was keeping their feelings hidden from me. The tallest boy nodded, still smiling but his eyes serious as if he knew what I was trying to do and also knew why it wasn't working. I suddenly felt the need to listen to what they had to tell me.

"Ana Lucia?" I called into the house. "I'm going out for a bit. Don't wait up."

I didn't wait for her response, stepping outside and shutting the door behind me. The smiles on the three's faces disappeared. The tallest boy cocked his head to the side.

"Follow us." He said.

I did, apprehension growing. The girl continued to stare at me. I was getting slightly unnerved by it but tried to ignore her. The nervous boy glanced at me but continued twitching. After we had walked a ways from the house to a small park down the block, the three turned to me.

"My name is Josh." The leader said. "This is Karl and Megan."

The nervous boy nodded jerkily. Josh turned to him and spoke in his ear. Karl seemed to calm down a bit, nodding to Josh. The twitching slowed and eventually stopped, although the wild look in his blue eyes did not go away. Megan continued to stare at me. I stared back. A staring contest ensued. Josh looked on in amusement. I knew from Lash that my stare intimated some people, but her stare was equally strong. I did not look away however, even though my brain was telling me that the whole thing was stupid.

A slow, almost feral, smile curled up her dark lips. "I was right, you are powerful."

"Huh?" Suddenly I was confused. What was she talking about? I looked to Josh. He smiled also.

"Megan has the power of Power Sensing. She was the one who led us to you. She observed your little display in the hospital four months ago."

I crossed my arms. "Really? Then why wasn't she affected? And while we're on the subject," I continued, gesturing to Karl and Josh. "Why weren't you affected earlier either?"

Josh smiled but his eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "That's our little secret."

I could tell I was getting no where with these questions so I stayed silent, waiting for them to get to the point.

"Alex, we're part of a special academy that trains teens with powers like ours."

"You mean Sky High? I already go there."

Josh looked scornful. "Sky High is for amateur superheroes who only protect banks and stupid citizens. If you want real power, you'll come with us."

He stepped closer to me, his face growing serious. I looked at him with growing suspicion. What was he talking about?

"We've been watching you Alex; we know how you're treated. Don't you want people to recognize you for who you really are? Someone not to be pushed around and belittled, but one who demands respect and appreciation."

I thought about it. I realized that being in the shadows all the time had its perks, but was depressing and was one of the reasons I had started cutting again. Ana Lucia hardly noticed me anymore and Lash treated me with contempt most of the time. Even though Magenta and Zach had disappeared from my life after they had taken what they wanted from me. I realized with a sickening heart that I truly was a nobody. An insect on the windshield of everyone's life. I did not want to be that anymore.

"Where is this academy?" I asked.

Josh's smile appeared once again. "We'll take you there."

"Will I be able to come back it I don't like it or want to think about it?"

Josh and Megan exchanged a look. "Sure, fine. Whatever."

I sighed. "Well then, let's go."

0000000

Josh's car held four people and we all just fit. Megan got in the front next to Josh and I thought I could see something between them that said "boyfriend and girlfriend." Karl sat next to me. Silence covered the vehicle. Karl occasionally glanced at me but looked away when we made eye contact. I waved him off as strange and looked at Josh.

"What are your powers?" I asked

Josh grinned at me through the rearview mirror. "I can manipulate cold and ice. Kinda like Iceman only I can't turn into solid ice. At least not yet." He laughed. "Megan here has indestructibility going for her as well as her Power Sensing. Karl," here he smiled fondly at the twitchy boy. "Karl has a power kinda like yours, Alex. Only instead of turning invisible, he merely blends into the background. Like a chameleon."

I glanced over at Karl. He gave me a weak smile before turning back to face the window. I wondered why he seemed overly nervous but did not feel the need to ask about it. I turned towards my own window and waited for us to arrive at our destination. After a few minutes I heard Josh's voice.

"Sorry kid, but we have to make sure you don't know the academy's location."

I turned in surprise at this statement and felt a sharp jab in my arm. I looked down to see a syringe pull away, needle gleaming. I lifted my eyes to meet Karl's apologetic ones before a wave of dizziness came over me and everything went black.

A/N: Btw, I do not own Iceman or the idea of the academy. They are owned by Marvel and Jeune Chat respectively. You can read more about the academy in her story War and Peace In Mind. I highly recommend it. It's very good. Warning: There is some strong language in it, if that sort of thing turns you off.