7:49AM, Sky High Commons- Ally's POV

Catching the bus from Layla's was surprisingly simple. Will never stopped to question why she had come from Layla's house instead of her own, a fact for which Ally was eternally grateful. It was a simple matter on the bus to slip her earbuds in and almost fall asleep to the Indiana Jones Theme. She hadn't slept well again, her mind plagued by repetitions of her argument with her mother. Layla roused her when they landed and they scrambled off the bus to join Maj, Zach, and Ethan. Morning classes were, fortunately, predictable. Afternoon classes were a different matter. Will had been transferred to the Hero track. Ally and the others told him they didn't mind. He left almost shyly, leaving Ally to read the expressions on her friend's faces.

Maj's held forced indifference, Layla's pride and admiration, Ethan's simple happiness, and Zach's a little jealousy. None of them seemed to really resent Will though, they just all wished they were in his position. Ally honestly didn't care. Her sister Layne was the one who had always wanted to go zooming in and save the day. Ally had just mostly wanted to help. All in all she was perfect sidekick material. Ally smiled slightly when she considered Layne.

Her older sister had blonde hair that was so light it was almost white blonde and big baby blue eyes that just about melted your heart. Her smiles were wide and uncontrollable and her laughter made her whole face light up. Ally loved Layne like she loved air. Her sister was currently a sidekick to her fiance, Derrick, in Chicago, Illinois. Even though they e-mailed back and forth Ally missed talking to her sister in person, giggling over cute boys, rolling their eyes at the people who thought they knew everything, and getting their mother to laugh like she was a little kid again. Ever since Layne had left Ally's mother had begun building up a wall of resentment between her and her eldest to deal with Layne's sudden departure. Last night was the final straw for Ally. Layne was a big girl and shouldn't have needed to stay just to keep her mother sane. Layne and Ally's mother needed to get over their father's death.

The end of the day conversation somehow drifted off toward Layne. "Have you heard from your sister?" Will asked as he bounded over to them.

"Not lately," Ally replied with a slim smile. "Why? Do you still have that bizarre crush on her?"

"Umm, no," Will said, flushing slightly much to Maj's delight.

"Is she coming for your birthday?" Layla asked as the group boarded the bus.

"I don't know," Ally replied, sinking into her usual afternoon seat next to Maj. "Like I said I haven't heard from her lately."

"And you aren't worried about her at all?" Zach asked.

"Uh, no," Ally replied. "Should I? Do you know something I don't?"

"No," Zach said. "I just wondered."

"Where's your sister at?" Ethan asked, quickly changing the track the conversation was taking.

"In Chicago," Ally replied as the bus landed on pavement. "She's a sidekick to her fiance."

"Oooh," Maj cooed. "Is he hot?"

"Um, eww," Ally said, wrinkling her nose. "He's my sister's girlfriend. That's just gross." They all started laughing then and couldn't stop until Layla, Will, and Ally stumbled off the bus giggling. Suddenly Ally paused as a depressing thought hit her, stopping her in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

"My sketchpad," Ally replied. "I couldn't find it last night."

"Why don't we all go look at your house. It's probably hiding somewhere that you didn't have time to look," Layla suggested. Ally happily agreed and led the way to her house, unlocking the door and scrambling up the stairs to her room with her friends behind her. They searched for a good hour and a half before they gave up. It was no use, Ally's sketchbook was simply gone.

"Where could it be?" she wailed, feeling tears slide down her cheeks.

"Don't worry," Will reassured her. "We'll find it." Layla nodded her agreement and ushered her distraught friend downstairs and into the Williams' living room. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon eating ice cream and watching comedians on television but nothing could stop the ache in Ally's chest as she pined for the missing sketchbook.