Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High or any of its characters, just the ones I made up. Also, I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.

Chapter 4

I'm With the Band

"So, why don't you want to go to this 'Dust' place anyway?" Magenta asked me as we got dressed.

"It's not that I don't want to go, I just don't want to have to baby-sit Carson and Danny."

"You know, Carson is fairly mature for her age, usually." Layla said, amending it at my look. "And Daniel seems like a nice kid."

"They are…" I admitted reluctantly.

Magenta put crossed her arms. "You're not telling us something."

I sighed. "Okay, the parents of a couple friends run the club. They play in the band most nights"

"And…?"

"I dated one of them for a brief period of time, after I broke up with Keith." I muttered.

"Whoa, wait a minute- you what?" Magenta asked.

"It wasn't serious- Ed was just trying to make me feel better, and trying to get my mind off the fact that most guys were assholes." I said, turning my back to them. "I haven't talked to him in a couple of years, though, since we haven't come up."

"And you're afraid Warren's gonna get all jealous." Layla finished for me.

"Actually, it isn't Warren I'm worried about." I confessed. "It's Ed and the others. They're… a little overprotective." I explained, pulling on a shimmery white top.

"What do you mean?" Maj asked, curious. She'd managed to wriggle her way into one of her faux-leather skirts (because real leather would make Layla blow a gasket, and angry Layla is scary) while somehow not upsetting her leggings.

I paused, trying to think of how to describe it. "Ed just likes to make sure I'm okay. Annie… well, Annie's kinda crazy."

"Annie?"

"Ed's sister. She's… well, you'll see." There was a pounding of fists on the door. "Aren't you ready yet?" Carson demanded through the wood.

"Hold your horses, midget." I ordered, grabbing a pair of sandals out of my suitcase.

The three of us rushed down the stairs, banging on the boys' door as we did so. "C'mon, slowpokes!" Layla yelled.

"We're already downstairs!" Warren called up the staircase.

"Who shuts their door when they aren't in the room?" Magenta muttered as we now trudged down, embarrassed.

"You, sirrah," I said, poking Warren in the chest, "Are a jerk."

Warren grinned and held up a set of keys. "I am the jerk who's driving." He reminded me.

"When I get my license…" I muttered. "We're leaving now." I called toward the smattering of grown up persons in the kitchen.

"Have fun!" My mother called back.

"Come on, let's GO." Carson whined, tugging on mine and Warren's wrists.

"Everyone in?" Warren called over his shoulder as we all climbed into the Expedition.

"Like sardines, Warren." Magenta growled. "Let's just go."

It took us about fifteen minutes to reach Dust. "Aw, they aren't open yet." Layla said as we climbed out of the car.

I patted her shoulder. "Correction: they aren't open to the public. We are not the public." I said with a grin, walking up the large bouncer-looking fellow standing in front of the door. "Hey Adam."

"Alexa? Hey, what's up? Haven't seen you in a while." He said, lifting me into a giant bear hug. I stumbled back when he set me back on my feet. "What're you doing here?"

"I came to stare at the pretty lights. What do you think I'm doing here?" I asked sarcastically. "Can you let us in? Pretty please?"

Adam glanced back at the group hovering next to the car. "Well…"

"Aw, c'mon, Adam!" Carson called. "I'm finally old enough to get in!"

Adam sighed. "Oh, all right. I think Ed and Annie are just getting' set up."

"Thank you." I grinned. "C'mon, let's go people."

"Don't get a big head about it." Danny warned behind me. I reached back and smacked him in the arm.

"Wow, this place is awesome." Will said as we went in.

"You should see it when it gets going." I laughed at my friends' surprised faces as Annie suddenly appeared leaning against the wall next to us.

"Friends, Annie. Annie, friends." I introduced.

Annie smiled. "Oh, so you're Alexa's school buddies. Sorry if I scared you, it's a really bad habit."

"No kidding." I said, tugging her electric blue hair. "Annie can go invisible. She likes to pretend she's a ninja."

"I am a ninja, I don't know what you're talking about." She said, shoving me. While Annie looked like a normal blonde haired, blue eyed teenager during the school year, she really went crazy during the summer. Besides her radical hair color, she also had inverted contacts in, which turned her irises black and her pupil white. "I assume you didn't just come here to see the pure awesome that is me though, right? C'mon, my brother and my idiot are in the back."

"Your… did you and Nari finally hook up?" I questioned.

Annie grinned. "Yeah. Took me for freaking ever to win her over too."

"Her?" Ethan asked.

"Oh, that's what you meant. Annie's gay." Layla said, referring to my earlier comment of 'you'll see' at the house.

"I am, in both senses of the word." Annie confirmed as she led us backstage. "Plug your ears, Ed and Nari are trying to blow out their amps." She informed us with a roll of her eyes, booting the door open. "Hey, Ed, look who finally dragged her feathery ass back up here." Annie said, unplugging their guitars and plopping down on one of the couches. Ed looked up, and I saw him grin before he leapt at me.

"Alexa!"

"Hi, Ed." I greeted, returning his hug a little awkwardly. The last time I had seen Ed, we'd been dating, sort of, and Warren was RIGHT behind me… "You, uh, gonna let us come in?"

He let go of me and stepped back. "Right, sorry. Everyone should fit if we all pretend we actually like each other lots and lots." He said, motioning us in. Once everyone had found somewhere to sit down, Ed continued. "Well, I think introductions are in order. I'm Ed, you guys met my sister Annie, and the cute little Asian chick sitting in her lap is Nariko." Ed still had his natural blonde hair, though he did have in red contacts. He was at least as tall as Warren, but didn't have nearly as much muscle. Nari was a little shorter than me, which put her a good three inches shorter than Annie. Her black hair was up in two cat ear buns, and her dark eyes didn't seem to have any contact alteration today, which was a first.

"It's nice to meet you all. I didn't realize Alexa had friends other than us." She smiled at me teasingly. I shook my fist at her in response. "You guys met Adam, he's our drummer, and we never have any damn clue where Matt is. He's our other guitarist. Your turn." She said to me.

"You guys know Danny and Carson already." I said, nodding to my sister and cousin.

Ed grinned and ruffled Carson's air. "Squirt."

"Jackass."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop antagonizing my sister. Anyway, this is Magenta ("What's up?"), Zach ("Yo."), Ethan ("Hey."), Will ("Hi."), Layla (a much cheerier "Hi."), and this is Warren."

"I'm gonna hazard a guess here and say that you two are dating." Annie said.

"Gee, what gave it away?" Warren asked, grinning. I tried to elbow him, but he caught my arm and just tightened the arm around my waist.

"Yeah, we are." I answered, finally wrenching my elbow from his grip. Ed's eyes narrowed slightly, and I decided a change of subject was in order. "So, no luck signing while I've been gone?"

Nari laughed. "Alexa, do you really think we'd still be here if we'd gotten signed?"

"I dunno. With you guys? Maybe."

"She's got a point." Annie laughed. "So, Lexa, you gonna come up on stage and let me give my pipes a break tonight?"

I stiffened as my friends all looked over at me. "Alexa, you sing?" Ethan questioned, pushing his glasses up slightly.

"Hell yeah she does, like a lark." Ed said, frowning. "You guys have never heard her?"

"Ed, shut up." I ordered. "I don't sing. Not anymore." I could feel my friends' curious gazes boring into me, and it was making me uncomfortable. I pushed Warren's arm off of me and stood up. "I need some air."

~3rd Person~

"Alexa!" Ed called after her as the door slammed.

"I'll get her." Annie said, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. Sliding out from beneath Nari, she went out the door.

Ed sighed as Annie disappeared. "Damn, I really thought she'd be over it by now…"

"Over what?" Warren demanded.

Nari scowled. "This is all that fucker Keith's fault. Alexa was in choir at her old school, and she had this big solo in one the concert that was coming up. She was practicing all the time, which is when that ass heard her singing and 'fell in love with her voice'." She said, air quotes and all. "Cheesier than the goddamn Disney movie."

"When they broke up, Alexa stopped singing." Ed continued. "Anything. I sort hoped she would've gotten over it by now."

"I never liked Keith, but that was low, even for him." Nari sighed. "On brighter notes, I guess Alexa finally got herself enrolled in Sky High."

The group looked startled. "Don't worry, we'll all hero's kids here. Guess Alexa didn't tell you." Ed said. "We all just decided to hang around in regular high school. None of us have particularly useful powers."

"Well, what are your powers?" Layla asked.

Ed rubbed his throat. "What are your powers?" He repeated… in Layla's voice.

"That's kinda creepy." Zach said.

"Sorry." Ed laughed, his voice back to normal.

"What about you, Nari?" Ethan asked.

Nari smiled. "I can go intangible. It's pretty cool, I guess. Our ever-late rhythm guitarist's got a little bit of super-speed in him."

"The irony." Ed sighed. The door opened back up, and Annie walked back in with an arm around Alexa.

"All right, well, we've got a stage to start setting up, so you guys are free to hang out on the floor or whatever." The blue-haired girl said. Everyone made their way back out to the main room.

It was about ten minutes later that the club's doors opened to the rest of the population, and it didn't take long to fill up. Warren sidled up to Alexa, who was sulking in a booth. "You know, I'm pretty sure I'm the one supposed to be hiding in the shadows." He said, leaning up on the back of the seat and looking down at her.

Alexa glanced over at him, then sighed and looked back at the table top. "Sorry. I just… a lot of bad memories got dredged up." She sighed. "I hate being a teenager, sometimes. Too much damn drama."

"Preaching to the choir here. I've been friends with this bunch," He jerked his thumb at their group of friends, who were all dancing together, "For a year longer than you have. Drama was an everyday thing in freshman year." Alexa laughed. "There's my girl. Now, do you wanna go… do whatever it is those guys are doing?"

Alexa paused, as though she was seriously considering it. "No, I think I'm good. Annie doesn't do many dancing songs, just ones that cause a lot of mosh pits." She smiled up at him. "Thanks for offering though." Alexa knew that Warren didn't really dance. She did, though, and Warren knew that. She tugged on his hand. "Come, sit, talk." She said, pulling him into the booth next to her.

And so it went- the two chatted contentedly in the booth, with occasional visits for drink breaks from their friends, for about thirty minutes. That was when Annie announced that the band would be taking a break and that the DJ, who the bluenette pointed out nestled on the stage's left side, against the wall, would be taking requests until they retook the stage.

"My, my, my, don't you two look cozy." Annie teased as she slid into the opposite side of the booth. "Hope you don't mind us crashing."

"What, were you spying on us from up there?" Alexa demanded, only half-serious.

"Maaaaybe." Ed said, scooching his sister over. "So, Warren…"

Alexa groaned. "Guys, don't do this."

"Alexa, it's okay." Warren assured her before turning back to the twins.

Ed grinned. "See, it's fine Alexa."

Annie's grin mirrored her brother's. "We just wanted to see how much you know about our Lexa, is all. You know, just ask a couple questions."

Warren smirked. "Ask away." He challenged.

"What's her favorite color?"

"Royal blue."

"Favorite food?"

"Thick-crust pepperoni pizza."

"Song?"

"Leave Out All The Rest. Linkin Park."

The twins looked over at each other. "He's good." Annie said.

"We'll see." Ed responded, a bit sourly. "When's her birthday?"

"July thirty first." Warren grinned a little and looked over at her. "Like HP, right?"

"God, I wish I'd never told you that story." Alexa muttered.

Ed frowned. "Favorite video game?"

"Final Fantasy nine." Warren answered easily.

The blonde boy quirked an eyebrow. "Handheld?"

"She says Zelda, but I found her Pokémon collection."

"And I curse her level eighty-seven Charizard every day." Nari said, walking up. "Now, if Ed is done with his inquisition, I brought drinks. You mind coke, Warren?"

"Nope." He said, reaching for the glass.

Annie smiled across the table at him. "Sorry about that. We just get a little protective sometimes."

Warren laughed. "It's okay- actually, I was expecting this from her family."

"No, they'll just show you embarrassing baby pictures." Alexa muttered darkly. Warren had a feeling that she'd already caught them digging out the albums and home videos.

Ed smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. It's just, after what happened with Keith…"

"Mention not his name, for it is forbidden." Nari said, smacking him on the back of the head.

"Wait- you guys call him he who must not be named?" Warren questioned.

"We felt that he was on level with Voldemort, yes." Annie said, sipping her Sprite.

Warren paused, then nodded, accepting this. "So, do I pass?"

"For now." Ed said, almost threateningly. "So, Alexa, how's Sky High?"

Alexa smiled. "It's great. I love not having to try and act normal now."

"Speaking of normality and the fact that you aren't, what happened to your wings?" Nari asked. Alexa nearly launched into the explanation of the trick, when she suddenly looked up at the speaker next to their head. The song had changed from a hard bass beat to something much more upbeat and 'Pop' like.

"Avril? Well, she's got some good dance songs…" Nari said.

"Maybe, but 'Girlfriend'?" Annie asked. "Who would…" She turned around in her seat, and gasped. "That bitch."

Amanda was leaning up against the DJ booth, eyes locked directly on her cousin and Warren. The smirk on her face said everything.

"Annie, Ed, I apologize to your mom and dad in advance for burning down the club." Alexa said, her eyes already black and smoke rising off her arms.

Warren put a hand under Alexa's chin, turning her head toward him. "Better idea." He said, leaning in and kissing her.

"Wow, and you said me and Annie are bad." Nari said, patting a slightly embarrassed Ed's shoulder as he looked away. "And it's not entirely what I expected, but I whole heartedly approve of this method." She added with a slight cackle as the smirk dropped off of Amanda's face and she disappeared, face red with anger, into the crowd.

"You're right, that was a much better plan." Alexa giggled as they pulled apart.

"I can't believe that bitch." Annie sighed. "Well, we gotta get back on stage. Catch you guys after the club closes." She said, shoving Ed out of the booth and heading back for the stage with Nari at her heels.

Ed frowned as he followed Annie back on stage. If Amanda was up to something, and he knew she was, he wasn't going to let her hurt Alexa again.

He gave a small, internal sigh. Why was he the only one who ever saw these things?

0~0~0~0~0

SC: Oh my god, I want to kill myself for the horror that is this chapter. A lot of it came out very forced, and I'm not really pleased with it. However, as this seems to be the best I can do at the moment… urgh. Anyway, I'd really appreciate a review or two.

EDIT as of 8/17/2010: I tweaked a bit, and now I feel much better about it. Chapter 5 will be coming within the week, I promise!

Ja neSpontaneousCombustion