zomg. Another chapter.
Disclaimer: I own no one familiar to the movie. End of disclaimer.
Never thought that Lash and Layla had a past relationship beyond the movie? What? You never thought they could have been friends? Are you kidding me? Here! Have the story! My goodness, you've been missing out.
Past
"I always give him a kiss goodbye - even if I'm mad at him." She sighed, and he caught up with her, his hands out with confusion.
"But why?" Layla's eyes narrowed.
"Will, would you like me to start kissing you goodbye, when you go to a public school and I end up at Sky High?" She gasped at her own words, and he dropped his backpack, his jaw dropping. "Oh my god, Will - I didn't mean to say that."
"I...I know...it's just kinda shocking to hear that from you. It doesn't...sound like you."
"I know - and I'm sorry."
"Sounds more like him!" He yelled, pointing down the road where Lash was slowly walking to the Sky High bus stop, his hands in his pockets. Layla rolled her eyes.
"You're so stubborn, William."
--
Layla's going to be a freshman at Sky High now. Lash and Sarah found a house across town, nearby Speed and his family. Since the move, Layla has seen Lash less and less, considering that he's practically across town, and his best friend lives right down the street. But there have been times when Sarah would show up at the door, a smile on her face as Lash would just send a smug look across the threshold. Layla would be happy to see one of her best friends, but he'd spend most of his time with Speed, who usually would be right behind him. Layla's friendship with Lash was seriously in trouble. And she really had no idea why.
--
It was morning. Layla's first day of Sky High. She couldn't wait for her and Will to get into the sky to start learning new things. Opening her front door she smiled, inhaling the scent of the new plants she had blooming. "First day of school!" She whispered excitedly, stepping over to the Stronghold's household, catching a glimpse of a few recyclables in their trash. Stopping her footing she had taken them from the trash and placed them into the bright green recycle buckets next to them.
--
Lash grumbled into his pillow. "Lash, get up. It's the first day of school - come get some breakfast." He sighed, turning his body into the extra long pillow, the red pillowcase covering it. Somehow, it made him remind himself of Layla. And this was a first. But he sat up, his eyes wide.
"Layla's year..." Ripping the covers off of his body he struggled into the shower, taking a quick one before dashing back into his room, throwing clothes on. Sighing into the mirror, he smirked at his reflection, throwing a hand into his hair to mess it up. It was perfect.
"Lash! The bus shows up in 10! Breakfast!" Sarah's hoarse voice called up, and he sighed loudly, his eyes darkening in his long stare.
"Goddamn, woman, I'm coming!" He growled, stretching out of the room and down the stairs, seeing Speed out of the livingroom window. He gave the fat one a short wave, and then grabbed a bit of toast before waving to his mother.
Speed walked into the house. "Hey, bus is coming soon."
"Yeah, yeah I know." He muttered, getting to his feet and stretching up the stairs to brush his teeth. Speed waited impatiently at the front door, sighing loudly as he crossed his arms, waiting for Lash to show up beside him so that they could finally leave to go to school. "Alright let's go." He whispered, slamming the door behind them as they ran to the bus stop up the street.
----
Layla looked out the window of the bus. This wasn't the same place for liftoff from last year's prom. "Where are we?" She asked aloud, a confused look on her face. The seatbelts now constricting her back to the cushion made her pale. Oh no, not this again. She gripped the seat in front of her, her eyes closing.
Will leaned over to her, a worried look on his face. "What's going on?"
"Liftoff." She whispered, her eyes tightening.
----
"So what's the plan today." Speed asked him, a smirk on his face as they walked up the steps. They passed Penny, the black girl with the power to copy herself, and gave her a glare. It was practically required.
"The usual, really." Lash whispered, standing still as he saw the freshmen bus pull into the landing strip, the horrified looks on their faces as they stepped out shakingly. But there was only really one true person who contained themselves. One that was mildly used to this. Layla.
"I hate that cheer." Speed growled, his eyes more on Penny than the freshmen.
"Speed, round'em up." He went back to watching the freshmen, smirking as they began to move in closer, totally confused as to what was going on. Layla and Stronghold were in front, along with that tall florescent kid from last year when they played Manhunt. He growled, stretching his body to stand next to Speed, who once again crossed his arms. Time to put on that damned friendly face.
----
Layla stared at Lash, not believing that the boy in front of her could really be her best friend. A $15 new student fee? Ha! He gave her a wink, but removed his smirk from his face as a girl in a pink sweater came forward, ushering them away. She knew that face. Gwen. She'd have to talk to Lash later.
She turned her eyes to Will, who then dazed off, a stupid smile on his face as he stared at the girl. She knew who she was - and gave her a dirty look. The older girl's eyes traced Layla's, and then gave her a small smirk.
"If you follow those rules, you'll be guaranteed not to fall off the edge of the school."
"Rules? What rules?" Layla rolled her eyes at Will.
"Now if you paid attention you would have known."
----
Layla backed him against the wall before she entered the lunchroom. "Whoa, hey Layla." Lash snickered, looking down at her with a smirk. "What's up? How's my best girl?"
Her eyes darkened, ignoring his words. "What happened to you? What happened to my Lash?" She demanded, pushing her fingers into his chest as he bent up to tower over her.
"Nothing happened to me - I've been this way since the beginning High School - I'm still the same." Layla's eyes flickered. "What?"
"You just...don't seem the same as I remember, is all."
"I saw you last week!" He cried, his arms at his sides, a shocked look on his face.
"No, no you didn't! You walked into my house with Sarah and Speed. You didn't even take notice when I came down the stairs for dinner with you guys..." Her voice trailed off, and she wiped her brimming tears away before her face could become red like her hair.
Lash stood there, stuttering out words, trying to make a complete sentence, but she walked away, her hands in her pockets. He watched her meet with Will at the cafeteria doors, her face blushing. He scowled.
If he was different, there were still two things about him that she was so well in knowing about:
He was still in love with her.
And he hated Stronghold.
----
Will sat stiffly as he turned back around, his voice shaking. "Okay am I crazy or is that guy really staring at me?" Layla sighed, hoping to God that it wasn't Lash staring him down. She turned her head, quickly turning it back, thankful that it wasn't. She thought over his words. He wouldn't have mentioned the word 'guy' at all. He'd probably have said something that Layla would never want to repeat.
Sighing, she looked over her food as Zack explained that it was Warren Peace.
"That's Warren Peace?" She called, looking over the table. "I've heard about him - his mom's a hero and his dad's a supervillain..."
----
Speed was at his side in seconds, a smile on his face as he gripped a small black boy with glasses, an orange shirt. Lash remembered that this was the boy he brought his hand to this morning. With a smirk, they led him into the bathroom. "Where...where are you taking me?"
"Oh, we're just, showing you where the bathrooms are..." Lash snickered, pushing him into the boys' room, his dark nose hitting the door as they shoved him inside.
-
Lash chuckled as Speed chucked the roll of toilet paper at the sidekick's head. The bathroom door opened, and the two of them left the stall, a smirk on his face as the boy thanked them for the swirly, leaving the vicinity.
Will fucking Stronghold, he thought sourly, a fake smile on his face as they approached him. "The kid, ah, looked a little dehydrated." Lash laughed as they stopped walking, Speed's arms crossing over his chest. "So how 'bout it, Stronghold, gunna hang with us this year?" Lash smiled evilly.
"Gunna help us bring pain to the sidekicks?" He gave a knowing nod as Will replied. "Mm…" Well I know how badly you'd like to hurt something, Stronghold, he thought, turning to Speed as the boy began to talk.
"Good man." He smirked. "See yeh 'round." Lash took a step forward and Will recoiled, making Lash chuckle with glee as they deserted him in the bathroom, the bell ringing.
"Speed, he's Stronghold. He's bound to disagree with us."
"Whatever, man. With his genes, we could teach him." Lash rolled his eyes. Yeah, sure. They disappeared down the hall, off to their class, catching Layla's peripheral vision. With a wave of his hand, smiling widely as he entered the Mad Science classroom, she turned away, a slight blush of her cheeks.
----
She watched as Will flew across the room, hitting the pillar in the gym. Everything around her went green, and she practically fainted when she ran forward. Her whole day she worried about him, hoping that he'd be able to come out of the nurse's office soon. Yet once she got to her new locker, she realized Zack and Magenta's lockers were in the same hallway - but not hers.
"Layla!" she heard a voice, a smile following her blush creeping over her face. Lash leaned against the locker beside her, and gave her a winning smirk. "How was your first day?"
"Tiresome."
"Hero?" She gave him a tilt of her head, and he smiled wider. "Knew it."
"No, actually. I refused to show the coach my powers so he maimed me sidekick." Lash took a step back as Speed approached them. She gave him a small wave before turning into her locker, taking out a recently given book and shoving it into her bag, sighing as she felt Lash's eyes on her, whispering to Speed from a few feet away. "Do you mind not talking about me while I still stand here?" She whispered, shutting her locker quickly and wandering away. Lash's arm stretched to her shoulder, pulling her back.
"Why did you refuse? You've got a great power!" He whispered, and Speed snickered, muttering beneath his breath. Layla heard the word 'pansy' be released from it, and she rolled her eyes as Lash ducked to her height.
"I only believe in using my powers only when the situation demands it - you know that." She hissed, speaking the words she said only hours before. He sighed, taking a finger and playing with her pigtails.
"Yeah, yeah." Giving her a small shove against the lockers, he smirked as she protested his hips against hers. He gave her a peck on the forehead in the deserted corridor, and she giggled, her anger from the morning disappearing. Like old times.
"You're such a kid, Lash. Go home." Speed grasped his shoulder as they took a walk down the hall, leaving Layla to walk the opposite way, to the entrance of the school to go home.
--
Good enough?
Now we begin high school.