"Avery, wake up! It's the first actual day of school, you don't want to be late! Come to think of it, you're usually up earlier than the rest of us…"
"G'way 'fore I smash yer face in," I muttered groggily and pulled my blankets over my head.
Will pushed the curtains to the window above my head to the side.
"The light! it BUURRNSS!" I wailed and cocooned myself into my thick comforter. I was felt like a caterpillar going through metamorphosis. Will rolled his eyes.
"I was just reminding you because we have to be at the bus stop in," Will checked his watch. "Thirty minutes."
My eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly. I groaned and crawled out of my bed and started doing push-ups rapidly in my pajamas.
"What're you doing?" asked Will, bewildered.
"Reps. I usually get up at 6 to do them but I'll manage. Sometimes I borrow your weight set. Now get out before I really do break your face."
The New York Institute for Supers was known for being alarmingly militaristic in training its supers and my favorite parts of the day was the crack of dawn when the gyms were empty and I could get my required training done without people around me. It became a welcome habit and sometimes the only thing keeping me in control of my powers.
Will held up his hands in surrender and left the room.
"And seriously, unless you're trying to be Captain America, lose the patriotic look!" I yelled. Did I ever mention I was extremely cranky in the morning?
I practically fell asleep in the shower because it was so warm. After I got out of the shower I once again tackled the problem of what to wear. Today I picked out a red tank top that matched my eyes, dark wash jean shorts with ripped tights underneath and studded combat boots. I have way too many pairs of combat boots that I care to admit.
Will and Layla were already downstairs eating breakfast. I grabbed a bagel and retorted, "Brush your hair, people know I'm related to you, you know." His straight brown hair was sticking up in all the wrong places.
"She's upset about making Hero," said Will as he rolled his eyes. Layla gave me a look of sympathy. Neither Will nor Layla or any of their friends had made hero so I had to fend for myself this entire year. What a pleasant thought.
"Where are Steve and Josie?"
"Off saving the world," replied Will while munching on his toast.
"Figures. Hey, do you have any sunglasses I could borrow? I've got hangover eyes."
"Uh, sure," Will went into one of the kitchen cabinets and found some reflective sunglasses that looked like they were from the 80's. I slipped them onto my eyes and finished my bagel. I rushed upstairs into Will's room and stepped in front of the full length mirror. I looked like I could join Warren Peace's motorcycle gang.
The bus ride to school was fairly normal. Well, as normal as you can get with riding on a flying school bus. It was less exciting this time because everyone knew what was going to happen.
We reached land and I headed to the office with the gang. We got our schedules, and I saw that my first period I had Mad Science ll. All of my classes were all sophomore level because the NYIS had a higher level curriculum. I didn't bother mentioning that I had barely passed those classes.
Magenta looked over my shoulder and glanced at my schedule. "Looks like everyone has gym last period," she announced.
We all traded schedules for a bit except for me, being the only hero.
"'Kay guys, I gotta run. Don't want to be late for Mad Science." I grimaced. The group echoed their goodbyes as I walked to my new locker. It opened with a clang but before I could deposit any of my books in, I felt a cold hand pinch my thigh. I glanced down in cold fury to see a retreating sleeve of stripes. My head snapped around till I found them. Lash and Speed laughing hysterically at me. I ripped off my sunglasses and gave them a cold glare. If looks could kill, Lash and Speed would be in hell by now. Their smiles faltered and changed into smirks. Apparently that meant something bad was gonna happen and all the kids in the hallway took off.
"Well now, little feisty, are we freshman?" Lash called from the other end of the empty hallway.
I flushed beet red, spat "Bastard!", and turned invisible.
I saw Speed making his way toward my general direction so I acted quickly and put up a force field in front of him, which he crashed into.
I didn't wait to see the aftermath so I slipped my glasses back on, grabbed my stuff, and hurried to Mad Science.
I stepped through the doorframe and saw a guy who had a HUGE head and a lab coat on lecturing a class about tardiness. I took a step back, tuned visible, and stepped right back in.
"Nice of you to join us, Miss Greene. Ah, yes. You're the freshman they told me about. The only lab partner we have left is Mr. Peace, you can join him," said Mr. Melon Head.
I shifted my gaze upwards and rested it on Warren Peace.
Darn my luck.
I speed walked to the back of the room and plopped down next to Warren. I could feel him watching me and I tried my darndest to avoid meeting his eyes. There was an uncomfortable heat emnating from him that I tried to ignore.
Mr. Melon Head introduced himself as Mr. Medulla and told us we were having a pretest on our knowledge of heat rays. He gave us the parts and told us to start working on it with our partners.
"I'll say this only once. No one sits at my table but me," growled Warren.
I tried to not shake in my boots. "I didn't know it was your table, I was just hiding from my friends."
Warren just grunted and proceeded to fiddle with the parts. My eyebrows scrunched together and I ripped the parts out of his large hands. In a few seconds, I had constructed a sleek and shiny heat ray.
"Aren't you a freshman?" he asked.
"Yeah," I raised an eyebrow. "And?" I turned and shot him with the heat ray, and a satisfying sizzle was heard from his hand where I shot him. He shot me an intense glare.
Medulla passed by. "Miss Greene and Mr. Peace, excellent demonstration, but I am the only one here with the authority to test on students."
I just smirked.
I blame it all on my luck that I had every single class with Warren Peace. It was even unluckier that I had to sit next to him in every class. It seemed like Warren was pretty smart, so me being the freshman, I was paired with him so I could learn from him. I think the only thing I'm gonna learn all year from him is how to make my glare send people running when I use it. Seems to work for him.
After school Zach, Magenta, Ethan, and Layla all came over for a study session. I sat by awkwardly and wrote my Hero History essay
They were right in the middle of a question when Steve- ahem, the Commander came in, spandex and all.
"So if you kids are all in here, who's out there, saving the world?" he asked dramatically. I saw Ethan and Zach trade excited looks.
"Dad… Why are you home so early?" Will said with a hint of panic in his voice. Today was the one day he thought his parents would be gone in the evening.
"After I stopped the Super Dome from collapsing I was watching the game and I got to thinking 'Hey! It's been awhile since Will and I tossed the old pigskin around.' So I thought I'd hustle back home but I see you Layla and Avery have already made some new friends.'" He gave Zach, Magenta and Ethan a once-over. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking.
"It's an honour to meet you, sir," said Ethan in awe.
"What's your name, what's your power?" Damn, straight to it.
"I'm Ethan. I melt."
"Okay."
Zach stood up. "Zach, I glow."
"I see." ...
"Magenta, I shape-shift."
"Shape shift!" Now he was impressed.
"Into a guinea pig."
"… Great…great…great…Great! Really great. Well! I make a mean tuna fish salad sandwich, anybody want one?" he said in an attempt to change the subject. We all declined and he retreated into the kitchen.
Layla and I looked at Will for a moment, who got up and followed Steve into the kitchen. I let myself become invisible and stood up to follow him, but I felt Layla grab my hand to stop me.
"We should let him deal with it on his own," she whispered. I regained visibility. I sighed dejectedly and nodded.
We waited in silence for a few minutes until-
"WASHED OUT?!" came the angry roar of the Commander. I winced as I heard sounds of things breaking. Everyone turned their attention to the kitchen.
Minutes later Will rejoined us. All our eyes were on him.
"O-kay, so, what's next?" he asked, as if nothing happened. We just kept staring until Layla motioned towards us to keep studying. We flipped our books open.
Layla gave him a smile and returned to her books.
I was secretly proud, too.