I know I was cursing my luck a few days ago, but right now I feel like the luckiest person in the world because after that little run-in on the second day of school, they haven't called me to play them in Save the Citizen yet. "They" being Lash and Speed.
Seriously, if I keep thinking about this, I'm gonna have to see a shrink for anxiety issues. While I'm glad that they haven't picked me yet, it feels like every so often out of the corner of my eye I see them watching me silently. They're sophomores and have almost every freaking class with me. It gives me some serious creeps.
Will and the gang tell me they're progressing well in Sidekick class and have been learning how to speed change and come up with catch phrases. He seems to be getting used to Sidekick class, maybe even enjoying it.
The same couldn't be said for me.
Warren and I barely talked, and if we did, it was only about classwork or a sarcastic comment. At first, the silences were awkward and tense. Then, it just became a given, and I actually seemed to tolerate his presence.
But even saying this, Warren Peace remains a mystery to me. Seriously, some of the things I hear people say about him, and despite him being angsty and moody, he never does anything about it.
This whole thing was in the span of three days before the day Will told Steve he was a Sidekick.
After we all finished studying, the events proved to be very anti-climatic.
Magenta, Zach, Ethan, and Layla all went home, leaving Will and I with a very awkward situation.
We just sat there for a few minutes while Steve sulked in the kitchen. I couldn't stand the atmosphere anymore so I got up and announced that I would be going to bed. I patted Will's head and went upstairs. I quickly got ready for bed and climbed in between my sheets and stared at the ceiling till I fell asleep.
Usually on Friday mornings I wake up feeling like I'm at the top of the world. But this Friday morning I woke up screaming my head off. Panting heavily, I sat up and put my hand to my face. It felt like it was burning.
Oh, god. I had the Dream. I have the Dream every once in a while. I always forget what happens in it except for the fire. I only ever remember the picture of a ten-foot high wall of flames from the Dream.
I have a pretty good guess of what it was, though. It was probably when my parents died in the fire when I was born. How I even remembered that when I was a baby, I don't know. Usually when I get the Dream, something bad happens the day after.
So that's why I pushed myself extra hard today while I was working out, it was just me coping with the anxiety.
The moment I stepped off the bus the twin terrors struck. The striped arm of Lash crept around me and snatched the hat off Ron Wilson's head. I made a wild grab at Lash's arm, but missed because my arm was so sore from this morning. Ron jumped out of his seat and ran to the other side of the bus, where Speed was running around, taunting him with his hat on.
Lash jeered at him as Speed ran around. Will and I followed Ron to his side.
"Come on, if you don't respect me at least respect the hat!" cried Ron, squinting at Speed.
"Guys, come on. Give Ron his hat back," said Will in attempt to reason with them. I lifted my arm and threw up a force field which Speed crashed into. He stood up quickly and sped over to Lash's side, seething at me. Lash took the hat out of Speed's grasp.
"Aight, you heard the Sidekick. Give him his hat back," mocked Lash. He held out the hat and threw it to the muddy ground. It landed with a splash. The goons walked away laughing evilly.
"What's your damage, jerks?" I yelled after them, uncharacteristically angry. Will shot a look at me.
Ron picked up his wet hat and fixed it on his head with a grimace. "Thanks Will, Avery." We nodded.
I walked off to Mad Science by myself.
I was sorely (haha) regretting my vigorous work-out this morning, my muscles ached whenever I moved or touched something. I was so in pain that I failed to realize the awkward tension at breakfast this morning. Layla didn't show up. Lucky her.
"Greene," Warren said, breaking my train of thoughts.
"What," I hissed through clenched teeth.
"You're making a freeze ray instead of a freeze beam," he said monotonously, gesturing to the half-assembled gun I was fiddling with in between my twitching fingers.
I set the beam down and sighed. "You can make it today, then."
When he took the beam from my hand, no, I did not swoon or faint like I saw other girls do before. What struck me was that I didn't feel anything when his hand touched mine.
I widened my eyes and felt my forehead. It was as hot as a furnace.
Great. I had a fever. Being the same body temperature as Warren Peace surely wasn't normal.
"Peace, what's your average body temperature?" I asked tentatively.
"About 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Why?" he asked gruffly. This had to be the most we've ever said in each other's company, and I could tell he didn't know how to conduct himself.
I put my hand on his forearm and he shot me a weird look. He immediately tensed and I tried not to focus on the way his tendons flexed. He flinched away and put his arm under the table.
"Either you have an extremely bad fever, or you've suddenly become a pyrokinetic," he said, this time turning fully to face me. This was the first time I ever made full eye contact with him, aside from that time I was invisible.
"Well, I feel fine."
"That's not right, if you're the same temperature as me you should be dead." Blunt as always.
"I'll manage."
He rolled his eyes and decided he couldn't care less so he turned back to the freeze ray.
After class, I'll admit I was pretty freaked out, so I headed to the nurse's office.
"Hello, dear. What seems to be the problem?" asked an elderly woman in a kind tone.
"Well…I… think I have a very high fever, but I feel perfectly fine." The nurse raised her eyebrows and proceeded to take my temperature. Her eyebrows raised even higher when she looked at the thermometer, if that was possible.
She went to her computer as I sat down on a white-linen bed.
"What is your name and power dear?"
"Avery Greene, invisibility and force fields," I said nervously as she typed in something rapidly. "Is there something I should know?"
She smiled brightly. "Yes, it might come as quite a shock. Usually the symptoms you showed me means that you acquired a new power. Your body temperature increased because you were absorbing energy to compensate for this power."
My mouth dropped open to a tiny "o". "Do you know what it is?"
"No, I'm afraid not. Try concentrating on the powers you know you already have, and then expand your mind," she said unhelpfully. What the hell? "Expand my mind"?
I tried anyways and focused so hard I thought my mind would burst. "It's not worki- Ow!" I yelled.
I felt my tailbone hit the cold marble floor and the Spex tried to help me back up. "What happened?"
"It seems like you developed intangibility, dear! You phased right through the edge of the bed. You can phase through anything when in the intangible state. It's a good thing that the floors of Sky High are phase-proof and laser-proof or else you'd be falling though the sky by now," she chuckled.
I failed to see the humor in that so I just thanked her, gathered my things and left.
I rushed to the cafeteria to tell the group of my discovery, but I walked through the doors and found Will and Warren in an all-out brawl, throwing and flaming each other down.
I saw him throw Warren through a wall into Medulla's office and I stared blankly, trying to get what I missed.
Wait, duh. Super strength and possibly a super ego.
I shoved my way to the front of the eager crowd.
"Think I can't take a hit?" yelled Warren as he stepped out of the rubble and diverted Will's attention from his fans. His entire arms lit up with flames and he charged at Will, gaining speed as he came. I knew Will was going to have a hard time getting out of this one.
Without thinking, I turned invisible, threw myself between them, and pushed out with my force fields as hard as I could. The force knocked both of them a few feet away onto the ground. A hundred eyes were glued to my form as I slowly turned from transparent to translucent to opaque.
"Ahem," said an irritated voice from behind me. Warren, Will and I turned around to meet the annoyed gray eyes of Principal Powers.
"Miss Greene, Mr. Peace and Mr. Stronghold. Follow me, please.