.High Sky own not do I :Disclaimer
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When the group finally arrived at Will's place, Magenta was starved, and Zach still wasn't finished explaining his bling.
"It's called self-expression. You gotta be an individual! You can't be afraid to be yourself!" He had been saying the same thing over and over again for almost half an hour.
"Zach. Shut up." Magenta finally had enough. "I just want something to eat, before I curl over and die."
Will smiled and unlocked his door. "Mom? Dad?" No one responded and he shrugged. They all trouped into the kitchen were Magenta helped herself to the fridge, as was her tradition when she came over to Will's place; he always had such good food. Ivy put her bag on the floor by the couch and went over to the fireplace where family photos were set for all to see. Photo's of Will at the beach, Will at his first birthday, a family photo of Will and his parents, and one of him with his grandparents. She ran her finger over the one of him with his mother baking a cake with flour all over themselves. She smiled and put her hand back in her pocket.
After everyone got seated around the coffee table in the living room, they all grabbed their homework. The sidekicks worked on theirs together, while Will and Warren got into a heated debate about whether Batman was better than Superman. After a few minutes of lame argument, Ivy finally spoke up.
"Batman." Everyone was silent. "Batman's better. Superman may have cool powers, but Batman's human. He's fighting crime and all that without the aid of x-ray vision or super speed. But don't ever tell Clark I said that. He'll be so angry. He and Bruce are always fighting about it." She silently went back to her work. Warren opened his mouth about to say something when the front door opened.
"Will, honey? Are you home?" A female voice called him.
"Yeah, Mom. We're all in the living room." Will returned.
The Commander and Jetstream walked into the living room to see the group sprawled out with papers everywhere.
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Ivy Stone. Ivy, these are my parents--" Will was cut off.
"Hey Josie, hey Steve." She smiled slightly and waved.
"Ivy! Oh my... How long has it been?" Steve was in astonishment, but made no motion to go towards her to give a hug as he normally would have done for anyone else.
"Almost three and a half years." She smiled.
"It's wonderful to see you again, darling. How was Greece?" Josie said in as much astonishment as her husband.
"It was good. I mean, aside from living with my uncle. Did you hear? I finally got my emancipation request."
"Yes, we most certainly did! Scott and Jean told us last week. We would have called to say congrats, but we couldn't get your number from anyone, and just flying in would have been rude of us." Steve laughed.
Ivy laughed and pure, wonderful, clear laugh, and Warren's attention was completely focused on her, forgetting anyone else was in the room. "Yeah, my uncle wouldn't have appreciated that much. You know how he is around Supers."
"Yes, we remember quite well, thank you." Josie clipped her words in her angry-mom way. "Miserable, miserable man." She said more to herself than to anyone else. "Either way, we'll let you get back to your work. Good to see all of you again!" Josie and the Commander left the room without another word.
Everyone stared at her waiting for an explanation. Without taking her eyes from her paper, she sighed.
"My father was a normal guy. No powers, no nothing. Just really smart. My mom, on the other hand, was The Oracle." Everyone gasped. The Oracle was one of the most powerful empaths, telepaths and telekenetics in the world.
"She could reach anyone from anywhere for any reason, which made her and Professor Xavier really good friends. I spent most summers at the Institute while he and my mom worked together doing whatever. She was in touch with all the supers everywhere practically, so Bruce and Clark babysat me a bunch when I was younger. She was also Principal Powers sister.
"But when she died a few years ago, instead of being handed over to my aunt, my uncle fought for custody. He didn't know that I was a super so he didn't want me growing up in "that world". Both my moms parents were supers, as were my mom and my aunt, but he wasn't. He was just human, so he had a great distaste for the entire world of Superhero's and everything.
"Within the first year of me staying there he found out, and I filed for emancipation. But because I was a super and not a normal kid, there were all these extra steps that had to be taken in order to make sure that I was safe living on my own. After it was all approved, I came to live here and finish off my last year in Sky High with my aunt."
"Why didn't you just change custody so you were in your aunts care?" Layla questioned.
"Because I'm going to be eighteen in a few months anyway, so it wouldn't have really mattered. And even if, I'm not running out of money any time soon, if ever, so why do I need someone to take care of me?" Ivy shrugged. She had never thought of switching the custody over to her aunt. Her main focus had always been to just get away from her uncle, whatever that had meant. "What's done is done. I have my own place, my own life and that's all I wanted. I've been taking care of myself for three years, why stop now."
There wasn't a hint of unhappiness, or anger in her voice. She sounded as if she were talking about a pair of shoes she was indifferent about. Layla smiled at the thought.
"So, there was some mention of dinner? If you guys lied about food just to get me to come, I'm gonna be pissed." Ivy smiled, and they all, except Warren, laughed.
Had they not known she was silent for over two years, they never would have guessed. She carried on as if nothing had happened and nothing was wrong.
The group left a few minutes later and went downtown to a pizza-bar. They sat in a large booth and talked and laughed. They told her all about Gwen Grayson, and what really happened with Taylor, much to Warren's disliking. They told Ivy all about how she cheated on him, then she blamed it on him because he didn't pay enough attention to her or some such ridiculous thing. Ivy just laughed at the idea of Warren in any kind of relationship.
"I hope he talks to his girlfriends more than he talks to us." She commented as he got up to refill his soda.
Layla smiled at her and said, "Yeah. He did. But not by much." Ivy chuckled.
When Warren came back Ivy decided it was a good idea to refill her drink, and stood. She asked if anyone else wanted her to refill theirs, and when all declined the offer she made her way to the soda fountain, her lone cup in hand. She pressed the Root Beer button and watched it fill. She took a small sip just so it didn't spill, and walked back towards her table when a young man, no older than in his early twenties interrupted her route. Ivy just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Care to dance?" He called over the now pounding music.
"No, thank you. Not tonight." She responded with a pleasant smile.
He smiled back, "Let me know if you change your mind?" She nodded and he moved out of her way.
When she returned back to the table Layla blurted out, "Who was that? He was so cute!" Will just glared at her.
Ivy laughed a little, and told her he was just some guy that wanted to dance.
"Why didn't you? He was pretty attractive." Magenta commented.
"Because dancing means touching people. Or at least the kind of dancing he had in mind did." They all smiled and laughed, even Warren cracked a tiny smile.
"So, why don't you like touching people?" He finally managed to get out after having thought about it the majority of the day.
"I love this song!" Ivy yelped as she jumped out of her seat and started quietly singing along and swaying back and forth to Carrie Underwood.
"I can't stand country music, man. I mean, c'mon yo. Hillbillies? Naw-aw. No way, man." Zach shook his head repeatedly.
Warren assumed Ivy hadn't heard him, and let the subject go considering he wouldn't get an answer any time soon.
"Right now, he's probably buyin' her some fruity little drink 'cause she can't shoot the whiskey..."
Somewhere between the second and third verses, Ivy ended up standing on top of their table, singing her heart out with all eyes on her laughing and cheering. She had never really sung in public before, and the entire thing, she knew, was completely uncharacteristic of her. But then again, she had never had to opportunity to do something this... fun. And sober.
"'Cause the next time he cheats... You know it won't be on me...No, not on me." She slammed her foot on the table and her voice grew louder and stronger than it had been before, shocking everyone in the bar that such a large sound could come from such a small person. She was a tall girl, almost 5'9", but she was built like a Ballet dancer; tiny.
"Slashed a hole in all four tires..."
Warren glanced at Will and raised an eyebrow. Will just laughed, and Layla cheered her on. Magenta rolled her eyes and went to get more pizza, while Zach retracted his earlier statement.
"Yeah. Yeah, I could learn to like Country. Mhm, yeah." Magenta hit him upside his head as she returned with another large half cheese-half pepperoni pizza steaming in her other hand.
The song ended, and she dropped back down to the floor and took a small, playful bow. The young man from a few minutes prior came back over to her, and tapped her shoulder. She leapt back at the small touch, and a look of fear and pain passed over her face before she drew it back into a genuine smile.
"So, you'll do all that, but you won't dance with me?" He cocked his head to side, almost pleading for them to share a dance.
"I don't dance very well. I'm sorry." She smiled again and he accepted the answer, and his second rejection.
"Well, have a good night anyway." He waved goodbye and returned to his friends. Ivy sat down with a content sigh, and all her friends just stared at her.
"What was that?!" Layla was shocked and excited and curious and completely undecided on which was most important.
"Yeah... That wasn't really me... I just-- Yeah..." Her face faded to a pale, embarrassed color, and she slumped down in her seat just a tad.
"And what do you mean you don't dance? Everyone dances!"
"Layla? I've been dancing since I was three. I just wanted him to leave me alone." She gave her flower-child-friend a smile that would have made anyone feel stupid.
"Yeah. I totally knew that, what are you talking about?" Layla blushed and nervously laughed and ran a hand through her hair. Will gave a one arm hugged and kissed her cheek gently. "So, what kind of dance do you do?" She quickly changed the topic.
"Mainly contemporary. I've done some other stuff, too. Trained in Ballet for over ten years, but contemporary and salsa are my favorites."
"Salsa? Can we go dancing? Oh my god, Will! Will, you take us dancing?" Layla beamed and begged her boyfriend. He looked at Ivy and groaned.
"Thanks." He said flatly. Ivy just smiled in return. After a few more please's and tugs on his arm, he finally gave in. "Fine! OK! I'll take you dancing! All of you! This Saturday. I'll find some Salsa club somewhere and we'll all go! Are you happy?" He asked in an almost mean tone.
"No. I'm not. I want Warren to come too, 'cause you know he won't unless you force him." Layla demanded.
"I'm outa here." Warren stood up to make a quick exit.
"Aw, c'mon, Stirfry. It'll be fun, yo!" Zach got up and clapped Warren on the back.
Warren looked down at the shoulder the glow-boy had just touched, then dangerously eyed the boy in front of him. "Stirfry?"
"I was uh-- tryin' a new nickname. I won't do that anymore." He shook his head quickly and nervously and sat down immediately.
"Why should I go? I don't dance. And even if I did, salsa? No way." He looked at Will, almost begging him not to force him into it.
"So? Ivy doesn't touch people, you guys can just sit and be miserable the whole time." Will shrugged.
"You're actually going?" He asked her in disbelief.
"Well, I'd refuse, but then Layla would make me feel guilty, then I'd end up angry that she made me feel bad, then I'll end up going just so that she stops being mad at me for me being mad her. So I figured I'll skip the entire process and just say yes in the very beginning." She took a bite of pizza.
"See, Warren. Take lessons from her! She hasn't even known me a day and she knows I'll win!" Layla laughed.
Warren looked at Ivy who had taken another three slices of pizza and devoured two already.
"How do you eat so much? You're so... small." He looked amazed at the amount of food that had been on her plate, and the complete lack of food that was on it then.
She looked up at Warren, gave him a contemplative stare, shrugged, and returned to her pizza. He groaned, threw his head back, and muttered, "Why, why do I let them talk me into this crap?" more to himself than any of his friends.
"Aiight, yo! We're goin' dancin'!" Zach elbowed Magenta, which in favor returned him a glare.
"I'm your girlfriend. You hug me. Not elbow me." She lectured.
Zach smiled and gave her a hug and a huge smacky kiss on her cheek. She rolled her eyes, but returned his kiss with one of her own.
A short while later the six of them left the pizza bar and headed home on their separate ways. Ivy, Warren and Zach all left the same direction, and within a few blocks Warren had turned down some side street leaving Zach and Ivy to continue the walk alone. Zach told her all about the school, and explained Save the Citizen to her, all the while completely forgetting that she already knew everything he was telling her. When they said goodbye and went in opposite directions, it was completely dark out, with only a few street lamps overhead. Ivy took a breath in and sat on a bench near a small kiddie park. She sat in the cold silence looking up at the stars in the deep, deep blue sky, staring at the long browning grass that was in desperate need of cutting, running her hand over the rough dark brown bark of a nearby tree, and getting golden sap all over her hand while she did it.
Eventually, she made her way back to her apartment building to find a middle-aged woman standing outside a black Lexus in front of the buildings' front door. Ivy ignored the woman and went to open the door.
"Ivy Stone?" Ivy turned her head to look at the woman against the car. The woman stepped into the street light, and Ivy vaguely recognized her, but she couldn't quite place her.
"Can I help you?" She asked politely, careful not to cause any kind of disturbance.
"I'm Gennifer Biltfer, Dr. Karmichael's assistant. He sent me to give you this." She handed Ivy a shoe box that had gone unnoticed before.
"Why didn't Tod come himself? And why are you here so late?" Ivy took the box suspiciously.
"His wife is having a baby, but he wanted you to have it as soon as possible. He told me not to leave until I saw that you got it. I've been waiting here since two." She said sheepishly, almost ashamed of herself.
Ivy's posture changed from cautious to embarrassed as she saw Gennifer blush a little. "What is it?" She motioned to the box she held in her hand.
Gennifer looked up from the ground, and gave a half-smile. "Something your mother promised you. All the information is in the box. Call Tod in the morning if you have any questions." Gennifer regained her former composure and she got in her Lexus and took off down the quiet suburban street.
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I'm going to be in LA for the week, so I probably won't update, but I would LOVE to come back to reviews and story alerts. =) Have a good week, everyone!