I don't own Sky High... Damn.

I was buried up to my neck in homework. Hero profiles, villain psychology essays, and studying for extra pop quizzes sent my brain racking for a break. My nerves were spun up tighter than thread on a spool. Holding in my powers always makes me jumpy.

So when the phone rang I jumped off my bed causing two heavy text books to fall off. I grabbed it off my nightstand, irritated at my reaction. I flipped it open without looking at the caller and instantly regretted the rash decision as I held the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked.

"What's up bitch!" came the obnoxiously cheery voice.

"Hey, Cal." I mumbled rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"How was your first day of school?" she still sounded chipper.

I went for sarcastic. "Great."

"I thought as much." she sighed. "Wanna go out to dinner with the girls?"

I had a lot of work to do but I needed a distraction.

"Where?" I grunted a little un-lady like, not that I cared.

"That Chinese place… oh, what's the name?" she mumbled to herself, I could hear the sound of her radio in the background. Driving and talking on her cell phone, you think after that first ticket the girl would learn, but no.

"The Paper Lantern?"

"Yeah, that's the place."

"Come pick me up." I said before hanging up. I grabbed my books and shoved them into my school bag. Ugh, school. I thought the word school like most people might say flesh eating disease ridden cockroaches. But, hey I'm only human… wait, I can't use that excuse anymore. I'm not only human anymore.

I find it a bit surprising how that small little thought can send me into a bloodlust fury. Thankfully, for all living things, there wasn't anything made out of blood in my room. Unfortunately, for my wall, it suffered my wrath and now has a fist sized hole in it. And I have bloody knuckles, lovely.

I'm a pretty violent person when the mood strikes me. Which, for the record, isn't something I'm very proud of.

I grabbed a jacket -because it's chilly in Maxville at night, even at the end of summer- as I saw headlights flash across the front of my house. I yanked on my jacket as I fumbled down the stairs and grabbed a twenty -and my house keys- out of my purse where I conveniently left it by the door. Flicking on the outside light before I stumbled out of the front door assured me that I wouldn't have to grapple in the dark for my keys when I got home.

The first thing I heard when I slipped into Cal's car besides the background noise of the radio was "The blood really compliments you're outfit, Spider." I made a face at my nickname and rolled my eyes.

"Don't you think?" I batted my eyelashes to go with my over-the-top valley-girlaccent at the person in the backseat, the person who had made the comment -my best friend. Alex scowled at my act, glaring down her narrow nose at me. I dropped my overly-cheerful smile for an impassive expression that suited me better.

"What happened?" Kyle, the ever oblivious, asked.

"Nothing, Kylie. Are we going out to eat or are we playing twenty questions?" Blunt to the point of harsh, that was me.

Cal peeled out of the driveway and speed down the road. "Food, of course."

"How's you're summer been?" Alex asked, done being peeved with me. We hadn't seen each other all summer and I missed her. She had been my best friend since kindergarten after all; I wasn't used to not seeing her.

"To hell and beyond. Yours?"

"Fine."

"My summer was great, Spider, thanks for asking." Kyle chimed in dryly his girly sounding voice.

I snorted. "Like I care." But, I was smiling. Somehow my friends always managed to cheer me up.

"I lost my virginity!" Cal chimed in, smiling as always.

I sighed. "That's great?" What do you say to that? "I wouldn't go shouting that out though, it makes you sound like a slut."

"Sound?" Kyle snickered from the back seat in his very gay boy way. "Cal is a slut."

She glared in the rearview mirror at him which only made him laugh harder. It felt right being back with them, chatting -or bickering- like nothing was wrong, like I wasn't a freak -or at least, a bigger freak than before.

I grabbed my cigarettes out of my back pocket, fishing a cancer stick out of the package with my lips and fishing the lighter out with my fingers. It took me a few tries to light the goddamn lighter because I'm very uncoordinated with them having never mastered the art. When my cigarette was finally lit I took a deep, deep drag and held it in my lungs longer than necessary before cracking the car window. I blew the blue-ish smoke out into the dusky sky. I loved this time of year, I really did.

"How's Maxville High?" I said relaxing for the first time in ages, months maybe -I had lost track.

"Boring as usual, wish I could go to super school." Cal sighed. "I bet they have hot boys up top."

My mind flickered to Pyro and his flames. Hot was a understatement.

"You have no idea." I muttered under my breath.

She didn't hear me. I cranked up the volume on the radio to halt any more comments on my school.

"How's super school?" Alex asked from the back.

"Shits n' giggles. Emphasis on the shits." I took another deep drag and wondered how anyone lived without nicotine. Sure it would shave years off my life in the long run but, for now, it was worth it.

"You're air- freshening the car when we get to The Rice Light." Cal mumbled looking at my cancer stick.

"The Paper Lantern." Alex corrected absentmindedly from the backseat, her tone bored.

"Sure thing, you want one?" I asked holding out my pack toward her.

"I'll stick to drinking, if you don't mind." she mumbled, distracted.

"More for me." I flicked ash out the window. I felt so relaxed -so at ease- that it all felt a bit surreal.

-

When Cal pulled into the restaurant parking lot, I was done smoking and my cigarette was abandoned in a gutter somewhere. Kyle, Alex, and Cal hustled out of the car, leaving me to spray it down with new car smell. A few quick spurts and I headed into the restaurant. It was a typical Chinese restaurant anywhere, oriental music and low lighting. I got I vibe I didn't like, it sent shivers down my spine.

I rounded the corner and looked past the panels with ornate cutouts searching for my party of three. Of course they were sitting in a booth near the back, already ordering.

"Hey, Spider! Over here!" Kyle waved is hand in a very gay way, but hey that was Kyle -gay and oblivious, you got to love him.

Unfortunately as he called out my nickname ever one turned to look at me. I was used to people staring at me, but I wasn't used to being surprised. I was surprised because I hadn't expected been expecting Pyro to turn and look at me from where he was standing right next to Alex, taking her order.

From Peace's dumbstruck expression I guessed he hadn't been expecting to see me either.