A/N: I own nothing.
Chapter 3: Dawn Of A New Day
Perenna awoke the next day feeling refreshed and didn't looked like someone who'd been half-dead the previous day. She'd slept in her clothes as she'd been too lazy to change into her night clothes and discarded her hoodie before she pulled off her shirt and walked past her mirror to the closet.
…wait a second.
Perenna backtracked and stared at her body in the mirror. She spun around to see if she was really looking at her body. While she hadn't been very athletic before, her body now looked like that of a runner or gymnast; lean, and toned around the waist and on the arms.
She saw that the muscle tone had also increased her bust size, but since she would be wearing a relatively shapeless gray hoodie, the thought quickly left her mind. She pulled on a red tee-shirt before putting her hoodie back on, keeping in mind to wash it after school.
Perenna brushed her hair and pulled it up into its ponytail, the loose locks framing her face like they always did. She was lowering her hands when she caught sight of the swelled down bite mark on her hand. While she had hated the fact it had landed her in the hospital, the benefits the bite had made itself known. Fixing her vision being the most beneficial one she saw.
It meant no more would she have to deal with people, and by that she meant jocks and cheerleaders, stealing her glasses.
Perenna caught sight of something unusual. She saw that her fingertips seemed to have small pale patches. She pushed the confusion to the back of her mind; she didn't want to ruin her own good mood right now. She'd find out what it was later.
Perenna headed downstairs after changing into a clean pair of jeans and had slung her pack over her shoulder. "Morning!"
"Good morning Perenna, how are you feeling today?" Aunt May asked.
"Better than I've ever felt actually." Perenna replied honestly as she sat down on a chair at the table and put several slices of pancakes on her plate and added the syrup.
"You sure?" Uncle Ben questioned. "We could call the school and tell 'em you're sick."
"Really, I'm feeling fine." Perenna insisted; then she discreetly changed the subject. "So how's work going?"
"Good." Aunt May answered somewhat shortly, as since she worked in a law firm she really couldn't talk about anything she did.
"New trainees got hired yesterday, one I had to work with asked if I knew you." Uncle Ben replied.
"Really? Who was it?" Perenna asked intrigued, then hoped it wasn't one of her tormentors.
"Kid said his name was Max Dillon." Uncle Ben replied.
Perenna's brow furrowed for a second before recognition flashed across her face. "Yeah, I know him; he's in my science class, sometimes I help him with his class work." 'Then Flash would throw spit wads at us.' She added silently.
A honk honked from outside and Perenna finished up her breakfast before rushing to the sink and slinging her pack over her shoulder and headed for the door. "See ya, bye!" she shouted and closed the door behind her. When she got into the car, she was surprised when the driver reached over and hugged her. "Wha-Eddie, what is it?"
"I heard about yesterday from you aunt and uncle, but when I called again, they said you'd gone to sleep, and I just want to make sure you're okay." Eddie replied as he pulled back and looked her over.
Perenna blushed lightly and she closed the door, putting the seat belt on next. "Really, I feel great. Better than ever, even got contacts." She said pointing to her eyes, though she knew it was better to diffuse the question before it got asked.
"That's nice Perry. You'll be at the game after school though, won't you? Need my lucky charm there after all." The blond replied smirking.
Perenna laughed at that, finding it rather funny that he always attributed his team's winning streak to her being in the stands. "Long as I don't have to go to the sophomore game beforehand; seriously, letting students out to watch guys running into each other is a waste of time when they could wait until after school, or the weekend."
"Blasphemy." Eddie replied as his smirk widened and reached over to lightly punch her shoulder. "I dare you to say footballs a waste of time to other less understanding people than I."
Perenna huffed. "I did that and I'd end up locked in the janitor's closet all day."
When they arrived at school, Perenna saw a school bus that had a marker on the side reading 'Midtown Middle School' on it and she slapped her forehead. "I totally spaced!" she griped. "Today is Shadow Day, see ya at lunch." She said before rushing towards the office, and almost crashed into Liz when she turned the corner. "Sorry! I didn't see you."
Liz gave her a slight glare, as she had seen Perenna as a small annoyance and didn't actively seek out to antagonize her like Sally did. "Watch it next time."
"Yeah, got it." Perenna mumbled and continued on her way to the main office, only noticing that Liz was going in the same direction as well.
"So I see that you're feeling better."
Perenna looked back at the blond in surprise. "What?"
Liz rolled her eyes. "Everyone on the bus saw the ambulance leaving OsCorp, plus the fact no one else seemed to notice that you or Harry weren't on the bus."
Perenna had to grudgingly admit that it was nice one of the popular kids noticed that she hadn't returned to the bus yesterday, but then remembered that she might have been an afterthought since Harry was also popular.
Of course she'd be an afterthought.
"Right, I'm all better now." Perenna muttered as they both reached the office foyer. There were dozens of kids mixed in with the high school students. The teacher for the middle school handed a paper to the teacher for her school and the 'sorting' as it were got started.
There was a shorter list than Perenna thought as each high school student was called alphabetically, but paired off with a rather random middle school student. Perenna herself had gotten paired with a cute brown-haired girl whose hair looked more orange-reddish brown; and brown eyes behind a pair of glasses.
"Hello." The girl said politely.
"Hello." Perenna said extending the same courtesy.
"As you now know, my name is Serenity Wheeler, but I feel it is much more pertinent to introduce myself properly." The girl said with a sweet smile that belied her vocabulary.
Perenna was starting to see what the teachers had based the seemingly random pairings on. "My name's Perenna Parker, buy you may call me Perry if you wish."
"Then you may call me Ren, most do." Serenity replied maintaining her polite tone of voice. "What class do you have first?"
"English is first, then Biology, lunch, Science, and then P.E last." Perenna replied.
Serenity seemed to 'relax' somewhat when Science was mentioned. "You are good at Science?"
"Yes, best in the class and considered the smartest kid in the whole school. Or, at least that's what everyone tells me." Perenna answered ruefully. "Are you good at Science?"
Serenity shook her head. "Not really, but I do well; computers are more my strong suit. And I also happen to be a journalist for my school newspaper."
Perenna smiled at the girl as they headed off to her English class. "I'm also into journalism, photography being my hobby."
"Are you on the newspaper here?" Serenity asked curiously.
Perenna shook her head. "The only thing I ever got to do for my newspaper was take pictures of the football players that teased and tormented me, so I quit."
"I can see why." Serenity said dryly. "A nerd is a jock's mortal enemy, girl or not."
Perenna nodded her head solemnly. "It's so nice to find someone who gets me."
Serenity smiled again. "I can't believe you just said that with a straight face."
When lunch time had rolled around, Perenna and Serenity had gotten along rather well, talking and exchanging the similarities and contrasts of Midtown and Domino (the other high school that had been an option for the middle school kids to go to).
Perenna wondered how Serenity knew so much about Domino, but she figured that the girl must have just researched the other school like she had with Midtown on which she wanted to go to.
"I actually only decided on Midtown finally because my mom flat out said she didn't want me to go to Domino." Serenity admitted.
"That's kinds harsh, the worst that happens there is they have to wear a uniform all year round." Perenna said lightly, but the dour look on Serenity's face said there was a deeper reason to her mother's objections.
"Yeah, uniform." The girl agreed faintly. Then she noticed a dark-haired girl whose hair was so dark it looked blue. "Hey Blair."
The girl with blue hair and red jacket looked at Serenity with a slight smile. "Hey Ren, how's your chaperone treating you?"
Serenity smiled back. "Good, yours?"
Blair scowled lightly. "She's fine, but her boyfriend is a bit of jerk, I just had to get away from them."
Perenna remembered that Blair's chaperone was Liz. "You have pity."
Blair looked at her with a sardonic expression as she set her tray down. "Gee, thanks." She said flatly and flicked a lock of hair back over her shoulder. "If anything, you have my pity. I think I'll just do what Syrus said he was going to do; go to Domino."
"Aw, but I won't see you here then." Serenity whined lightly.
Blair smirked as she poked at her food, or what could be just passable for food. "You have your friend here to keep you company, Ren."
"She's right you know." Perenna agreed with a nod. Another person approached the table and sat down on Perenna's other side. "Hey, Eddie."
"Perry." Eddie replied. "Who are they?"
"The shadows." Perenna said chuckling and pointed at the girl beside her. "My shadow Serenity," Then she pointed at the blue-haired girl, "Liz's shadow Blair."
"Aw, the notorious shadow day. I remember volunteering for that." Eddie replied.
Perenna raised her brow. "You should since wasn't I your shadow?" she questioned ruefully.
"Yes, Perry, you were." Eddie said in a slightly patronizing tone.
Serenity and Blair exchanged looks. "How did you two meet?" Blair asked.
Perenna, taking the question at face value, replied honestly. "We've been friends since we were kids, we're practically brother and sister."
Serenity furrowed her brow. "Doesn't that notion make things a little awkward?"
Perenna stared at her charge for the day in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"You mean you two aren't…" Blair hesitantly crossed her index and middle finger.
Recognition flashed in Perenna's eyes and she smiled bashfully. "Of course not. Eddie here's nothing more than a friend to me."
Again, Blair and Serenity exchanged looks, especially noting the sullen and irritated look that came over the blonde's face at the proclamation.
"Well, this day has certainly been interesting." Serenity said ruefully as she and Perenna stood outside the bus to go back to the middle school. "But also makes me think that this place may not be all bad, bullies aside."
Perenna smiled sardonically at the girl. "I'll see you next year here then?"
"Who says it has to be next year?" Serenity asked shyly.
"What do you mean?" Perenna asked tilting her head.
"I mean, I may just be 13, but do you want to hang out sometime? Maybe this weekend?" Serenity asked hopefully.
Perenna stared at the girl, and decided that just turning her down would be cruel seeing as she wanted to be friends. "Sure, we can meet here, mutual ground and such, at 1:00 pm, then we can go from there; how's that?"
Serenity smiled as she got onto the bus steps. "That'd be great."
Perenna turned away. "Great." She parroted and walked back up to the school, pushing the door rail back to let herself in, only to stare at the rail in confusion as her hand refused to let go.
Perenna tugged her hand and scowled. Had someone put glue on the rail again? She tugged harder and a creak sounded before the rail came free. She stared in shock at the now detached rail that she had ripped off from the door. Perenna looked around to make sure no one had seen that before using her other hand to rip the rail off her hand.
She tossed the rail into the garbage been and looked around once more to make sure no one had seen her do that. She could hardly believe she had done that herself; perhaps the rail was just loose?
That seemed more reasonable to believe than that she had just displayed a burst of unexplainable strength.
Perenna looked at her hands and tried to brush aside the unease that formed in her stomach as her eyes stared at the pale white patches on her fingertips again.