A/N: Minor violence and menstrual cycle mentioned.
Chandra went to her next class. Three days in a coma and she still had to go to school after she
woke up. Go figure. The nurse said if she was well enough to heal other injuries and climb her best friend, then she was well enough to go to class.
"Dude, you made sidekick history!" Ethan enthused at Will.
"Aw. I don't know about that," Will attempted to deny.
"No, seriously. From now on, people mess with us at their own risk," Ethan continued.
Chandra coughed. "Speaking of not messing with you…"
"Oh yeah," Magenta said, "you did make Lash and Speed lay off of sidekicks, or at least us. Oh, and glad you're okay."
Layla looked back at Will, admiring him yet again. "You're breaking down barriers, proving we're not heroes and sidekicks. We're just people."
"Super people," Ethan added.
"Seats, please," Mr. Boy stated, walking in while looking at the ever so trusty clipboard. "We have a lot to cover this morning, starting with motorcycle sidecar basics. Uh, except for you, Mr. Stronghold. Would you gather your gear and come up here, please?"
Will looked confused but Chandra knew where this was going. He had powers now, powerful ones. There was no way they would keep him in sidekick class. Layla looked scared as if Will was about to walk out of her life forever, but she slid a mask on her face as Will reached the front.
"I've got your new class schedule. Congratulations. You've been transferred to the Hero class. Oh, and by the way, if you should find yourself needing any hero support," Mr. Boy changed quickly again into his hero suit, "I still do a little freelance. Ha!"
Will stared at him sadly. "But what about them?"
"We'll see you on the bus," Zach reassured.
"We'll hang out at lunch," Layla added.
"Right after you've dunked Ethan's head in the toilet." Chandra with Magenta on the last one. There was no way socially clueless Will would not be swayed by the popular crowd. Unless he got a major brain transplant, their friend would be officially lost to popularity.
"Well, you best not be late," Mr. Boy said sadly.
"Just go already," Layla whispered encouragingly.
As soon as Will left the room she deflated. Chandra took her hand and squeezed. Layla looked at her, surprised. Layla hadn't thought that the secretive girl would notice, or care to comfort her even if she did notice.
It started at lunch. Just as Chandra had predicted.
"Guys! Guys! Over here," Will called.
"Will? Sitting with Gwen Grayson?" Magenta asked incredulously.
"Man aims high. Gotta give him that," Zach said, shooting Layla an apologetic look.
Chandra subtly patted her on the back in reassurance.
As the group neared the empty seats, Penny, the clone girl, multiplied, filling the remaining seats. "Sorry. All full."
Layla stopped, looking to Will for support, but he shrugged and spread his hands. "That's OK. Uh, I think I see an empty table over there. Come on guys."
Will stayed in his seat as the rest of his real friends left. "No offense, Will. We are not running a loser outreach program. OK?"
Chandra, who had been listening as the table they found was only two tables away and Penny wasn't bothering to be quiet, stood angrily and before Zach could grab her, marched over to the table. The cafeteria went dead silent. "Who do you think you are?" she demanded of Penny.
"Chandra…" Zach tried, but she silenced him with a glare. He put his hands up in surrender and backed down.
"You think you are some princess who's better than everyone else?" Penny went to respond but Chandra cut her off. "No. You'll let me speak or I'll make you start your period early, and it'll be a big one." Penny snapped her mouth shut, not wanting her white skirt to get ruined. "And before you ask, a period is a form of healing. It's getting all that gunk out of you." Everyone at the table looked grossed out.
"Now, you are not better than any person in this room. In fact, you are worse than a lot of them. You are snotty, conceited, delusional, and, forgive my language, a large jerk who is no better than the dirt under a mole's feet." Zach snickered at Chandra's version of cursing. She knew the words, she just was too innocent, despite her anger, to say them. Penny looked highly offended and Gwen was staring at her in contemplation, not offense, which confused Chandra and angered Penny. Why would Gwen not defend her friend? Better yet, why would she not look even a tad angry at her words, even if she didn't believe that Penny was deserving of defense?
Chandra then let out a sigh, ignoring Gwen. "Look, Will," she said gesturing at the table of sidekicks, "Your real friends are over there. They are the ones that like you, powers or not, and the ones that will stand by your side. The people you see here ignored you until you suddenly had powers. They don't like you for you, they just want the status that comes with being friends with the now-powerful Commander and Jetstream's son. So ignore your real friends if you want, but be prepared to lose them if you do. You're already headed in that direction."
She stomped back over to her table. Layla looked shocked while the others seemed to agree with her. Zach grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her. She breathed heavily into his chest, then sat down. She smiled at Zach and he gave her a weak smile back. "I get that you guys were closer to him than I was, but even I didn't think he'd become a jerk quite this quickly." Chandra turned to Layla. "Don't waste your time with someone like that. He may be a different person than he's showing deep down, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with it. Forgive him maybe if he truly repents, but don't stick around for the pain that comes from being abandoned. Believe me. I know the feeling of abandonment all too well. It's another thing that I'll never forget."
She finished eating her food and stood. "Maybe you think I'm not as loyal as you guys are, to him at least, but this is loyalty. I am loyal to you guys, and he is not." She looked again at Layla, "I'm allowed to be angry at him for hurting you." She turned and walked out of the lunch room. Warren had heard the whole exchange with her friends. He remembered what had happened in the nurse's office. She had said she never forgot. That day at lunch she had said that she would never forget. He didn't know why it had taken so long for it to click. She wasn't being figurative when she said she never forgot. She was being literal. That's why she had hurt him, she was in her past, reliving the horrors of that time, and reacting on instinct as her defenses rose and her fears climbed. It wasn't just the traumatic event engrained in her mind, but everything she had ever seen or heard. Layla had the same realization as she watched her friend leave the table, Zach rushing after her. For that was what Chandra had proven herself to be. When she stood up for them, both against Lash and Speed and against Penny, she had proved herself their friend.