I stand at the foot hold of a place I hate, to interact with people I hate, to learn from people I don’t like, to create a future that I don’t want and I want to trip and fall on the steps hopefully causing an injury that gives me a reason to home. Yes, I am aware how dramatic that sounds. But I can’t exactly go home while my parents are fighting in the area nearby.

And I can’t ditch because Mr. Wilkinson, the way I am supposed to refer to John at school, watches me like a hawk.

I groan out loud and a male chuckle catches my attention from behind me. I turn my head towards my best friend and he bites his lip to hold in the laughter.

Orin, always made an impression where ever he was, mostly because just taking one look at him made it obvious who his super hero parent was. Orin had his father’s trademark white hair, but Orin’s hair was on the longer side and he pleated it on the sides of his head and tied it off tightly high on his head. His eyes weren’t like his father’s trademark yellow, there were his Mum’s pale blue which made his already pale skin appear almost ethereal. I once joked with him and told him he looked like an elf from Lord of the Rings, which he found to be a complement.

Orin did his best to convince his parents that although he had his fathers, The Frost, who was still an Active and fifth on the superhero rank list, the power of ice, he didn’t want to be a hero. Instead he wanted to be a Doctor which as he put it was way more bad ass than being a hero.

“The day hasn’t even started girl and you’re already being dramatic.” He bumps me on the shoulder.

“I can’t help it. This school suckkkkssss.” I drag the last word out as long as my breath will let me. Orin slings his arm over my shoulder and we walk towards the school entrance.

“Where’s Mr. watches-you-like-a-hawk-and-it’s-low-key-creepy?” I snort. Orin was the only one who knew about my Mum and John. I had to tell him because when they announced that they were dating he was the first person I went to very loudly declare my disgust.

“Nowhere near me which is the way I like it.”

We walk through the doors and instantly you can tell this place isn’t normal. Everyone in here looked different, like Orin, they all had unique traits that instantly made them look different. You would think that would make them self-conscious, but in this school, they prided themselves in standing out. I like to think of it like super hero training.

Like Jessica Perez, she had scales that ran down her arms and up her neck and slightly grey skin and she was the most popular girl in school. I don’t mean that in the sense that she is different and she shouldn’t be liked, but she uses the fact that she has literal venom ducts to stand out. It would be cool if she was a nice person, but she suffered from popular kid syndrome.

She also one of the reasons why I don’t want to be here. I have never old Mum or Dad about this, because they would march into this school and make hell and I didn't want that, but Jessica makes it her life’s mission to make my life hell.

Jessica was standing by her locker gossiping with her crew and took one look at me and laughed loudly. “Look at you two, so adorable. Finally agree to be his beard, Kitty Kat.” Her entourage laughs at us. I gasp and Orin removed his arm from around my shoulder. It wasn’t a secret that Orin was gay, but how dare she say that. Normally, I would brush off everyone of her comments, but when she messes with my best friend, I bear my own fangs.

I pull Orin closer and wrap my arms around his waist. I can see his ashamed blushing clearly on his pale skin and lay my head on his broad shoulder. “You’re just jealous that no straight guy you ever date will be this gorgeous.” I smile victoriously.

“Still sore about my rejecting you.” Orin found his courage again and kisses my cheek. “if anyone has any chance of converting me it’s Lea.” Jessica’s face turns bright red in anger. She actually hissed at us.

“You can keep the teacher’s sloppy seconds.” I stare at her dumbfounded and I lose all of my courage. No matter what distance I kept from John in school our relationship without any explanation always looked suspicious.

“Watch your mouth, Jessica.” Orin warns.

“Back at you, Orin. Might want to keep yours closed sometime.”

“What the fuck did you just say to my brother?” A deep voice broke through the haze and the previous loud school went so quiet you would hear a pin drop.

I lift my eyes to a boy I knew very well, there wasn’t anyone in this school that didn’t know who Reed was. Even his own brother took a step back. Reed was the perfect example of the school bad boy. He was tall for a kid who was just turned 17 and built. When I asked Orin why he worked out so much, he said it was because while his brother didn’t develop his father’s powers, he was still going to pursue the hero path, but that always seemed funny to me since Reed always looked quite villainous.

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His hair was short dark black and his eyes where ice blue, like Orin’s, but they weren’t as kind in fact he had a habit of looking at you like you owed him money.

Jessica turned pale which was hilarious, because she almost looked like a corpse with her grayish skin. She gulped and took a step back hitting the lockers.

“I said what did you just say about my brother?” He growled and Jessica actually screeched.

“Nothing! I swear It was just a joke!” She was speaking so fast I was surprised he understood her. Jessica turned to Orin, not me, and apologized. “I’m sorry, Orin. I was just joking.”

“It’s ok.” Orin might have sounded normal, but I could still hear his sad tone. His brother must have heard it too.

“You stay away from my brother, Jessica or I swear, I’m telling Daddy.” Jessica father wasn’t the nicest person on a good day and above all else he valued his reputation. If he found out that his daughter was making a fool of herself, he would rain down hell on her. She nodded fast and moved away from us taking her friends with her.

I snort and give Orin another reassuring squeeze. “Damn, if I had known that just mentioning her Daddy would make her wet herself, I would have used it before.” Reed looked at me not very amused, but he never smiled at me anyway. It never bothered me it was part of his bad boy charm.

“Sorry for making you save the day again, Reed.” Orin says on a defeated sigh.

“I won’t always be here. Learn to stand up for yourself.” Reed walks around us and I smile watching him walk away.

“I don’t like that look on your face, Lea.” I turn my smile on him.

“You can’t blame me. He’s fine.” Orin makes a gagging noise. Our first class was about to begin and we had the same lessons for the first two periods so we walk together.

“Did you get a chance to talk to your Mum this morning?” Orin asks and I shake my head.

“I didn’t get a chance to. I even spent all night rehearsing in front of a mirror so I have had zero sleep.”

“We have one year left can’t you stick it out?” I give him my best “Are you kidding me?” look. Truth is I could stick it out, I had spent my entire school life in these walls, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want this school to be on my resume for the rest of my life. I didn’t want people to always give me that star struck look when they read it. “You went to Jericho High School?” I hated the face civilians gave me when I told them that I had no powers, like I just got diagnosed with some terminal illness.

“I just want a small chance to be normal.” I admit. “Even if its for a few months.” Orin sighs and I felt bad saying this to him. He had powers, but I knew that out of anyone in this building he got it. Orin didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps either, but he had no chance of leaving this place.

“With those weak arms you wouldn’t make it as a hero anyway.” I poked him into the side and he laughed.

We turned and walked into our classroom. You would think our lessons would be stereotypical hero lessons. For example, what to do if you're stuck in a burning house, how may people can you carry out of a grumbling building at once, at what speed is it safe to jump down to the ground while holding a civilian safely, but they were all basic lessons.

The hero courses did exist, but the government made the school prioritize our education first before they let us do anything remotely hero like. The hero course where an extracurricular activity you did after school, but all bets where off when it came to gym class. The kids here abused their powers in there and it was annoying. How on earth am I supposed to keep up in a basketball game when one of my opponents and can leap from one side of the field to the other? That was just plain unfair.

For the next two hours our teacher Mrs. Margarete drilled algebra in to our heads and it successfully made it hurt. I walk limply out of the class and Orin lays his head on my shoulder. “I can’t support my own body right now.” I groan.

Orin sighs loudly and his body lefts of a cool breeze of air and it feels good on my heated skin. I hum in delight and pat his head. “Ok you can stay there. Bribe accepted.”

He mumbles something into my shoulder that I don’t hear.

“I have gym at fourth period.”

“I don’t have any today which is good cause Reed made me spot him yesterday and my arms are killing me.”

“He is aware that putting his body through that while its still developing is dangerous right?” I point out.

“Does he care should be your question.” Orin stands up and cracks his neck. The cool air around him faded and I sulked. I always overheated and Orin’s cool atmosphere balanced it out. Soon, I would be heating up again.

“I’ll catch you after school then. Don’t forget we are going to the mall.”

“Lea!” I hear an aggravatingly peppy voice shout from me behind me. Orin waves and starts to walk to his next class. I slowly turn around to see John walk my way and I do my best to keep a smile on my face, because Jessica’s comment was still grating on my nerves.

“Your Mum called me. She told me to tell you that you left your purse at home.” I pull my backpag round and start to riffle through it and curse when I don’t find my purse. I was going to the mall after this and I also didn’t bring any food with me so I needed lunch money.

John takes him wallet out of his pants and hands me some money. I push it back and hiss at him. “Are you insane handing me money out here? Today I had to hear that I have something going on with you. Think about this stuff.” John’s eyes turn cold and he ruffles his hair.

“Damn it, I’m sorry. I’ll take care of it and talk to the principle.”

“Isn’t that going to make it worse?”

“No. They already know I’m seeing your Mum.”

“This still doesn’t sound like a good idea.” I admit. He hands me the money again and I take it reluctantly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” I nod sheepishly and he pats me gently on the shoulder. “Get off to class.”

I thank him and walk off to History, but glance over my shoulder. John's eyes looked concerned and he smiles weakly giving me a small wave that I didn't return. As I walked further away John pulled out his phone and turned his back to me. His shoulders looked straight and alert and I strained my ears trying to listen to his conversation, but I couldn't hear anything.

I don't know why, but something felt off and I couldn't put my finger on it.