Peace and Grace

1. First Day

I had the usual first-day-of-school jitters, but ten times stronger than any other year previous.

When I came downstairs I found my best friend, Zach, sprawled out on the couch, a plate of breakfast in his hand, eyes glued to the TV.

"Made yourself at home I see," I said.

He looked up. "Finally! Man, you girls always take so long to get ready."

"Hey!" I give him a shove. "Watch it Zachary."

"I woke up like, ten minutes ago-"

"Yeah, that much is evident."

He gives me a shove back. "And I'm all ready to go."

"I like to look nice for school, especially the first day," I say, going over and pouring some hot water for tea.

Zach just rolls his eyes. "So, you ready?" he asks.

I give a sigh. "I think so." I hold out my hand, watching as a mix of orange and purple coloured energy swirls in my palm and around my fingers. Orange - I'm definitely nervous.

I join Zach on the couch while we eat our breakfast, and Aunt Jen comes downstairs, looking more excited than we are. Aunt Jen is my dad's little sister. She's raised me from the time I was little and she's like an older sister and best friend to me.

"Oh there they are, the freshmen!" she exclaims, beaming. "Oh let me get a picture!" She runs off in search of the camera while I roll my eyes towards Zach. Aunt Jen has a collection of photographs of Zach and I, starting in elementary school, standing together on our first days of school.

She comes running back down the stairs, camera in hand, and gets Zach and I to pose together. "Put your arms around each other. Yeah like that!" She nods as Zach puts his arm around my shoulders and I put mine around his waist. "Now lean into each other." We roll our eyes but do so - I think Aunt Jen thinks we'd make a cute couple, but Zach and I have known each other and been close friends since we were three, so he's too much like my brother now.

"Say 'super!'" she says.

"Super!" we chorus.

"Alright!" Zach says once we've gotten our picture taken. "Zach Attack and Miss Mysterious are ready to take on high school!"

I chuckle and roll my eyes. Zach says I look very mysterious, especially when using my powers. "How about 'Sorceress'?"

"Ooo, I like it!"

On our way out, Aunt Jen stops me. "Hey." She places a supportive hand on my shoulder. "I know how you feel-"

"Literally," I add with a chuckle. Her power is sensing the emotions of others. Although you wouldn't need her power to tell how nervous I am right now. "It's going to be fine. You'll do great. Just have fun."

"Thanks Aunt Jen." I give her a hug and then Zach and I head out the door.

"Thanks Jen!" he calls, and we're off.

"So I've started the art for our comic book," Zach rambles as we walk. "'The Adventures of Zach Attack, Miss Mysterious - name pending - Flower Power Girl - name pending - and Will Stronghold - name pending, depending on whatever Will's power is. So what d'ya think?"

"Of course you put yourself first," I chuckle. "Sounds great Zach." We've been planning on writing our own comic book series about us and our friends for years.

"Speaking of, there's Flower Power and Stronghold themselves. Hey Will, Layla!" Zach calls and waves to the figures of our two other friends who are already standing at the bus stop. We'd arranged to meet here.

Since Aunt Jen works, when I was little I used to go hang out at Will's house with him, Zach, and Layla after school until Jen could pick me up. His parents, Steve and Josie, or the Commander and Jetstream as they're known to the super hero community, are like second parents to me. Well, more like actual parents...

Anyways, the four of us have grown up together. It's always been us four. That's one good thing, that I'm not heading off on this adventure on my own. I've got my three closest friends here with me all equally nervous.

"So, you excited?" Layla asks us as we join her and Will at the bus stop. "I know it's only our first day but I can't wait to begin saving mankind, and womankind, and animalkind."

While we wait for the bus, I nervously fiddle with one of the many rings on my fingers. Looks like I wasn't the only one jittery with nerves - Will was practically shaking.

"You alright Will?" I ask him.

He forces a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

I give him a sympathetic smile, knowing that he's lying. Unlike Layla, Zach, and myself, Will hasn't developed his powers yet. He also hasn't told his parents about this and is fighting to keep them believing that he has acquired them already.

An ordinary yellow school bus pulls up to our stop. The doors swing open and we climb aboard.

"Morning," calls the cheerful-looking bus driver.

"Hi, is this the bus to Sky High?" Will asks him.

The doors snap shut behind us. "Shhh!" the bus driver hisses. "Do you want every supervillain in the neighbourhood to know we're here?"

"Uh, no, sorry."

"What's your name freshman?"

"Uh Will. Will Stronghold."

The driver's expression immediately changes and his eyes almost pop out of their sockets. "S-Stronghold? As in the son of the Commander and Jetstream?"

"Yeah..." This isn't the first time this has happened.

"It's an honour!" He jumps up from his seat and shakes Will's hand. "I'm Ron Wilson, Sky High bus driver." He turns Will so that he's facing everyone on the bus. "Everyone, this is Will Stronghold, son of the Commander and Jetstream." Then he turns to the two people sitting in the front seat. "I'm afraid you'll have to move. The seat behind Ron Wilson belongs to Will Stronghold."

The small boy dressed entirely in orange and with large glasses practically jumps to his feet like Ron did. "It would be my pleasure!" he declares, offering his seat to Will. Then he turns to the girl sitting next to him who was dressed entirely in purple and black. "Magenta, get up."

"Why, he only needs one seat?" she says, arms crossed.

"So he can sit with his girlfriend."

"Oh, no!" Will and Layla begin talking over each other.

"We're just friends."

"Yeah, he's practically my brother."

"It's okay, really," says Will, and we head to the middle of the bus, Zach and I taking a seat in front of Will and Layla. Once we're seated, the bus drives on.

We're chatting about our anticipations for our first day when the bus suddenly lurches to a stop.

"That's everyone," announces Ron.

With that, seatbelts suddenly cross over our chests, securing us in our seats. Next thing we know we're racing down the road, heading into a blocked-off zone until the bus shoots off the road and begins flying.

Some kids are cheering, most are screaming. My mouth falls open in shock.

"This. Is. Awesome!" Zach shouts beside me.

A few minutes later, we see it, hovering amongst the clouds: Sky High. Appropriate name we now see, a high school levitating in the sky. We all stare out the windows in awe as Ron lands the bus - a little bumpily - and welcomes us.

Sky High, here we come.

(Welcome to my latest story! I finished one (one of my 'National Treasure' ones) so I felt that I could start a new one ;) Thoughts so far? Hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for reading!)