(On Hold) Stepping Stones | Avengers FF

5 - Transformation

It was Monday already. The rest of the weekend had been uneventful, Mother didn't know I had even left and all the girls had to share Marlee's chores around while I took care of her. She's gotten a lot better but getting sent to school already probably wasn't the best idea.

It pains me to say it, but she isn't the most important problem right now. It is a hot summers day and I am being forced to wear a hoodie and long pants. My powers seem to have sped up with the taking over my body process. Patches of skin from my ankles all the way up to my neck had hardened into rock and I am really contemplating if I can last the school day. My arms twitch with the need to release my magic and if I focus too hard on something else I see gravel around the school shakily rising. Definitely not good.

Me and Charlie are currently walking into school we had dropped the younger kids at the other campus and Roxy and Isabelle had ditched for their older friends. I saw a bunch of girls wave over at us.

"Charlie," she looked over at me, "your friends are waving you over." I pointed at them and she sent them a wave. What? You didn't think they were mine did you? My friend lives in the library, smart as hell she is. Opposite me.

"Thanks. See ya later Riley, don't be late."

"You too Charlie." She walked off and I continued on my way to the library.

Now I'm not dumb per se. I had it all down up to when I was ten, when Doctor Matthews took charge of me I didn't go to school anymore. I do good in anatomy, but apparently no one else knows where to shoot someone for a slow death. I know the weak spots of the human body but I couldn't do algebra and trigonometry for shit.

I arrived at the library door but before I could open it a guy with black hair and brown eyes stopped me. Will. I guess you could call him a bully. It's not really a getting beat up on the regular, relationship but more emotional stuff.

"Hey Ri." I hate it when people I don't like call me that.

"Will, I'm really not in the mood for this right now."

"But I have very interesting news for you. Courtesy of my father's money."

"What is it then?" Seriously, this guy knows everything about everyone so I guess I was kind of interested.

"Well, me and my dad's assistant were doing some digging into you over the weekend," shit, when the news is about me it's not gonna be good.

"What did you find?"

"That you weren't given up to the orphanage," please no, "your mother DIED. It's not nice to lie to people about that."

"Shut up. Don't mention my mother." I took a step towards him and he sent me a glare. I turned around to go into the library thinking he was done but then I heard a cough behind me.

"You know," if this is about my mother I'm gonna kill him, "you have her eyes." Yep. That's it. I'm gonna kill him. I whipped around and punched him right in the cheek. He stumbled a bit backwards then sent out a laugh, spiting to the side.

"You hit like a pussy, little girl." I ran towards him and kicked him in the balls making him double over with a loud groan. Just as I was about to punch him again I heard a shout from across the hall.

"RILEY GROVE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Turning around I saw it was my Maths teacher Mr. Haffmin. "Get away from him. Wait outside and get some fresh air to calm down. I will be out there in a minute." He bent down to check on Will

I scoffed and turned around, walking out the doors to sit on the bench outside. My chest was heaving and I brought my hands up to my face. No one knows about my mother. But why did someone mentioning her trigger me so much? I looked down at my hands only to see rock spreading around my fingers. No no not now. I reached up to my face and could feel it along my cheek and forehead. I have to go. Now. I ran away from the school into the busy streets of New York. I have to find somewhere to transform without anyone seeing. I was running and dodging people left and right until I arrived at a skyscraper being built. The work had been stopped from the rain last night so no one was there. I guess this is as good as it's going to get. I walked in and took the stairs until I reached the top most floor that was built.