Fire & Ice

Favoritism Much?

Isolde walking into the house tired from the day and her legs aching from the extra waking and excitement of the day. Before she could get to the stairs her mom called for her. "Honey, come sit with me in the kitchen, please." Though she said please Issy knew she didn't mean she had a choice.

Slowly making her way into the kitchen, she sighed as she sat down across from her mom. Well, her mom didn't look mad and had a cup of teas ready for her, which was always good signs. "So, I got a call from you and Will's school today as you know." Issy nodded not wanting to make a mildly bad situation worse before she knew her moms thoughts. It was always best to just nod until you were sure what they knew and how to feel.

"I heard what the principal had to say, now I want hear what happened from you." Issy couldn't help but be thankful that her mom had been the one to get the call from the school. She always assessed the situation and made fair judgments. Her dad had a tendency to miss key points and make rash decisions. Issy took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts.

"Well, everything started out fine. When I was walking back with my lunch I saw someone trip Will. As fate would have it, it was Warren he dumped it on. Warren didn't realize that it was an accident and thought it was Will trying to be cool by messing with the villains kid." Her mom nodded understanding how such an action could be taken the wrong way. "I would have let Warren know i saw everything and it was an accident, but Will brought up how dad put Warren's dad in prison."

Her mom sighed knowing that wasn't her sons best moment. "It triggered Warren and he lost it for a bit. I put up ice to keep the others safe and Warren was calming down when Will seemed to have gotten his powers. He didn't realize that Warren wasn't fighting anymore I guess and threw him through the wall." Moms head was in her hands at this point. "Luckily, Warren is resilient from being a fire wielder and was able to shake it off. What worries me is Will didn't know that mom. But after that I had enough and froze them both. That's when Principal Powers came in."

Her mom sat thinking for a few moments taking a sip of her tea. She knew that Issy's heart was in the right place and she felt she had already been punished. William on the other hand. "Well, it seems like it was a lot of misunderstandings and bad choices on the boys parts." Her mom said. "I have to speak to your dad but you will likely be getting time served, Is." That was all Issy could have hoped for. "Go to your room and finish your homework. Dinner will be at 6."

Issy got up to leave but had to say one more thing. "Mom." Josie looked at her. "I hope you don't completely blame Warren. I know he was wrong but he doesn't have the kind of parents we do. He has to put up with ridicule and disrespect all day at school. He was bound to break at some point. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I hope you won't make a judgement until you meet him Friday." With that she left her mom and headed upstairs.

Josie say in the kitchen a feeling a burst of pride for her daughter. She had raised a girl that stood for her friends and took the consequences with quiet dignity. If her daughter felt that strongly about this boy after just a few days, she knew he would play an important role in their lives.

It filled her with joy to think her daughter might have found someone to love at a young age like she and Steve did. This Warren seemed to have a quick temper but what teenage boy didn't? He treated her daughter well and made her smile, that's all she could ask for. She remembered a time that Steve would pick fights over school plays and cause damage to the school.

Steve walked into the kitchen with a grin on his face. She knew he hadn't stopped smiling since they got the call that Will has super strength, Will would carry on the Stronghold name that Steve's father had started. She was a bit disappointed neither of her children inherited her ability to fly, but as with any mother she just wanted them happy and healthy. "Steve, we need to talk." That quickly made his smile fall. "Oh, it's nothing bad I just think we should discuss Will and Issy's punishments.

Steve looked relieved, "Alright, what are we thinking grounding, extra chores?" Both were decent options. "I had a talk with Issy and I think she knows what she did wasn't right, but her heart was in the right place. I think we let her off with that detention and a warning." Steve nodded his head agreeing their daughter was more a victim of circumstances. "Now as for William..." He politely interrupted his wife by holding up a hand. "Josie, I would like to take care of Will's punishment if that's ok? Give him and man to man talk about how fighting doesn't solve anything and he will be grounded."

Josie knee he wouldn't be able to punish Will like he should with his being so proud and happy about his third generation son. However, she didn't want to be too hard on their son and as long as he was grounded in the end he could have his dad of excitement with his dad. She would act like she didn't know they were playing the new X-box she had seen Steve "sneak" into the sanctum earlier.

Josie gave him a stern look, "Ok, but you have to promise me you are really going to ground him and not let him off too easy just because he has powers now." Steve attempted to look stern and authoritative, he might need to work on that because Josie just shook her head and sighed.

Issy couldn't say she wasn't upset when she saw will carry his new Xbox up the stairs as she was going down for dinner. He could have killed Warren, he had no idea if Warren could survive that hit before he did it. When her chair got to the bottom of the stair she noticed the front door had been ripped from the wall and was backwards, Will's new powers no doubt.

Dinner that night seemed an eternity. It was thirty minutes of Will and dad talking about their powers. Luckily, her mom excused her as soon as she was done because she was sure they would be there a while more. Making her way back upstairs she decided to check on Warren.

Grabbing her phone she sent him a text.

Issy: How r u feeling?
Warren: Well, Mom has decided I'm working off my punishment. Extra hours at the restaurant with no pay.

Issy was sad to hear this. She couldn't believe how easy Will had gotten out of trouble just because he can lift things now.

Issy: im sorry my idiot brother caused you so much trouble today. :(
Warren: dont be. It was partly my fault. The only problem is I now have extra hours on Friday. So we'll have to reschedule our dinner.

She wasn't surprised her brother had found a way for her to be punished more than he was for his actions. She wasn't going to let him take Warren though.

Issy: well i know your in trouble but if I happened to be a customer on Friday and you you were there we wouldn't be breaking any rules.
Warren: it's always the quiet ones ;) looks like we have a coincidental meeting on Friday. I'll come over to meet your parents after school and we can go to the restaurant.

Take that, Will. She had a "not date" with Warren and couldn't wait.