Hero Academy

Chapter 1 ♥

i would appreciate feedback, plz plz plzzz tell me if i should change anything! (btw, this was a different story, but i fixed it so it was organized into chapters!)

If you are reading this, then you obviously know about that Arnold C. Johnson academy isn't a military academy, but the training place for all young supers. The fastest of the fast, the bravest of the brave, all those gifted beyond human abilities go to the academy. I'm Marissa Andekas, and I used to be a foster kid, until they found me, and this is my story.

It started in October, on the day of my thirteenth birthday. I woke up in a bed I still wasn't used to, because I had just arrived in the house two weeks before, when I had to move homes, after I somehow managed to singlehandedly turn my junior high into a complete disaster zone. I just had one of those feelings, as though today was going to be big, as though today was going to be a major chapter in my life. Turns out, it would be. I woke up to Jane ordering Mark around the kitchen, baking something. It smelled amazing, so I put on some slippers and padded into the kitchen, surprised to see that the foster kids who lived here too were already awake, and helping out with the cooking. That was the first time I had seen any of them so much as touch any of the cooking utensils, so I stopped in shock. Alexandra, a fifteen year old, widened her eyes and said, "No! Go outside, you aren't allowed to see what we're making until we say you can come in! Happy Birthday, but get out!" I laughed, and walked back into my room, wondering how I hadn't noticed she wasn't in the bunk below me, or the twins in the room connected to our bathroom because usually, I could hear them snoring through the two bathroom doors.  

I hadn't been there very long, but I'd already made friends with the four foster kids who lived in Jane and Mark's ridiculously large house with me now. The first day I saw their house, I wondered why people with a mansion would bother with adopting, and foster kids. But it turns out they inherited the 100-year old house from Jane's grandmother two years ago, and the house had just felt too empty. It had enough rooms for each of us to have two of our own, but they wanted all of us to be close, like real siblings, so we shared rooms, except for Mary, who was three. She couldn't share a room with the twin boys, and Jane and Mark didn't want her in a room with two teenage girls, so she was in a small room next to the master bedroom. They didn't know it, but the house was so old that there was a secret passageway entry in mine and Alexandra's room. It was right next to our bathroom door, which actually used to be a really thick wall, before indoor plumbing was invented. I discovered it one day when I tripped, and accidently pulled on the side of our windowsill. Part of the wall lifted up, and I could see a rope ladder that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and an opening on the other side, to crawl through. I had usually managed to attract trouble in the foster homes, so I figured, what's one more blip on my permanent record, if I get caught in this thing? I crawled in, and went through the passageway in front of me. I had to dust away a few spiders, but I could see into every room in the house, when I went through it far enough. There was also an entrance into every room, so once I walked back into my room, after Alexandra told me to get out of the kitchen, I crawled in and looked into the kitchen, to see what they were doing. I saw the twins sneaking cake batter, with Alexandra making pancakes, Mark making bacon, and Jane feeding Mary. When I looked at the twins again, I started wishing the batter would taste bad all of a sudden, or bubble up and pop in their faces. Just as I finished that last thought, the basil that Jane was growing in the windowsill suddenly started growing, and crept along until it reached the bowl of cake batter. It tangled around the boys' hands, gripping stronger and stronger, and I watched as they shrieked their alarm. Jane saw them eating the batter, and then the plant wrapping around their slim wrists. She cut them free, shrieking something about too much growth soil, and scolded them for eating the batter. Just then, the oven beeped, and then placed the pan with cake batter into the oven. When I looked over at the counter, the pancakes were all piled onto the plate, with bacon on another plate next to it. One of the twins, I wasn't sure if it was Jacob or Matthew, yelled up, "MARISSAAAA!! Get down here!!!!!" I came out of the passageway just in front of the stairs, and saw myself in the huge mirror they'd hung in the hallway. My Long brown hair was going every direction, and my face was pale in the dark hallway I straightened it out a bit, and headed into the kitchen. I feigned surprise and gratitude when Alexandra and Mark both pulled out a huge plate of food from behind their backs. I thought to myself, for not being here very long, this family acted as though I had been here forever. It's too bad, what would happen that afternoon.  

Since they didn't know all that much about me yet, I just got a Visa gift card, for twenty dollars, and they took me out to the local mall. I wasn't really the sort to squeal and try to buy a million different outfits, so I went to the bookstore. When I walked in, a bunch of these kids of all shapes and sizes, boys and girls, all wearing camouflage, boots, and dog tags, were running around the store, picking out books, and getting in line. One of them accidently bumped into me, and when the guy looked at me, saying sorry, he stopped dead. He stared into my eyes for a second, and walked over to one of the adults leading their group. He tapped them onto the shoulder, and I pretended not to look as he pointed at me, and said something to the adult. They both stared at me, and then walked out with the rest of the group. I grabbed my book and paid for it, wondering what that had been about.  

About an hour later, we headed out of the restaurant we had lunch in, and the teacher who the boy had spoken to suddenly appeared, about ten feet behind us on the sidewalk. No kids were with him, and his clothes were completely different than before. Now, he just looked like some random guy, out for a day of shopping. Then, the windows I had been using to see his reflections stopped, and I lost sight of him. We all got in the car, everybody chatting away, and I decided to ask Alexandra about. Just before I opened my mouth, I got a glimpse of the man, in a black, very nondescript car, following about three car-lengths behind us. Before I could mention it, Alexandra turned to me, and asked quietly, "So how did u get a kid from the academy to talk to you?  

"The what?"  

"The Arnold C. Johnson military academy? Usually they just ignore everybody when they're in town, and if they bump into you or something you're about as likely to hear a word of sorry as I am to win the lottery today!" she said, sounding shocked that I hadn't heard of the academy in my all of two weeks here.  

I figured she had to know something about them, aside from the fact they're rude, so I decided to ask more questions.  

"So, um, what do they even do at the academy?'  

"Apparently some top secret, government training stuff. They're just behind those mountains, and the school is about as easy to get into as area fifty-one. All the kids are supposed to be really gifted though."  

So, after she said that, I decided that since our house was so close to the mountains that he wasn't actually following us, just heading back to the school. Then, I then I changed my mind again when I noticed he turned into the driveway and got out after us. He walked up to Jane and Mark, saying, "Hello. Are you this girls parents?" while he pointed to me.  

Mark, trying to show that he was the man in the house, sort of flexed the muscles in his chest, lightly bulging under his navy blue polo, saying, "Yes, we're her parents. May I inquire exactly why you are asking about our newest daughter?" sounding polite, but with anger lightly touching his tone of voice.  

"I come from the Arnold C. Johnson Military Academy, and we have taken a great interest in your daughter. We were curious as to whether or not you would be willing to accept a full scholarship. This would include her room and board, as well."  

The way he was speaking though, made it not sound like he was asking I come, he was demanding it. I swallowed my fear, and spoke up. "Sir, Um, I've only been here two weeks, and I know nothing about your school. May I pay a visit, and make a decision then?" I said questioningly "Of course." He said, as though it should have been obvious I was coming for a visit. Jane and Mark just stared at me, wondering why I was giving this man hope that I would leave my new home, my new family. The thing is, I know how to play people. I can smile to your face and make you think I'm your best friend, and be screaming at you on the inside. I was only saying it to shut him up because I knew I wanted to actually stay in one house for longer than a year for once.  

It's too bad I'm even better at lying to myself than I am to other people. Maybe I wouldn't be in this mess now.