Green Lantern Rises

Part 1

"Easy, Alana." I look up from the punching bag at my instructor. "You don't need to kill it." I back away from the punching bag, "Sorry, Slade. I just have a lot on my mind." I unstrap my gloves as I sit and he crosses his arms, "Anything you wanna talk about?" I shake my head, "Just school and work." He snickers, "Work? You haven't been fired yet?" I giggle, "I guess they're desperate." He unhooks the punching bag and says, "You almost burned the place down. They can't be that desperate." I raise a finger, "It would not have burned down. It was a small fire." he chuckles as we walk out of the abandoned building into an alleyway. "Need a ride home?" He asks. "I can walk," I say shaking my head. "It's dangerous at night." I smirk, "Why do you think I'm training with you?" I hear him chuckle as he walks off.

I stuff my gloves in my purse and hold it close to me as I walk the opposite way. I pull my phone out of my pocket to let my mother know I'm on the way home when I hear sirens in the distance. Typical southside of Opal City. I walk through the door and see my mother at the dining table on her laptop. "Hello, sweetheart. How was the movie?" I shrug, "It was alright." She closes the laptop, "Did he kiss you?" I roll my eyes, "Mom, for the hundredth time, he's just a friend. He's a bit too old for me anyway." I race up the stairs to avoid any more of her ridiculous questions. I toss my purse on the dresser and pull my hair down. After I shower, I plop down on my bed and pass out.

I walk the all too familiar route to school with my favorite blonde. Rose was just a couple inches taller than me and quite lean with a solid six pack. "She still doesn't know that my father is training you? It's been six years!" I shrug, "Rose, you know how she would react if she found out. Not only would she think it was dangerous, but she would also think I'm trying to replace my father with yours." She purses her lips, "If he hadn't left, she wouldn't have to worry about that." I gently nudge her shoulder, "I still don't know the whole story. I can't judge anyone yet." She rolls her blue eyes, "Oh please, you and I, and probably your mother, all know he left for that twenty-something year old intern at his job," She shakes her head, "It's a shame most men can't stay loyal and only care about the way a woman looks." I snicker, "For real, it's like they're afraid of wrinkles." She laughs with me, "That actually makes sense. What if there's a scientific reason for that? Like, a wrinkle releases some kind of hormone that repels a man's sex hormones." I shake my head, "Sure, Jan." She laughs again and we finally reach Opal City High School. "See you in fourth," She says as she walks to her first period and I walk to mine.

I almost fall asleep in English when I feel something on my shoulder. I look to see a tall, dark-skinned kid nudging me. I pull my arm away, "Please don't touch me." I turn away and hear snickering behind me. I roll my eyes and hear Ms. Baker's voice, "Alana, if my lecture is that boring, you are more than welcome to sit in the principal's office." I sigh, "I wasn't rolling my eyes at you, Ms. Baker, I was-" She interrupts me, "And now you're arguing back? Please take the hall pass when you leave." I then roll my eyes at her and leave without the hall pass. As I sit in the principal's office, a pretty boy across the room smiles at me. I was always jealous of how perfect Rose's facial features are, I never noticed how often boys looked at me. My eyes make a circle once again as the principal walks over to me, "Ms. Hart, please come see me in the office." I stand up as I say, "Aww, David, I thought we were on a first name basis." He gives me a dirty look as we walk into the tiny cubicle-looking room. He sits down and starts his speech, "Alana look, I know that you are a very smart girl. Just the vocabulary you use shows intelligence. Why don't you like learning?" I shrug, "It's not my fault Ms. Baker keeps kicking me out."

"If you stopped disrupting her class, she wouldn't have to. It almost seems like this is a strategy to get out." I take a deep sigh, "I do not disrupt her class. She just thinks I'm out to get her. I do enjoy learning if it's from the right people. Just ask my father, oh wait, you can't because he left." He looks down and folds his hands together, "Alana, I want you to succeed, just like all my other students. Junior year is the most important year. Have you thought about what you want to do?" I shrug, "I was thinking about marrying a rich golfer. And if that doesn't work out, I'll audition for American Idol. And if that doesn't work out, I guess I'll just be homeless." I glance at his white knuckles and smirk. He's close to breaking. "You seem to excel in your science classes. Doctors get paid pretty well, have you thought of-" I cut him off, "I don't want to be a doctor. I don't want to be a lawyer. I don't want to be a marketing manager. I'm not good at anything. Maybe I'll just be a professional pickpocketer." I whisper low to myself, but loud enough for him to hear and he stands up slamming his fists on the desk, "Listen, you little girl! I will not have another unsuccessful student in my school!" I lean back in my chair, "Oh, you mean like Omar Trevino?" His breathing slows down as I bring the memories back to him.