New Identity ~ MCU/SWCW Story

Chapter 7 ~ An Interesting (and slightly painful) Day.

Hello everyone! Today's update isn't as long as most of the others, but at least it's something.

I'm planning on updating again soon, but that will come after another update to my sequel.

Enjoy!

Small, yet warming, rays of sunshine poured into Ashley's room. It danced across the curtains, coated her drawers and wardrobe, and practically flooded the floorboards. For a hot second, panic filled the teenager's mind as she thought about the school that she was missing at the moment, but she quickly remembered that it was the weekend. No school, minimal socializing, and a couple of days of having the majority of the time to herself to relax.

    Her first school week had been fun, but very tedious and tiring. So far she was passing both academic and physical classes with flying colors, but it came at a cost. Nearly eight times a day, her mind would settle into the process of dumping information into her knowledge while giving her a headache. Smaller and more specific topics weren't nearly as taxing as learning about things like Tony Stark's flying suits and the history of wars of the world, but everything added up. At the end of the day, she usually just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep off her throbbing head.

    As Ashley was stretching her limbs and slowly crawling out of bed, her vision stumbled across a beautiful dress that was hanging in the corner. To be completely honest, shopping for a homecoming dress wasn't as bad as she pictured it to be. Over the series of several days, they had ventured from boutique to boutique to find a dress that Bethany claimed was perfect. Of course, they butted heads several times on what she would choose, but they eventually ended up agreeing on a winner.

    Now the question is, will I have someone to wear it with? Or will I fly solo?

    The icy-haired girl shook her head. She didn't care about boys, right? They were just confusing, immature...

    Ashley had to stop herself. It wasn't fair to stereotype all boys to that personality. For example, you had Flash and Peter. They were polar opposites, each with their own flaws and perfections.

    Even so, I won't let a silly boy mess with my head. Ain't nobody got time for that.

    A little smile spread across her face as she indignantly thought the last line, then fully stood up from her bed. As she brushed her hair, teeth, and did a light coat of chapstick and mascara, she pondered about what she would be doing for the day. Another photoshoot for Forever 21? Hanging out with Bethany? Perhaps training with her? Maybe sightseeing? Maybe, if she was lucky enough, a little bit of everything.

    "Ashley? You up?" A voice called from the kitchen.

    "Believe it or not, I actually am," Ashley shouted back with a laugh as she went back into her bedroom. She pulled out the first half-decent outfit she came across and threw it on, then quickly put her hair in a side braid so it would stay out of her face.

    Ashley entered the common area (which consisted of the open concept of a living room, dining room, and kitchen) with a little bounce in her step, then plopped down into one of the bar stools that was lined up against the kitchen island. Bethany was beside her, brushing back strands of her chocolate hair as she took a sip of her steaming espresso. The teenager hadn't taken a liking to the caffeinated drink yet, but she was sure that in time, she would learn to depend on the survival juice.

    "If you're feeling up to it, I've actually gotten a request from a company line for you to model for a few different dresses. Nothing too extravagant, but it's all up to you," Bethany said after a long drink of her coffee.