(1)

Someone snickered as they passed me, "Bubbles."

I pushed my glasses higher on my nose.

Great, I thought. Just like last year.

I barely enter the school and people already remember my name. Sounds like an unwanted luxury.

It really didn't bother me that I had a nickname. I knew it was intended as an insult but the attention I drew from it was far better than the attention I probably should be getting. I'd rather be bullied than pampered.

It was my second year at Sky High and things would start right where they left off; in the Hero Support room. As a "sidekick" I only had a few classes a day unlike the "heroes". Hero Support took up most of my time but it didn't bother me; again, it only added to the fact I wanted to be bullied not pampered.

My dad wasn't too disappointed either in the fact that I was a sidekick. He had more important things to worry about than where his only child had been placed.

I reached out to my locker hearing the combo echo in my head.

"Hi, Izzy," a voice greeted me.

I glanced over letting my large dark blue eyes land on a familiar face.

"Hey Speed," I returned the greeting going back to my locker combination.

"How was your summer?" he asked watching me move things around in my locker.

"Short but sweet, yours?" I asked pushing my golden blonde bangs out of my lenses.

"It passed by pretty quick," Speed answered using a slight pun.

"Is that because you move too fast?" I asked smiling.

"Possibly, yeah," he answered.

I closed my locker grabbing the proper materials for my day. I adjusted my glasses again before I turned back to Speed. He was much taller than me but I was short for a girl.

"Well… have a good one," I shrugged turning to go.

"Yeah… bye Izzy," Speed said.

Speed was known for picking on sidekicks. So it always confused me when he walked up to me just to talk instead of threaten to dunk me in the toilet. Even as a freshman he never once bullied me. He'd run up to me in a blur, create small talk, and say goodbye watching me leave him.

I pushed my loose golden curls out of the way again. They liked to move when I move. It got annoying at times especially when the ceiling looked like Rapunzel walked on it. My hair was naturally golden blonde and therefore was my trademark along with my Clark Kent glasses. They were large and they were definitely "in charge" of my face.

My hair put me in the spotlight when I walked in the halls which I wasn't fond of. It made me easier to find when people started looking; people like Speed that just wanted small talk to build on a relationship. But my glasses hindered on my looks making it hard to look at me for long periods of time. And, of course, they brought on the bullying and teasing; which was fine by me.

I walked into the Hero Support room seeing a few classmates already there. I took my usual spot in the back corner under the natural light of the sun. Mr. Boy placed me there when I requested it. He was by far my favorite teacher in the school for letting me sit in the back of the room.

I squinted seeing a smudge on my glasses. I took them off and cleaned them with the T-shirt I had on under my hoodie. My usual attire consists of sneakers in any color or design, knee high socks reaching just below my knee, a skirt the reached a few inches above my knee, boy shorts underneath he skirt in case anything happened in P.E, a T-shirt and a light hoodie over that. Yes, it was kinda school girly but it was part of my comfort zone.

I'll let everyone else wear jeans like they're going out of style, I thought seeing a few more classmates pour in within the last new seconds.

I saw many new faces knowing most of them were freshmen. Sidekick classes weren't split up by grades anymore since there were so few of us. A good seventy percent of all kids that went through the placement ended up being a hero. So sidekick's were hard to pair up with at graduation. Now a days it was go solo or pick another hero; some went solo.

Funny I should fall in that remaining thirty percent, I thought with a smug smile on my face. With my power, I shouldn't even be in this school.

I figured most would pick another hero since there were a few teams out there. The most recognizable was, of course, The Commander and Jetstream. I figured they'd set the bar or the trend to team up with a fellow hero. Meaning sidekicks wouldn't be needed much anymore in a few years.

I put my index finger and thumb together making a circle. I looked through it like a spy glass before I placed it before my lips. I took a deep breath letting it out slowly through my joined fingers. Bubbles came out the other end floating freely in the class room. A few students noticed and made a game of popping them.

Mr. Boy entered the room and smiled. He always seemed to enjoy the sidekick powers.

"Well, this is a great way to start off the year," he said watching the bubbles float higher. "A little bit of… fun."

I knew it was childish amusement that my powers brought. But I too, enjoyed the simple things in life.

"Alright, hurry up and pop the last bubble so we can get started," he said adding competition into the little game.

I laughed watching a few of the freshmen boys climb over desks to reach the last bubble. It eventually popped when it reached the ceiling causing a few classmates to whine because the fun was gone.

"Well, to get a few things out of the way, I must say that yes, not all of you in this room are freshmen. Due to the fact that, uh, many of our students pass as hero's… uh, sidekicks are in short supply. So we are… joining all the grades for the Hero Support class and just breaking up the material you'll learn into grades," Mr. Boy explained.

We began diving into detail about our history. For the freshmen, this was something new, for everyone else, we'd been tested on this many times. Mr. Boy eventually turned to the upper classmen and started on how our powers might not be the best fit for our hero; if one. It was a new take on how our lives might end at Sky High with a hero that doesn't match up well with you.

The lunch bell rang ending my time in Hero Support.

I walked out of the class room and headed to lunch.

I wasn't all that hungry so I just sat down in my usual spot. I was at one end of the table and didn't sit with anyone. Well, no one on my end at least. My lunch time was more like a study hall where I tried to get my homework done.

Technically, there was one person at my table. We sat at opposite ends though so I didn't really count him since we never talked. I glanced over to my right seeing Warren Peace staring down at his open book minding his own business. He was the social reject of the school and I think he liked it that way. We never talked but I think he was okay with the fact that I was the closest person who sat with him at the same table. At least, he never voiced his opinion against me.

A sudden uproar grabbed my attention as I tore away from gazing at Warren. A few kids scrambled out of the cafeteria and small groups followed one after another.

"What's going on?" I asked out loud.

"Intramurals just started," Penny Lent said with a little sass.

She was one of the girls that didn't like sidekicks period no matter what grade they were in or who they were associated with. Something about me in general irritated her but she never said what it was no matter how many times I asked.

"Already? It's only the first day of school," I said keeping it civilized.

"Coach Boomer approved of it," she continued to sass. "Speed and Lash are starting the year long competition off just like they did last year."

I rolled my eyes as she left following the crowd.

Intramurals was really the only sport this school had. Save the Citizen or Battle to the Finish. Both consisted of groups or teams of students against another team. I had never been in any of the games because no one wanted me as their partner but I did watch a few games.

I groaned getting up and following the crowd. It was almost like peer pressure the way the school moved as a group to the gym to watch intramurals. Sometimes, the school day was put on pause to watch the latest rivalry in the gym. Principle Powers never objected to the idea but she never enjoyed it either.

I was one of the last few to enter the gym and take a seat. Save the Citizen was set up with a dummy in the middle of the room hanging over a hole of gears to eat it up. I saw Speed and his buddy Lash on one end of the gym with two others on the other end I didn't recognize.

Coach Boomer sat in the referee chair with a wicked grin on his face. Speed and Lash were his favorite team and he often played the rules just right so they could win. This was his way of making the game more entertaining.

"Three minutes!" Coach Boomer roared starting the time clock.

Speed instantly zoomed across the gym floor throwing one opponent into the glass wall and the other to Lash. Lash rolled up the hero in his long arms spinning him back out like a bowling ball. Every time Speed's challenger reached for the citizen he shot them back just by zooming passed them.

I saw one of the hero's turn invisible. I smiled thinking that would give them an edge. Speed then just circled the citizen puppy guarding it. Coach Boomer didn't call a foul. Lash went over to the visible hero reaching out to grab them. The hero used his laser eyes to burn a small hole in Lash's palms.

Lash recoiled looking down at his hands, "He burned me!"

"Continue attack," Coach Boomer sounded.

"What?" Lash said shocked.

The laser eyes turned to Speed. The red line made it's way to Speed causing him to stop and cover his arm that had been burned a few times in the same area.

"Burn the rope!" someone shouted.

The laser was then burning through the rope as it swung back and forth. Lash reached out and yanked the invisible hero off the rope sending him flying into a metal city garbage collector. The rope was completely burned through sending the citizen to the sharp gears below.

"Game over!" Coach Boomer yelled. "Lash and Speed are the victors!"

I sighed as the rest of the students cheered.

"It was close," I said looking to my left.

I was about to get up and head back to class but I found a steaming student blocking my way. Warren Peace sat glaring at Speed and Lash as a few small flames formed on his shoulders. He must have been angry at something.

I waited patiently for the students to my right to exit before I followed. I didn't want to be barbequed on my first day back at school. You never know what's going on in the head of a pyrokinetic.