Sky high

Chapter Nine

I am currently studying for the math midterm in my room but I couldn't concentrate at all. I didn't know if it was because I absolutely despised math, the fact that Gwen was at the house AGAIN, or because I think I'm completely in love with Warren. After an hour of trying to figure out the math study guide, I finally gave up. I went downstairs to grab myself a drink from the fridge. I pulled a bottle of coke out of the fridge and placed it on the counter. Once I closed the fridge and went to open the bottle, my phone started ringing. It was Warren. "Hey" I answered with a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be working on your mid-term?" I joked.

I guessed it worked because he chuckled lightly. "Yeah, but um... can you come out tonight?"

"Tonight?" I asked confused and sighed. "Warren, you know I have to finish that study guide and as much as I want to run off and forget about math, I do have responsibilities."

He was silent for a minute before he said. "I'm outside." I jerked up and walked to the front door to see him standing at the mailbox. I guess he saw me because he gave me a small wave and said "Hey"

I chuckled "What are you doing here?" I asked him as I leaned against the door.

He shrugged. "Come out with me tonight, I have a shift later but I wanted to take you out for a bit." I smiled at the offer and bit my lower lip while groaning. "You know you want to" He teased me with a big smile.

I busted out laughing and nodded. "Yeah, I really do." I sighed "Ok, give me a minute to grab my jacket and wallet."

"Leave your wallet, I'm buying tonight." This made me smile brightly and run to my room to grab my jacket.

As I went back down the stairs I yelled. "WILL, I'M HEADING OUT! REMEMBER TO STAY OUT OF MY ROOM"

"OK," my brother yelled as I was opening the door. "STAY SAFE"

Once I was out of the house, I ran to Warren and jumped into his arms. He wrapped his muscular arms around my waist and held me to him before leaning into a kiss. I responded by kissing him deeply while running my fingers through his hair causing him to groan and pull away from the kiss. I smiled down at him and whispered "Hi"

He seemed dazed while looking up at me but whispered. "Hey" He sat me back down onto my feet before offering me his hand. I gently interlaced our fingers and then we were off on our little outing. While we were out, Warren and I got ice cream from a small cart that only had a few flavors but was delicious nonetheless. We spent the evening just joking around and complain about everything happening at school including the upcoming mid-terms.

"I really wish my family wasn't so judgemental about you or anyone. Will is judgemental about you because of your dad but you're not exactly innocent either when it comes to compares fathers and sons." I nudged his side causing him to chuckle. "My dad is always looking down on sidekicks and lower heroes." I felt sad thinking about Mr.Boy and he looked up to my dad even though my dad can't even remember his name.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Warren cupped my chin gently making me look at him. "It doesn't matter what they think. As long as you have no doubts about us or yourself then who else's opinion do you need." I smiled and hugged the taller male. I felt him run his fingers through my hair.

After our heartfelt moment, it was time for him to get to work and for me to get home and finish my study guide. Warren walked me back to my house in time to see a crowd of people rush out of the house. "Uh-oh" I groaned before giving Warren a kiss. "I got to go. I love you" I tell him without even thinking about what I was saying and ran into the house. When I got inside, I was shocked at the scene before me. The house was a wreck and in the middle of the wreckage were Will and two angry parents still in their super suits. "What happened here?" I asked as I was approaching the trio.

My dad turned to me. "You mean to tell me that you didn't know about this?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you serious, dad?" He gave me the 'don't play with me' look. "Dad, I hate crowds. I don't like to really party unless I'm going to a dance and since when do I do things like this?"

The older male nodded and mumbled. "I'm sorry." he then turned to Will. "Son, I'm only going to ask you this..."

"Dad, I swear I didn't plan this and Serena went out before the party even began," Will told our dad with a straight face but I knew something was off with him.

Dad looked at him and nodded. "Alright. That's good enough for me." He began to walk away when mom stopped him.

"Steve," She scolded her husband. "I have got half a mind to not let him go to homecoming."

Will walked towards the stairs while saying "That's fine, I'm not going anyways"

This news shocked me since he was so excited to go with Little Miss Popular. I guess our parents were just as shocked at me because dad turned to Will and say. "Woah, Woah, Woah, Woah" Will stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Your mom said she had 'half a mind'. Will, you have to go to the Homecoming dance. We all do." I turned to my dad with my arms crossed. "Because we're introducing the world to STRONGHOLD FOUR, the greatest family of superheroes mankind has ever known." He and mom began to pose proudly.

I scoffed at them and looked to see that my brother wasn't even looking amused and I guess mom saw it as well. "Did something happen, Will?" She asked the angry teen.

I got in front of him, blocking his view of mom and dad. "Something happened with Gwen didn't it?" I asked him gently.

He looked down before saying "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we're gonna talk about it" Dad announced aggressively. "Because we promised Gwen we'd go to the dance." He turned to mom like a child throwing a tantrum before looking back at my brother than me. "And when a Stronghold makes a promise, son, that promise is kept." He pointed at the boy behind me.

I was about to snap at dad when Will said. "I promise you, dad, I'm not going" He turned and walked up the stairs while we watched him go.

I turned back to my parents and snapped. "Really dad? That was your excuse? The 'Stronghold Four?" I scoffed. "No one cares about it but you guys, you act like you're more worried about Gwen than your own son, who is clearly angry about something and or someone." Dad looks guilty but tried to keep a strong face. "I get that you want to relive your glory days through Will and me but you have to understand that we are not you or mom. High school was over 18 years ago for you two. Will and I are only 14, just because we were given these powers didn't mean we wanted them or the responsibilities that came with them."

"Now hold on young lady" Mom tried to intervene. "We are not trying to relive our high school days through you and your brother."

I groaned and run my fingers through my hair. "YES, YOU ARE" I snapped completely. "YOU TWO ARE MAD THAT I LIKE THE SON OF BARRON PEACE BECAUSE YOU WANTED ME TO FALL FOR SOMEONE LIKE DAD! WELL WARREN IS THANK GOD NOTHING LIKE DAD" I yelled while the objects around the house began to shake and do random things. "WARREN IS SWEET AND SMART, AND FUNNY," I kept yelling but finally calmed down at the things I thought of when Warren came into mind. "And, mysterious, and strong, and makes me feel like I matter. That my opinions and hopes matter." I looked at my parents calmly. "You see him as though he is nothing but a villain,  but here's the thing, evil villains are really good people who have been hurt by the so-called heroes. They were probably abused as a child or even bullied as a teen. Villains are made, not born." I finally calm down completely. "Try and remember that" I walked up the stairs and knocked on Will's room. "Will? It's me, do you wanna talk now?" I asked through the door but all I was met with was silence. I sighed and went to my room when I saw that the door was already opened. I felt my stomach sink at the sight. "No" I whispered running into my room and saw all of my protection bottles shattered, my tarot cards shredded, my alter to Loki and Selene was completely destroyed, and my walls were covered in images of witches perishing by fire or by being hanged. "Oh my god" I dropped to my knees and just started crying hysterically. I was so caught up in what was in front of me, I didn't realize that was Will came to check on me until he was hugging me tightly. I buried my head into his shoulder crying one word. "Why?"