**two days after George's chapter, so it's Monday, not Saturday :) **
"I'm home!" I called as I walked in the front door.
"Oh, hey honey!" My mom spoke, bustling into the front room. "Where are my keys?" She muttered.
"Right here, mom," I pulled them off the key hook- their intended place.
"How did they end up there? I swear I put them right on top of the candy bowl..." She trailed off, taking her car keys from my hands. "Thanks, Bree. I'm about to go pick up Ellie from preschool. Do you want to come with me?"
"Can I drive?" I asked in a hopeful voice.
She sighed. "I guess."
"Yes! Okay, let's go!" I said, grabbing the keys out of her hands, rushing out of the door.
****
"Sissy!" Ellie yelled, running towards me with a wide, toothy grin on her face.
"Hey, Ellie!" I exclaimed, picking her up and twirling her in a circle. When I put her back down, her straight, brown hair was windswept and her dark blue eyes sparkled with her grin. "How was school today?" I asked with a grin of my own.
"So fun! Look, I drew a picture!" She ran over to mom and grabbed her backpack from her, unzipping it and pulling out a piece of paper that had a corner that was folded over from being crammed in her bag. After straightening it out with a look of concentration, she handed it to me with a wide grin.
I looked down at the picture, seeing a bright orange stick figure floating off of the ground and another stick figure that was holding a brown circle. I furrowed my eyebrows- what was this? I could always tell who she drew, because it was always Ember. She absolutely idolized Ember, and I found it adorable because she didn't have the slightest clue that Ember was her sister. But this wasn't Ember.
"It's the Hash Round Superhero!" She exclaimed.
I chuckled. "I think you mean the Hash Brown Hero," I handed her back the drawing with a small smile. "It's very good. I think we should take it to the art museum!"
This earned a giggle from her. "Okay!"
My mom then walked over to us. "Okay, I signed Ellie out. Let's go get some ice cream!"
"Yay!" Ellie exclaimed.
****
".... And they all lived happily ever after." I finished the story I was reading to Ellie, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. "Goodnight, love you," I said, pulling her covers up just a little bit more, tucking them in so they were snug under her chin.
Her dimpled smile appeared. "I love you too, Bree!"
I sent her one more smile and turned off her overhead light, flicking the nightlight on that was plugged into the wall by her bedroom door.
I walked downstairs and into the laundry room, getting a towel and some pajamas- I should have probably taken all of my clothes to my room, but I didn't feel like it at the moment. I ran into my dad on the way out of the room.
"Hey, Bree. Sorry I haven't seen you today until now, I just got back from work a few minutes ago."
"It's fine," I assured him with a smile.
"How was school today?"
' You mean training,' I corrected him mentally. There was no way I was telling him or mom that I had to drop out of school for my superhero courses. "It was good. How was work?"
"Long," he sighed.
"I think mom put your dinner in the microwave." I really just wanted to take a shower and go to bed, even though it was only eight thirty.
"Thanks, honey," he responded with a smile.
"You're welcome. Goodnight, love you," I said, walking toward the stairs.
****
"Bye, love you!" I called to my mom. My dad had already left and had taken Ellie with him so he could drop her off at school on his way to work.
"Love you too, sweetie! Have a great day at school!"
I winced. "Thanks, I'll try. I mean, school is school," I chuckled nervously, walking out the door.
Once I was around the block and well on my way toward the training center, I pulled on my mask and yanked off my baggy track pants and sweatshirt to reveal Ember's outfit.
I got to the training center in no time after that, seeing as I was able to use my powers after that without worry of someone seeing me and walked in the classroom, a few minutes late.
"Late," Ethan remarked.
"Yep," I responded. I started to walk toward my desk and froze when I noticed there was a girl in it; she had a hood on that covered her hair, but I could still see that she had purple- yes, purple- eyes and a toothy grin on her face. She also had a black mask on.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Who are you?" I asked bluntly- I think it came out a bit rude, although I didn't intend for it to sound that way.
"Well, you can call me the Hash Brown Hero," she responded, the excitement in her voice barely contained.
I narrowed my eyes. God, she was everywhere! "What's your real name?"
If it was even possible, the excitement in her voice grew. "It's a secret identity for a reason."
"Wait, you're not telling anyone your real name?"
"Yeah, I thought of it and decided that it would be a great idea!" She nearly squealed.
I furrowed my eyebrows further. "Um, that's kind of my thing."
She just continued to grin.
I turned to Ethan and gave him a strange look. He simply closed his eyes and grabbed the bridge of his nose in response.
I scanned the room, looking for another empty desk- but it was just my luck that they had only enough desks for our classroom; only enough for before the Hash Brown Hero joined us, that is. And so I awkwardly stood there at the front of the room.
Well, until Ethan got up to write something on the board and I sat down in his rolling chair.
After a short argument, we agreed- well, sort of- that I could sit in his chair until Ethan got another desk for me.
Class was boring, as usual. We were currently going over the history of past superheroes, which I found completely boring.
Then a miracle occurred; it was finally lunch time.
"I thought we were never going to get to eat!" Tommy remarked, walking up beside me with his usual grin. "I am so hungry!"
I laughed, walking toward the cafeteria with him. "Such a drama queen."
"I know, I'm simply royalty!" He exclaimed.
"I think we both know that is not what I meant," I giggled.
He simply glared at me and we both went through the line and got our lunch, sitting at our usual table with Elizabeth and Katherine.
"What is she doing?" Katherine asked in a puzzled voice.
We all followed her stare and saw that new girl, the Hash Brown Hero, sitting at a table, with a bunch of beakers- alone. She had on science goggles and was mixing chemicals.
"Should we go sit with her?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yeah, I feel kinda bad," Tommy added.
"Definitely not," Katherine said. "She's weird."
"I think-" I started, but was cut off by Tommy shouting in my ear.
"Hey, hash brown girl!"
She turned her head, and that was when I noticed that her mask was painted on.
"Yes?" She replied.
"Do you wanna come sit with us?" He called again.
Katherine and I turned to him with wide eyes.
"Um, no thank you. I'm sort of busy." She replied, turning her attention back to her beakers.
But who wouldn't prefer a bunch of beakers over real friends?
Note the sarcasm.
***
YES YES YES I GOT WIFI
-Luci :)