CHAPTER TEN
"she knows everything 2"
Jade slept in late the next morning. When she woke up, she ordered room service and got ready for the day. The maid came with Jade's food about ten minutes after the call, she ate and checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. Once her plane was ready she boarded and fell back asleep for the eight-hour trip back home.
It was around seven a.m when she got back and she skipped school that day. She went straight to her apartment and when she got there she turned her lab on and turned everything back to normal. She had some money left over so she hid it in a safe spot just in case she needed it later in life. She also text Michelle to tell her she was back and to come over after school.
She decided she needed to tell someone about herself and Michelle seemed the best at keeping a secret, and keeping to herself.
During the day, she did as much makeup work as she could online and when she was finally done, she heard a knock at her door.
She opened the door for Michelle and let her in. "Thank God you're finally back! I never thought I would feel so awkward being alone," Michelle said as she hugged Jade. This was a new thing for Michelle— hugging. It was always the other way around.
"I have to tell you something," Jade said nervously.
"Don't say you're leaving again for three days," Michelle frowned.
"No, it's not that," Jade said quickly and pulled her friend over to the couch. "I just need someone to trust."
Michelle stared at her for a moment, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "Okay.."
"But if I tell you, it has to stay between us. No one can know, not even your diary." Jade said seriously.
"Well, it's safe with me because I have no diary," Michelle chuckled, trying to take some of the tension away.
"Okay," Jade took a deep breath. "I'm not really "Jade Hogan". My real name is Jaidan Stark."
Michelle's eyes went big, she didn't know how to respond to it, so she waited on Jade to say something else.
"Tony Stark is my dad, yes," Jade said, her shoulders still tense.
"You're Tony Stark's daughter?" Michelle finally said something. "I didn't even know he had one."
"No one knows he does, except the Avengers and Nick Fury and his close friends. But... that's not all I need to tell you," Jade explained and Michelle nodded, telling her to continue.
"I was gone for three days because I flew to Germany. I don't know what the public knows right now, but there was a fight—"
"The Avengers fought against each other, two sides; Iron Man and Captain America, yeah. It was all the school talked about— video footage leaked everywhere," Michelle cut Jade off. Jade was shocked at how fast the news spread.
"Yeah, that," Jade said nervously, footage was out too?
"What's up?" Michelle asked worried.
"I don't know how to word this," she said letting out a sigh and tucking her head in her arms.
"Just say it," Michelle smiled, grabbing her hand awkwardly, trying to make her comfortable.
"Okay," Jade sighed for the fifth time. "I'm Iron Lightning."
There was a slight pause, then Michelle laughed, throwing her head back.
"Okay, you're messing with me," she said holding her stomach. "You're Tony Stark's daughter and you're a superhero?"
Jade shifted uncomfortably, "I'm being serious,"
"Oh," she gasped for some air. "You're funny." She chuckled.
Jade stood up and used her powers to run to her room and back, bringing an object with her. She stood in front of Michelle holding the object. Michelle's eyes as big as watermelons and her mouth wide open.
"You're Iron Lightning!" Michelle exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, my God!"
"Shhh!" Jade said closing her mouth. "No one can know I'm Iron Lightning, or even Tony Stark's daughter. You have to promise me you won't say anything."
Jade held out her pinky for Michelle to take. Michelle looked at her funny.
"A pinky promise?" Michelle chuckled.
"Hey, it's the most sacred swearing method," Jade said still holding it out. "Now, please?"
Michelle sighed deeply and took a hold of Jade's pinky with hers, "I promise,"
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It had been a few days after Jade told Michelle about her. She went to school the next day and no one suspected anything, everything was back to normal— except Michelle.
She tried to not ask Jade any questions about her secret life, but Jade could tell she had a lot to ask and it didn't bother her that much. She felt a little more free knowing someone was on her side and she could tell someone when something popped up.
Peter finally came back to school on that Thursday and Ned was every glad (because he had to hang out with girls for a week). It felt awkward between Jade and Peter, she knew his secret but he didn't know hers. When Jade disappeared the day after they talked, Peter knew something was off about her. He knew she was hiding something, yet couldn't figure it out. He tried getting it out of Happy but you can't get anything out of that man.
As the day went on, they all went to Decathlon practice— Jade sitting to the side because she was not apart of the club.
Liz Allan, who was the club's captain, was going over a competition they would be having during October in D.C.
"I need everyone to be there, we need to be studying and practicing everything to be ready next month," Liz said.
Jade noticed Peter's full attention was on Liz as she spoke, everyone knew by now that Peter liked Liz— she was a smart, pretty, and a popular senior girl, pretty much every guy liked her. She didn't know why, but that made Jade dislike Liz a little more.
When Liz finished her speech, the team started packing their stuff up for next hour, "Are you sure you don't want to join the team?" Michelle asked.
"I'm definitely sure," Jade grinned.
"What's the point of being smart brain if you're not going to use it?" Michelle asked, but wasn't really looking for an answer.
"I am using it," Jade defended herself. "I'm using my smarts to take pictures at the competition for the yearbook and school paper."
Jade knew she didn't want to be apart of decathlon, she may be smart but she didn't care to do more school work. But, she wanted to go on the trip because she wouldn't be alone when all her friends were gone. So, she did the next best thing, signed up for yearbook staff and volunteered for taking pictures at the decathlon competition.
Michelle rolled her eyes and threw her backpack on her shoulders, grabbing her books and leading out the auditorium.
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