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Entry tags:
Salt of the Earth
Title: Salt of the Earth
Fandom: Sky High
Claim: None
Status: In Progress
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Companion piece to Norah. Sometimes a good partnership is all that is needed to make a sidekick a hero.
Warnings: None
When lunch rolled around, Jessica made the decision not to seek out Jasper in the cafeteria. They were close, even if he did tease her practically all the time, but she didn’t want to act like the tag-along little sister, especially on the first day.
So, she stuck to Norah like glue, since she was the only person she had really talked to so far, and they shared a small table with Sean Adamson and Amanda Parthenope, since Sean had been her partner for a group exercise in first period and Amanda was his girlfriend.
If she were honest, Jessica wasn’t sure she liked Amanda and her squeaky voice all that much, but she seemed nice enough, if a bit territorial about Sean.
It was the way she put Norah on edge, though, that got Jessica’s back up. She wasn’t sure what the deal was with the twitchy brunette, but she seemed a little shy and Jessica felt for her. As soon as they sat down to eat, Amanda started with the questions, oblivious that Norah didn’t like her pestering.
“What did Boomer say to you, anyway?”
Jessica could tell that Norah didn’t really want to talk about it, and looked to Sean, who shrugged. Apparently this was just Amanda.
“He asked how I was,” Norah replied, not looking up from dragging a straw through her soda, pushing the ice cubes around.
“Why’d he do that? And why didn’t you have to show your powers?”
“I didn’t show mine, either, Amanda,” Jessica reminded her. Norah’s business was her own.
“Well, what would you show? You move salt,” she replied.
Sean looked as if he wanted to blend into the cafeteria wall. Maybe he was trying to, Jessica thought in amusement. “Trying to disappear, Sean?”
Sean shrugged, though he was smiling. “It doesn’t really work indoors as well. Easier to blend with trees and grass for some reason.”
Amanda wouldn’t take the hint, though, turning back to Norah after putting her arm around Sean. “That’s all right, baby. Most of the big fights are outside. I’ll bet you’ll be sidekick to someone amazing.” She took a sip of her Coke. “And what do you do, Norah?”
Norah had looked up at this point, and Jessica wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She seemed shy, but she also seemed to keep her face emotionless, unless she looked terrified, like she had in the gym. “I’m an empath,” she replied, her voice matter-of-fact and less quiet than it had been about Boomer’s conversation. “A little telepathy, too, if I’m touching someone.”
That explained the twitches, Jessica thought. It still didn’t explain her reluctance to discuss Boomer, but it didn’t really matter anyway. “That’s really cool. What am I thinking now?” she asked, reaching out to touch Norah’s arm with a grin.
Norah laughed a bit, darting a glance at Amanda and Sean before biting her lip. “You’re being mean. She wonders if you hide from Amanda when you guys have fights, Sean,” she said, letting another giggle escape.
Sean’s response was cut off by an arm around Jessica’s neck and a hand ruffling her hair so that it stuck up all over the place out of her ponytail. She didn’t even have to look up. “Jasper,” she whined. “How many times have I told you not to mess with my hair?”
The tall blond nudged her over, plopping himself into the seat between her and Norah, and Jessica could see her twitch again. Poor girl. Jasper’s mind was a scary place.
“And, who are your friends, my darling baby sister?” he asked, stealing a fry from her tray.
Jessica tried to slap his hand, but he got the fry in his mouth and she missed. “Jerk,” she said without heat. “This is Amanda Parthenope, Sean Adamson, and Norah Gregory,” she introduced. “Guys, this is my brother Jasper.”
He smiled for a moment and waved at the three of them, but looked to Norah with a thoughtful look on his face. “Anna Honor’s daughter?” he asked, waiting for her nod. “Dad worked with your mom.”
“Oh,” Norah replied softly. “W?”
“Yeah,” Jasper replied, more serious than Jessica would have expected. Jasper was rarely serious, especially around her or her friends. Jessica had forgotten that Lady Justice had a family.
There was an awkward pause, and Sean looked wholly confused, though Jessica supposed it wasn’t a surprise. Neither of his parents were superheroes or sidekicks, which meant he was flying blind when it came to school and rivalries. Then again, he had Amanda. She could fill him in, Jessica decided.
Jasper stole another fry, and Jessica shoved, forgetting a moment that Norah would come into contact with him. “God, Jasper, get your own food. I know mom gave you enough money.”
He grinned, the mood lightened, and even Norah seemed to smile slightly. “I spent it already.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Well, too bad. Let me eat my food in peace.”
He stood then, with a glance at the clock letting them know the bell would ring soon. “Fine, be that way,” he replied, but he was still smiling. “I’ll see you after school, Jess.”
“Bye, Jasper,” Jessica replied, rolling her eyes as she turned back to her friends. “He is so annoying.”
They dumped their food as the bell rang, splitting up to go to their lockers before class. She felt bad that she hadn’t known about Norah. She wasn’t sure what she would have done, but she would have done something.
She met up with her at her locker on their way to fifth period, unsure what to say. The hallway was crowded, and Norah was jostled right into Warren Peace in the middle of it. He glared at her for a second before moving down the hall. Norah seemed frozen in place, her face pale.
“Norah? Are you okay?” Jessica asked, unsure if she should touch her arm or not. Jasper had said to stay away from Peace, most of all.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, standing up straighter, almost ramrod straight and her jaw set. Was she angry?
“Let’s get to class,” she replied, linking arms with her, trying to keep her thoughts on funny things Jasper had done when they were growing up. She didn’t know what was going on with the brunette, but superhero teams were family. Like it or not, Norah was stuck with her.
She was pleased to see a slight smile on Norah’s face when they entered Medulla’s class.
Fandom: Sky High
Claim: None
Status: In Progress
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Companion piece to Norah. Sometimes a good partnership is all that is needed to make a sidekick a hero.
Warnings: None
When lunch rolled around, Jessica made the decision not to seek out Jasper in the cafeteria. They were close, even if he did tease her practically all the time, but she didn’t want to act like the tag-along little sister, especially on the first day.
So, she stuck to Norah like glue, since she was the only person she had really talked to so far, and they shared a small table with Sean Adamson and Amanda Parthenope, since Sean had been her partner for a group exercise in first period and Amanda was his girlfriend.
If she were honest, Jessica wasn’t sure she liked Amanda and her squeaky voice all that much, but she seemed nice enough, if a bit territorial about Sean.
It was the way she put Norah on edge, though, that got Jessica’s back up. She wasn’t sure what the deal was with the twitchy brunette, but she seemed a little shy and Jessica felt for her. As soon as they sat down to eat, Amanda started with the questions, oblivious that Norah didn’t like her pestering.
“What did Boomer say to you, anyway?”
Jessica could tell that Norah didn’t really want to talk about it, and looked to Sean, who shrugged. Apparently this was just Amanda.
“He asked how I was,” Norah replied, not looking up from dragging a straw through her soda, pushing the ice cubes around.
“Why’d he do that? And why didn’t you have to show your powers?”
“I didn’t show mine, either, Amanda,” Jessica reminded her. Norah’s business was her own.
“Well, what would you show? You move salt,” she replied.
Sean looked as if he wanted to blend into the cafeteria wall. Maybe he was trying to, Jessica thought in amusement. “Trying to disappear, Sean?”
Sean shrugged, though he was smiling. “It doesn’t really work indoors as well. Easier to blend with trees and grass for some reason.”
Amanda wouldn’t take the hint, though, turning back to Norah after putting her arm around Sean. “That’s all right, baby. Most of the big fights are outside. I’ll bet you’ll be sidekick to someone amazing.” She took a sip of her Coke. “And what do you do, Norah?”
Norah had looked up at this point, and Jessica wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She seemed shy, but she also seemed to keep her face emotionless, unless she looked terrified, like she had in the gym. “I’m an empath,” she replied, her voice matter-of-fact and less quiet than it had been about Boomer’s conversation. “A little telepathy, too, if I’m touching someone.”
That explained the twitches, Jessica thought. It still didn’t explain her reluctance to discuss Boomer, but it didn’t really matter anyway. “That’s really cool. What am I thinking now?” she asked, reaching out to touch Norah’s arm with a grin.
Norah laughed a bit, darting a glance at Amanda and Sean before biting her lip. “You’re being mean. She wonders if you hide from Amanda when you guys have fights, Sean,” she said, letting another giggle escape.
Sean’s response was cut off by an arm around Jessica’s neck and a hand ruffling her hair so that it stuck up all over the place out of her ponytail. She didn’t even have to look up. “Jasper,” she whined. “How many times have I told you not to mess with my hair?”
The tall blond nudged her over, plopping himself into the seat between her and Norah, and Jessica could see her twitch again. Poor girl. Jasper’s mind was a scary place.
“And, who are your friends, my darling baby sister?” he asked, stealing a fry from her tray.
Jessica tried to slap his hand, but he got the fry in his mouth and she missed. “Jerk,” she said without heat. “This is Amanda Parthenope, Sean Adamson, and Norah Gregory,” she introduced. “Guys, this is my brother Jasper.”
He smiled for a moment and waved at the three of them, but looked to Norah with a thoughtful look on his face. “Anna Honor’s daughter?” he asked, waiting for her nod. “Dad worked with your mom.”
“Oh,” Norah replied softly. “W?”
“Yeah,” Jasper replied, more serious than Jessica would have expected. Jasper was rarely serious, especially around her or her friends. Jessica had forgotten that Lady Justice had a family.
There was an awkward pause, and Sean looked wholly confused, though Jessica supposed it wasn’t a surprise. Neither of his parents were superheroes or sidekicks, which meant he was flying blind when it came to school and rivalries. Then again, he had Amanda. She could fill him in, Jessica decided.
Jasper stole another fry, and Jessica shoved, forgetting a moment that Norah would come into contact with him. “God, Jasper, get your own food. I know mom gave you enough money.”
He grinned, the mood lightened, and even Norah seemed to smile slightly. “I spent it already.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Well, too bad. Let me eat my food in peace.”
He stood then, with a glance at the clock letting them know the bell would ring soon. “Fine, be that way,” he replied, but he was still smiling. “I’ll see you after school, Jess.”
“Bye, Jasper,” Jessica replied, rolling her eyes as she turned back to her friends. “He is so annoying.”
They dumped their food as the bell rang, splitting up to go to their lockers before class. She felt bad that she hadn’t known about Norah. She wasn’t sure what she would have done, but she would have done something.
She met up with her at her locker on their way to fifth period, unsure what to say. The hallway was crowded, and Norah was jostled right into Warren Peace in the middle of it. He glared at her for a second before moving down the hall. Norah seemed frozen in place, her face pale.
“Norah? Are you okay?” Jessica asked, unsure if she should touch her arm or not. Jasper had said to stay away from Peace, most of all.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, standing up straighter, almost ramrod straight and her jaw set. Was she angry?
“Let’s get to class,” she replied, linking arms with her, trying to keep her thoughts on funny things Jasper had done when they were growing up. She didn’t know what was going on with the brunette, but superhero teams were family. Like it or not, Norah was stuck with her.
She was pleased to see a slight smile on Norah’s face when they entered Medulla’s class.