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First Love's Fire

Warren was bent over a book, as usual, his dark, red-streaked hair falling over his equally dark eyes. Students milled around him, oblivious, as usual, to his presence. Normal people, smart people, trusted their intuition and stayed away from him. Snow fell in tiny little wisps that looked more like the ends of Q-Tips rather than snowflakes outside. A rumor had been flying around that day about a new student. He hadn’t heard her name, but he knew she was an Aeropath, one who controls the wind. He tried not to get his hopes up.
Will came by, sitting next to him; “You’ve heard of the new girl, right?”
“Should I have?” Warren asked in his normal, aloof, stand-offish manner.
“Well,” Layla said, a knowing look in her eye. “She’s very pretty. And her voice is like... I don’t know, but she can sing like an angel.”
Warren’s eyes flickered up toward’s Layla’s momentarily. The young pyrokinetic felt the dangerous emotion of hope bubbling in his chest, feeling more like giant butterflies were flapping their big wings. It couldn’t be... but it was possible.
When he was very young, he had met an Aeropath. She had reached out to him, being kind to him when no one else would. She spoke some Cantonese, so the culture barrier hadn’t been as wide as with the others. They eventually became fast friends, and she became prettier every day. She even showed him her power, the ability to create anything out of pure wind. She could also manipulate air currents to levitate. Just before they both started Sky High together, her mother got stationed in Europe by none other than The Commander, a.k.a Steve Stronghold, giving Warren an even bigger incentive to hate Will Stronghold before he even go to know him. He had never seen her again after that. It had almost been a year.
“Warren?”
Will addressing him had pulled Warren out of his musings; “What?”
“Geez, where do you go when you space like that?” Layla asked. “I was just saying that Nena said she wants to meet you. We told her about you.”
“Did you say Nena?” Warren asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Yeah,” Magenta had joined them without him noticing. “She’s a transfer from a European hero school.”
That was a coincidence... unless; “Which one?”
“The one in London,” Magenta said, doodling on her notebook.
Warren dropped his book there, the hope breaking into a huge smile on his face, very uncharacteristic of the young pyrokinetic. He suddenly saw her, almost as if she was in slow motion.
Her billows of wavy blue-black hair blew behind her as she ran down the aisle, waving with the huge smile he had known almost all his adolescence. Her electric blue eyes hadn’t changed. Her black jeans and blue turtleneck sweater didn’t do well in hiding her beauty. Nena Katz, the one girl Warren had ever really, truly felt anything for.
“Hi, Layla,” she said in that beautiful soprano voice he remembered only too well. “Sorry, I got lost... again.”
That was Nena for you. She didn’t have enough sense of direction to go from her own room to her own bathroom. Warren gaped, not knowing if Nena was actually standing there, plain as day, close enough to touch.
“It’s OK, Nena,” Layla said. “This is Warren Peace.”
Nena’s face screwed into a grimace of disbelief until she followed Layla’s gaze to Warren’s face. He had changed a little, for the better. The surly, cold look in his eyes had disappeared. She felt her heart ignite with the fire of first love.
“Warren ” she exclaimed, going to hug him, but hesitating.
He dragged her playfully by the wrist and hugged her tightly. The smell of her hair was the same as it had been nine months before; the smell of a fresh spring breeze and honeysuckle and sandalwood, the scent of her favorite perfume.
“It’s great to see you,” he said after finally releasing her, blushing. Her pale skin also stained with pink. Warren had never been known for PDAs. “How was London?”
“Fantastic ” Nena settled next to him, the slight hint of an accent touching her words. “But I missed this place so much, I had to come back. Plus, I have wanted to go to Sky High for a long time.”
“Is your mom here?” Warren asked.
“Nope,” Nena said with a hint of sadness. “She refused to come back, so I’m staying with my aunt until I can get my own place.”
“What about your dad?” Will asked, pulling Layla in closer than necessary.
“My dad died when I was just a baby,” Nena stared at the table sadly.
Warren found out soon that the English school had done well for her powers, which were sketchy before she left. In gym that day, he was her partner in Save the Citizen. Together, he and Will were undefeated, so Nena was placed with him.
She had created twin tornadoes with a simple flick of her wrist. Warren had used them to augment his powers, causing walls of flame to fly at their enemy, giving them enough time to save the ‘citizen’ dummy. The wall went away with a simple flick of Nena’s wrist.
After school, Nena and Warren were dropped off at the same stop. There was a careful no-contact space between them, but Warren’s fingers itched to reach out and grab her hand. On a whim, Nena sighed, and small butterflies made of a colored wind came from her lips.
“That’s interesting,” Warren said with a smile.
“Thanks,” Nena said. She was about to turn onto the corner that would bring her to her elderly aunt’s house.
“Where are you going?” Warren asked.
“Home,” Nena said matter-of-factly. “I have homework, you know. And so do you.”
“No,” Warren said. “Come to my house for dinner. I insist ”
“You sure?” Nena asked, taking a step in Warren’s direction. “I mean, your mom won’t mind?”
“She’ll be dying to see you,” Warren said.
“Well, can’t disappoint her, can I?” Nena said, matching her stride to Warren’s.
The yellow house on the corner was not conspicuous, but it was not small, either. The familiar walkway reminded Nena of her adolescence, when she and Warren would talk for hours, sometimes doing homework, other times showing off with little things their powers could do.
Warren held his door open for Nena as she followed him into the familiar kitchen. Warren called out for his mother; “Mom I’m home ”
Ms. Peace, as Nena had always known her, came out of the living room. Her dark skin and dark hair matched Warren’s, but her eyes were a vivid green, and a spattering of freckles went across her nose and under her eyes.
“Nena ” she gasped, seeing Warren’s best friend to ever grace her kitchen for the first time in months.
“Hello, Ms. Peace,” Nena said, polite as always. “It is so nice to see you.”
“We’ve missed you around here,” Ms. Peace said, giving Nena a huge hug. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and chat, but I just got called out. I will be back late, so Warren, dinner is in the oven. It will be ready for 6:30 and there is plenty for the both of you. Do your homework, and for god’s sake, get. To bed. On time ”
“Yes, mother,” Warren said with a roll of his eyes.
Nena jumped up to sit on the counter as Warren checked what concoction his mother had come up with this time. It smelled innocent enough, but he still couldn’t tell what it was.
“You probably only eat fish and chips or kippers now, huh?” Warren teased Nena, leaning on the counter next to her.
“You mean french fries with fish or little sausage thingies?” Nena teased back, twisting a piece of Warren’s red streaks in her fingers.
Warren inadvertently closed his eyes, loving the feeling of her soft, slender hands in his hair. His life had been empty without her. He had shown interest in a senior around homecoming who could control ice. However, he was distracted frequently, and they barely lasted until the last dance.
Nena gathered her books and followed Warren silently to the living room, where they sprawled on the floor, their text books spread out around them. They really couldn’t think of anything to say, and the silence was killing Nena, so Warren plugged a CD in for her. She began to sing along with the music, her face hidden by the curtain of blue-black hair all around her.
Warren could hear her, and Layla was right. The only way to describe her singing voice was angelic. With warm hands, he hesitantly brushed her hair behind her ears. Her cheeks flushed and she smiled at him, her eyes teasing.
“Why, Warren,” she said with a smirk. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”
Warren’s eyes, however, were deadly serious; “I missed you, Nena.”
All teasing disappeared in that one sentence; “I missed you, Warren. More than you can even begin to comprehend.”
“I think I can,” Warren lounged on his elbows, smiling is rarely-seen smile.
Nena pulled herself to her knees and ran her finger shyly down Warren’s arm. He followed her hand with his eyes. His hand moved to her face, warm against her chilled skin. He leaned into her.
“I want to try something,” he said, getting closer by the second.
Nena put her finger to his lips; “Warren...”
“What?” he breathed, still just inches from her face.
She gathered her books and stood; “I should get home. My aunt will be worried.”
Warren watched as Nena glided out of his house and dash down the road to her aunt’s place. He flopped on his back and began to tug at his hair; “Stupid Stupid Stupid ”
At school the next day, Nena avoided him. She only had two classes with him; Gym and Mad Science, both of which she was his partner in. She remained quiet in both classes. Gym was no big scene, considering they didn’t play at all, and Mad Science was simply a review for the exam in a few days. Warren didn’t get a chance to talk to Nena at all, except in class related conversations. When the bell rang, she flew out of the room almost instantly.
“Dude,” Will came over to Warren as he gathered his books. “Did you stab Nena Katz with a pencil or something?”
Warren stood silently and skulked out of the room. On the bus, she sat with a senior boy, apparently a technopath. Warren sunk to his seat miserably and buried his nose in his book, like he always did.
At the bus stop, Warren tried to make amends but failed; “Can we talk about this?”
“Warren,” Nena said with anguish in her eyes. “I... I can’t.”
And with that, she ran. Warren stormed into his house and did what he always did when he was pissed. He threw his backpack into a corner, took all of his posters down and burned them. He went to rip a picture down from over his dresser; a picture of him and Nena together at a park, having a picnic. This was the last picture taken of them before she left. He refused to burn this, but it pained him to look at it. He shoved it into a desk drawer and collapsed to his floor. He wished the angry tears would come, so he could get it over with. But they never did. This was the beauty, and the agony, of living alone most of the time.
Nena was not at school the next day. He wanted to apologize for his behavior on the bus, but he never saw her. It was possible she took a different bus that day, so he vowed to talk to her at lunch, or at least in class.
He waited in eager anticipation all through lunch and science, but he never saw her. He figured Layla might know where she is, so he sought her out. She was sitting on the school steps with Will and Magenta.
“Layla,” Warren asked, coming down the steps hastily. “Have you seen Nena?”
“You mean you haven’t heard?” Magenta asked, talking as if there were something big he was missing.
“Heard what?” Warren asked, suddenly anxious.
Layla took a deep breath, and Warren didn’t like the sad tears that came to her eyes; “Nena was in an accident. She got hit by a car on her way home last night, and it was too fast for her to even power up.”
“Is she...” Warren couldn’t even say the words.
“She’s in the hospital, in intensive care. We were going to go see her after school today. Want to come?” Magenta invited.
Warren agreed immediately, following them to the hospital when he got off at Will and Layla’s stop. He was silent the whole way. Magenta turned to him.
“Can you handle this?” she asked. “I hear she is in pretty bad shape.”
“I can handle this,” Warren lied. If he were to be honest, he didn’t know whether or not he could handle it.
At the hospital, a kindly young nurse lead them to Nena’s room, telling them she was aching for visitors and she was bored out her skull. Warren suppressed a smile. That was Nena for you.
Warren walked into the room and saw her on the bed, wrapped in bandages, most of them bloody, hooked up to several machines. She didn’t look like she had any casts on, but she looked like she was in rough shape. His hand flew up to his mouth as he gagged and coughed.
Will called for a nurse and Layla patted his back awkwardly. The nurse came rushing in with a bucket, just in case, but it passed soon. Magenta was sitting on the edge of her bed, talking softly and brushing Nena’s dark blue hair out of her eyes.
“Hey, guys,” Nena said weakly. “It’s about time you guys came to visit me. I was about to go bat-shit insane ”
Layla laughed and brought an extra messenger bag over to Nena, dumping its contents onto the bed; “We figured you could use some stuff to do.”
On the bed was two novels, one of which had a bookmarker in it, a sketchbook, a pencil case, and a composition notebook. Layla sat at the foot of Nena’s bed, Will on the edge, and Magenta on the other edge. Warren folded himself awkwardly into a chair by the bed. Even strapped to a bunch of machines and bandaged up, she was beautiful.
Around 7:30, the nursed ushered them out, but Warren refused to leave. He told the nurse that no one else would be coming to visit, considering her father is dead and her mother was in Europe. He stared at Nena while she stared at the ceiling. Their eyes locked and she sighed.
“So, how about now?” she asked sarcastically.
“What?” Warren asked, confused. Nena was always so random.
“We talk about the other day,” Nena said quietly. “I’m sorry I ran, and then avoided you. That’s why I got hit by the car. I was distracted and not watching where I was going. But Warren, I had heard you didn’t date. At all. And I didn’t know what to think.”
“I think we just make each other scared,” Warren climbed on the bed and rested his forehead against hers. “But hey, that’s highschool for you.”
“Don’t you have to work tonight?” Nena asked, her pain medication beginning to wear her down.
“I called in when I heard about your accident. I think Mrs. Chiang wishes I would take time off more often. She thinks I work too hard.”
Nena kissed his shoulder lightly and soon lulled into a deep, dreamless sleep. He brushed her hair back from her closed eyes and left. He didn’t like hospitals, but he would return in the morning. It was Saturday, he thought.
He was right. And, thankfully, due to the fact nothing was broken, just a little bruised, Nena would be able to make it to school for Monday. She ended up sharing her lunch with them all, and Ethan and Zack had joined them that day. Magenta threw a crumb at Warren when he wasn’t looking. His handsome face twisted into a grimace, but Nena’s hearty laugh made him laugh as well. Her laugh was the kind that was contagious, and soon, everyone was rolling around in bales of laughter.
Nena was back in school by Monday, happy as a clam, and in minute pain. She and Warren were sitting in the library during a free period, studying for a test next period. Her left wrist was sprained, so it was difficult for her to write. She was humming something to herself.
“What are you doing?” Warren asked.
“Practicing,” Nena retorted bluntly.
When Warren stared around the room, he realized big colorful posters were plastered on the walls that said ‘Winter Talent Show’ on them. So Nena was participating in the talent show this year. He smiled at her. He hadn’t smiled this much in a really long time, so he was grateful for it.
At lunch, Warren came to find that all the girls were participating. There were rules, of course, like unless it was something fancy and out of the ordinary, no super powers. Nena was singing, Layla was dancing, Magenta was good at Gymnastics, and the guys either had no special talents to speak of, or were too shy to participate like himself.
“So, Warren,” Nena pushed her salad around with a mischievous glint in her eye. “If I asked you to sing with me, you would right?”
“Nope,” Warren said shortly.
“Wait,” Layla put her hands up to stop the conversation immediately. “Warren can sing ?”
“Rather well, actually,” Nena said, punching Warren playfully in the arm.
Warren flustered and went back to his reading. Nena absently played with his hair, causing him to flush even redder than the hair she played with.
“Aaaww,” Magenta teased. “Warren’s blushing ”
“It’s an involuntary action, leave me alone,” Warren grumbled.
“So,” Nena said. “This coming Friday is the Winter Formal, and I was wondering who here was going.”
“You know we’re going,” Layla said, referring to herself and Will.
Nena did not miss the pained look on Will’s face, or Warren’s mouth pulling up slightly at the corners.
“Well,” Nena asked Warren quietly. “Do you want to go with me?”
“Do I have to?” Warren asked, but it was a question, not a whine or complaint.
“No,” Nena smiled, showing she was meaning to NOT lay on a guilt trip. “We can do something else, if you like, or you can spend the night alone. My aunt says I don’t spend nearly enough time at home.”
“How about we go to the dance on Friday, then we spend some time at your aunt’s?” Warren asked quietly.
“Sounds like a plan,” Nena kissed Warren’s hair discreetly. “Layla, you want to go dress shopping with me after school?”
“You guys are going?” Layla asked, surprised.
“Why not?” Warren asked, leaning against Nena’s knee, as she was now sitting on the table, putting her knee near his head.
“We should drag the boys along,” Layla said, an evil glimmer in her eyes.
“No,” Warren said immediately. “That is where I put my foot down ”
“Please,” Nena said, using all the power of her big electric-blue eyes, her pouty lower lip, and the sheer innocence of her face. “I could use your opinion.”
Warren gave in; “Fine. But wipe that look off your face. You look pathetic.”
Dress shopping would not be fun. Him and Will would be stuck holding the girls’ purses while Layla and Nena made comments about how each others butts looked in the gowns. It had begun to snow outside, and Warren was freezing. But if he powered up, it would expose them all.
The finally managed to get to the dress shop within fifteen minutes. It was small, but well stocked, from prom gowns to bridal gowns, they had it all. Layla and Nena immediately rushed for a rack of dresses that were probably spring dresses, for they were on sale.
Warren appraised a few dresses that Nena was showing interest in. One of them was a long, sheath-looking dress with spaghetti straps in a pale blue. Too safe, in his opinion, but then again, no other guy would be tempted to look at her. The second was a vibrant blue color that was in two pieces, strapless, and showed way too much belly button. He liked it, but he knew a lot of others would like it too. The third was a long, sleeveless ball gown with dark blue designs on the pale blue gossamer outer layer and across the bust. He also liked this one, yet it was safe. The final dress she picked out was in a deep navy. It had a mermaid silhouette, made of a shimmering velvet, with stringy straps (probably there for modesty’s sake rather than an actual function)
The first dress tried on was the pale blue sheath dress. Warren wrinkled his nose discreetly. He was right– it was too safe. It actually looked more like a bridesmaid’s dress. Nena took one look in the mirror and automatically scrapped it. It would look better on a girl with no figure. The second was the two-piece.
“Absolutely not ” Warren said as soon as he saw her. He had had too powerful of a reaction for it to be safe in any way. The top looked less like a top than a bra, and the full skirt had a long slit that went all the way up her thigh.
“I think it looks hot,” Layla said, taking a lime green dress with sequins splattered across the chest back to the rack.
“That’s my point,” Warren debated. “She’ll be the object of every man’s fantasy, and I don’t want her to think I’m naturally a tyrant. Plus, I don’t want to have to roast someone and get expelled.”
“It’s too cold for two-pieces anyway,” Nena said, wrapping her bare arms around herself.
Next came the mermaid dress, which did look good. But she took one look at the price tag and had Warren unzip her immediately. After sales and discounts, it was still a $500 dress.
“Who would pay that much for a dress they would wear once?” Will asked.
“It looks good?” Warren suggested, putting it on the back of an empty chair with the rest of the rejects. “But not that good.”
“AGH ” Nena shrieked from behind her curtain. “It’s perfect ”
Nena came out from behind the curtain, and Warren instantly knew that dress was the keeper. The pale blue ball gown with dark blue accents was perfect for Nena. She looked fantastic, and Warren’s expression gave him away.
“That’s perfect ” Layla exclaimed, putting a forest green two-piece on the back of the rejects chair.
“I know ” Nena said. “This one is definitely the keeper ”
After changing and appraising Layla’s choice, Nena bustled off to find shoes and jewelry. Layla had picked a dark green, almost black, strait dress in a shimmering velvet material with a scooping neckline and broad sleeves. It was flattering to her.
Warren was impressed by the time it took to get out. They had only been there for half an hour. After wrestling their garment bags out the door, with the boys carrying their shopping bags behind them, they started home.
The snow had stopped, and the sun was making the fresh snow glitter. It was a day for lovers, Warren could tell. They stopped to talk to Magenta, who had just done some dress shopping herself, and she and Zack were out for the evening. A young couple rushed through the snow, the guy throwing a snowball at his fleeing girlfriend. Another couple wandered into a coffee shop to get warm, hand in hand. Warren noticed Layla and Will had joined their free hands, which made both Nena and Warren uncomfortable. Warren shifted the shopping bag into his other hand and took Nena’s into his. She smiled and gave his gloved hand a squeeze. He walked her home, but didn’t kiss her. That’s what got him in trouble last time.
Friday morning, Warren had all his affairs in order. He kept the wristlet with pale blue orchids, white roses, and dark blue ribbons in the fridge. His father’s tuxedo, which Warren had worn to Homecoming, hung on the kitchen door. His mother was going to be home that night to snap pictures before he and Nena went to the dance.
At the school, Nena ran over and gave him a huge hug. She and Layla were planning on going to Josie Stronghold’s house to get ready, so Will begged Warren for a safe haven until the dance. Warren, who didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of a fruity make-up party, readily agreed.
The Talent Show would take place after lunch. Classes were cut in half so all of them would be gotten to that day. Nobody did anything. In Mad Science, Warren, Nena, Layla, Will, and Ethan put their desks together and played Texas Hold ‘Em. Layla, having an excellent poker face, won. They had bet with candy pieces, and Nena was devastated to lose her Fun Size Snickers.
The talent show went rather quickly. Layla’s little hippy dance kept the school entertained. It was mesmerizing, the perfect combination of ballet and freestyle. Magenta’s gymnastics were quick and short, set up somewhat like an Olympic floor routine.
Finally it was Nena’s turn. Nena was under the impression she was going last. She approached the microphone and played the karaoke CD. She sang the same song she had sang to herself at Warren’s house, but even more beautiful as her voice echoed across the gym. Warren didn’t catch the whole act, for he had gone back stage to prepare for his act.
Warren had given in to Will’s constant pressuring. He figured, at the very least, he could show the kid up in something. He accompanied his act on an acoustic guitar, and he watched Nena carefully, as her smile widened with every note he sang.
After school, Warren waited near the bus for Nena, who came barreling out to hug him; “That was the single sweetest thing you have ever done.”
Warren smiled into Nena’s hair, breathing its heady scent of a spring breeze coupled with honeysuckle and sandalwood. They sat together on the bus, their conversation nonstop. Actually, she did most of the talking, while he listened. Nena got off with Layla at the Strongholds’ while Warren and Will went to Warren’s house to get ready. They wouldn’t take all afternoon, like the girls, but they had things to occupy themselves with.
Layla had managed twist at the nape of her neck with a string of faux pearls at the base. She was in a bathrobe and her pantyhose, taking the hot rollers from Nena’s hair. Long, luscious curls fell around Nena’s fair face as Layla began to pull it back into an equine cascade of curls down her back with a silver-gemmed comb.
“Nena, you look so beautiful,” Layla said, setting the hair with hairspray.
“I hope Warren likes it,” Nena said nervously as she put moisturizer on her face to prep for make-up.
Layla was already at the powder foundation phase; “Warren will adore it. Did you see his look when he saw that dress on you?”
After blending her foundation into her face, Nena moved on to her eye make-up. She painted a dark black stripe around each of her almond shaped eyes with dark blue eye shadow and silver eye accents. She didn’t answer Layla’s question, but her big grin was impossible to miss. Nena put some silver gloss on her lips and went to change.
At precisely 5:30, Warren and Will walked through Will’s front door. Warren’s mother and Will’s mother were both standing with digital cameras at the ready. The boys both had corsages in little plastic cases in their hands.
“Come on down, girls!” Josie called from the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, Denise, I bet they look amazing!”
Denise, Warren’s mother, prepared her camera for the girls to come down. Layla’s mother was also prepared for pictures. Layla was down first, her long red hair caught into a twist at the nape of her neck. The shiny velvet of her dress slinked as she tried to make it down the stairs in one piece with the incredible green high-heels she had on. Will went up to her, breathless, as he slipped the corsage of natural white roses and a green ribbon on her wrist.
“Nena, get your hot butt down here!” Layla called up the stairs.
Nena came down the stairs in 4-inch navy stiletto heels with silver gems. She had a necklace with a blue seashell around her neck. Warren had made it for her when they were still little. She had a pale blue gossamer scarf around her arms and a pale blue ribbon around her neck as a choker.
“Wow,” Warren breathed, helping her with her corsage. “You look beautiful, Nena.”
“Thank you,” Nena said, her pale face flushing.
After exhausting amounts of pictures, they left for the school. They ended up taking the activity bus. It was weird, seeing students in their winter best on an old school bus. It wasn’t a long ride, and the school was decorated lavishly for the Winter Formal.
Warren and Nena walked into the gym, the three mirror balls glimmering in a gem-like way. Young couples were already dancing under the shimmering mirror balls. A few others were gathered on the sides, holding hands and leaning on one another. A few had come stag with some friends, others came stag alone. Either way, it looked like the entire student body was crowded into the gym.
The song changed tempo to a slower song and Warren shyly turned to Nena; “Would you like to dance with me?”
“Of course,” Nena said. She wasn’t much of a dancer, but she figured Warren wasn’t either, so she agreed.
And she was seriously wrong. Warren twirled with her elegantly, holding her hands in his, staring into her eyes with a smile on his face. Nena could feel the stares of the student body all around her. No one had ever seen Warren do anything other than sit there, sulk, or try and turn Will Stronghold in Will on the Barbe in the beginning of the year, and just today they saw two of his greatest talents. Nena assumed it was the reading; it gave him an artistic soul.
When the song ended and changed tempo again, Warren offered his hand to Nena; “Would you like to go for a walk?”
“Sure,” Nena took his hand and began to walk to a regular lover’s lane outside.
“Wait,” Warren said before walking outside. “If you want to be voted Winter Princess, you better stay inside and be seen.”
“If you want to go for a walk, I am perfectly happy not being voted Winter Princess.”
Warren smiled and took Nena’s hand. They walked down a long archway entwined with white roses and vines. It was protected from the falling snow, and it made Nena feel like she was looking into a snowglobe. She rubbed her arms lightly.
“Cold?” Warren asked, concerned.
“Just a little,” Nena said.
She continued to walk, her heels hardly deviating from under her on the snow. She felt something heavy and warm on her, and she felt Warren’s jacket over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile.
“No problem,” Warren beamed, holding her hand.
“You aren’t cold?” Nena asked, motioning to return his jacket.
“I’m always cold,” Warren said. “This makes no difference.”
Nena sighed, which caused small colorful shapes to come from her lips, blue tonight.
“How do they get colored like that?” Warren asked.
“Sometimes the weather, sometimes my mood,” Nena said.
“So you’re sad. That’s why they’re blue,” Warren guessed.
“In case you couldn’t tell,” Nena teased. “Blue is my favorite color. I am elated right now. This is just... so different than what I am used to. The boys in England saw me as the American, and most of the guys here see me as the stuck-up English girl. I have never had a boyfriend.”
“Until now,” Warren mumbled, squeezing her hand.
“What?” Nena asked. She hadn’t misunderstood or not heard him... She just didn’t think he dated.
“If that’s ok,” Warren said with a grin.
Nena grinned and nodded; “Of course it is.”
The turned and made their way back to the gym. About an hour had passed, and they were getting ready to announce the Winter Prince and Princess. Warren did not expect to get it, so he kissed Nena’s cheek and went to sit in the bleachers.
“Good evening everyone,” Principal Powers said from the stage. “Thank you all for coming! First of all, I would like to congratulate the participants from today’s talent show. You all did a fantastic job.”
She paused for applause and continued; “And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for– the announcing for Winter Prince and Princess. For the first time in a long time, the pair is a couple that came here together tonight.”
Nena made a move to go stand with Warren, but he was amazingly already standing beside her. He wrapped his arm around her as they listened intently.
“After totaling votes from this week and decision of the teachers, our Winter Prince and Princess are freshman Will Stronghold and Layla Williams.”
“You disappointed?” Warren teased.
“Not at all,” Nena answered. “Layla deserves it.”
A crash interrupted the festivities. An unfamiliar man with dark hair and red eyes came flying into the room. Shrieks, screams, and chaos ensued.
“Nena,” Warren put his hand out to grab Nena’s arm. “Run!”
Layla saw the two run and she and Will followed. They didn’t know where Warren insisted on draggling poor Nena, but they followed anyway. Layla and Nena were tripping over their heels, but Warren finally pulled her safely into an empty classroom.
“What the hell was that about?” Nena snapped, rubbing her wrist a little.
“That was Sparx, my dad’s old sidekick,” Warren said, leaning on his knees. “Apparently, he has gotten some better powers since we last saw one another.”
“Warren, I don’t understand,” Nena said, ripping her shoes off and throwing them across the room. “What does this mean?”
“It means either my father is running loose, or Sparx has suddenly got a mind of his own,” Warren said bitterly.
“We’ll help,” Layla said.
“Your powers will be useless,” Warren said.
They could now hear screaming students running down the halls, but most of the ruckus was coming from the gym.
“I’m going to help,” Nena said. She hiked her dress up to her knees and ran.
“Nena, NO!” Warren tried to stop her, but she turned into the wind and blasted down the hall.
“Damnit, she’s fast,” Warren said, running after her as fast as he could manage.
Layla took off her tiara and shoes and followed. Will left his crown next to Layla’s tiara and kept pace with Warren, the thought he had supersonic flight escaping him in his panic. The gym was on the other side of the school and who knew how many people were in danger.
They finally reached the gym, winded and, in Warren’s case, angry. “SPARX!”
“My name isn’t Sparx anymore, Warren,” the man came out of the shadows. He was holding Nena in midair with his hand. She was unconscious and surrounded by what looked like razor-sharp wires. He had an evil smirk on his face; “My name is now Cutlass.”
“Why?” Will asked in an undertone. “What can he do?”
“He can manipulate metal,” Warren said through gritted teeth. “He uses those wires to cut and slice... possibly kill.”
“But how is he levitating Nena?” Layla asked.
“Because I can exploit her power,” Cutlass said with an evil sneer.
“Why are you here?” Warren growled. “My father sent you, didn’t he!?”
“Of course not,” Cutlass sneered again. “I’ve gone solo. I came to find the single most valuable item to your father... I cam for the Ruby.”
Warren’s hand automatically flew to his throat, where his necklace he always wore stayed.
“Yes, Warren,” he held out his hand. “Now give it, or you will watch Nena die.”
“How do you know I have it?” Warren asked.
“Oh,” Cutlass smiled. “I have been watching your for some time.”
His voice changed as he morphed into his mother. He held out a gem, still in the form of Denise Peace. “I take Heros’ powers and store them in this gem. The ruby has no value to it when it comes to powers, but it’s worth a fortune. And used in technology, it can be devastating.”
“What have you done with my mother?” Warren growled dangerously.
“She’s still in Europe, working with your girlfriend’s mother. She never left Europe. As a matter of fact, it was her idea to send Nena home to see you.”
Warren growled dangerously again. He knew that if he used his fire, he would use Nena as a human shield, but if he handed over the ruby, there was nothing stopping him from killing her. He had no leverage.
He heard someone jump behind him and a deafening crash as Will came crashing down the floor, sending the floorboards flying in a shockwave. Cutlass lost his concentration for a spilt second and the wires fell from Nena as she fell into Zack’s waiting arms. They ran with her over to the other side of the gym.
“That was a big mistake,” Cutlass growled. He brought the wires to life beside him and threw them at Warren. Warren powered up and burned the wires before they even got close. Out of his peripheral, he could see Nena had come to.
Cutlass followed Warren’s gaze, and brought to throw the wires at Nena. Warren began to run, wishing for once he had super speed. But it was a diversion. The razor sharp wires went right through Warren. They missed all vital organs, but Warren was hit, and he collapsed to his knees.
“NOOO!” Nena shrieked. She powered up and her hair flew up, causing the curls to straiten as they did naturally. The wind currents were blasting around her, her eyes glowing a vivid periwinkle.
“You killed an innocent man for your own greed,” Nena said in an enraged but calm voice. “For that, you shall pay.”
With a simple flick of her wrist, Nena conjured a tornado around Cutlass. It began to raise him into the air. He tried to conjure his wires, but when they hit the walls of the tornado, they shattered. The twister was forming a vortex without oxygen, pummeling Cutlass left and right against its walls.
Finally, she let the wall of wind fall and Cutlass fell to the ground unconscious. Will and Layla bound him and brought him to the Detention Room, which neutralized all super powers. The student body came into the gym again, having been kept out by a wall of razor sharp wires. They saw Nena sobbing over Warren’s dead body.
“Please,” she sobbed. “Don’t leave me. I... I love you.”
Her tears fell to Warren’s chest, and they both glowed a vivid white light, just in time for Layla and Will to come in. She had inherited her father’s powers of healing, but they had been latent. The wound disappeared, and the color came back into Warren’s face. He gasped as he took in a breath of air. He gazed into Nena’s eyes as her tears quickly became tears of joy.
“Why do they always attack at school dances?” Warren joked. Nena laughed and took him into her arms. The whole school, much to Warren’s chagrin, applauded, including Layla and Will.
The dance would go on for several more hours. Nena went to retrieve her shoes and scarf from the classroom she left them in. Warren and her then walked out into the front drive, utterly exhausted.
“I’m ready to go home,” Nena said.
“Yeah,” Warren answered with a yawn. “But, unless we ask Will for a ride, we’re stuck here.”
“Not necessarily,” Nena took Warren’s tattooed wrists in her hands and walked slowly to the edge of the school and pulled them over.
They went into a free fall dive toward the water below. Warren didn’t have enough breath in him to scream, but Nena pulled out of the dive just in time and caught an air current. She pulled him with her with little effort.
“We’re flying,” Warren exclaimed.
“Not really,” Nena said with a laugh.
She glided to her street, never letting go of Warren’s hands. They landed gently on the concrete, the snow falling freely now. He looked exhilarated, and her eyes were dreamy. Warren didn’t let go of Nena’s hands.
“So, this is home, huh?” he asked her.
“This is home.”
“Nena,” Warren said, leaning into her.
“Yes?” Nena breathed.
“I love you,” Warren whispered as their lips touched.
He suddenly powered up, but the fire did not burn. The snow melted before it touched them as the kissed, ignited by first love's fire.

Description
First Love's Fire

Warren was bent over a book, as usual, his dark, red-streaked hair falling over his equally dark eyes. Students milled around him, oblivious, as usual, to his presence. Normal people, smart people, trusted their intuition and stayed away from him. Snow fell in tiny little wisps that looked more like the ends of Q-Tips rather than snowflakes outside. A rumor had been flying around that day about a new student. He hadn’t heard her name, but he knew she was an Aeropath, one who controls the wind. He tried not to get his hopes up.
Will came by, sitting next to him; “You’ve heard of the new girl, right?”
“Should I have?” Warren asked in his normal, aloof, stand-offish manner.
“Well,” Layla said, a knowing look in her eye. “She’s very pretty. And her voice is like... I don’t know, but she can sing like an angel.”
Warren’s eyes flickered up toward’s Layla’s momentarily. The young pyrokinetic felt the dangerous emotion of hope bubbling in his chest, feeling more like giant butterflies were flapping their big wings. It couldn’t be... but it was possible.
When he was very young, he had met an Aeropath. She had reached out to him, being kind to him when no one else would. She spoke some Cantonese, so the culture barrier hadn’t been as wide as with the others. They eventually became fast friends, and she became prettier every day. She even showed him her power, the ability to create anything out of pure wind. She could also manipulate air currents to levitate. Just before they both started Sky High together, her mother got stationed in Europe by none other than The Commander, a.k.a Steve Stronghold, giving Warren an even bigger incentive to hate Will Stronghold before he even go to know him. He had never seen her again after that. It had almost been a year.
“Warren?”
Will addressing him had pulled Warren out of his musings; “What?”
“Geez, where do you go when you space like that?” Layla asked. “I was just saying that Nena said she wants to meet you. We told her about you.”
“Did you say Nena?” Warren asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Yeah,” Magenta had joined them without him noticing. “She’s a transfer from a European hero school.”
That was a coincidence... unless; “Which one?”
“The one in London,” Magenta said, doodling on her notebook.
Warren dropped his book there, the hope breaking into a huge smile on his face, very uncharacteristic of the young pyrokinetic. He suddenly saw her, almost as if she was in slow motion.
Her billows of wavy blue-black hair blew behind her as she ran down the aisle, waving with the huge smile he had known almost all his adolescence. Her electric blue eyes hadn’t changed. Her black jeans and blue turtleneck sweater didn’t do well in hiding her beauty. Nena Katz, the one girl Warren had ever really, truly felt anything for.
“Hi, Layla,” she said in that beautiful soprano voice he remembered only too well. “Sorry, I got lost... again.”
That was Nena for you. She didn’t have enough sense of direction to go from her own room to her own bathroom. Warren gaped, not knowing if Nena was actually standing there, plain as day, close enough to touch.
“It’s OK, Nena,” Layla said. “This is Warren Peace.”
Nena’s face screwed into a grimace of disbelief until she followed Layla’s gaze to Warren’s face. He had changed a little, for the better. The surly, cold look in his eyes had disappeared. She felt her heart ignite with the fire of first love.
“Warren ” she exclaimed, going to hug him, but hesitating.
He dragged her playfully by the wrist and hugged her tightly. The smell of her hair was the same as it had been nine months before; the smell of a fresh spring breeze and honeysuckle and sandalwood, the scent of her favorite perfume.
“It’s great to see you,” he said after finally releasing her, blushing. Her pale skin also stained with pink. Warren had never been known for PDAs. “How was London?”
“Fantastic ” Nena settled next to him, the slight hint of an accent touching her words. “But I missed this place so much, I had to come back. Plus, I have wanted to go to Sky High for a long time.”
“Is your mom here?” Warren asked.
“Nope,” Nena said with a hint of sadness. “She refused to come back, so I’m staying with my aunt until I can get my own place.”
“What about your dad?” Will asked, pulling Layla in closer than necessary.
“My dad died when I was just a baby,” Nena stared at the table sadly.
Warren found out soon that the English school had done well for her powers, which were sketchy before she left. In gym that day, he was her partner in Save the Citizen. Together, he and Will were undefeated, so Nena was placed with him.
She had created twin tornadoes with a simple flick of her wrist. Warren had used them to augment his powers, causing walls of flame to fly at their enemy, giving them enough time to save the ‘citizen’ dummy. The wall went away with a simple flick of Nena’s wrist.
After school, Nena and Warren were dropped off at the same stop. There was a careful no-contact space between them, but Warren’s fingers itched to reach out and grab her hand. On a whim, Nena sighed, and small butterflies made of a colored wind came from her lips.
“That’s interesting,” Warren said with a smile.
“Thanks,” Nena said. She was about to turn onto the corner that would bring her to her elderly aunt’s house.
“Where are you going?” Warren asked.
“Home,” Nena said matter-of-factly. “I have homework, you know. And so do you.”
“No,” Warren said. “Come to my house for dinner. I insist ”
“You sure?” Nena asked, taking a step in Warren’s direction. “I mean, your mom won’t mind?”
“She’ll be dying to see you,” Warren said.
“Well, can’t disappoint her, can I?” Nena said, matching her stride to Warren’s.
The yellow house on the corner was not conspicuous, but it was not small, either. The familiar walkway reminded Nena of her adolescence, when she and Warren would talk for hours, sometimes doing homework, other times showing off with little things their powers could do.
Warren held his door open for Nena as she followed him into the familiar kitchen. Warren called out for his mother; “Mom I’m home ”
Ms. Peace, as Nena had always known her, came out of the living room. Her dark skin and dark hair matched Warren’s, but her eyes were a vivid green, and a spattering of freckles went across her nose and under her eyes.
“Nena ” she gasped, seeing Warren’s best friend to ever grace her kitchen for the first time in months.
“Hello, Ms. Peace,” Nena said, polite as always. “It is so nice to see you.”
“We’ve missed you around here,” Ms. Peace said, giving Nena a huge hug. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and chat, but I just got called out. I will be back late, so Warren, dinner is in the oven. It will be ready for 6:30 and there is plenty for the both of you. Do your homework, and for god’s sake, get. To bed. On time ”
“Yes, mother,” Warren said with a roll of his eyes.
Nena jumped up to sit on the counter as Warren checked what concoction his mother had come up with this time. It smelled innocent enough, but he still couldn’t tell what it was.
“You probably only eat fish and chips or kippers now, huh?” Warren teased Nena, leaning on the counter next to her.
“You mean french fries with fish or little sausage thingies?” Nena teased back, twisting a piece of Warren’s red streaks in her fingers.
Warren inadvertently closed his eyes, loving the feeling of her soft, slender hands in his hair. His life had been empty without her. He had shown interest in a senior around homecoming who could control ice. However, he was distracted frequently, and they barely lasted until the last dance.
Nena gathered her books and followed Warren silently to the living room, where they sprawled on the floor, their text books spread out around them. They really couldn’t think of anything to say, and the silence was killing Nena, so Warren plugged a CD in for her. She began to sing along with the music, her face hidden by the curtain of blue-black hair all around her.
Warren could hear her, and Layla was right. The only way to describe her singing voice was angelic. With warm hands, he hesitantly brushed her hair behind her ears. Her cheeks flushed and she smiled at him, her eyes teasing.
“Why, Warren,” she said with a smirk. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”
Warren’s eyes, however, were deadly serious; “I missed you, Nena.”
All teasing disappeared in that one sentence; “I missed you, Warren. More than you can even begin to comprehend.”
“I think I can,” Warren lounged on his elbows, smiling is rarely-seen smile.
Nena pulled herself to her knees and ran her finger shyly down Warren’s arm. He followed her hand with his eyes. His hand moved to her face, warm against her chilled skin. He leaned into her.
“I want to try something,” he said, getting closer by the second.
Nena put her finger to his lips; “Warren...”
“What?” he breathed, still just inches from her face.
She gathered her books and stood; “I should get home. My aunt will be worried.”
Warren watched as Nena glided out of his house and dash down the road to her aunt’s place. He flopped on his back and began to tug at his hair; “Stupid Stupid Stupid ”
At school the next day, Nena avoided him. She only had two classes with him; Gym and Mad Science, both of which she was his partner in. She remained quiet in both classes. Gym was no big scene, considering they didn’t play at all, and Mad Science was simply a review for the exam in a few days. Warren didn’t get a chance to talk to Nena at all, except in class related conversations. When the bell rang, she flew out of the room almost instantly.
“Dude,” Will came over to Warren as he gathered his books. “Did you stab Nena Katz with a pencil or something?”
Warren stood silently and skulked out of the room. On the bus, she sat with a senior boy, apparently a technopath. Warren sunk to his seat miserably and buried his nose in his book, like he always did.
At the bus stop, Warren tried to make amends but failed; “Can we talk about this?”
“Warren,” Nena said with anguish in her eyes. “I... I can’t.”
And with that, she ran. Warren stormed into his house and did what he always did when he was pissed. He threw his backpack into a corner, took all of his posters down and burned them. He went to rip a picture down from over his dresser; a picture of him and Nena together at a park, having a picnic. This was the last picture taken of them before she left. He refused to burn this, but it pained him to look at it. He shoved it into a desk drawer and collapsed to his floor. He wished the angry tears would come, so he could get it over with. But they never did. This was the beauty, and the agony, of living alone most of the time.
Nena was not at school the next day. He wanted to apologize for his behavior on the bus, but he never saw her. It was possible she took a different bus that day, so he vowed to talk to her at lunch, or at least in class.
He waited in eager anticipation all through lunch and science, but he never saw her. He figured Layla might know where she is, so he sought her out. She was sitting on the school steps with Will and Magenta.
“Layla,” Warren asked, coming down the steps hastily. “Have you seen Nena?”
“You mean you haven’t heard?” Magenta asked, talking as if there were something big he was missing.
“Heard what?” Warren asked, suddenly anxious.
Layla took a deep breath, and Warren didn’t like the sad tears that came to her eyes; “Nena was in an accident. She got hit by a car on her way home last night, and it was too fast for her to even power up.”
“Is she...” Warren couldn’t even say the words.
“She’s in the hospital, in intensive care. We were going to go see her after school today. Want to come?” Magenta invited.
Warren agreed immediately, following them to the hospital when he got off at Will and Layla’s stop. He was silent the whole way. Magenta turned to him.
“Can you handle this?” she asked. “I hear she is in pretty bad shape.”
“I can handle this,” Warren lied. If he were to be honest, he didn’t know whether or not he could handle it.
At the hospital, a kindly young nurse lead them to Nena’s room, telling them she was aching for visitors and she was bored out her skull. Warren suppressed a smile. That was Nena for you.
Warren walked into the room and saw her on the bed, wrapped in bandages, most of them bloody, hooked up to several machines. She didn’t look like she had any casts on, but she looked like she was in rough shape. His hand flew up to his mouth as he gagged and coughed.
Will called for a nurse and Layla patted his back awkwardly. The nurse came rushing in with a bucket, just in case, but it passed soon. Magenta was sitting on the edge of her bed, talking softly and brushing Nena’s dark blue hair out of her eyes.
“Hey, guys,” Nena said weakly. “It’s about time you guys came to visit me. I was about to go bat-shit insane ”
Layla laughed and brought an extra messenger bag over to Nena, dumping its contents onto the bed; “We figured you could use some stuff to do.”
On the bed was two novels, one of which had a bookmarker in it, a sketchbook, a pencil case, and a composition notebook. Layla sat at the foot of Nena’s bed, Will on the edge, and Magenta on the other edge. Warren folded himself awkwardly into a chair by the bed. Even strapped to a bunch of machines and bandaged up, she was beautiful.
Around 7:30, the nursed ushered them out, but Warren refused to leave. He told the nurse that no one else would be coming to visit, considering her father is dead and her mother was in Europe. He stared at Nena while she stared at the ceiling. Their eyes locked and she sighed.
“So, how about now?” she asked sarcastically.
“What?” Warren asked, confused. Nena was always so random.
“We talk about the other day,” Nena said quietly. “I’m sorry I ran, and then avoided you. That’s why I got hit by the car. I was distracted and not watching where I was going. But Warren, I had heard you didn’t date. At all. And I didn’t know what to think.”
“I think we just make each other scared,” Warren climbed on the bed and rested his forehead against hers. “But hey, that’s highschool for you.”
“Don’t you have to work tonight?” Nena asked, her pain medication beginning to wear her down.
“I called in when I heard about your accident. I think Mrs. Chiang wishes I would take time off more often. She thinks I work too hard.”
Nena kissed his shoulder lightly and soon lulled into a deep, dreamless sleep. He brushed her hair back from her closed eyes and left. He didn’t like hospitals, but he would return in the morning. It was Saturday, he thought.
He was right. And, thankfully, due to the fact nothing was broken, just a little bruised, Nena would be able to make it to school for Monday. She ended up sharing her lunch with them all, and Ethan and Zack had joined them that day. Magenta threw a crumb at Warren when he wasn’t looking. His handsome face twisted into a grimace, but Nena’s hearty laugh made him laugh as well. Her laugh was the kind that was contagious, and soon, everyone was rolling around in bales of laughter.
Nena was back in school by Monday, happy as a clam, and in minute pain. She and Warren were sitting in the library during a free period, studying for a test next period. Her left wrist was sprained, so it was difficult for her to write. She was humming something to herself.
“What are you doing?” Warren asked.
“Practicing,” Nena retorted bluntly.
When Warren stared around the room, he realized big colorful posters were plastered on the walls that said ‘Winter Talent Show’ on them. So Nena was participating in the talent show this year. He smiled at her. He hadn’t smiled this much in a really long time, so he was grateful for it.
At lunch, Warren came to find that all the girls were participating. There were rules, of course, like unless it was something fancy and out of the ordinary, no super powers. Nena was singing, Layla was dancing, Magenta was good at Gymnastics, and the guys either had no special talents to speak of, or were too shy to participate like himself.
“So, Warren,” Nena pushed her salad around with a mischievous glint in her eye. “If I asked you to sing with me, you would right?”
“Nope,” Warren said shortly.
“Wait,” Layla put her hands up to stop the conversation immediately. “Warren can sing ?”
“Rather well, actually,” Nena said, punching Warren playfully in the arm.
Warren flustered and went back to his reading. Nena absently played with his hair, causing him to flush even redder than the hair she played with.
“Aaaww,” Magenta teased. “Warren’s blushing ”
“It’s an involuntary action, leave me alone,” Warren grumbled.
“So,” Nena said. “This coming Friday is the Winter Formal, and I was wondering who here was going.”
“You know we’re going,” Layla said, referring to herself and Will.
Nena did not miss the pained look on Will’s face, or Warren’s mouth pulling up slightly at the corners.
“Well,” Nena asked Warren quietly. “Do you want to go with me?”
“Do I have to?” Warren asked, but it was a question, not a whine or complaint.
“No,” Nena smiled, showing she was meaning to NOT lay on a guilt trip. “We can do something else, if you like, or you can spend the night alone. My aunt says I don’t spend nearly enough time at home.”
“How about we go to the dance on Friday, then we spend some time at your aunt’s?” Warren asked quietly.
“Sounds like a plan,” Nena kissed Warren’s hair discreetly. “Layla, you want to go dress shopping with me after school?”
“You guys are going?” Layla asked, surprised.
“Why not?” Warren asked, leaning against Nena’s knee, as she was now sitting on the table, putting her knee near his head.
“We should drag the boys along,” Layla said, an evil glimmer in her eyes.
“No,” Warren said immediately. “That is where I put my foot down ”
“Please,” Nena said, using all the power of her big electric-blue eyes, her pouty lower lip, and the sheer innocence of her face. “I could use your opinion.”
Warren gave in; “Fine. But wipe that look off your face. You look pathetic.”
Dress shopping would not be fun. Him and Will would be stuck holding the girls’ purses while Layla and Nena made comments about how each others butts looked in the gowns. It had begun to snow outside, and Warren was freezing. But if he powered up, it would expose them all.
The finally managed to get to the dress shop within fifteen minutes. It was small, but well stocked, from prom gowns to bridal gowns, they had it all. Layla and Nena immediately rushed for a rack of dresses that were probably spring dresses, for they were on sale.
Warren appraised a few dresses that Nena was showing interest in. One of them was a long, sheath-looking dress with spaghetti straps in a pale blue. Too safe, in his opinion, but then again, no other guy would be tempted to look at her. The second was a vibrant blue color that was in two pieces, strapless, and showed way too much belly button. He liked it, but he knew a lot of others would like it too. The third was a long, sleeveless ball gown with dark blue designs on the pale blue gossamer outer layer and across the bust. He also liked this one, yet it was safe. The final dress she picked out was in a deep navy. It had a mermaid silhouette, made of a shimmering velvet, with stringy straps (probably there for modesty’s sake rather than an actual function)
The first dress tried on was the pale blue sheath dress. Warren wrinkled his nose discreetly. He was right– it was too safe. It actually looked more like a bridesmaid’s dress. Nena took one look in the mirror and automatically scrapped it. It would look better on a girl with no figure. The second was the two-piece.
“Absolutely not ” Warren said as soon as he saw her. He had had too powerful of a reaction for it to be safe in any way. The top looked less like a top than a bra, and the full skirt had a long slit that went all the way up her thigh.
“I think it looks hot,” Layla said, taking a lime green dress with sequins splattered across the chest back to the rack.
“That’s my point,” Warren debated. “She’ll be the object of every man’s fantasy, and I don’t want her to think I’m naturally a tyrant. Plus, I don’t want to have to roast someone and get expelled.”
“It’s too cold for two-pieces anyway,” Nena said, wrapping her bare arms around herself.
Next came the mermaid dress, which did look good. But she took one look at the price tag and had Warren unzip her immediately. After sales and discounts, it was still a $500 dress.
“Who would pay that much for a dress they would wear once?” Will asked.
“It looks good?” Warren suggested, putting it on the back of an empty chair with the rest of the rejects. “But not that good.”
“AGH ” Nena shrieked from behind her curtain. “It’s perfect ”
Nena came out from behind the curtain, and Warren instantly knew that dress was the keeper. The pale blue ball gown with dark blue accents was perfect for Nena. She looked fantastic, and Warren’s expression gave him away.
“That’s perfect ” Layla exclaimed, putting a forest green two-piece on the back of the rejects chair.
“I know ” Nena said. “This one is definitely the keeper ”
After changing and appraising Layla’s choice, Nena bustled off to find shoes and jewelry. Layla had picked a dark green, almost black, strait dress in a shimmering velvet material with a scooping neckline and broad sleeves. It was flattering to her.
Warren was impressed by the time it took to get out. They had only been there for half an hour. After wrestling their garment bags out the door, with the boys carrying their shopping bags behind them, they started home.
The snow had stopped, and the sun was making the fresh snow glitter. It was a day for lovers, Warren could tell. They stopped to talk to Magenta, who had just done some dress shopping herself, and she and Zack were out for the evening. A young couple rushed through the snow, the guy throwing a snowball at his fleeing girlfriend. Another couple wandered into a coffee shop to get warm, hand in hand. Warren noticed Layla and Will had joined their free hands, which made both Nena and Warren uncomfortable. Warren shifted the shopping bag into his other hand and took Nena’s into his. She smiled and gave his gloved hand a squeeze. He walked her home, but didn’t kiss her. That’s what got him in trouble last time.
Friday morning, Warren had all his affairs in order. He kept the wristlet with pale blue orchids, white roses, and dark blue ribbons in the fridge. His father’s tuxedo, which Warren had worn to Homecoming, hung on the kitchen door. His mother was going to be home that night to snap pictures before he and Nena went to the dance.
At the school, Nena ran over and gave him a huge hug. She and Layla were planning on going to Josie Stronghold’s house to get ready, so Will begged Warren for a safe haven until the dance. Warren, who didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of a fruity make-up party, readily agreed.
The Talent Show would take place after lunch. Classes were cut in half so all of them would be gotten to that day. Nobody did anything. In Mad Science, Warren, Nena, Layla, Will, and Ethan put their desks together and played Texas Hold ‘Em. Layla, having an excellent poker face, won. They had bet with candy pieces, and Nena was devastated to lose her Fun Size Snickers.
The talent show went rather quickly. Layla’s little hippy dance kept the school entertained. It was mesmerizing, the perfect combination of ballet and freestyle. Magenta’s gymnastics were quick and short, set up somewhat like an Olympic floor routine.
Finally it was Nena’s turn. Nena was under the impression she was going last. She approached the microphone and played the karaoke CD. She sang the same song she had sang to herself at Warren’s house, but even more beautiful as her voice echoed across the gym. Warren didn’t catch the whole act, for he had gone back stage to prepare for his act.
Warren had given in to Will’s constant pressuring. He figured, at the very least, he could show the kid up in something. He accompanied his act on an acoustic guitar, and he watched Nena carefully, as her smile widened with every note he sang.
After school, Warren waited near the bus for Nena, who came barreling out to hug him; “That was the single sweetest thing you have ever done.”
Warren smiled into Nena’s hair, breathing its heady scent of a spring breeze coupled with honeysuckle and sandalwood. They sat together on the bus, their conversation nonstop. Actually, she did most of the talking, while he listened. Nena got off with Layla at the Strongholds’ while Warren and Will went to Warren’s house to get ready. They wouldn’t take all afternoon, like the girls, but they had things to occupy themselves with.
Layla had managed twist at the nape of her neck with a string of faux pearls at the base. She was in a bathrobe and her pantyhose, taking the hot rollers from Nena’s hair. Long, luscious curls fell around Nena’s fair face as Layla began to pull it back into an equine cascade of curls down her back with a silver-gemmed comb.
“Nena, you look so beautiful,” Layla said, setting the hair with hairspray.
“I hope Warren likes it,” Nena said nervously as she put moisturizer on her face to prep for make-up.
Layla was already at the powder foundation phase; “Warren will adore it. Did you see his look when he saw that dress on you?”
After blending her foundation into her face, Nena moved on to her eye make-up. She painted a dark black stripe around each of her almond shaped eyes with dark blue eye shadow and silver eye accents. She didn’t answer Layla’s question, but her big grin was impossible to miss. Nena put some silver gloss on her lips and went to change.
At precisely 5:30, Warren and Will walked through Will’s front door. Warren’s mother and Will’s mother were both standing with digital cameras at the ready. The boys both had corsages in little plastic cases in their hands.
“Come on down, girls!” Josie called from the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, Denise, I bet they look amazing!”
Denise, Warren’s mother, prepared her camera for the girls to come down. Layla’s mother was also prepared for pictures. Layla was down first, her long red hair caught into a twist at the nape of her neck. The shiny velvet of her dress slinked as she tried to make it down the stairs in one piece with the incredible green high-heels she had on. Will went up to her, breathless, as he slipped the corsage of natural white roses and a green ribbon on her wrist.
“Nena, get your hot butt down here!” Layla called up the stairs.
Nena came down the stairs in 4-inch navy stiletto heels with silver gems. She had a necklace with a blue seashell around her neck. Warren had made it for her when they were still little. She had a pale blue gossamer scarf around her arms and a pale blue ribbon around her neck as a choker.
“Wow,” Warren breathed, helping her with her corsage. “You look beautiful, Nena.”
“Thank you,” Nena said, her pale face flushing.
After exhausting amounts of pictures, they left for the school. They ended up taking the activity bus. It was weird, seeing students in their winter best on an old school bus. It wasn’t a long ride, and the school was decorated lavishly for the Winter Formal.
Warren and Nena walked into the gym, the three mirror balls glimmering in a gem-like way. Young couples were already dancing under the shimmering mirror balls. A few others were gathered on the sides, holding hands and leaning on one another. A few had come stag with some friends, others came stag alone. Either way, it looked like the entire student body was crowded into the gym.
The song changed tempo to a slower song and Warren shyly turned to Nena; “Would you like to dance with me?”
“Of course,” Nena said. She wasn’t much of a dancer, but she figured Warren wasn’t either, so she agreed.
And she was seriously wrong. Warren twirled with her elegantly, holding her hands in his, staring into her eyes with a smile on his face. Nena could feel the stares of the student body all around her. No one had ever seen Warren do anything other than sit there, sulk, or try and turn Will Stronghold in Will on the Barbe in the beginning of the year, and just today they saw two of his greatest talents. Nena assumed it was the reading; it gave him an artistic soul.
When the song ended and changed tempo again, Warren offered his hand to Nena; “Would you like to go for a walk?”
“Sure,” Nena took his hand and began to walk to a regular lover’s lane outside.
“Wait,” Warren said before walking outside. “If you want to be voted Winter Princess, you better stay inside and be seen.”
“If you want to go for a walk, I am perfectly happy not being voted Winter Princess.”
Warren smiled and took Nena’s hand. They walked down a long archway entwined with white roses and vines. It was protected from the falling snow, and it made Nena feel like she was looking into a snowglobe. She rubbed her arms lightly.
“Cold?” Warren asked, concerned.
“Just a little,” Nena said.
She continued to walk, her heels hardly deviating from under her on the snow. She felt something heavy and warm on her, and she felt Warren’s jacket over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile.
“No problem,” Warren beamed, holding her hand.
“You aren’t cold?” Nena asked, motioning to return his jacket.
“I’m always cold,” Warren said. “This makes no difference.”
Nena sighed, which caused small colorful shapes to come from her lips, blue tonight.
“How do they get colored like that?” Warren asked.
“Sometimes the weather, sometimes my mood,” Nena said.
“So you’re sad. That’s why they’re blue,” Warren guessed.
“In case you couldn’t tell,” Nena teased. “Blue is my favorite color. I am elated right now. This is just... so different than what I am used to. The boys in England saw me as the American, and most of the guys here see me as the stuck-up English girl. I have never had a boyfriend.”
“Until now,” Warren mumbled, squeezing her hand.
“What?” Nena asked. She hadn’t misunderstood or not heard him... She just didn’t think he dated.
“If that’s ok,” Warren said with a grin.
Nena grinned and nodded; “Of course it is.”
The turned and made their way back to the gym. About an hour had passed, and they were getting ready to announce the Winter Prince and Princess. Warren did not expect to get it, so he kissed Nena’s cheek and went to sit in the bleachers.
“Good evening everyone,” Principal Powers said from the stage. “Thank you all for coming! First of all, I would like to congratulate the participants from today’s talent show. You all did a fantastic job.”
She paused for applause and continued; “And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for– the announcing for Winter Prince and Princess. For the first time in a long time, the pair is a couple that came here together tonight.”
Nena made a move to go stand with Warren, but he was amazingly already standing beside her. He wrapped his arm around her as they listened intently.
“After totaling votes from this week and decision of the teachers, our Winter Prince and Princess are freshman Will Stronghold and Layla Williams.”
“You disappointed?” Warren teased.
“Not at all,” Nena answered. “Layla deserves it.”
A crash interrupted the festivities. An unfamiliar man with dark hair and red eyes came flying into the room. Shrieks, screams, and chaos ensued.
“Nena,” Warren put his hand out to grab Nena’s arm. “Run!”
Layla saw the two run and she and Will followed. They didn’t know where Warren insisted on draggling poor Nena, but they followed anyway. Layla and Nena were tripping over their heels, but Warren finally pulled her safely into an empty classroom.
“What the hell was that about?” Nena snapped, rubbing her wrist a little.
“That was Sparx, my dad’s old sidekick,” Warren said, leaning on his knees. “Apparently, he has gotten some better powers since we last saw one another.”
“Warren, I don’t understand,” Nena said, ripping her shoes off and throwing them across the room. “What does this mean?”
“It means either my father is running loose, or Sparx has suddenly got a mind of his own,” Warren said bitterly.
“We’ll help,” Layla said.
“Your powers will be useless,” Warren said.
They could now hear screaming students running down the halls, but most of the ruckus was coming from the gym.
“I’m going to help,” Nena said. She hiked her dress up to her knees and ran.
“Nena, NO!” Warren tried to stop her, but she turned into the wind and blasted down the hall.
“Damnit, she’s fast,” Warren said, running after her as fast as he could manage.
Layla took off her tiara and shoes and followed. Will left his crown next to Layla’s tiara and kept pace with Warren, the thought he had supersonic flight escaping him in his panic. The gym was on the other side of the school and who knew how many people were in danger.
They finally reached the gym, winded and, in Warren’s case, angry. “SPARX!”
“My name isn’t Sparx anymore, Warren,” the man came out of the shadows. He was holding Nena in midair with his hand. She was unconscious and surrounded by what looked like razor-sharp wires. He had an evil smirk on his face; “My name is now Cutlass.”
“Why?” Will asked in an undertone. “What can he do?”
“He can manipulate metal,” Warren said through gritted teeth. “He uses those wires to cut and slice... possibly kill.”
“But how is he levitating Nena?” Layla asked.
“Because I can exploit her power,” Cutlass said with an evil sneer.
“Why are you here?” Warren growled. “My father sent you, didn’t he!?”
“Of course not,” Cutlass sneered again. “I’ve gone solo. I came to find the single most valuable item to your father... I cam for the Ruby.”
Warren’s hand automatically flew to his throat, where his necklace he always wore stayed.
“Yes, Warren,” he held out his hand. “Now give it, or you will watch Nena die.”
“How do you know I have it?” Warren asked.
“Oh,” Cutlass smiled. “I have been watching your for some time.”
His voice changed as he morphed into his mother. He held out a gem, still in the form of Denise Peace. “I take Heros’ powers and store them in this gem. The ruby has no value to it when it comes to powers, but it’s worth a fortune. And used in technology, it can be devastating.”
“What have you done with my mother?” Warren growled dangerously.
“She’s still in Europe, working with your girlfriend’s mother. She never left Europe. As a matter of fact, it was her idea to send Nena home to see you.”
Warren growled dangerously again. He knew that if he used his fire, he would use Nena as a human shield, but if he handed over the ruby, there was nothing stopping him from killing her. He had no leverage.
He heard someone jump behind him and a deafening crash as Will came crashing down the floor, sending the floorboards flying in a shockwave. Cutlass lost his concentration for a spilt second and the wires fell from Nena as she fell into Zack’s waiting arms. They ran with her over to the other side of the gym.
“That was a big mistake,” Cutlass growled. He brought the wires to life beside him and threw them at Warren. Warren powered up and burned the wires before they even got close. Out of his peripheral, he could see Nena had come to.
Cutlass followed Warren’s gaze, and brought to throw the wires at Nena. Warren began to run, wishing for once he had super speed. But it was a diversion. The razor sharp wires went right through Warren. They missed all vital organs, but Warren was hit, and he collapsed to his knees.
“NOOO!” Nena shrieked. She powered up and her hair flew up, causing the curls to straiten as they did naturally. The wind currents were blasting around her, her eyes glowing a vivid periwinkle.
“You killed an innocent man for your own greed,” Nena said in an enraged but calm voice. “For that, you shall pay.”
With a simple flick of her wrist, Nena conjured a tornado around Cutlass. It began to raise him into the air. He tried to conjure his wires, but when they hit the walls of the tornado, they shattered. The twister was forming a vortex without oxygen, pummeling Cutlass left and right against its walls.
Finally, she let the wall of wind fall and Cutlass fell to the ground unconscious. Will and Layla bound him and brought him to the Detention Room, which neutralized all super powers. The student body came into the gym again, having been kept out by a wall of razor sharp wires. They saw Nena sobbing over Warren’s dead body.
“Please,” she sobbed. “Don’t leave me. I... I love you.”
Her tears fell to Warren’s chest, and they both glowed a vivid white light, just in time for Layla and Will to come in. She had inherited her father’s powers of healing, but they had been latent. The wound disappeared, and the color came back into Warren’s face. He gasped as he took in a breath of air. He gazed into Nena’s eyes as her tears quickly became tears of joy.
“Why do they always attack at school dances?” Warren joked. Nena laughed and took him into her arms. The whole school, much to Warren’s chagrin, applauded, including Layla and Will.
The dance would go on for several more hours. Nena went to retrieve her shoes and scarf from the classroom she left them in. Warren and her then walked out into the front drive, utterly exhausted.
“I’m ready to go home,” Nena said.
“Yeah,” Warren answered with a yawn. “But, unless we ask Will for a ride, we’re stuck here.”
“Not necessarily,” Nena took Warren’s tattooed wrists in her hands and walked slowly to the edge of the school and pulled them over.
They went into a free fall dive toward the water below. Warren didn’t have enough breath in him to scream, but Nena pulled out of the dive just in time and caught an air current. She pulled him with her with little effort.
“We’re flying,” Warren exclaimed.
“Not really,” Nena said with a laugh.
She glided to her street, never letting go of Warren’s hands. They landed gently on the concrete, the snow falling freely now. He looked exhilarated, and her eyes were dreamy. Warren didn’t let go of Nena’s hands.
“So, this is home, huh?” he asked her.
“This is home.”
“Nena,” Warren said, leaning into her.
“Yes?” Nena breathed.
“I love you,” Warren whispered as their lips touched.
He suddenly powered up, but the fire did not burn. The snow melted before it touched them as the kissed, ignited by first love's fire.