S.H.I.E.L.D Academy

Roderick Parker's POV • High School

I walk to the homeroom as slow as physically possible. First day of being "that kid who transferred", and my first day at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy.

I already freaked out once this morning when I realized that everyone here knows each other already; they were all basically raised together. I'm the new guy. Spectacular. My angst has been building by the minute.

My palms sweat as I approach the door. Just then my backpack so conveniently decides to abandon ship, and the straps coast off my shoulders. The pack crashes to the floor with a huge clunk, and the classroom door flies open.

"I'm so sorry!" I say automatically, fully expecting the teacher to be wondering what the huge crash was outside their room. I crouch down, snatching up the bag and hoisting it back over my shoulder.

"It was a total accident--" And then I stand up. "Whoa."

Wide, bright hazel eyes curtained with billions of eyelashes meet mine. Dark, full lips are curved into an amused smile, and shoulder-length firetruck red hair frames a high-cheekboned face. Blood rushes to my head, and I start to feel really warm.

"New guy?" Hazel Eyes laughs.

I nod, gulping. "Yeah. Yeah, new guy."

"Then you must be . . Rodney Peters?"

"Yeah--wait, no," I stammer, still bobbing my head like a stupid dashboard hula doll. "Rodney--no, Roderick." Oh my God.

"Is it Rodney or Roderick?" Hazel Eyes says, still laughing in that perfect way.

"Roderick," I reply, grasping desperately for composure. Angst. So much angst. "Roderick Parker. But you can just call me Rod."

"Great," she grins. "I'm Zaria, student body president. Nice to meet you!"

She extends her hand for a handshake, and I somehow manage it without making myself look even more like an idiot than I already have. It probably isn't possible to, anyway.

"Do you maybe want to step inside, out of the doorway?" Zaria gestures behind her to the classroom. "Just a suggestion. Unless you're more comfortable right here. Your call, of course."

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'll do that," I say, my voice sounding low and forced. I follow her into the room.

I shuffle in and cop a seat, second row from the front. To my surprise, Zaria takes a seat beside me.

We're the only people in the room, and I start to wonder where the teacher is when the door flies open, and an all too good-looking guy with aviator shades and layered blond hair bolts in. He scans the room, probably looking for the teacher. Seeing that there isn't a teacher to notice his tardiness, he breathes a sigh of relief. Waving to Zaria, he slaps a few papers on the teacher's desk.

Crap. I wonder if Zaria has a boyfriend. I wonder if that's her boyfriend. I wonder how he'll react to Zaria being nice to me. I wonder how he'll react to Zaria sitting next to me. Angst.

Zaria nudges me. "Chill. He's not my boyfriend." She laughs. "Yo, Derek!" She waves at the guy.

Derek grins as he sidles over and drops himself into the chair on my other side, dumping his bag under the seat.

I look at Zaria suspiciously. "Did you read my--"

"Don't be ridiculous," she cuts me off with a snap.

Ookayy. Recognizing her harshness, her face softens and she smiles apologetically. "It was just..your face made it clear what you were thinking."

Before I get a chance to reply, the door bangs open again. Jeez, does anyone here just walk into a room without making the walls shake?

My thoughts get cut short by my realization that the latest addition to the room, a guy with auburn hair--and unfortunately good looks--is making a beeline for Zaria with a look of proud ownership on his face.

Zaria smiles. "That's my boyfriend."

I just sit back in my chair with a blank face, not even daring to process what I just heard. It still vibrates in my eardrums. "That's my boyfriend." Of course she's with someone. It should've been obvious. How could I have been so stupid?

I force myself not to look at Zaria as she and Mr. Perfect greet each other. The door bangs open yet again, and a pale girl with large eyes and long, wavy black hair strolls in.

"Hey hey, Lae-Lae!" Derek and Zaria shout. She smiles big and her eyes sparkle.

Grabbing a seat on the other side of Derek, she leans forward and looks at me.

"Hey," she says, and I can't help but note that her voice sounds like music. "I'm Laerika. What's your name?"

I take the small hand offered to me and I'm shocked by how cold it is.

"R-Roderick," I stutter.

"Sorry!" She says quickly, snatching her hand back. "Happens a lot."

"It's cool," I smile.

"Cool. Funny," Derek laughs. "Get it? Cool? Because her hand is--"

"Yeah, Derek. We get it," a chorus of voices behind Laerika says with a laugh.

"WHOA!" she screams. Turning around, her face contorts with fury. I can see her complexion take on an interesting shade of blue. "ELIAS LOKISON, I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR GAMES."

"Oh, come on, Ice Queen."

I whip my head around just in time to see five identical guys fade away and the real one walks over with Zaria under his arm. Mr. Perfect.

"I'm Elias," he says, grinning and holding his free hand out to me. "You've met Zaria, student body president. I'm the student body shipper." Everyone laughs, and I shake his hand.

"Roderick Parker," I say stiffly. "But you can just call me Rod."

"Forget the niceties," Laerika still fumes. "You know Mum's had a rule since we were little to not use our powers for dumb things--"

Elias talks over his sister's tirade. "And I see you've met the student body hothead."

"--like bugging each other, and freezing each other, and--"

"How can she be a hothead when she's a frost--"

"Shut up, Derek," everyone says at once.

We all crack up, and Elias collects his composure enough to grin and wink at me. "Anyway, welcome to school."