Picking Up The Pieces

35. A First First Day

   It was two weeks after my first meeting with Doctor Earl, and I was already starting to hate it. As well as opening up on my time in space and with SHIELD (I wouldn't speak of Peter or the Elementals), I was told my rules. The United Nations had accepted my father's idea of redemption, but I was not allowed to use any of my powers with anyone who did not know of them present. I was given color contacts so I could be seen as Isabel Stark if necessary, but otherwise Bella Star had blue eyes and glasses. SHIELD had been notified that I wouldn't be able to return until I was pardoned, and I was forbidden to tell anyone my true identity.

In other words? It sucked.

Luckily, Peter already knew who I was, so I was still allowed to be open with him. I qualified for a sophomore year, meaning I had the possibility of sharing classes with him. He was going to be my only outlet for the rest of the six months besides my father and Rocket's speaking sphere. And it was my first official day at Midtown. Great.

I winced as a bright light filled my room, and Harley buried her face in her dog bed. "Good morning, Miss Stark."

"FRIDAY? Did my father install you?" I said blearily, and the A.I. chuckled.

"No, Miss Stark, I am a different A.I. than the one Tony Stark uses, but he did install me into your apartment. However, only you control my program. My name is OCTAVIA."

"Pleasure," I huffed, rubbing my eyes. "So why the light?"

"Your father recommended that as a new student, you should arrive fifteen minutes earlier than the first bell to receive your locker and class schedule. The fastest train is ten minutes and arrives in forty. This seemed to be the best wakeup time."

"Well, I'm up," I grumbled, and I hopped out of bed. I quickly put on a blue v-neck shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans, but I hesitated when I went to grab the jacket my sister had given me during Ultron's attack. The back was still in tatters; it would take me days to fix it. I drifted a few inches to my Guardian's jacket and slid it on, but I still felt a pang in my chest for choosing it over Wanda's.

"A young man named Peter Parker also asked for me to tell you that he took Harley out during the night, and that she will be fine alone during the school day." I quietly thanked her and slid on Converse shoes.

"My name is Bella Star," I repeated to myself. I grabbed the pair of glasses set out for my alias and carefully put them on."My name is Bella Star."

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"And lastly, here's your locker," the secretary told me, handing me a small notecard. I looked down at the written combination and locker number, pushing my glasses back up my nose. I tucked in inside the binder that held my class schedule. "I hope you enjoy your first day!"

"Thank you," I nodded with a small smile before leaving her office into the chaos that was students entering the building. I held tight to my binder, pushing past people so I could get to my locker. Some students looked startled at the sight of my metal hand poking out of my sleeve, but they quickly shrugged it off. Unlike most of the adults I had encountered, they seemed more open about a girl with a prosthetic arm.

When I reached my locked, I started to put in the combination when the locker beside me shut loudly. Behind it was a Korean girl who looked about Peter's age, her dark hair in a ponytail. She wore a light blue sweatshirt that was a few inches above her dark green skirt."Hey!" she greeted me enthusiastically. "My name is Stacy Min! What's yours?"

"Bella Star," I smiled, her happiness already affecting me.

"I love that name!" she said excitedly. "It's like the superhero Atlantis's name!" Oh, Stacy, you had no idea how close you were to the truth. "I'm new to Midtown Tech, is this your second year?"