Extraordinary- Chapter One: Mistakes and Their Repercussions

plummet: Hello, fellow readers! This is the first piece of fan fiction I've posted in a long while, so I hope you like it! -salutes- The song posted below is an excerpt from Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park. Alright, that basically clears everything up.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the movie Sky High. Not the actors/actresses, not the school, nor the plot…But I do own anything and everything you don't recognize. Heh.

(So what am I)
What do I have but negativity
'Cause I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me
(Nothing to lose)
Nothing to gain, hollow and alone
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own…-Somewhere I Belong; Linkin Park

My eyes flew open to the sound of bells tolling; mind completely haze free and refreshed. I found that I felt completely rejuvenated only after just catching a few winks. Ears straining to discern one long, droning toll of a bell from another and counting the amount, I decided that it was just as I thought: midnight.

I never really could sleep past midnight. Not now and not ever, it seemed. I don't really know why, but after waking at this hour for years, I just grew used to it and grudgingly accepted the weirdness of my bodily clock.

My arms were squashed together, and I had the sudden urge to stretch said limbs, but I found that my movement and breathing was well restricted due to a small, warm body curled up on my chest. I would recognize her small, chubby arms and soft breathing anywhere.

"Sophie…" I let her name draw out in a sigh.

Something akin to worry and kindness flashed in my eyes, as seen in the moonlight pouring through the window above my bed. Worry because I knew she must have had another bad dream, kindness because I came to think of this small slip of a girl as the little sister I never had. Living in an orphanage for many years does that to people; leads them to stick together and care for one another in their loneliness.

I sat up a bit, and Sophie stirred. Her lids fluttered open, and I found myself staring into a pair of shy, emerald eyes. She pulled herself up and off me, only to sit timidly by my side.

"Big Sissy Amelie, I'm s-sorry. I-….I had another bad dream and the monsters are a-afraid of you and I thought that it would be okay to sleep w-with you a-again 'cause you said…" She took a deep breath and continued, "'Cause you said a'fore that it was okay f-for me to s-sleep with you in your b-bed if I got real scared…"

I smiled a bit at the nickname she so cutely gave me, and the kindness shown in my eyes again. I lifted Sophie up out of her sitting position and hugged her to me. The poor kid was so frightened. I thought her nightmares had been chased away, but I guess they had a momentary lapse.

"Sshhh…" I hushed her, "It's okay, baby, you're alright."

She calmed down a bit and I put my hand under her chin so that her green eyes locked directly with my violet ones.

"The monsters aren't real, hon. They're just stuff your mind makes up when you're scared, that's all. They're not real…They're not going to get you…"

"But they seem so real…" Sophie whispered disbelievingly.

The corner of my mouth twitched into a smile once again. This little tike knew how to get the best out of me. I tucked a loose lock of red hair behind her ear as it escaped from her braid.

"I know, pumpkin, I know, but you're just going to have to trust me on this one."

I grabbed one of her hands with my now free arm and squeezed her tiny hand reassuringly.

"You know, I used to have nightmares when I was your age. In fact, I still have them now."

Sophie's eyes widened to the size of china plates, "Really? Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh! You bet. Horrible ones, too...With big, green scary goblins and fiery dragons. But you know what?"

"What?" I had Sophie's rapt attention now. "What d'you do when you're…sc-scared."

"Well, that's simple. I just remind myself that monsters aren't real, that they're just dreams and in dreams you can't get hurt. If that doesn't work, I try to think of a way to make the dream not so scary anymore, like putting the monster in a dress."

Sophie grinned and bounced slightly on my bed. However much her excitement, it was only natural that it would fade in the mental presence of her nightmare. As the clouds blocked out the moonlight, her 'monsters' frightened away her happiness.

Her reddish brows were drawn in her indecisiveness. "Um…big sissy…?"

I frowned. "Yeah, hon? What is it?"

"W-will you sing…a song f-for me…?"

My eyes widened a fraction. Whatever I was subconsciously expecting, it certainly wasn't that.

"Er, Sophie? I don't think that's a goo- "

"It's 'kay, Ammie! I like it when you sing!" Sophie made sure to interrupt quickly.

I was flattered. No one had ever said they liked my singing, and even if she was only six, it meant a lot.

"…You're sure?" Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. My insecurity and I never really got along.

Surprising only to the meekest part of me, Sophie nodded her head with her light smile.

With a smile mimicking hers slightly, I began to sing.

Eventually, Sophie snuggled her head into my chest and gave a small sigh. She wrapped her arms around my waist in an embrace and lay there comfortably.

I finished on a gentle note, a small hint of untrained vibrato on the last syllable. By this time, Sophie was out like a light, and I could hear the steadiness of her breathing.

I gently pulled out of the loose hug Sophie had me in and set her in a cozier position on my bed. I rose from the bed with a creak of the springs and pulled the covers up to her chin. Exhaling deeply, I stood there, watching over her for a good while. She looked so peaceful.

Schooling my emotions with ease, I glanced out of the window. I judged by the position of the moon that it was still very early in the morning, or, very late at night. However you want to view it. Combing through my strawberry-blond hair with my fingers, I winced a bit as my fingers were halted by a rather nasty knot. In undoing said knot, I surveyed the nursery room. I was relieved to find that all the little tots were asleep and that my little conversation with Sophie had not woken them.

You see, I'm the oldest person here, being seventeen and all. Here as in the Sisters of Charity orphanage, founded by Saint Vincent de Paul himself. The nuns that care for us, Sister Teresa, Sister Beth, and Sister Joy, are very kind and care for us orphans very well. We get clothed, fed, sheltered, educational books…What more could you ask for? Alright, so the educational book thing is pretty much a total drag. Well, except for the literature volumes. The Algebra ones tend to give me a migraine, though.

I'll be turning eighteen next month. You know what that means? No, I guess you wouldn't…Heh. Well, it means that I have to move out. You know, because I'm officially an adult and 'too old to be adopted'. Ah, whatever. I get my own space. I guess that's something to look forward to, not that I want to leave Sophie or anything, even if it's only for a small while.

Well, I had been planning to adopt Sophie for a while now, but in order to do that, I need to prove I'm responsible enough, which would require me to have a job. I have a couple of future apartments circled in a newspaper add…somewhere. I'm not very organized, in case you couldn't tell. My brain's a jumble of different things. Well, there is this pizza place across the street from one of the more promising apartment buildings. I think it's hiring, too. Hopefully I can get work there and start saving up some money for her adoption.

'My goodness,' I thought breathily. 'I hope I don't mess up again…'

Ah, yes, I have yet to inform you of my strangeness. Erm, how can I put this lightly…?

I'm a freak.

Yep, that sums it up quite nicely. My hair is strawberry-blonde and my eyes are violet, for cripe's sake! What kind of relatively normal person has violet eyes? Alright, so Liv Tyler has violet eyes, big whoop. Who else, though? Huh, who? Tell meeee!

If my freakish coloring was my biggest problem, life would be cake, let me tell you. But, unfortunately, it's not my only dilemma. You see, strange things tend to happen when I'm around. What, you don't believe me? Okay, let me tell you something, you stinky… person! I cause televisions to go boom! Who do you know that does that? Ha ha, very funny. No, not your annoying younger siblings and their smug faces. I'm serious, here. I did explode a television before…and a computer…and, well…a lot of other electronic things.

Okay, I'm sure you've caused some serious damage to a TV before by just being stupid. Don't deny it! We've all done it. But, I mean, I didn't even touch the darn electrical thingy! I just walked by it! Yeah I know, right? How weird is that?

Hold up, I'm not done yet! I bet you're like, 'You've got to be kidding me…' Yeah, sorry! It's not my fault I have major problems. Okay…Woo, this is hard for me…Umm…I can control…the weather…

Ha haha ha ha! Ah, I can just picture your faces now. But I am serious. I can control the weather. Err, well…not exactly control it. But I can make it thunder when I'm angry! Yeah, I know. It's so wicked.

I don't just know this whole weather thing by chance, you know. I had to learn the hard way. When I say the 'hard way', I mean as in getting your hair fried when you're majorly ticked and your clothes soaked when you're outside crying and...yeah. You get the picture.

Honestly, I still can't believe I've never been accused of being a witch. Yeah, the Sisters are really strict when it comes to thoughts about magic, which is why our fantasy book selection is just about limited to Cinderella, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty. They're kind of lame now, but they were the best things goin' back when I was five.

Anyway, I'm just glad the Sisters have never suspected me of anything. That would be disastrous, to say the least. I'd most likely get booted out of the orphanage, not to mention that I would no longer be eligible to adopt Sophie. Oh, that would be horrible…Alright, let's not think about that anymore.

A pounding migraine later, and my thoughts were silenced with a painful wince.

"Ooow…" I moaned pitifully.

A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Argh, I bet this is what I get for not meditating yesterday…"

Pulse, pulse.

"Owwwiiiee…So…painful…Alright, fine," I sucked in as much air as my lungs could hold and exhaled.

The headache slowly began to fade. Good, I'm improving. I closed my eyes and sat myself down in the lotus position. Now, for my meditation...

"Peace, tranquility, happiness. Peace, tranquility…happiness. Peace…tranquility…happiness…"

Finally, I was relaxed and meditating. My head was pain free, and my thoughts were starting to roam….This reminds me. I haven't told you how I ended up here yet. I hope you don't mind that you're in for another long story. Ah, well, the heck with it. Here goes nothin'…

My mum was a pretty woman, as far as I can recall. She had long, curly strawberry-blonde hair, not much unlike mine, and her eyes were a pleasant shade of red-brown. I can't remember much of her face, but I do know she was pale in complexion…

My father was a completely different story. He was my mother's opposite, everything about him being very defined and ultimately solid. His straight nose, defined jaw-line, and piercing violet eyes always seemed to follow me. I could never forget his face…The face of a betrayer. He left my mother and I when I was little, I think around three. I'm mildly surprised I even remember it so well…The sting of rejection still burns true when I…when I think about him.

'I always wondered…why he left us…' I trailed off sadly.

I shook my head forcefully to clear it of traitorous thoughts.

After He left us, my mom became violently ill. She tried to care for me as best she could, but her illness won out in the end. She passed into Heaven on her birthday, mine being just around the corner. She was so young…I often wonder about the purpose behind her dying. Surely God couldn't have wanted me to suffer…? What am I thinking? Of course not…He…never….

It's alright, deep breaths now...

I was handed over to this very orphanage at age four. I've been here ever since. Why was I never adopted? Well, I'm a loner, simple as that. I used to seclude myself from the other children, and, apparently, none of the couples looking to adopt found it irresistibly adorable. Well, one did. But they died of a freak accident.

The only one I ever really talk to is little Sophie, and that's purely out of sisterly affection. I can never utter another syllable, unless it's required of me. I can't, for some reason, bring myself to talk out of turn. Sometimes I think it's because of losing both of my parents at the same time. I was so young, not to say I'm not now, but still. If the concept of death isn't enough, betrayal is a sure way to confusion at age three. No wonder I'm so messed up.

So, that's my story. Complicated, not exactly. I'm sure there are others with a tale longer and more complex than mine.

Suddenly, I was jolted from my meditation by a heart-stopping scream. It echoed loudly, seeming to come from a place down the hall. What was down the hall again…? Well, there were the washrooms, the kitchen, and…the Sisters' rooms!

"Oh.My. Gosh!"

And I was off, down the hall and making a beeline for the Sisters' bedrooms. I noticed the left door was ajar, and my thought process jerked to a stop. That's Sister Joyce's room…with the safe! I peaked through the crack and saw something shocking. A looming, dark figure was poised over a pale Sister Joyce and holding a rather large knife to her throat.

"Where's the safe, Sister?"

His gruff, disrespectful voice made me sick to my stomach. I clenched my fists, so tight I must've drawn blood. I was furious, and when I'm angry, I don't second guess myself. This guy was here to rob our little orphanage, and he was going down. Way down.

I saw red.

The next thing I knew, I was standing next to Sister Joyce's bedside…with the burglar unconscious at my feet. I glanced around at the seemingly windswept room. At first, I was proud. I had immobilized a potential burglar! Surely the Sisters would be grateful! But then, I looked up into the frightened faces of all three Sisters…and saw my spread hands, humming with power. I closed my eyes with shame. I had done the unthinkable.

And now they knew.