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There was a muffled giggling coming from behind her son’s bedroom door, and Josie paused in the hallway, basket of laundry in hand. Was Layla over? She couldn’t remember the young plant controller coming over, but come to think of it, Layla just hadn’t been coming over very often anymore. Not since that fight she and Will had gotten into about three months ago over what to do with themselves after high school. Layla had wanted to be a team, Will had not, and suffice it to say, they’d been loud enough that the two superheroes in the kitchen trying not to listen in had heard every word.
So who in the world was behind that door, giggling? It didn’t even sound like any girls were involved, but Will definitely found something amusing, and the other seemed to have a deeper chuckle. Another boy then.
Which one of Will’s friends was over, then? She couldn’t remember anyone coming over, but she’d been running to stop Mistress Mayhem between loads of laundry, so it was very possible that she’d just missed their arrival.
Well, she might as well see what was so amusing, and say hello to whichever of Will’s friends was over, right?
Shouldering the door open, she called pleasantly, “Afternoon!”
There is a squeal from her son, a yelp of surprise from someone else, and Josie finds herself facing a scene that is clearly not what it had been a moment before, but all the same, there’s no doubt what it was.
Will sits on the edge of his bed with a tenuousness that tells her he wasn’t sitting there a second ago. He’s not wearing a shirt, and he’s panting, face very red, hair mussed and very disarrayed. Warren Peace sits against the pillows, also with no shirt, jeans half undone though he’s sitting in such a way to make it look like they’re not. There were bite marks on his collarbone, and his long hair was ruffled in such a way to make attempting to interpret a moot point.
They both refused to meet her eyes, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what had been going on here.
Josie DeMarco clambered up the stairs at her study partner’s house, eager to get down to work. Didn’t hurt that her study partner was kind of cute, too, which made things even better.
Without knocking, she opened his bedroom door, knowing he’d be there waiting already, but wasn’t expecting yelps of surprise, and to find herself facing the particular scene she did.
Steve Stronghold was sprawled on the end of the bed like he’d fallen there, without a shirt, his short dark hair ruffled and messed. Beside him, half falling over and as half naked as his counterpart was Baron Battle, his curly hair sticking everywhere, purpling love bites on his neck.
All three stared at each other, then Baron bolted to his feet, scooping a t-shirt off the floor and tugging it over his head, before grabbing desperately on the bedside table for a pair of thick, horn rimmed glasses, shoving them on. “Hey Josie,” he panted, and Josie had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing when she saw he was wearing a t-shirt that had to be five times too big for him, in red white and blue, with ‘Stronghold’ written on the arm. “Wonderful to see you, gotta go!”
And he dashed from the room, making to run from the house.
Josie leaned out the door, laughing, and yelled at his back, “Baron! This is your house! And you’re wearing Steve’s shirt, anyways!”
Baron paused, turning slowly, face very red. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Josie grinned, bouncing on her toes. “So. Steve’s joining us for study group today?”
There was a throat cleared behind her, and Josie turned to see Steve, red-faced, standing there in Baron’s far too tight red t-shirt. “Yep. Ah... study group.”
“Great,” she beamed, turning back to enter Baron’s room, flopping down on the end of the bed.
Josie blinked. “Oh.” she said at last.
“Mom,” Will started slowly, swallowing.
Josie interrupted him, grinning. “Dinner’s ready in half and hour, boys. And remember to brush your hair before coming down. Your father forgot that once, and Mrs. Battle had to figure out he was sleeping with her son over dinner, it was awkward. We’ll try to break it to your dad gently, huh?”
Will and Warren just gaped at her.
“Huh?” her son managed at last.
“Oh, sorry!” Josie grinned, and backed out, closing the door behind her. “Don’t let me interrupt!”
Then she headed back down towards the laundry room, humming to herself.
Her son was sleeping with her husband’s old lover and current rival’s son.
Cool.
Return to Sky High.