"Skylar, the time has come for you to understand how things work around here," Dominic,in his Neptune persona, said firmly as he, the others, my parents, and the Lewis duo surrounded me in a circle as we met up at the Youth Hero Alliance main headquarters after classes. As bad as their word, everyone had heard about the Enrique Pinero debacle and was none too happy about me being on his radar. Of course, I never even got the chance to know the new kid, but him smiling at me was more than enough reason for everyone to get on my grill once again.

"You guys," I began.

"Save it," Dad snapped, cutting me off with a glare. "It's October now and you should be more in tune with being a superhero and part of the popular crowd with your godbrothers and your friends. But it's like you want to hold back or regress back into that anti-social shell of yours."

"It's not healthy for you," Mom added, nodding in assent. "Dear, all we ask of you is to start being part of something greater than you can ever imagine. From what your father and I've heard, you're not being much of a team player. Sure, you're saying all the right things and being part of the superhero action while maintaining your social status as well as being with the guys. Still, it's like your mind is not being willfully there."

"And with this Pinero dude now at our school, there's no telling what can and might happen," Gold Titan intoned with Memphis, my mentors/godbrothers, and even the Lewis duo glaring at the mention of the name. "He could be the next big distraction following your friends."

"Now hold on just a moment," I said, finally feeling some anger as I stood to my feet. "I haven't even known the guy, much less had a chance to talk to him seeing that we only just met when he arrived during fifth period. And when it comes to Rhea and Shandra, I hardly got a chance to even have one decent phone call with them no thanks to you guys keeping me dead on my feet and fueled on coffee and those tasteless energy drinks. All I want is a chance to catch my breath and let myself be who I can be without being accused of messing things up."

"But why take a chance?" Kendall asked. "You know that everyone wants what's best for you, and you've been with those two losers for too long. Don't you think you should owe us some loyalty?"

I gave them a pointed stare. "Not if it means being put on a controlling leash to be a perfect clone of yourselves."

The air turned artic as I said those words, me not regretting one single word.

It was Drake's turn to speak. "You know that you're one of the top students at Centennial Grove, right?" he asked. "Not only that, you got some major colleges looking at you."

I nodded.

"Well, Drake and I would really hate it if somehow you ended up being a less than stellar student and end up losing any chances of obtaining a scholarship to any school. Not only that, you might have a bleak future if say...you had some false charges on you that might paint you as a villain instead of being one of us," Jorge commented. "The only future you might have after some time in jail is working as a low-paying janitor or a fry cook."

My eyes went wide. "You wouldn't," I said.

"We would," Principal Lewis remarked. "Skylar, you know the stakes. And with a few phone calls, you will end up the most-hated man in the world if you let yourself be distracted by Pinero or even think about defecting from the Youth Hero League. We're only saying this to make you consider your ways. We want you to soar with eagles, not flap around with chickens. Drake and Jorge can provide you with everything your old friends can't. If you play by our rules and do what's expected, you'll be rewarded while given even more responsibilities. The more you give, the more that's required."

"We care enough to make you see things our way, even if it has to be with some tough love," Thorn piped up. "Why can't you see that?"

I had to say it, folks. "Because y'all are who you are and I'm me, and we just don't fit. You can load me with superpowers and have me programmed to think like you, but I'm still Skylar O'Hara at the end of the day."

"That'll change as long as we have you under our wings," Gold Titan intoned, eyes narrowed in silts. "First off, you're to stay the hell away from Enrique Pinero at all costs. The Lewises will ensure that you have zero contact with him as he'll be in different classes while you're with us. After the midterms, you're to not only take part in the Homecoming festivities but also become the designated helper for any of the school's functions. That means being the workhorse to do all the heavy lifting whenever the time needs. In addition to that as well as your other duties as part of the swim team and even being a superhero; your free time will be only allotted to being with us- parties, weekend plans, and anything else that might come to mine."

"And don't forget about the dates with Jorge and myself," Drake reminded me. "And in light of the circumstances, it's time for things to be taken to the next level."

I crossed my arms. "And that is?" I asked.

*******************

I should've kept my mouth shut, folks. Because I was currently lying on my back after two hours of lovemaking with my two mentors who are (and I will deny this if you say this to anyone else) well-endowed in the bedroom. That's right, I had lost my virginity to them and vice-versa since we were each other's firsts. And damn it to hell if they didn't leave my body humming in pleasure. I won't go into the details due to the author's integrity and all, but all I will say is that I was satiated, seduced, and twisted in every way.

"That wasn't so bad, was it," Jorge purred in my ear as he pulled me in closer to him. "This is all to help you come out of your shell. Greenlee Sammons can never imagine what Drake and I can give you."

Greenlee Sammons. Ah, fuck.

Drake saw my look of worry at the mention of the femme-fatale. "No need to worry about her," he intoned gently, pecking me on the lips. "Your parents have dealt with her as did Kendall. But back to you, Skylar. Everyone means what they said to you. If you wanna keep what you have now, you need to make total commitments to us and stay away from Enrique Pinero. Jorge and I will be very unhappy if we even feel that he's getting too close to you. And your life will be ruined if you think about leaving us."

"And after midterms, you're to be with all of us and being the designated helper," Jorge added as he rubbed my back. "Time to branch out and leave McNeil and Finnessey in the dust. Sure, you can still talk to them when we're feeling generous, but you need to be more outgoing and open with everyone else. Try something new for a change."

This is never going to end, is it? I asked myself. I'm being pulled in all directions and the expectations are going to get more and more demanding even if I did everything right. I just can't win.

I had to talk to Rhea and Shandra. And fast.

Cumulative word-count so far: 16024 words.

And he will, folks, as midterms come and go before a parents-and-athletes breakfast becomes another war of the words between Skylar and Greenlee with the countdown to Homecoming going on! Don't you dare miss out on all this tea and shade!

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