Fourth Floor Common Room, Monday evening

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie had a huge pot of water for spaghetti boiling, tomatoes and onions chopped up, garlic diced into tiny pieces, and hamburger browning.

She was sure she was forgetting something. Anyone who wanted to help her make dinner was more than welcome.

Comments

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You should ask around," she suggested. "I'm pretty sure there are several very real superhero types around here to advise you."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," A.J. said. "Teddy was being all cryptic and forewarning about glitter and purple, so I'm a little weary."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Glitter is kind of attention getting, wouldn't you want to be stealthy?" Isabel asked.

[by137.livejournal.com]

"You'd think so, yeah," A.J. nodded. "But Teddy said that with a name like the Artist, it would be inevitable."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh!" she said, getting the idea. "Well in that case, yeah. Lots of glitter. And a cape. Definitely a cape."

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. laughed, holding up his hands as if he was feeling rendered helpless. "Why must you all insist on the glitter?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"School tradition. You wouldn't want to break with tradion would you?" Isabel looked horrified at the thought.

[by137.livejournal.com]

"It's a school tradition," A.J. said, quite dubiously, "for guys going around, calling themselves the Artist, to have glitter?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's a school tradition to use glitter whenever it can possibly used," Isabel said seriously. She left off that part about boykissy.

[by137.livejournal.com]

Yeah. He knew.

A.J. shook his head. "Man, this school is weird. If I get a needle in my foot, though, I'm gonna be pissed."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're only just figuring this out? And look at it this way, if you get a needle in your foot, I know several people capable of healing it for you," she told him.

[by137.livejournal.com]

Frowning with the best force of his puppy-dog-fu, A.J. sighed. "It's not...really tradition, is it, Isabel? Really?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel is the queen of puppy dog eyes. She's immune. "It's tradition. Honestly."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"I refuse to believe it," A.J. declared. "Why would the school have a tradition associated so closely with boyki-- waaaaaaait a second. Oh, God. It is tradition, isn't it?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Yup," she nodded. "Now you're catching on."

[*crashing very, very soon*]

[by137.livejournal.com]

"In that case..." A.J. said, shaking his head slightly and then tucking the floppy hair behind his ears, "I'm claiming rebel. I am a delinquent, after all, technically. I like to go," he swooped his hand in the air a little, "against the flow."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"So no glitter?" Isabel asked, with sad face.

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Not if I can help it," A.J. said, with a slight laugh. Yes, there were tales of turning into animals and girls and trolls, but such a well-to-do about glitter had to top his list of strange things over all. "Although, really, the peer pressure's probably bound to get to me eventually."