I resolve to write 15 000 words during my first week of NaNoWriMo.



Word Count:
Goal: 5 100
Actual:5 285

Day 01
*If you haven't read my November first excerpt, don't bother. It's below the cut. If you have, sorry. I added some words and paragraphs here and there and so I just reposted the whole thing. If you want to skip to the new part, just search the page using ctrl+f for "on a first date" and read from there. SORRY!!!!

super + ordinary: A Tale of Your Average Everyday Supergirl

Chapter One: How to Not-Quite Balance Your Alternate Identity with Your Caped Cognomen


When battling a giant zilla while running late for class, you should:
a) Throw your side kick into the line of fire to act as a distraction while power up your latest high tech gadget to blast the sucker’s brains out
b) Use conveniently located flag pole as a giant spear and have Zilla Shish Kabob
c) Pull a giant sculpture of a caffeine-addicted pedophile off of a near by building and use it to knock the zilla out.
d) Forget the zilla; you’re running late for class.

#

She blew the hair out of her eyes and surveyed the scene. She had to get out of there—and fast. Gargantor roared again and she could hear her bones rattle. She was running out of time, and right now, when she should be thinking about saving the citizens of the city, she could only think about where the liver was in a frog.

‘I really hate giant zillas,’ she thought as she dodged the giant L beam being thrown at her. She slipped behind the wreckage of a nice car from a highly recognized and elite manufacturer. ‘I wish I had a car that could be ruined by a giant rampaging reptile.’

He roared again.

She spotted it—her salvation—and made her move.

She stood up and turned to face the beast.

“What’s wrong, Gargantor? Not a morning person?”

‘Neither am I,’ she internalized, dodging the Hummer thrown her way.

“You know, the owner of that is probably not going to be very happy about the fact that his precious vehicle was just used as a bowling ball.”

This time, he hurled a Ford Explorer at her. That was a bit too close for comfort. She just needed to move a little bit further and everything would be easily taken care of. That is, easily taken care of as long as she could figure out where frogs kept their livers within the next thirty minutes.

Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed. Make that fifteen.

Ah, there we were. Now all she needed was a nice little distraction…

“Hey Gargantor! I heard they were thinking of letting that ugly girlfriend of yours out of prison. Sorry to hear that you won’t be the man of the house for much longer!”

He came charging. She was ready.

Sort of.

Now, she had to time this just right. Too soon, and he would realize what she was doing and all of her efforts and hard-flung insults would be in vain. Too late, and she was as good as a hot dog at a Fourth of July weenie roast.

She raised her arms, lifted her head to make sure there weren’t any low flying aircraft, and flew straight up.

Now, she had never been a big fan of Charlie’s Big House of Coffee. Not only was his stale coffee overpriced, his donuts were overcooked, too. Not to mention the state of the women’s facility in there. However, it was probably because of that creepy mascot of his that she truly despised the place. That, and the fact that the eerily pedophile like mascot had been made into a twenty foot statue and plopped unceremoniously and quite garishly upon his establishment. However, it would now serve her purpose.

She flew up and braced her feet against the top of the building. She grasped one of the frightening figurine’s feet, and with a brief unlady-like grunt, pulled it free.

She swung it—once, twice—and then hurled it at the huge zilla’s head. He was out like a light. It was the first time in history, that someone had been put to sleep or, in this case, knocked out by coffee.

The cheers were immediate. She grinned and flew down to greet the crowd. It was the usual bunch: terrified citizens, nosy reporters, flashy paparazzi, some members of that really creepy fan club that had formed after the Metropolis Incident…and him.

As if a large rampaging dinosaur hadn’t been enough to ruin her day…

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“University Unified Press. How would you like to respond to Senator Kelly’s accusations that you are sullying America’s view of the modern woman and undoing decades of women’s rights advocacy?”

“I said: WHAT are you doing HERE?”

“Ah, terribly sorry, I’m afraid I forgot to introduce myself—Stephen Thomas Noel, representing Western State’s University Unified Press newspaper. Now then, how would you like to comment to the fact that your vigilante acts have cause several million dollars’ worth of damage to the city within the last—“

“NO COMMENT.”

She pushed passed him, only to be surrounded by dozens more microphones and flashing bulbs and people and—

--a clock chimed. She was late.

She began backing up, hoping the crowd wouldn’t think it prudent to follow her.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I would love to answer all of your questions, but I have a pressing engagement I must attend to. Please, if you would like a response, you may attain my post office box address from the mayor’s office and I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can. Thank you and have a safe today.”

No one got the message. She continued backing up, but gave up after taking only a few more steps. There were easier ways of doing things when you were her.
She glanced up at the sky, and with a wave good bye to her followers, flew.

#

Liz stepped as lightly as she could, hoping her steps would not echo in the nearly empty halls. The only other people who were in the hall with her were faculty walking to their offices, or students with some free time left on their hands completely free of studying. She was the only one hurrying along.

She paused outside the door and gave herself the quick thrice-over: once for all the necessary garments to be deemed as somewhat acceptably dressed by society, twice for actual coherence of the said outfit (today it was a grey tweed dress with some killer black vintage boots she had found and a black pinstripe blazer), and thrice for the actual presentation of herself (hair neat, teeth brushed, no blood leaking from any unsightly gashes). She seemed fine. After two minutes in that room with that teacher however, she most likely would not be.

A deep breath, and there was nothing more to do. She was as good as doomed.

She opened the door as quietly as she could and attempted to slink to her seat in the same manner that a masked spy would sneak through a government building before rifling through sensitive security files.

Unfortunately, she was currently undeclared as a major, and there was a key reason that she was not going to school for international espionage.

“Miss Rider, to the front of the lecture hall, please.”

Caught. Well, maybe she could weasel her way out of this one.


“I would love to, professor, but it appears that the other students are currently in the midst of a test, and I would hate to be the one to interrupt—“

“Now.”

Well, no one could fault her for being disobedient. Like a homeless puppy dog she walked down the steps to the bottom of the lecture hall.

When she reached it, she attempted to appear as small and feeble and truly repentant as she possibly could.

Her instructor glared down at her.

“Are you aware, Miss Rider, of what time that this class is scheduled to begin?”

She thought quickly, trying to discern the trap that lay before her.

“Uh…yes, sir?”

“Is that a question or a statement, Miss Rider?”

“A statement,” she choked out. “Sir.” Added for good measure. It seemed to not improve his mood. She would have to remember that for future instances.

“And what time,” her aged professor compounded, “is this class scheduled to begin?”

“Eight o’clock sir.”

“What time is it now, Miss Rider?”

This answer came easily.

“I would love to tell you Professor Milton, but unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my watch and am unable to refer to it at this very moment. However, seeing as there is a test going on, I would really love it if I could—“

“It is eight forty-five, Miss Rider. The exam began almost one hour ago. Can you please explain to me, why it is that you are so late when all the rest of your class mates managed to get here on time?”

This answer came even more easily.

“Oh sure. Well, you see I was actually a bit early this morning. I woke up about fifteen minutes before my alarm went off and so I was just chilling around my house, enjoying the extra time, and I went into the kitchen to have a bagel, but then the police scanner that I keep in there went off and I heard over it that Gargantor—you know, the giant zilla—was on the rampage in the city again for some reason or another and so I had to go and stop him, but he somehow got into one of the radioactive waste sites on the way over here and so he was a bit larger than I remembered by about 100 feet, give or take, so I had a bit of a difficult time DDD him, but luckily we were right by Charlie’s Big House of Coffee so I was able to take that huge statue of Cheery Charlie off the roof and whack the zilla over the head with it and that was done with, but then I had to ditch the reporters and my fan club, and then on the way home to change I had to pull some people out of this absolutely awful car crash and then by then I was running really late, but I couldn’t just show up to class in my hero clothes, you know, so I didn’t have a choice but to fly by my house and change and then I hurried here as fast as I possibly could.”

A few brave souls behind her dared to let several stray giggles loose.

Her professor, however, was unimpressed.

“Well I am so very sorry that this class is impeding your budding super hero career, Miss Rider. But I simply cannot grant you special privileges because you just so happen to save the city on a daily basis. Now take your seat and I hope you have come prepared for the exam because I will not be giving any extra time on it.”

#

“So how do you think you did on the exam?” Maree jumped on her the moment she left the class.

Liz paused to give her a dead pan look before stomping past her on her way to the elevator. Maree’s bracelets jangled behind her.

“How do you think?”

“Well, did you study?”

“All night, but I still couldn’t tell you the difference between osmosis and lactic acid burn. I’m telling you, Maree…there is just no way that I am going to pass this class.” Liz jammed the elevator button quite angrily several times.

“Well there has to be one, considering you need this class to graduate.”

“Can’t you just take all my tests for me?”

“Sorry, I think cheating will get you immediate expulsion.”

“Well, you know the mayor owes me a favor or two. Maybe I can get him to…”

“What, order Professor Milton to pass you regardless of how badly you are actually doing in his class?”

The two girls looked at each other before bursting out in loud laughter. Their fellow students stared at them as they wandered by.

Maree pushed some stray strands of kinky red hair out of her face. “So why exactly were you late this time? And why are we taking the elevator anyways? It always takes about a century and an alternate universe to get here.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “You mean you didn’t here my story about how Gargantor was rampaging downtown?”

“That only answers one of my questions.”

“Actually, he threw me into a Honda Civic. I’m a bit sore.”

“Just a bit?”

“Just a teensy weensy little bit.” The two girls smiled at each other.

“Alright—seriously though: you absolutely cannot take the stairs? I’m starving, and my next class starts in an hour and there is no way that I am going to miss Calc two just because you were tossed into a small car by a rampaging relic of our planet’s past.”

“Fine!” Liz tossed her hands up in defeat. “But you’re buying.”

“Deal.”

The two turned from the still stalling elevator and made their way towards the steps.

“So what are you in the mood for buying me today?”

“Something cheap, because some of us have real jobs with crappy wages and cannot afford the constant stream of lobster dinners that are just tossed your way gratis.”

“I’m fine with the on campus café if you are.”

“Oh, so now you are not only copying my homework, but also stealing my dining dollars?”

“Absolutely—it’s the way of truth, justice, and the American spirit.”

“And the bum superhero?”

“Totally. It’s written into the League of Super-powered Allies constitution. It’s in section forty six b dash six.”

“Seriously?!”

“Maree.” Liz gave her an exasperated look. “No.”

“Oh. Well, I mean—how am I supposed to know? There’s a provision for health benefits on the off chance that one of you guys is behead by a giant flying castle and happens to survive! What am I supposed to think?”

“Actually that’s the Dogman – Starlord Floating Base Decapitation Act and it only takes effect if the fall from said base, not castle, is between forty seven hundred feet and thirty thousand feet from the highest point in the hero’s home city.”

“See what I mean? You super types have the strangest set of rules I’ve ever heard of—“

“—they are also the strangest set I’ve ever seen.”

The voice stopped Liz and Maree in their tracks.

“Oh god, she’s behind us, isn’t she Maree?”

Maree turned to look at the dark haired girl behind them.

“Well, yeah. And she looks a bit pissed that we are just standing here talking about her in the third person as if she weren’t even here.” She smiled. “Hey Fiona!”

Fiona gave her a wan smile. “Maree. I see you’re still wasting your time hanging out with ‘super girl’ here,” she said, complete with air quotes.

Liz turned around and glared at her. “News flash Fiona—air quotes are about ten years out of style and—“ here she raised her arms in a mocking fashion “—‘so high school.’”

“I believe I was in the middle of a conversation with Maree here, and I don’t believe you were ever included hero girl.”

“Aww, Fiona. I’m so sorry no one ever told you that calling someone a hero will never, ever, no matter what sort of alternate dimension you inhabit, constitute as an insult of any kind.”

“You know what, Princess Fiona—“

“What is it, you wannabe meta freak—“

“Guys, guys, guys! Come on. Why can’t we just get along?” Maree stuck herself between the two rivaling girls who just ignored her and continued to glare sharp pointy daggers of imminent doom at each other. Maree remained pointedly oblivious and attempted a placating smile.

“You know…like we were back in high school…”

“Freak.” Fiona turned heel on the other two.

“Brat.” Liz moved likewise and the two began stalking off in opposite directions.

“…before any of us developed super powers and the two of you became horrible jealous of each other?” Maree sighed. “Remember before the two of you started hating each other and I started having to play peace keeper? Being stuck in the middle sucks.”

#

Maverick surveyed the scene before her from atop the building. Pedestrians walking by without being in danger of any falling debris? Check. Taxis, cars, and other motor vehicles driving on the road rather than being chunked at anything around them by huge mutated animals and or humans? Check. Buildings firmly nestled within their own foundations and not being hefted up by any super powered humans with amazing super strength? Double check.

“Damn it. There’s no way out of this.”

She was already cursing herself for agreeing to this meeting in the first place. What had she been thinking? She was a super hero, not some silly giggling girl who went on dates in the middle of an afternoon with some guy who had just popped out of nowhere. If anything, she should have been extra wary over the fact that a perfectly normal guy, the majority of whom were usually intimidated by rather than attracted to her, was interested in seeing her at all. Clearly it had to be a trap. Some evil scientist had cooked up an artificial life form to seduce her in order to knock her off balance so he could take over the world. Or maybe this guy was a telepath or telekinetic or tele- something and was meeting with her so that he could take over her body using mind control and use her powers for evil.

Her musing was interrupted one of the Spice Girls’ greatest hits.

“So tell me what you want, what you really really want—“

She answered it. “Maverick here.”

“Oh hey, Liz…it’s Maree. I wasn’t expecting you to pick up. Don’t you have that date with that guy today?”

Liz stood up and began to walk away from the ledge she had been perched upon.

"It's not a date."

"Oh come on, Liz! Why else would he ask you to meet him for coffee so that the two of you could, I quote, 'talk'?"

"It's not what you think Maree."

"How do you know what I think? Have you developed mind reading powers without telling me?"

"Of course not, Maree. I just--"

"Well let me tell you what I think."

"I suppose if you must." The dark clad hero reached to open the door exiting the roof, but something stopped her from passing through the threshold.

In the background she could hear Maree yammering on about some inane theory of hers: she was taking her job way to seriously and needed to lighten up; she had become overly neurotic and was suspicious of everyone around her and trusted no one.

Maverick turned her supposedly overly suspicious eye back onto the scene below her. Nothing seemed to be awry; the city appeared to be a safe place for once. But still...something was niggling away at her mind. There was a reason that the phrase "calm before the storn" had cropped up in the English language to begin with.

She turned away from ledge once again and pushed off her unease that was a fur winter coat in the heat of summer hanging onto her with heavy and uncomfortable weight. She did not feel good about this.

As she walked back towards the door, she slowly tuned back into her friend's off kilter ramblings.

"...I mean you're really only hurting yourself Liz. You deserve so much better than what you already have. You absolutely have to stop punishing yourself for your past mistakes. There is no way you can change the path that is behind you. You're not even listening to me, are you?"

"Oh no...I'm listening Maree. I just don't feel like fighting you on this one--DAMN IT!"

"Maverick what happened?! Are you okay? Is there some sort of attack going on in the city?"

"Ah,geez...no. I just tripped on these damn stairs."

Maree clucked. "Well that's what you get for trying to fight crime in stilettos."

"Whatever, Mar. Listen, I'm going to hang up on you now because it is wicked hard trying to hobble down these steps while holding a conversation with you. Sorry. I'll--"

"Wait. Liz! You haven't even told me the most important part of this afternoon's rendezvous!"

Her reply was less than thrilled. "...and that would be?"

"What you're going to wear!"

"Um, well I was just going to wear my uniform."

"What. You can not be serious. You're going to wear a black bullet proof leotard and stiletto boots on a first date?"

“What’s wrong with that?”

“’What’s wrong with that?’ Hmmm…I wonder. Liz, you have got to realize that it’s not just enough that you are one of the world’s greatest super heroes. I mean, like, the fact that you can lift a car and hurl it at a giant sized beast that is millions of years old and shouldn’t even exist today is a bit intimidating. Add in to it that that’s an every day activity for you in the way that most people walk their dogs and guys are kind of—“

“What, so you’re saying that I’m scaring them away? Please, Maree. I seriously doubt that they are all as shallow as you would see them.” Liz pushed the door leading to the outside street open…

“Well, when was the last time you had a date? I’m not talking about a date with another person in your profession either. I’m talking about a regular date with an ordinary person involving normal activities, like going to the movies or eating out or bowling, and not flying into space to watch the planets align.”

…and was instantly mobbed by reporters. She pushed past them.

“You know, it was the asteroid belt and it was all very romantic.”

Unfortunately, they were bent on following her and she was less than enthused at the thought of them all listening in on her private conversations.

“Listen, Maree. I’ll meet you at my house in fifteen minutes, okay? If it’ll make you happy, you can help me get dressed.”

She hung up, and once again, retreated to the skies in her quest to avoid nosy news people.


Chapter Two: Dating Civilians or, How Not to get Your Significant Other Brutally Killed by an Evil Megalomaniac

When on a date, it is important to dress to impress. However, most people will agree that without enjoyable discourse, any date will constitute as a flop. What are some appropriate topics to talk about?
a) Your hobbies outside of work, such as scrapbooking, watching professional figure skating, bench pressing 3 000 pounds, knitting, and ballet.
b) Your plans to build a new base in the San Francisco area.
c) Yell at her and make her cry
d) The layout and access codes for the League of Super Powered Allies’ headquarters as well as your key weaknesses (ex: Kryptonite, fire, magic-based ablilities)

#

They were meeting at a small off campus coffee shop. Very small, very cute, very hip and it only had two ways in or out—the front entrance and the back delivery door. You kind of had to know these sorts of things when you were in the super hero business. Maree had decided on a floating white dress that whispered as she moved. It was impractical, but she did feel very pretty.

She was running a bit late, but he had said that he might be late himself, so she wasn’t too worried by that.

Bells tinkled as she pushed open the door to the coffee house. Amelie’s Caffeine Paradise, it was called. A cheesy name, but the actual atmosphere of the place was quite quaint. Dark wood owned the small business and late afternoon sunlight streamed in through the establishment’s many windows. Small tables huddled near each other, making for an easy romantic moment or a fun time with strangers you had only just met. In one corner, a small cramped stage that was usually occupied by neighborhood performers was empty, and to one side was the longest counter that the shop could accommodate. It was filled to bursting with all sorts of darling sweets and finger sandwiches, looking more like the counter space of a bakery or tea house than a coffee seller.

Liz spotted her date—what was his name again?—sitting on the other side of the place with his back to her. She could recognize his short light hair even from here, and she barely knew him. She attempted to glide over to him and not make a fool out of herself while everyone was watching her. Perhaps a less public place would have been a better choice for a first date? The one thing she never could get used to was the lack of privacy that came with being open about her field of work. She could already hear the whispers from the tables she passed.

“Hey—look. That’s Maverick, isn’t it?”

“What’s she doing here?”

“Do you think she’s meeting someone?”

“I want that dress. Where did she get that dress?”

“Oh my god. She’s beautiful even when she’s not vanquishing evil.”

“I still can never believe that we live in the same town.”

It wasn’t anything she wasn’t used to hearing. Of course, it was always uncomfortable being constantly analyzed by others, but they always said the same kind of things regardless of where she went. It did make it slightly easier to tune out after a while.

So far so good, she half laughed to herself. She was always a bit of a klutz at times like these when it mattered, but she had yet to—

--SMACK.

Never mind.

Down she went, along with the poor waitress she had brutally collided with. Hot and iced coffee spilled all over her, her ankle twisted in an uncomfortable direction, and her date turned around just in time to witness the whole thing.

“Oh my god!”

And now the waitress was panicking thinking that she was about to blasted away into oblivion.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry! I just totally and completely lost track of where I was going.”

“You…you’re…”

“I mean—oh my god, are you okay? I didn’t mean to crash into you like that!”

“You’re Maverick.”

“Actually, you can call me Liz. I sort of kind of prefer it anyways. Are you okay…” she glanced at the waitress’ name badge. “…Anna?”

The shell shocked girl on the floor with her smiled. “Oh no, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me…Liz?”

The blonde smiled back at her. “That’s right, Liz. I’m just glad to here it. Here, let me help you up. I’m not going to get you in trouble, am I?”

Anna smiled as the two rose. “No, I’ll be fine. I’m just…going to slip in the back and get something to clean this up with.”

“Okay. Ummm…sorry about that, again.”

“It’s not problem…Liz.” She turned and walked away to supposedly get a mop.

“Well, talk about entering with a bang.”

A hand entered her line of sight, and she reached to take it.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Any time you need it."

As she stood, she was greated with the sight of a tightly groomed young man. His light hair was slicked back in a way that somehow did not make him reek of used car salesman or sleazy black market dealer, a feat which must have been hard for the individual to attain. His square lenses highlited his angular face and his laughably professional attire seemed a bit to Matrix-y for her. He was definitely not her usual type--precisely the very reason she had agreed to go on this rendezvous. Maree would never be able to call her predictable again after this.

And yet, her date's name resisted to make itself known within the confines of her memory.

"Sorry I'm late. You must be...ummm...I'm supposed to meet you."

He laughed. "And you have completely forgotten my name, haven't you?"

"Oh, my god. Yes. I am so terribly sorry. I just have a really horrible memory when it comes to names. I really am sorry."

"Oh no, it's alright. You can try to remember to call me Thomas, can't you?"

Liz smiled back at him. "Yes, Thomas. I'm super gluing it as we speak. Nice to meet you, Thomas. My name's Liz." She studied his poorly hidden grin. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Sorry. I've got a photographic memory. There's not much I forget."

They stood staring at each other while unsuccessfully trying to ignore the obvious stares they were receiving.

Thomas made the first move. "What do you say to the two of us getting out of here and finding someplace a bit more private?"

Liz laughed. "That would be great. But do you mind a stop at the mall? I've got to find something else to wear since...well, you know."

"No problem. I am here for you."

#

Liz was glad she was able to change; she had never been totally comfortable with wearing that dress today for some reason. They were now walking along a small string of shops that resided in the "old" part of town that was struggling to maintain its image as a quaint trip back to yesteryear rather than the series of run down buildings near condemnation that they actually were. Thomas hadn't minded at all stopping and had even given her his very vocal opinion on her clothing choices (not that she minded; very few people ever spoke their minds around her lately) and now they were strolling and talking quite amicably while listening to a local band cover old one hit wonders.

"My brother and I were always really close growing up," she was saying. "I was inseparable from him and he was my best friend, hero, and confidante all rolled up into one. I probably wouldn't be the person I am today without his constant faith in my ability to succeed at whatever I put my heart into."

"So are you saying that he encouraged you to take up your current role as a self-appointed masked protector of the city?"

"Umm...well, not exactly. He certainly supported me after I made the decision, but it was a decision that I made fully on my own, without any input from anyone else but myself."

Somehow, they had gotten onto the subject of her childhood. She still couldn't figure out if this made the date a total and complete disaster or a perfect success.

"So tell me more about your family," Thomas prompted her.

They had paused by an ice cream stand and as he spoke he handed hers to her.

"Well I don't know. We seem to be talking an awful lot about myself. I don't know if I want to tell you anything else unless I know a little more about you."

He laughed. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Umm...well...what are you up to right now? You know, what stage of your life are you currently living out?"

"Ah, going for the hard hitting ones already are we, Ace?"

"Absolutely. It's a super heroine's job to always know everything she can about those around her."

"Alright then. Let's see..." He came to a slow stop in front of a decadent fountain. "I'm enrolled in

(Sorry for stopping y'all mid-sentence!)