2046
Lois Lane High School
“Abigail! Abigail Freeman are you even paying attention to anything I’m saying?”
Abbey Freeman looked lost and dazed as she attempted to recover from her deep day dream.
“No... I mean Yes, Mr. Snow. I’m sorry,” she stammered.
Laughter and snorts came from the back of the room along with various non complimentary comments.
“Dork. Retread. What a reject.” Just to list a few.
Abigail shook her long brown haired ponytail and pushed her glasses up from the brim of her nose. She was used to being teased. After years of such abuse, she was actually getting numb to most of it. At least that’s what she told herself. Who could blame the other kids for being mean? Abbey Freeman was the poster child for teasing. It was the mid 21st century, for goodness sake and here she was wearing glasses! She understood her mother’s wishes, that she didn’t believe in splicing or genetic tampering as she liked to call it, but understanding didn’t make life any easier for Abbey. As if the archaic glasses weren’t bad enough, Abbey’s biggest obstacle to a life like other girls was this ugly metallic box she was forced to live in. Abbey was born with a rare spinal disease that left her without the use of her legs since she was about three years old. Ever since, she has lived in the comfort or prison of a hoverchair. So here she sat at the ripe old age of fifteen, okay fourteen and a half, floating around in a dork box wearing ancient eyewear. Not the number one way to attract boys and get popular fast. Sure there were many ways to help her see better or walk for that matter, but see above for Mother Freeman’s lack of faith in modern science. No, Abigail Freeman was doomed by Fate to never walk and be the object of ridicule or worse, pity, for the remainder of her days.
At least her mind was sharp. She aced every class she ever attended. She never received a grade below an “A” on any test she had ever taken since grade school. Her Grandad joked that Solomon himself would come to Abbey for help on a test. It was as if nature was trying to make up for her physical limitations. Science and school came easy for her. Study time was not a priority, most things came easy to her. Of course this “gift” came with a price, her academic achievements only added fuel to the fire of her peers. Oh well, if your going to be the object of ridicule, you may as well be the best at it. Why not present the total package, Abbey often told herself.
Today couldn’t end soon enough! This was the last day of school and the official beginning of her best summer ever!
BZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The buzzer announcing the end of class sounded and a roar exploded from the class. The students raced from the room like a herd of elephants cheering and leaving a trail of papers behind them. Abigail waited until everyone had left, not wanting her hoverchair to cause a traffic jam at the doorway.
“You were daydreaming again. Lady Abigail battling the Black Knight this time?”
It was the last of the students and Abbey’s best friend, Thomas Spencer. He stood beside her chair with a know it all look on his face. Spence, as everyone called him, was not a science geek like the ones Abbey spent her lunch period with, but he wasn’t exactly a jock or one of the popular crowd. He walked the fine line between both worlds and for some mysterious reason liked to spend time with Abbey. A lot of time. At least it was a mystery to her.
“Yeah, I’m sorry if Lady Abigail’s life is a little more exciting than Abbey Freeman’s. At least for now. And the Black Knight was yesterday. Today it was Bouldah!”
“Yeah, but Danger and Daggers can’t take over your whole life. Not that the dashing Rogue Spencer doesn’t like playing sidekick to Lady Abigail every Tuesday and Thursday nights over the ethernet, but plain old Abbey isn’t so bad to hang out with either, you know?”
Spence was a sweetheart and Abbey would be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling a certain pang in the pit of her stomach when he spoke about her like that, but deep down she knew that when they grew up Spence would be chasing the more...... lets just say, agile girls of the world.
“You’re right, Spence, but I just get into her character a lot. She’s really what I wish I could be.”
Spence was about to say something, maybe something sweet again when Mr. Snow interrupted them.
Abbey, Thomas, Don’t forget the bus meets in the school parking lot at 6:00am sharp, Monday morning. Don’t be late. I’m looking forward to the work we can all accomplish this summer.”
Abbey’s face lit up with a smile from ear to ear. This trip was a monumental event for her. Abbey and Spence were chosen to spend the summer as volunteer/interns with the Save the Savannah Foundation for the entire summer. The STS group traveled the globe in an attempt to save or restore what was left of the Earth’s natural resources and nature’s wonders. This summer the two friends would be flying from Africa to Australia working on restoration projects with other students chosen from Neo Fawcett to Gotham City and everywhere in between.
“We got it, Mr. Snow. No way we’d be late. I can’t wait!” Abbey was like a kid on Christmas Eve. Monday couldn’t come soon enough.
The two headed into the hallway. “Spence, do you think we’ll have some real adventures this summer? Like mysterious treasures or fighting monsters and weird artifacts? Running from one scrape to another....”
Abbey was so excited she forgot for a moment who she really was. The look on Spence’s face brought her right back to reality. He was looking directly at her hoverchair, before averting his gaze too late.
“Oh right.” Abbey tried to recover quickly, but the look on Spence’s face had said it all. “It will still be a great trip. We’ll see things we’ve never seen before. See you Monday morning, bright and early.”
Even though she tried hard to hide it, Abbey’s face lost a little of its light as she glided the chair down the hall and away from Spence.
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