Head in the Clouds

Prologue

The early morning sun shone brightly in the summer sky, alongside the symphony of chirps from birds hiding in spruce-lined suburban streets outside the verandha.

“I have the worst life ever.”

Steve rolled his eyes at the angstful teenager sitting across from him. He slid a plate to her as he took his place next to her on the porch swing. “You need to eat more mindfully Gail. Especially in the mornings.”

Gail shoved a spoon of scrambled eggs into her mouth and mumbles, "If I eat mindfully, then I might taste the burnt eggs."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing." Gail beamed. "They're delicious, thanks Steve!"

Steve smiled as he shifted more comfortably in a false sense of pride in what he believed himself to be -- a culinary expert in American Breakfasts.

"Tell me," Gaile waved her fork at Steve, "what can I do? I need to get ahead of my classmates and also have a decent enough portfolio for my college applications!"

Steve continued chewing.

"I'm freaking out! I can't fall behind on day one!"

Birds chipped, cars from the nearby neihbours started their cars on their driveways - off to contribute to the money-making capitalist grind.

"How about you join a club?"

Gail thought it over as her eyes wandered over across a street to a women greeting goodbye to her man, dressed crisp in a neatly ironed suit - one hand on her waist, and the other holding a briefcase. He hastily kissed her and slipped off to the car.

"I want to write a paper, Steve. I want to move into honours. "

"So there you have it! Journalism!" exclaimed Steve. "use your time and their resources - and before you know it, you'll have hit two birds with one-"

He halted himself and pursed his lips together, narrowing his eyes as his niece dared him to complete that sentence.

Steve cleared his throat. "My point being: multitask your way through your extra-curriculars. Time flies before you even know it."

Gail thought about it for a second.

Then it hit her. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

"I don't like that club," said Gail, hastily taking another bite.

Steve looked up. A second passed.

"Oh, is your freind-"

"No!" exclaimed Gail, wide-eyed. "Nope, its not personal. It's just toxic."

Steve ate silently.

"Hella toxic," muttered Gail, as a shaky attempt to fix her sudden crash-out. "They're really toxic, you know, in my school. It's not like how it used to be -- back in your days."

Steve frowned, "Hey, I'm not that old."

"You went to high school with dad, right?"

"Yeah, but what's your point-"

"I consider my dad as the oldest man I know," chuckled Gail. "Well, oldest man that I knew."

Soft clinks of utensils against the plate filled up a deadly silence crawling over the sleeve of their hearts.

Steve's eyes dropped down to his food. "I don't mean to be cliché."

Gail smiled inquistively, tilting her head the slightest.

"But, your parents really would be proud of their Supergirl."

The walk to school was the most pleasant moment of Gail's day - where the houses and routines don't change, despite the changing of the seasons and life. The people know each other, know the routine of the city.

She blends in with a fresh batch of students jumping off the bus as everyone strides towards the main entrance.

As Gail moves closer to her class, she consciously looks straight ahead - after catching a glimpse of something familair to her right.

He was leaning against the lockers, dressed all in black, while people gathered around lockers near to him. She felt his gaze burn through her head.

Gail dared to glimpse.

He was looking right at her, through the dash of students, and the frenzy of the morning.

It's like he had not a lot to do -- he'd rather kill the time, looking at her.

But Gail felt her stomach crawl, and picked up her pace to AP Biology.

"Morning class! Welcome to Advanced Biology!" exclaimed, a middle-aged teacher with auburn hair and a smile that was passionate to teach.

However that energy was noticed by only the first benchers as the class tried to settle in the lab.

Suddenly, a sharp sting to the back. "Hey."

Gail turned back with a scowl.

Lira smiled brightly, holding up the propriter of a now, stabbing throb in Gail's back. "Have you thought about what you're planning to do?"

Gail grabs her pointed, sharpened pencil.

"My uncle encourages joining clubs, before its too ate. But I think that's a drab. Maybe social volunteering or picking up a research for biology," said Gail.

Lira tilted her head, the slightest bit. "Huh."

"What?"

"Research takes time."

"Right."

"Like lots of time."

Gail sighed. "Got it, Lira. But it will be worth it in the end."

"But it will be one publication, for four years." Lira frowned. "That's quite an empty portfolio then, don't you think?"

Lira and Gail planned to encourage each other to fill up their college apps together. However, it seemed, Lira had a point.

"I really hate the clubs here, Lira," Gail whined, squirming into her chair. "They're so toxic with the heirarchy of seniority, and what not!"

"Well...", Lira hesitated. "There is that one club....which is nice, I suppose-"

"The chess club? No fucking thank you." Gail frowned. She sunk further into her seat.

"I'm thinking journalism," said Gail, her heart skipping a beat.

Lira raised an eyebrow. "Great choice with the most toxic group of people on Planet Earth. You know you can make it through an year, only with connections or being on top of the social ladder."

"I like the competition," beamed Gail. "It really increases my will to live, when I have someone to tear down."

"If that's what will feed your starved, cold soul," smiled Lira, supportive of her classmate.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Hey, wait a sec! Isn't your freind Axel there?"

The teacher clapped her hands, seeking everyone's attention. Gail turned ahead, to face the whiteboard as her face paled.

His stare, just barely a few minutes ago, played through her head again.

Lira patted her shoulder, "Smart start, Gail! It's gonan give you quite the credits!"

Gail only thought of it, considering that their school's Journalism president was the kid of the national news channel's top anchor. Twice - a high school student's paper got published.

However, everything is about crime, Supers, new entertainment upgrades, and more crime.

Not one paper about the environment. She thought she could hit an easy jackpot with publications on the environment, gamma radiations from electronics and its consequent effects on bird migrations -- so she could easily maker her hobby into a job.

Her hobby being, everything and anything with birds and animals.

She grew up learning the art of Bird-watching. Alongside Axel-watching.

But only one of those two hobbies reciprocates her passion and has a clear communication back to her.

Here's another hint -- only one of them can fly.