My alarm starts to blast off its annoying wake up call. It rings loudly in my little room in the headquarters building. It has been a while since I've woken up to an alarm. Especially an alarm that sounds off this early in the morning.

I slam my face against my mattress and pull my pillow on top of my head. I can't believe that kids all across the world have to get up at the crack of dawn just for eight hours of lectures.Even more so,  I can't believe that I actually agreed to this.

I slam my hand on the nightstand and reach around the table until I finally feel my phone. I roll my head out from under the pillow and press the button to silence it. I throw my phone back on the table and bury my face under the pillow again. Maybe I can catch up on a few extra minutes of sleep.

Suddenly, my metal door swings open and blinding light from the hallway comes sweeping into the room. I moan and pull my blankets up and over my head.

"Rainy." Dad's voice practically echoes in my ears. "Come on, Cloud. It's your first big day!"

"You're too freaking happy and it's too freaking early. Go away. Please."

I hear Dad chuckle. Suddenly, the overhead lights in my room flip on and I feel like Gizmo from that old movie called Gremlins. The bright light is trying to kill me.

"I'm warning you. Get out before I attack. You don't wanna see that." I growl and tuck the edges of my pillow under my face. I don't want any light in my eyes. That, and I will start throwing things in sleep deprived anger. Dad won't like that.

I can hear Dad take a few steps backwards. "Okay, okay! I'm going! Just make sure that you're dressed and ready before seven, okay? I want to make sure you eat before you leave." With that, Dad leaves and closes the door behind him.

I groan and nestle back down under my blankets, making an attempt to fall back asleep if I can. However, being late on my first day of high school doesn't sound ideal. While high school in general doesn't sound ideal, this could be the start of something great. Even if it's not what I hoped it would be, I still have to be happy for Dad. This is all for him.

I slowly peel back my covers and squint as the light blasts my poor eyeballs. I sit up and place my feet on the cold floor. Goosebumps cover my arms. I shiver, rise to my feet, stretch, and wander over to my closet. I pull out a pair of skinny jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. I toss my blonde hair up into a ponytail and grab my Adidas sneakers before I unplug my phone from the charger, grab my backpack, and walk out of my room.

I follow the long twisting hallways all the way to the little kitchen area where I find Dad fully dressed with a skillet in his hand. He was transferring fresh pancakes to a plate on the counter. Beside the plate was a cup of orange juice and a little bowl of sliced strawberries.

I raise my eyebrows in suspicion. He's taking this whole thing little more serious than I expected.

"What's with the breakfast buffet?" I stand in the doorway.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Rainy!" He responds overly happy.

"And the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Tell me something I don't know." I wander over to the counter and stare down at the heaping pile of food in front of me. Three full sized pancakes complete with bacon and scrambled eggs. 

I would hate to break it to him, but I'm not really that hungry.

Dad shook his head and waved his spatula at me. "Just eat. I spent most of the morning cooking this for you. I even made the pancake batter from scratch, just like your grandmother made it for me on my first day of school."

Great. Now I have to eat everything because he's guilt tripping me.

I sit down on the stool at grab my fork, trying to work up an appetite. Unfortunately, my stomach is too busy churning from my nerves. There is a lot on my mind.

Tony had taken care of the court issue that had arisen after I was jumped on the street. Despite everything that happened, I still have my doubts and fears. Walking home from any point in the city seems terrifying to me now. On top of that, I am consistently thinking about mom. While everyone misses her horribly, they still won't dig into that old wound. I wish they would.

Finally, I think about my life if attempt to live 'normally'. 

The whole thought about being normal just seems strange. Dad wants me to graduate from high school and probably pursue some kind of degree in some random college. Even if I did go to college, I would have absolutely no idea what I would want to study. When it comes to the present, I want to study how to become the best Avenger that I can possibly be.

That is my 'normal'. I was raised here. This is all that I know. I'm not meant to conform to a normal school classroom. I was meant for protecting this world.

"Eat, Rainy." Dad's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. "We need to leave soon. You don't want to be late for your first day of school. Especially, high school."

I force myself to take a bite of my pancake. "You sound like you know from experience."

"Because I do." He replies and sips his coffee. "Trust me. It wasn't fun. But, I was fortunate. Bucky pulled me out of some tough situations. He saved me from getting beaten up in the hallways more times than I can count."

I take a sip of my orange juice. "Wish I could take Uncle Bucky with me to school."

Dad grins and chuckles under his breath. "Nah. You'll be just fine, Cloud."

"I don't know." I mumble. "I hope so."

"I have faith in you." He replies.

The sound of footsteps fill the air. Tony stands in the doorway of the kitchen. He's fumbling with his car keys in his hand.

"Are we taking this kid to school, or what?" He asks. "If you take any longer, we'll have to fly you in on one of the jets. Trust me, that will draw attention."

I take one last sip of my orange juice before standing from my stool. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and stuff my phone in my pocket.

"Thanks, Tony. But, would it be okay if Dad took me to school this morning? You know, a bit of a father-daughter bonding moment? It's not that I don't want you to come with us, but-"

Tony smirks and hands me the keys. "Go for it, kid. You'll regret it later though, not having my professional high school pep talk in the car beforehand." His sarcasm gains an eye-roll from Dad.

"I'll be okay. Thanks, Uncle Tony." I pull him in for a hug. His arms squeeze me lightly before he lets me go. "I'll tell you all about it when I get home."

-

The car rolls to a stop at the curb outside of the main entrance of the Midtown School of Science and Technology. Dad puts the car in park and looks over to me. I sigh and look down at my backpack that sits on the floor of the car. 

"You're nervous." He says.

"More like scared shitless." I respond. "Sorry."

"I know, Rainy." Instead of scolding me for my language, Dad smirks. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"I have everything to worry about." I fall back into my seat and close my eyes. "It's only a matter of time before everyone figures out that I'm Maggie Rogers. The daughter of Captain America who killed a man. I can't imagine the things that people will say."

"Rainy-"

"No, Dad. People don't take the time to stop and read the papers anymore like they used to. They see the headlines and just jump to conclusions without looking at the evidence. It's ridiculous. To them, I'm just someone who got away with it."

"No, Rainy. You're ridiculous." Dad states. "You say that they'll judge you before they know you. Doesn't that mean that you're making assumptions as well? It's your first day, kiddo. They are always hard. You're going to meet some good people today and probably some horrible ones as well, but it's all in how you handle it. Are you gonna let them tear you down, or will you grow and conquer? Now, the young woman that I raised would never let anything stop her. So, don't start letting go today. Stay optimistic and give it a try! You never know what could happen if you never take that leap."

"Thanks, Dad." A smile cracks in the corner of my mouth.

"It's what I'm here for." He smiles.

I reach across the center console and pull him in for a hug. I squeeze him tightly, scared of letting go and facing the rest of the day, but I can't let my fears control me.

I let go and reach down to grab my backpack before opening up the car door and taking a step out onto the curb. I sling my bag over my shoulder.

"I guess I'll see you later." I say.

"I'll be here to pick you up. You've got this, Rainy." He smiles.

"Thanks, Dad. Love you." I respond.

"Love you too, Cloud." He replies before I shut the car door and turn to face the school.

Kids are streaming into the building from the school busses and from their cars. They're talking and laughing, walking in herds and meeting up with friends they've known for years. Meanwhile, I'm quite literally on my own. I don't know anyone here. Maybe, for now, that's a good thing.

It's time to start from scratch.

It's time to make Mom and Dad proud.

-

I sit in the uncomfortable chair in the main office. The receptionist lady continues to type away at her computer, taking phone calls and answering student questions when a student walks into the room. It's a busy atmosphere, and not the kind of busy that I'm used to.

"Your student guide for the day should be here shortly." She looks up for a moment.

"Oh. Okay." I reply, unsure of what to say.

The receptionist's gaze lingers on me for a moment. Her eyes narrow and she stops typing. I tense up a little and look away, trying to act as if I don't feel her glare digging into my skin. I could automatically tell that she knew who I was. No doubt that she had seen my face in the papers or on a magazine cover. To avoid her, I pull my phone out of my pocket and begin scrolling through social media to drown everything out.

The office door opens again. I don't look up, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone general.

"Oh, good. Mr. Parker, you're finally here. We're going to have you show our new student around today, since you two have similar schedules." The receptionist says.

"Oh. Sure thing."

"Mr. Parker, this is Margaret Rogers, our new student."

Upon hearing my name, I immediately turn my phone off and look up. My glance first lands on the receptionist. She's looking towards the boy standing in front of me. My eyes travel over to his.

The minute our eyes meet, he tenses and clenches his fists up. His eyes widen. I knew that uncomfortable look. He knew exactly who I was. And now, I have to be around him for the entire day. He'll probably ditch me the second he can.

"Margaret, this is Peter Parker, your student guide for the day."

"Um, hi." I nervously stand up and sling my bag over my shoulder. "Just call me Maggie." Trying to be polite, I stick my hand out for a handshake, not quite sure what to do in the situation.

His eyes never dart away from mine. I can see fear or some kind of discomfort. His body language is almost just as expressive as his eyes. As the awkward moment between us continues, I drop my hand and wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans.

"You two better get going. Don't be late for homeroom." The receptionist nags.

"Um, yeah. We should probably go." I say quietly.

He finally breaks eyes contact by looking down at the floor and then grabbing the door and walking out. I quickly take off after him, trying to keep up.

-

A/N: Hey y'all. So it's been a hot minute. College isn't a joke. It's really important to me. With winter break finally here, I have free time! And, I'm falling back into the habit of writing every day again. So... here's a new chapter for y'all!   -Cam