Meanwhile, my training progressed during my time in the Marvel Universe. My life in the Stranger Things universe existed almost in parallel. After a week of staying at home revising non-suspicious things like science and yoga, as well as searching for the location of the junkyard on my bike, when I claimed to my mother that I wouldn't go far or that I would be at a friend's house, it was time for my first day of middle school.
Dad and Mum had already gone to the school, registered me, and taken care of all the paperwork. I just needed to arrive and go to reception to get my timetable.
Lucas and I left the house together. Since I was now going to the same school as Lucas, they said that I could bike to school instead of arriving with my parents on my first day.
I climbed onto my bike, adjusting my backpack, while Lucas was already halfway down the driveway.
"Hurry up," he called over his shoulder. "I told the guys I'd meet them on the way so we could ride together."
"It's my first day," I shot back, pushing off anyway. "Try not to abandon me in the first five minutes."
He rolled his eyes but slowed just enough for me to catch up. "You'll be fine. Just bike fast."
And with that, he pedalled ahead, forcing me to match his pace. Just for that, I pedalled harder.
"Hey!" Lucas protested as I shot past him, the wind rushing in my ears.
"Bike faster," I called over my shoulder, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face.
Behind me, I could hear him swearing under his breath as he tried to catch up, his voice growing more distant instead of closer. I didn't slow down. I was just helping set the pace. If he wanted to meet his friends on time, he needed to go faster.
Eventually, as we headed down the path towards school, I saw three boys biking slowly in the distance. I stopped my bike for a bit, turning back and waiting for Lucas to catch up. When he did, he shouted for his friends to stop. "HEY!"
The boys turned around and waited by the side of the road for him.
Lucas stopped his bike to chat for a bit, knowing that we were going to be super early today. Last night, he had already radioed the boys, saying that he would need to get to school early today, so of course those loyal boys got up early too so they could go together.
"Hey, Lucas," Mike greeted, then hesitated. "…and Erica?"
"Hi, Erica," Dustin and Will said at the same time, both always the kindest of the group.
"Dude," Dustin said, eyes lighting up with curiosity, "is this why you had to leave early today? Did your parents make you take your sister to elementary school first?"
"More or less," Lucas replied. "She's going to school with us."
Mike frowned. "But isn't she, like… younger?"
"But aren't I smarter?" I shot back without missing a beat.
Will let out a quiet chuckle, which he quickly stifled when Mike shot him a look.
"Erica, be nice," Lucas said, lightly nudging my shoulder.
I punched his shoulder.
He yelped and started rubbing it, but ignored it, turning back to his friends instead.
"Anyway," he continued, "Erica was bored at school, and after a little incident with a teacher, which somehow turned into her doing a placement test to prove her innocence,"
"She was asking for it," I muttered.
"That's not the point," Lucas said. "So imagine our surprise when the results came back with perfect marks, saying my little sister is basically a genius. Like, she could start high school tomorrow. Or graduate, if she wanted."
"It wasn't that much of a surprise," I said. "I've told you all multiple times that I'm a genius. You just never took me seriously."
"Maybe because you never did anything big to prove it," Lucas replied. "We thought you were just being narcissistic."
"You just didn't trust me."
"Sorry," Lucas said dryly. "Next time I'll believe everything you say without evidence."
"So where was I," he went on. "Oh yeah. Our parents were worried about her starting high school as a kid. You know, bullies, no friends."
The boys collectively winced.
"Since Erica didn't want to stay in elementary school anymore," Lucas finished, "they decided she'd just skip two years and start middle school with me."
"It was full of noisy brats. My sense of smell couldn't survive another year," I complained.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Dustin's mouth slowly fell open. Mike just stared at me like Lucas had announced I could fly, clearly never bothering to know anything about his friend's little sister before. Will blinked a few times, clearly processing everything.
"Wait," Will said finally, "you skipped two years? Congratulations!"
"What, like, is that even allowed?" Mike asked.
"Aren't we focusing on the wrong thing here?" Dustin blurted out. "She didn't just skip two years. She could've already graduated! I mean, yeah, we all get good grades and read ahead, I'm, like, two years ahead in science, but for this she'd have to be way ahead in everything. Like, all subjects. Possibly even above high school level stuff due to perfect scores! And she learned everything by self-studying!"
He stopped to take a breath, eyes wide.
This made Mike stare at me harder, as if he were studying me.
I channelled my inner Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, even though no one here would get the reference. The film hadn't been released yet, and its future protagonist was still just a kid like us.
"What? Like it's hard?" I said, tilting my head. I was totally slaying with this iconic quote.
Dustin blinked. Once. Twice.
"Okay," he said slowly, "I don't know what just happened, but I feel deeply insulted on behalf of the entire education system."
Will smiled, shaking his head, while Mike looked between Lucas and me like he was reassessing every assumption he had ever made.
Lucas groaned. "Great. This is my life now."
"Please," I said. "You love me."
"I hate you."
"You love me?" I raised an eyebrow, daring him to say it again.
"…I love you," he admitted quietly.
Immediately embarrassed, he turned away, climbed onto his bike, and started riding towards school.
"Come on," Lucas called over his shoulder. "We're going to be late. You need to get there early."
The boys were quick to follow, none of the little nerds liking the idea of being late.
I chuckled at my brother but pedalled after them anyway.
After all, it was my first day of school.