High School Heroes Chapters 22-24
The continuing adventures of Christine and Co.
Here is the next exciting installment of High School Heroes!
In this section, Christine meets a real-life superhero, and learns that they can exist in many different forms.
Enjoy!
Chapter 22
Holiday
My grandfather scooped me up in one of his great big bear hugs. “Merry Christmas!”
I laughed at the big red Santa hat sitting lopsided on his head. He looked just like a kid who had grown up too fast.
“We’ll talk later,” he whispered as he set me back on the floor.
I greeted my grandmother with a kiss on the cheek. She wore a reindeer apron with a blinking red light as Rudolph’s nose. She held me at arm’s length. “You look different.”
“You saw her a month ago, Ma,” my mother said before I could answer.
“I know, but something about my little girl has changed.”
She knows. How can she?
I pushed into my grandmother’s mind. I needed to know whether it was something that could expose me. If she could, I would have to find a way to keep her quiet, or wipe the memory from her head.
I didn’t delve very deep before I was interrupted.
“She has a boyfriend now, Ma,” my mother said.
My grandmother looked me over and smiled one of the widest smiles I think I’ve ever seen. “That’s it! Our little girl is all grown up.” She pulled me in for another hug.
Yeah, I thought as I pulled away from her embrace, all grown up. I couldn’t even fathom how true that really was. It just wasn’t the way my grandmother thought. I’d gotten a new perspective on life. Being able to delve into the minds of others can do that to a person. In a month, I’d realized what it takes most people a lifetime to know. So, I guess she was right—I was grown up.
“So, tell me about this boy,” my grandmother prodded. “What’s he look like? How old is he? Everything.”
I told grandmother everything about Ethan, at least everything a normal girl could say about a normal boyfriend. She listened as if I were reading some holy scripture.
Why the big deal? It was like they were reliving their own “first boyfriend” experiences through me. I vowed never to react that way when my daughter brought a boy home. As a matter of fact, when my daughter does bring a boy home, the first thing I’m doing is delving into his thoughts to make sure his intentions are pure.
After the fuss with the women, I went to the living room where my father and grandfather were watching TV. It was much quieter and less exciting here. My kind of place.
“How’s work been treating you?” my grandfather asked.
“Same old crap, Dad,” my father responded with a deep sigh. “I never seem to catch up.”
I just noticed how tired and run-down Dad looked. I reached out to feel his thoughts, to see what was bothering him, but my grandfather gave a slight shake of his head. I pulled back into my own head. Why had he stopped me?
“Sounds like you need a vacation,” he said.
“That’s the last thing I need,” my father said. “I’d be fired for just suggesting time off.”
“Well.” My grandfather pulled himself up from his recliner. “You have today off. Enjoy it.” He slapped me on the leg. “Let’s leave your dad alone for a bit, Christine.”
I eagerly followed him upstairs. At first I thought he was taking me back to the attic. I should have realized it was much too cold to sit up there. Instead, he sat us both down in one of the spare bedrooms. From the glum look on his face, I knew he wasn’t about to say anything I wanted to hear.
“Christine,” he said, “your grandmother’s right. There is something different about you.”
His direct gaze made me nervous. It was like he was trying to see into my brain. In a second, he would know everything about me. I shuddered and looked away.
“I’m not going to probe your mind, hun. But, do you see how you reacted when you thought I was?”
I looked at him, confused.
“How do you think your father, or your grandmother, would feel about you sorting through their thoughts?”
I couldn’t face my grandfather for a moment. My body filled with shame.
“They wouldn’t, would they?” This time, he waited for me to respond. “Would they?”
“No,” I muttered.
“I know you have better control over this power now. I felt it when you walked in the door. You need to learn how to use it wisely.”
“But…”
He held up a hand to silence me. “Let me talk for a bit.” He looked around the room and hissed out a long breath, like he was thinking of what to say. “I know what you’re going through. I experienced the same things. The difference between you and me was that I had training so I was able to develop my skills much faster. You need to stop letting that power go to your head. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. I ran into that problem too, a long time ago. Do you understand?”
His words echoed what Quinn had said to me a week before.
“Yes,” I sort of lied. What was he getting at?
“How much of my journal have you read?”
The question caught me off guard. I should have known he would ask about it. There was no use lying. “I’ve read as far as when you discovered you could read minds.”
He groaned. “There is so much more in there.” Then he grabbed my arm, not to hurt me, but tenderly, to console me. “There is so much you can learn from it. So you don’t make the same mistakes I made.”
“What mistakes?”
“The ones I’ve been talking about. I can’t explain it. You’d have to read to truly understand.”
“I brought it with me.” I felt stupid for not saying so before. I brought it just in case he wanted to show me something in it.
I have never seen one of my own expressions reflected on my grandfather’s face, until he rolled his eyes and smirked. “Go get it.” He slapped me on the shoulder.
I raced downstairs and rummaged in my bag.
“What are you two doing up there?” my mother asked as I started back upstairs.
“Grandpa’s showing me something.” I didn’t look at her.
“Have fun.”
I ran back into the bedroom. He extended his hand and I placed the book in it. Grandpa pulled a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket and put them on.
Motioning for me to sit, he opened the journal and thumbed through the pages. “You said the day I discovered my powers. That would be February 22nd, if I’m not mistaken.”
How could he remember? It was over sixty years ago. I can’t remember what happened last week.
“I bet you can remember the day your powers manifested,” he said in response to my thoughts.
“Sure. First day of school in science class.”
“Trust me. Important events like that, you remember the rest of your life.”
He was right. I didn’t think I would ever forget that day.
“All right. So, we’ll start on the next entry, February 28th.”
He cleared his throat and then began reading.
February 28th, 1944
General Wilhelm assigned an instructor to me today, a Captain Morris. I’m among the last to be trained in the use of my powers. Everett was given Sergeant Larkin. I’m not sure how they’re going to instruct him, there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do with a man who runs very fast.
I was very pleased with my first session with the Captain. After days of what seemed like unending torment, the first thing he showed me was how to block other people’s thoughts from my head.
You can’t imagine what a relief it is to not hear voices day and night. My control is far from perfect, but at least it’s quieter in my head. With this new control, and with more practice, we should all be able to do what we are meant to do: defend the civil liberties of our country as well as those abroad; to perform our patriotic duty and rid this world from tyranny and oppression. I feel we will succeed.
March 2nd, 1944
Morris showed me something amazing today! Apparently I am also able to project my thoughts into the minds of others. It’s truly amazing how far I have come in a few short days.
I have learned so much from Morris. But more importantly, my headaches are gone. I can block out any thought now, and read anyone’s thoughts. I can also make people do what I want. I can’t believe it!
As excited as I am, I worry about one thing: how can I make sure I don’t abuse my power? It seems like too much of a temptation. I hope I can control myself.
March 3rd, 1944
I walked the grounds today and went to see the lighthouse. It was beautiful, standing resolute as it has for almost 150 years. To see a living piece of history like that makes me wonder how I will be remembered 150 years from now. As a great pioneer among the first soldiers to receive these gifts, or will I merely be one of the thousands of soldiers who fought in a great war?
March 9th, 1944
I can lift things with my mind! Morris called it telekenisthisis or something like that, but I find it amazing. There seems to be no end to my powers.
That is one more thing I need to learn to control. One more thing I must not abuse. Must worry about.
On another note, General Wilhelm informed us today that we ship out in 8 weeks. That’s the day I dream of, the day I get to kill Nazis and rid the world of their evil. I can’t wait to see Europe and to free her from Hitler’s clutches. I just hope I get to see Sandra once more before we go. In case I don’t come back.
March 11th, 1944
I need to retrain my mind. At least, that’s what Morris tells me. He says I should be able to lift a car a hundred yards over my head, or drag a tank across a battlefield. I can’t believe it. They are too big.
I mean, if I can lift a tank, I should be able to lift myself, and fly. But when I try, all I do is trip myself. I have a headache again, but from all the times I hit it today.
After about fifty tries, I told Morris, “Enough!” A strange look fell across his face, as if he’d been hypnotized by one of those men at the carnival. Then he walked away and left me alone. I knew I could do that, but it was the first time I actually had. It felt great. I felt powerful.
It wasn’t frightening at all. I hadn’t abused my power. All I’d done was gotten him to leave me alone. That’s not such a big deal. Is it?
March 14th, 1944
I’ve been practicing by myself for 3 days now. Morris hasn’t bothered me. I’m fine with it. He was only holding me back.
March 15th, 1944
Making great progress. Lifted a stone that must have weighed 200 pounds. I also made Charlie shoot a couple of fireballs into Gary’s behind as he walked to the shower. The two of them fought like nothing I’ve ever seen. Neither realized it had been me. It was hysterical.
March 17th, 1944
General Wilhelm made it clear I was no longer allowed to train alone. He also made it clear I wasn’t allowed to use my powers unless authorized. I seriously thought about telling him to leave, but I figured he would eventually catch on. He seems smarter than the rest of the idiots around here. If only he knew what they thought about him.
He brought Morris back to train me. I don’t need him, though. I am beyond him. He doesn’t even have powers. How do they expect him to train me?
I guess I’ll just have to put up with him. For now.
“So, can you?” I asked when my grandfather stopped reading that entry.
He peered over the top of the journal. “Can I, what?”
What else would I have been asking him about? “Fly!”
He put the book down and sighed. Then he checked the door to make sure the coast was clear. Then he straightened his back so he was at his full height. He looked down at me with a smile. That’s when I realized he was hovering a good three inches off the chair…and acting as if nothing was abnormal.
He eased back down. “That wasn’t exactly what I meant for you to notice.”
“How did you figure it out?” If he could do it, so could I. Then I could really impress Ethan.
“It isn’t so much about pushing as pulling yourself. If you push yourself, you will lose your balance and fall. But if you pull yourself, you can move in any direction at any time. But—”
“That’s so cool. Let me try.”
“Christine,” he said, forcefully this time. “You can try later. For now, think about the other stuff in the journal.”
My “Oh, right,” brought a slightly contented smile to my grandfather’s face. “You’ll never guess who I’m going out with. Ethan Everett.”
My grandfather looked as if he was about to reprimand me again. But he stopped before uttering a syllable. After the shock wore off, which took almost a minute, he muttered, “You told me.”
“Oh, right.” I’d completely forgotten.
“Does his grandfather know?”
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask Ethan.”
He nodded. I could tell he was already planning on phoning his old friend. I wondered if my grandfather would tell him about me, or if he would just ask about Ethan.
His eyes glazed over a bit and I could tell that he was remembering days long gone, probably thinking about the first time he met Ethan’s grandfather, and when they got their powers, and then fighting in World War II and everything after.
It was at that point that my grandfather looked like he was going to say something. Again, he didn’t get the chance.
“Come on you two,” called my grandmother from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready.”
He scowled at the doorway as if annoyed he’d been interrupted. Then he smiled. “We’ll finish this after dinner.”
Chapter 23
What it Takes to be a Superhero
We never got the chance to finish our conversation. After dinner my aunt and uncle showed up unexpectedly and, as my father thought, uninvited. I ran a mental stopwatch—it took Uncle Murray only ten minutes to severely piss off my dad.
“When will you face facts? You’re falling apart and taking your family with you.”
“Take it back, Murray!”
“Boys, stop fighting,” my grandmother said.
“I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. I don’t know why you won’t accept my offer.”
I thought they would actually fight. I’m glad they didn’t. Nothing against my dad, but he would have gone down in a second.
By the time we left, it was late. As we went out the door, my grandfather handed me the journal and made me promise to finish it. I told him I would, but I wasn’t sure when. I had plans for the break that involved hanging out with my friends, not reading a book.
Speaking of which, I thought as I pulled my cell out of my pocket. Ethan and I were supposed to hang out tomorrow if he got back from his aunt’s house tonight. I sent him a quick text. R we still on 4 2morrow?
While I waited for him to respond, I watched the landscape whiz by. Dad didn’t drive nearly as fast as Ethan ran. I could actually make out objects, even in the darkness. I saw houses lit up with Christmas lights. I saw storefronts, closed of course, but ready for the lines of returns in the morning. The longer I looked, the more I realized I didn’t enjoy it half as much as the muted grayness of running with Ethan.
I’ve got to quit my job. The thought grabbed my attention. It was my dad. I looked over at him, he appeared the same as usual. If I hadn’t heard his thoughts, I would have assumed absolutely nothing was wrong.
Looking at my mother, I knew the only thing she thought bothered my dad was the spat with Uncle Murray.
Murray’s right. I need to do better for my family, Dad thought. I work too much and make nothing, and I’m never going to move up in the company. With the new baby on the way…
I never knew my father felt that way. He never said anything in front of me. I’d never bothered reading his mind. I wished more than anything I could help him, but there was nothing I could do.
I felt like crap. I had all this power and was powerless to do anything useful. I wished I could call his boss or go to his office and make him give my dad a raise.
My phone vibrated, and I looked at the screen. Yeah. See u @ 12?
I responded immediately, my fingers hitting two letters on the keypad. OK
The rest of the ride home, I listened to my dad’s thoughts as he came up with plan after plan, and dismissed them almost as fast as he thought of them.
What can I do to help? I wondered. I couldn’t think of anything.
****
Just as my mother’s grandfather clock began chiming twelve, there was a knock at the front door. I ran to answer it. I hadn’t seen Ethan in three days. It felt like an eternity.
I threw myself into his arms before the door swung fully open. He was taken aback by my enthusiasm, but I wasn’t much for caring.
“Ummm, hey Chris,” he stammered. “Nice to see you too.”
“What’s the matter?” I led him into the house. He seemed a little strange.
“Nothing,” he said, and I knew he was telling the truth. “I’ve never seen you show so much… happiness. It’s kinda frightening.”
“Oh.”
He stood awkwardly with his hands behind his back. A quick scan of his head told me he was hiding something.
My Christmas gift.
I had to try really hard not to kick myself.
How could I be so stupid? I should’ve gotten him a gift.
“Now, what’s the matter?” He was somewhere between concern for me and trying to stop himself from laughing. I must have been a sight.
There was really no point lying. It wasn’t like I could run down to the store and buy something before he realized I was gone. That was only something he could do.
“I didn’t get you anything.”
“Oh. That’s all right.” He revealed the small wrapped box in his hand. “This isn’t anything special anyway.” He said it, but I felt his disappointment.
He held out his hand. The box was no bigger than the palm of his hand. It was wrapped in bright red paper with a green bow the size of the box itself.
“I’ll make it up to you,” I said before reaching out. I would get him something nice, no matter what the little box contained.
“You don’t need to do that, Chris.”
I wasn’t listening. I was too busy tearing at the paper.
Inside was a small jewelry box. I flipped open the lid. Then I looked up at Ethan. Tears were forming in my eyes.
“It’s beautiful.” I sounded stupid, but I couldn’t help it.
He’d gotten me a small gold heart pendant. Around the edge of the heart were tiny, alternating rubies and diamonds. The only pieces of jewelry I’d ever owned were the diamond stud earrings I’d worn ever since my ears were pierced when I was nine, and the black cross I wore around my neck.
“It’s not real,” he commented. “At least, not the diamonds or rubies.”
I knew that. He could never afford to buy real diamond jewelry. And I would have hit him—hard—if he had. It didn’t matter anyway. The fact that he got me jewelry was beyond what words could express.
He took the pendant out of the box and had me turn around. I lifted my hair and he fastened the chain around my neck.
“You really are a girl after all,” he commented.
I was bewildered. The comment didn’t make sense. Did he think I acted like a boy all the time?
He laughed when he saw my expression. “Only a girl would get that excited about a piece of jewelry.”
I punched him. How could he make fun of me like that?
“Do you really like it?” he asked.
I fingered the tiny heart. I nodded, then launched myself at him and gave him the biggest kiss ever.
I pulled away at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. It was my mom, who’d come downstairs. I didn’t know how long she’d been watching, but it was long enough to cause her some concern.
“Mom, look what Ethan bought me!” I bounded across the living room.
“Wow, Ethan,” she said, barely looking at the pendant. “That’s a nice gift.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not. Usually I could read her, but there was something a little off about her just then. “You’re father’s going to be home in a little bit…”
“Isn’t that early?”
“Yes. And he won’t appreciate coming home to see you making out with your boyfriend.”
“But…”
“Just stop.”
She continued walking into the kitchen. Something was wrong. But I couldn’t do anything about it at the moment, not with Ethan here.
What was bothering her? Was it the same thing that bothered my father last night? Could it have something to do with the baby? I needed to find out. I would just have to reach out and…
“Christine,” Ethan said. From his tone it wasn’t the first time he called me.
“What?”
“Get your coat. We’re going out.”
That sounded like a good idea. Whatever was bothering my mother, I was sure I didn’t want to be around when my father got home. “Where we going?”
“I’m not telling. Get your jacket.”
Silly boy. I opened my mind to get into his. It took all of two seconds of prying before I saw what he intended. Honestly. It must have been some kind of joke. He knew I wouldn’t like anything like that. As I delved further, I realized that that was the point.
“I’m not going there.” I crossed my arms in what I hoped would come off as a firm pose. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m ridiculous?” He sounded offended. “I’m not the one who never wants to have any fun.”
“That’s not my idea of fun.”
“Speaking of which… I thought you weren’t reading minds anymore.”
It took me a second to think up a good response. In that moment, Ethan thought he’d won. “There’s no harm peeking every now and then. Especially if it uncovers some sinister plot.”
“Sinister plot? But I…”
“Just want to torture me,” I finished for him.
“…wanted to take you to do something different.”
“Seeing some loser dressed in spandex is different?” After I spoke I realized it was indeed something very different.
Looking at me, knowing I’d defeated myself, he smiled.
“Fine,” I groaned. “But I still say this is stupid.”
Grabbing my coat, I groaned again, but realized the futility in delaying the inevitable. As I saw the enthusiastic grin on his face, I wondered if he would ever grow out of his superhero phase. I could only think of so many ways to tell him that being a superhero was insane. All my protests did were prove he was deaf on the subject.
“Mom, we’re going out!” I called.
She didn’t respond, but a quick scan of the kitchen told me she’d heard. I was barely two steps out the door when my feet left the ground and I was once again whisked away. Grayness filled my vision as Ethan ran us at a high speed. I got that queasy sensation in my stomach again.
Before I knew it, we stood outside a children’s shelter in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh. It was a ratty looking building with colorful graffiti on the walls. An old woman stood outside the door greeting people. After a second she noticed us. I thought she would wonder how we appeared out of nowhere, but she apparently hadn’t been paying attention.
She greeted us in a sweet voice and allowed us to enter. I heard her think we were too old to receive toys. I could also tell just how much pride this woman took in helping the unfortunate children she housed inside. It didn’t matter that the building looked as if it should be condemned; to her it was a sanctuary to all those who sought it.
Inside was no better than out. The narrow hallway smelled like mold and dust. The few rooms I was able to look into as we walked were small had two sets of bunk beds each. If I had nowhere else to live this would be adequate, but only just.
The hall ended in the dining hall. Two women, dressed like Santa’s elves, greeted us at the door. Apparently no one told them Christmas was yesterday. “Welcome,” one said as she took my hand.
“Where’s Captain Falcon,” Ethan asked. “We’re here to help him.”
The lady pointed to a door on the far side of the room.
“Thank you,” he said politely, then dragged me toward the door.
The room appeared to be at full capacity. I saw very few adults among the kids. I assumed most of these kids were orphans. I felt bad for each and every one of them. What tragedies these kids must have seen in their lives already. I wondered how many were ignorant of their circumstances.
“Where did you hear about this place?” I asked Ethan.
“It was in the paper this morning.”
He opened the door that hid the “oh-so-great” Captain Falcon—even thinking the words caused my eyes to roll into the back of my head. A couple of news reporters stood in a corner, filming everything.
They act as if this is some real news.
We were in a kitchen, like the cafeteria of the high school. Everything was made of shiny metal. This room had to be the only one in the whole building that wasn’t falling apart.
At least the kids get decent food.
However, as shiny and clean the metal was, and no matter how the bright lights bounced off the appliances and into my eyes, there was one thing I couldn’t peel my gaze from. I’d seen the man before, not in person, on my computer as one of many on a very strange website. The image there paled in comparison to this man. Black covered all his body except his nose and mouth. He crouched over a bag of toys.
Ethan approached. “Captain Falcon?”
The sound of my boyfriend’s voice startled the man. Falcon sprang up and stumbled backward into one of the prep tables. Bowls and pans clattered to the floor. Then he straightened himself as gracefully as possible.
I stifled a laugh. Seeing a man who was supposed to be a superhero fall into a bunch of cooking equipment was comical.
Falcon regained his composure and grinned at us. He held out his black gloved hand to Ethan. “Captain Falcon.”
“Ethan Everett,” he responded with a little too much enthusiasm.
Falcon turned to me. I was reluctant to take the man’s hand, but since I wanted to be polite, I accepted it and introduced myself as well.
He stepped back and put his hands on his hips in a classic Superman Pose.
How am I supposed to take this man seriously? I buried my face in Ethan’s shoulder to stop myself from laughing. The man had a beer gut and was old enough to be my father. His costume was definitely homemade. Looked like he’d gotten the fabric from the bargain bin at the craft store. His helmet looked like nothing more than a bicycle helmet with some fabric glued on to make a mask.
I’m going to die if I can’t laugh soon.
I pulled my head away from Ethan finally. The man was looking at me. He seemed almost hurt, like he knew what I was thinking.
“What can I do for you?” Falcon asked.
“Actually, we came to help out,” Ethan admitted.
That brought the smile back to the man’s face. “Good. Take a sack and help me count. There are sixty-three children, I need to make sure I have enough for all of them.”
Ethan crouched next to one of the sacks. It was sad to see how much my boyfriend wanted to help out a man clearly going through a mid-life crisis. I crouched next to him and pretended to count the wrapped gifts.
“So…” Ethan held the “O” a little too long, “…how long have you been doing this?”
Falcon looked up from his sack. “This is my first time.”
Ethan was taken aback for a second, then he realized the older man hadn’t understood the question. “No I mean the…” Even he was embarrassed to say the words. So, he just waved his hand over his clothes.
Looking down at his outfit, Falcon understood. “As long as I can remember.” He resumed counting. “It’s gotta be close to fourteen… no, fifteen years.”
Almost as long as I’ve been alive, I thought. I wasn’t sure why, but that actually impressed me. Dressing up in that crazy outfit for that long took a remarkable amount of dedication.
“Eighteen in this sack,” Ethan announced as he went on to the next one. “Why do you do it?”
A small wave of annoyance washed off of Falcon. Apparently Ethan made him lose count for the third time. “I’ve been asked that so many times. A lot of people think I’m crazy.” Falcon gave me a quick glance. “People need someone to look up to. Like those kids out there, I could go out dressed as Santa, but Santa isn’t a person they can look up to. They will always remember Captain Falcon, who gave them toys when they had nothing. “I’m not super, and I don’t pretend to be. I do what I must because others won’t. Like you, I don’t know any teenagers willing to give up their afternoon to hand out toys to unfortunate children.”
“We’re not doing anything special,” Ethan objected.
I had to agree. All we were going to do was stand there and give these things out. It wasn’t anything we deserved anything for.
“No, no. You’re wrong. These kids—these people—will appreciate you more today than anyone else. And that is special.”
“What you’re saying is that being a superhero is nothing more than volunteer work?” I asked.
He and Ethan looked at me. I wanted to shrink down and hide behind one of the sacks. Unfortunately, that wasn’t one of my powers.
“It’s more than that. Being a hero is doing the right thing when the opportunity comes. A person who stands by while he watches someone being mugged is not a hero. But a person who picks up someone’s wallet and gives it back to them is. They may only be a hero to that one person, for that one moment, but they are still a hero.”
Doing the right thing. At least that made sense.
Something finally got through to her, Ethan mused. Then he looked deep into my eyes and I knew his next thoughts were meant for me to hear. You see? You always try to do the right thing anyway. What’s so different?
The difference is, putting your life on the line, I explained. Not mine…yours. I agreed to help you, but only because I don’t want you doing something stupid and getting killed. Don’t ask me to do more than that.
For a second he looked like he had a headache. Wow! Now I know what you mean by thought overload.
The old woman who’d greeted us on the street burst into the room. “We’re ready whenever you are.”
“Looks like we have enough.” Falcon stood up and slung two sacks over his shoulder. Then he peered at us. “Are you two ready?”
We nodded and hefted our own sacks. The old lady stepped out and the three of us waited by the door. Her legs were a little shaky as she took the three steps up onto the stage, but I knew from her thoughts that it didn’t bother her in the least.
“Kids!” the old lady shouted. “Please quiet down!”
After a few moments, all the children fell silent. Excitement and anticipation radiated off the group of kids sitting on the floor. Each knew they would get a present. Many couldn’t wait to meet their hero.
“I know many of you were disappointed when Santa only brought you some new clothes,” she said, which elicited groans from the children. “I’m sure he thought you could use those more than toys.” More groans. “So, when Captain Falcon heard you hadn’t gotten any toys for Christmas, he went out and found some for you.”
The kids cheered. It took the old lady almost a minute to settle them down again. “So, are you ready to meet Captain Falcon?”
“Yeah!” the kids shouted in unison.
She shook her head. “That’s not good enough. You want Captain Falcon to feel welcome, don’t you? So, are you ready to meet Captain Falcon?”
“YEAH!” they screamed this time.
While the noise grew, the lady waved for us to come out. Falcon, with his sacks slung over his back, bounded—just like one would expect a superhero to do—through the door and onto the stage in the front of the room.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard children scream like they did at that moment. It was enough to split my head open. Overwhelming was too weak a word to use to describe the feeling of excitement I felt from all of them.
Ethan and I followed him out a second later. Looking at the excited faces of the children, the flashes of the cameras, and the smiling faces from the adults, I got a warm feeling inside. I knew then that this was a good thing to do. The right thing, I suddenly I understood what Ethan had been talking about.
Captain Falcon was busily making classic superhero poses for the kids and the cameras. He was really hamming it up. But I now realized he wasn’t doing it for himself. He was doing it for them.
“Okay,” I admitted in Ethan’s ear. “He’s still crazy. But not that crazy.
Chapter 24
Another Fire?
“I’m not wearing spandex!” I yelled at Ethan during one of our sessions with Quinn. He was still trying to convince me we needed costumes. He’d been on that for more than a week now, ever since our momentous meeting with Captain Falcon.
“Come on, Chris,” he insisted. “You’ve…”
“Don’t say it.” I had my teeth pressed so hard together I swore they would break under the pressure. He kept insisting I had the body for a nice tight suit. It was flattering to hear him say so, but embarrassing at the same time. I wasn’t about to dress like a hooker to be his crime fighting bimbo sidekick.
I would have loved to just plant the suggestion into his head to get him to leave me alone about the whole thing, but I’d sworn not to use my powers to influence him.
“Would the two of you stop fighting,” Quinn said. “I swear you’re like a married couple.”
“Sorry,” I said quietly, but still turned my back on Ethan.
Quinn looked at the two of us and shook his head. “Children.”
“Teenagers actually,” I felt the need to correct.
“Both of you still have a great deal of work to do before you are ready to do anything. Your little excursion to the bank was nothing more than blind luck. Do you understand that?”
We both nodded.
“Neither of you have been serious about your training. If you cannot be serious, I will have no business training you. Do you understand that?”
We both nodded again.
He acted pleased, but didn’t seem to believe us. I wished I could read his mind. Hell, if I did, I could probably figure out how to do all the things he wanted to teach me. And in a lot less time.
“Now, Mr. Everett, you have running down pat. I have nothing more to teach you in that venue. But have you figured out how to vibrate your body so you can pass through solid objects?”
“No.” Ethan acted as if he never realized that he could do anything but run.
He probably hasn’t, I thought.
“And you, Christine, we need to work more on control. You have grasped much of the basics, but now we must fortify them, make you stronger.”
Just what I want to hear.
Is strength so important to you? Quinn’s voice broke through my thoughts. Why is that?
My response came with no hesitation. How can I ever be expected to do anything if I’m not strong enough?
He shook his head again, this time smiling. Good. Now you understand.
Ethan looked back and forth at each of us. “You guys are thinking at each other again, aren’t you?” He stood up. “Are you talking about me?”
“No.” I laughed at his paranoia.
“I hate it when you guys do that.”
“You think we do it to annoy you?” I’d already seen it in his head that he did.
He didn’t answer.
“I apologize for leaving you out of the loop,” Quinn said, trying to calm Ethan down. “Understand that it is much easier for us to communicate with our thoughts than with our mouths.“
I had to agree. If you thought about it, when you wanted to say something, you needed to think it, then your brain needed to send that thought to your mouth, then the muscles around your jaw all needed to work in unison along with the muscles that controlled the lungs and your vocal chords. Thinking was so much easier.
“Whatever,” Ethan said. “I still don’t like it.”
“Okay, Ms Carpenter,” Quinn began, “Mr. Everett wants to be included. I suppose now is as good a time as any to hone your skills of projection. Focusing on projecting thoughts to multiple targets.”
I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to do this. The last time I projected had been months ago when we were trying to stop Tommy from attacking that boy. And I’m pretty sure that experience almost killed me.
“Don’t worry.” Quinn sent a wave of assurance in my direction, making much of my unease wash away. “I’m right here. Nothing is going to happen.”
“What about me?” Ethan asked.
“We’ll work with you in just a second. Right now, we are going to see if both you and I can hear Christine’s thoughts at the same time.”
He concentrated very hard on me, and for a second, I thought he was going to show me what I had to do. So, I was taken aback when he spoke. “You don’t realize it when you’re doing it, but when you project your thoughts into someone else’s head, you are concentrating deeply on that one person. I say you don’t realize it, because it’s much like how you concentrate on someone when you are physically speaking to them. Do you understand so far?”
I nodded.
“Projecting your thoughts into multiple heads is much more difficult. It will require an immense amount of concentration to start, but I promise you, after you practice, you will hardly notice.”
“Okay. So how do I do it?”
“Close your eyes.”
I followed his directions. He always wanted me to start with my eyes closed. I figured this was to reduce visual distractions.
“Now, I’m going to stop speaking. When I do, I want you to find both my mind and Ethan’s and attach yourself to them. Think of shooting a wire at both of our heads. I am going to open my mind to you to make this a bit easier, but the second I feel you rooting around in there I’m shutting our connection down. Are you ready?”
I nodded. Then, all was silent. I could hear their breathing. I concentrated. I found Quinn’s mind a little too easily. He really had opened up. The temptation to see what secrets he had in there was strong, but I refrained. He was much more powerful, and there was no way I’d get far before he closed the door on me.
Once I had a firm grasp on Quinn’s mind, I reached out for Ethan’s. His was a little harder to find. I grasped it, but once I got a hold, I lost my grip on Quinn’s. I made another attempt to attach to Quinn’s head, but once I did, I lost my attachment to Ethan’s. It went back and forth like that for a couple of minutes.
“Enough,” Quinn said.
My eyes flew open and my concentration broke.
“This is going to sound silly, but you are thinking too much like a human.”
“But I am a human,” I argued.
“No you’re not. Both of you are superhuman. Remember that.” He grabbed a stool and sat right in front of me and Ethan. “You are much more than the sum of your parts. Ms. Carpenter, most humans use only about 10% of their brain. What if I told you that more than 80% of your brain would show up active on a CAT Scan?”
“Ummm…cool?”
He rolled his eyes.
“Mr. Everett, have you been injured since you manifested your powers?”
“Just in the fire, but nothing major.”
“Have you been to the doctor recently?”
“No.”
“With your super-speed also comes super-regeneration. I venture that if you went to the doctor, he would have a heart attack listening to your heart. Ms. Carpenter, put your hand on your chest. I want you to feel your heartbeat.”
I did as he asked, remembering what the doctors said about Ethan’s heart rate when we were taken to the hospital after the fire.
“Now put your other hand on Ethan’s chest.”
I did. I counted my heartbeats, and at the same time counted Ethan’s. His thumped four times for every one of mine.
“I would also guess you will age a little more slowly, since your cells are much quicker at regenerating themselves.”
“So… I’m going to be like you?” Ethan said it like it was a bad thing.
Quinn laughed. “Not exactly. But I predict that when you turn seventy, you’ll have the body of a man in his fifties.” He let the comments set in. “When I say you need to think less like a human, I don’t mean think like a Martian. I mean you have to think as if you can do something, instead of thinking of the impossibility of such a thing.”
“Oh, like in The Matrix,” Ethan said (another movie I hadn’t seen). “There is no spoon.”
“Do you do anything but watch movies and read comics?” Quinn asked, mirroring my thoughts.
Ethan shrugged. “I play sports.”
“There is no spoon?” I wondered what in God’s name he meant.
“It was a way the main character needed to learn the unreality of reality. He lived in a world that was fake, therefore the spoon didn’t really exist, which meant he could do whatever he wanted to it.”
“You’re an idiot!”
Quinn sighed. “And who says you can’t learn something from movies?”
“You mean he’s right?” I asked.
“Well, not totally. But he’s not far off.”
Ethan stuck his tongue out at me. I wanted to grab it and choke him with it. But when he blew me a kiss, I forgot my violent thoughts.
“It isn’t about things being real or not real, it’s about believing or not believing. From a certain age, you are taught what can be and can’t be. You need to retrain your mind, because when I tell you there isn’t a thing that you can’t do, Ms. Carpenter, I am not lying.” Quinn paused, making sure what he said sank in.
I’m sure what he said was absolutely true.
“I want you to try again. You can do this. You can attach to as many minds as you want at the same time—it’s the same as attaching to one.”
I would like to say his words reassured me, but they didn’t. I tried nonetheless. Closing my eyes, I reached out again.
Again, Quinn’s mind was easier to find. While keeping a firm grip on his thoughts, I reached out for Ethan’s. I found it with little trouble. And grabbed, making sure I didn’t let go of Quinn’s.
As I connected with Ethan’s mind, though, the connection with Quinn’s weakened. I doubled my effort. I knew I could do it. It might not have been a perfect connection, but for a first time...
Then the fire alarm rang.
My concentration broke. Quinn looked confused. Ethan started to rise, but Quinn motioned for him to sit as he went to the door.
“Isn’t it too cold for a fire drill?” Ethan whispered.
I nodded. It was like thirty degrees outside and they were calling for snow again. There was no way Mr. Philmore would call a fire drill, but there could have been another fire in the building.
In the hall, the students were equally confused. Many didn’t have jackets on. I felt bad for them.
“Do either of you know someone named Sean?” Quinn asked, turning from the door.
I knew exactly who he meant. We got rid of one idiot, only to leave the other two without a leader. That’s who had pulled the fire alarm.
“Yeah,” I said. “He’s one of the morons that followed Tommy Fulton around.”
“Well, he’s just ruined everyone’s day.” Quinn let out a long and frustrated sigh. “Grab your jackets, we have to get outside.”
“But if there’s no fire—” Ethan began.
Quinn cut him off, “Do you know what Philmore will do if he catches you inside during a fire alarm again?”
It would likely land me another sentence of house arrest, probably for the rest of my life. “Shouldn’t we do something about Sean though?” I asked.
“Oh, I intend to report him to Mr. Philmore before the day is over.”
His face turned red and I heard the tightness of his jaw as he spoke. Though, I couldn’t figure out why. Like me, most people in the hall were thinking of this as an annoyance. No one but Quinn displayed anger. He ushered us into the hall.
I caught the unmistakable scent of ammonia. Why did I keep smelling it everywhere in the school? It was like the janitors spilled cleaning liquids and couldn’t clean them up.
I stayed close to Ethan. I was still uncomfortable being surrounded by all those people, but with him nearby, my discomfort was more bearable.
Bitter cold wind blew through the corridors, chilling me to the bone, despite my heavy coat. I hoped they would figure out it was a false alarm quickly, so we wouldn’t all freeze to death.
“Hey look.” Ethan pointed to a light blue poster on the bulletin board. All I could read was Winter Dance. “Wanna go?”
“With you?”
“Duh!”
Normally, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. My automatic response would have been “No!” I didn’t go to dances. I thought they were idiotic things where stupid people listened to stupid music and talked about stupid things. But, it was Ethan asking me. The prospect of going out with him, and maybe even slow dancing... “Maybe,” I said.
“It’s in two weeks. You’d better decide soon, or I’m going to ask someone else.”
Even though I knew he was kidding, it still felt like someone shot me in the chest. “All right,” I said, quite unhappily, “I’ll go with you.”
“You’ll have to get a dress,” he explained in a little sing-song voice.
“You’re making me want to go even less, you know.”
“But, I know you would just love to go shopping. Get a dress and shoes and a new hairdo and everything.”
“Seriously, you want me to knock you out?”
“You could try,” he said, but fell silent after that.
By now we were outside. I hid my face inside my jacket to keep warm, so I couldn’t have responded to him anyway.
All I could think about as we stood there: I’m going to a dance.
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