by Simon Archer
Matt laughed rather abruptly, and the other two joined in a moment later. It was clear that the cronies had no idea what he was laughing about because Matt rolled his eyes at them.
“Look at him plotting his silly little attack,” he taunted. “You can see the smoke blowing out of his ears. Don’t strain yourself, Nickie, we’re not gonna hurt you.”
I crossed my arms and pretended to look bored. It wasn’t hard. Matt’s routine was getting tiresome at this point.
“Matt, I realize you’ve already succumbed to a certain stereotype here,” I countered, “but try to use your thick head for something other than standard bullying tactics. You’re better than this. Or at least, you were. Letting daddy down is a habit of yours, isn’t it?”
Matt’s eyes widened, then narrowed to dangerous slits. His fists balled at his sides, and there was a moment when I seriously thought he was going to swing at me. That was the point, and I had every intention of dodging the blow, but he just stood there and glared. Apparently, the truth had cut him deep enough that he wasn’t quite sure how to take it.
After another extended and very awkward moment of silence, Matt closed the distance between us. He partially shifted, his eyes taking on a wolfish, golden hue.
“Don’t you fucking bring my father into this,” he snarled. “You don’t have the faintest clue—”
“What he’d want?” I finished for him. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s really proud of you walking the halls with two morons flanking your back. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, isn’t it? Do they even have a personality between the two of them? I can’t imagine you brought them for conversation.”
It was Brad who spat out the classic, “Fuck you, Gateon.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored it. “Take a good long look in the mirror, Matt. You’re a bully.”
Again, I thought he was going to swing. He had his claws out this time, and it’d hurt quite a bit if it connected... but he didn’t. He just stood there and gritted his teeth.
There was an edge to his voice that could cut through steel when he spat, “I’m not a—”
“Yeah, you are,” I cut him off. I moved in so close we were nearly touching foreheads. He didn’t back down, but neither did I. “And your sister doesn’t approve, does she? If she did, she’d be here. She’s seemed willing to back up your dumbass thus far this year. Is she getting tired of watching you flex your villain routine? You’re getting quite good at it.”
The truth was evident in Matt’s reaction because he darted his gaze back toward the gym doors as if sensing that Kristen was going to burst through them. She didn’t.
Now, Kristen and I were hardly what you’d call friends, but she seemed the least interested in this grudge the four of them were carrying on with. She’d never turn on her brother, of course, but I suspected that she wasn’t quite so happy with his current progression. If it was true, at least one of them had some sense.
“Kristen and I are fine,” Matt grumbled, but it was clear I’d caught him off guard again. “And you, Gateon, are full of shit. We all know you’re gonna run back to daddy the second you graduate. You’re gonna be his number two, yeah?”
“Unless you get the part first, I suppose.” I shrugged and pretended not to care. The idea of it actually made me sick to my stomach again, but Matt didn’t need to know that. “He rather likes bullies. They’re big, dumb, insecure, and easy to intimidate.”
The bricks of Jack’s body ground against each other as he shifted from foot to foot with a conflicted expression. His brain took an absurdly long time to process the words that had been spoken thus far, but eventually, he shook his head and slashed his thick brick hands in a gesture of disgust.
“He ain’t no bully!” Jack roared. “You’re the bully, you jerk! You’re a stupid silver-spoon-fed bully who—”
“Thanks, Jack,” Matt interrupted him. “Do shut up.” His scowl was still pretty heated, but it was clear that my words had left their mark again. He jabbed an accusing finger my way. “Say what you want, Nickie, but you were at the beach, and you didn’t help fend off the reinforcements.”
I shrugged and glanced behind him to see City Master and Gemma both walk into the gym. They were distracted by the other students at first, though I caught Gemma’s frown when she glanced over our way.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” I sighed and flicked my gaze back to Matt, “but I was under orders to stand down.”
“Yeah, by your evil fucking father,” he growled back. “It was right there on the news, Nick! He sent Fulgurite to attack the beach so that everyone can buy into this stupid idea that you actually want to be a hero! It’s bullshit!”
This time, the truth hurt me, even if it was for different reasons than Matt was implying. My lips twisted into a frown, and not for the first time, I sorely wished that he wasn’t so fucking stubborn.
“Spend even two days in my shoes, and maybe you’d understand,” I snarled at him as I almost lost my patience. I pushed him backward through sheer presence, and my shoulders rose and squared with the tension. I wanted to hit him, I wanted it so bad I could taste it, but I managed to resist.
“It is my fucking fault, yeah,” I pressed. “Is that what you want from me? It’s my fault for existing, for being his son, for drawing attention wherever I go, no matter how hard I try to keep a low profile! I don’t like that innocents pay whenever my father deigns to notice me. Hell, all I want is to live in fucking peace!”
Matt was surprised by the sudden outburst and stepped back a little under the pressure, but I was angry now and followed his retreat.
Still, he was brave enough to throw out, “Who’s the bully now?”
I thrust my hands into a helpless gesture and resisted the urge to shove him back hard enough to make him fall onto his ass.
“I’m getting really tired of your bullshit,” I growled at him. “I saved everyone that I could and distracted that villainess long enough for the others to take care of it. I saved lives, innocent lives, not that it matters to a pissant like you. I had no way of knowing about the attack on the beach, and it’s not my cross to bear every single time he does something crazy—”
“Nick, that’s enough.”
It was Gemma. I hadn’t realized I’d cornered Matt until I was towering over him and Gemma was frowning at me in disapproval. Jack and Brad had backed off and pretended to look helpless. Either they were intimidated by my outburst, or more likely, they were taking advantage of the timing to look innocent in the exchange.
Matt cast a glance at them, then at Gemma, and he pointed to me. “He started it!”
It was a lie, and a high school quality one at best, but Gemma didn’t care. She snapped her fingers and silently ordered Matt and his cronies to the opposite side of the gym with a cool glare. They followed her order, but not without a rude finger back toward me.
I resisted the urge to return the favor and instead turned my full attention to her. I bowed slightly, unable to meet her gaze.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “He’s a fucking tool, and I—”
“Nick, that’s enough,” Gemma soothed. “I realize that tensions are high after the attack on the beach, but you can’t do this every single time your father makes a move.”
Hurt, I shook my head and pointed to Matt again. “Me? I didn’t do anything—”
“You fed him exactly what he wanted to hear,” the raven-haired woman said and rested a hand on her hip. This was instructor Gemma, and she was in no mood for games. “The next time he tries to get a rise out of you, don’t say anything and walk away.” I thought the idea was ridiculous, and it must have been clear in my eyes because her own lips thinned to a tight little line. “If he tries to attack you unprovoked, he will pay for it in kind. There are just as many eyes on him as are on you, and they are watching very closely.”
That was news to me, though in retrospect, it shouldn’t have been. Ice Bringer was a little less notorious than my father, but they had been partners at th
e height of their careers. Like my father and Ice Bringer before them, Judgment was the Barbur twins’ mentor, and he was notoriously strict about following certain codes of conduct. Though Judgment perhaps agreed with Matt’s view on my future destiny, it didn’t seem likely that Efraim would support Matt’s bullying habits if he knew about them.
I sighed and, with that release, decided to let it go. Gemma was right. I needed to harness better control, or I was just going to end up swimming the same waters as Matt.
“I understand,” I said quietly. My gaze jumped toward the door when all three of my favorite girls joined the gym. I couldn’t help the little smile that crawled upward when Andie enthusiastically waved in my direction.
Gemma caught the gaze, and she smiled a little softer in turn. “It’s going to be alright, Nick. You’re hardly alone in this. In fact, you have more support than Matt does. He’s just scared, bitter, and hurt in ways that run soul-deep. You need to give him patience.”
“I’ll try,” I said honestly.
Gemma rested a hand on my shoulder and then shook it gently in approval. With a parting smile, she crossed the gym to join City Master, who was busy giving some sort of ultimatum to Elianna. Andie, Aylin, and Kara joined me, and it was Andie who gestured back to Gemma with a brow.
“Trouble?”
I shrugged and couldn’t help the glance toward Matt’s back, where he was busy explaining current events to his sister with wild, thrashing hands.
Andie followed my gaze and frowned. “Let me guess. The beach?”
“I’m already over it,” I told her, and strangely enough, it really was the case. Andie noticed, of course, because she always noticed and smiled brightly at me. Then she swung to my side and wrapped an arm around me.
“So I told the whole dorm about our new sex life,” she chuckled as she changed the subject.
I lifted a brow at her, not entirely convinced she wasn’t being serious. “I hope you were extra detailed on the fun bits.”
“No, she’s been pretty tight-lipped, actually.” Kara rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Aylin, in particular, has been trying to drill her for information... pun intended.”
Aylin’s cheeks were a dark purple blush. She ducked her gaze from me and pretended to be fascinated by the polished gym floors.
“I-I merely requested a detailed... a detailed summary of human mating habits,” she stuttered a little with embarrassment. “Andrea Baker has not been very forthcoming.”
“That’s because it’s generally considered private information,” Kara supplied, somewhat dryly. She gently took Aylin’s hand and pulled her toward the small crowd of students gathering further away. “Come on, let’s see who our partners are going to be this time.”
Andie and I watched them leave hearing distance, then she turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She kissed me gently, blushing a little. Her big brown eyes were lost in mine.
“I can’t stop thinking about that night,” she confessed. “No one’s ever done that for me.” When she caught my short look of panic, she immediately shook her head and clarified, “It wasn’t my first time, that’s not it.” Thank God for small favors. I probably should have asked, in retrospect. “You just were so... Nick, you were so perfect. And then you stayed the whole night after, made me breakfast, asked me about a thousand times if I was alright with everything—”
I felt my cheeks burn hot, but this seemed to entice her because she kissed me again.
“Which it was,” she continued after parting as her eyes glistened with beautiful little lights. “I just... I really appreciate that you care. So... thank you.”
“Stop it. No thanks necessary,” I said with conviction. “I love you. That’s how it works.”
“I know.” She smiled in turn. “It’s just... I think you’re the first one to tell me that actually means it. Most guys, they hardly wait until morning before packing their bags. No one’s ever put me first before.”
The very notion of that upset me in ways I couldn’t quite define. Andie was a goddess, and she deserved to be treated like one.
When she caught my expression, she amended, “It wasn’t like that, Nick. They were just focused on other things. It’s how things are in the Stacks.”
“Yeah, well, if I ever find out their names, I’ll spank them silly,” I said. I kissed her nose, and immediately, she giggled and squirmed away from me.
“The only person you should be spanking is me, buster. Well, me and whichever girl I drag into bed with us,” she said as she rubbed the tip of her nose with an exasperated look.
“Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say, ma’am.” I gave Andie a mock salute and grinned a little bit.
“That’s better.”
Gently, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led us both toward the rest of the class.
The gym had been arranged with the same blank wall as before with a solitary door leading into what was likely the obstacle course. Gemma and City Master were both setting everyone up into pairs. It looked like Matt was fighting Jack this time around, so that was a relief at least. They seemed to be up first. One would play the villain, and one the hero, and no doubt some version of Adelaide was patiently waiting for rescue.
Jack’s scowl was a little mean, and he looked ready to pound Matt into the dirt. The tension broke when Matt stuck his tongue out at his friend like a petulant three-year-old. Jack’s entire brick body shuddered into a laugh, and for a single moment, it was easy to forget that I hated both of them.
Watching Jack disappear beyond the door, Andie leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “You should totally fight Kara. Girl’s got some moves, I think you’ll have some fun.”
I couldn’t tell if this was about Kara’s actual ability in the field or her supposed ability between the sheets. The latter, I’d tried hard not to think about in recent weeks, especially as I’d been happy enough with Andie. Still, it was obvious that Andie had an attachment to her... but Kara was an old flame, many demons were resting between us that I still wasn’t sure how to sort.
Fortunately, City Master joined us and jabbed a crooked finger between Andie and me. His scowl made it clear that he knew at least half of what we’d been discussing and sorely wished he didn’t.
“You two will trade partners,” he said, his expression dark. “No funny business and I mean none. This is a classroom, not your personal dating service.”
I rolled my eyes, and Andie scoffed at the very notion.
“Who’s Kara’s partner?” she said as she pulled from my grasp and gestured Kara’s way. “I’ll trade ‘em.”
“Kristen Barbur,” City Master said as he nodded toward her. The Barbur twin in question was busy watching the monitor overhead which displayed Matt’s progress through Jack’s various clumsily built traps. “If there is a problem, Ms. Baker—”
“Oh no, no problem.” Andie shook her head. “It’s just, Nick here clearly has an advantage with his raw power, and Kara and I were talking. She’s got a few ideas on how to deal with it. You know, put up a real fight? I think she’d play well against him... uh, sir.”
City Master’s eyes slowly scrolled from me to Kara to Andie’s wide-eyed, innocent expression. “Is that so?”
“Yup,” she said and smiled brightly up at him. She looked for all the world like an innocent little girl asking for cookies. “Scout’s honor. No need to confirm with her, she really wants this, I promise.”
The sigh that answered her was a heaving one that rolled along City Master’s shoulders and made his spine sink a little bit. He and Gemma looked no worse for wear after the battle on the beach, but it was clear that he was a little more tired today. It made him far less patient. He cast a dismissive gesture at Andie’s bright expression.
“Whatever,” he said with a sigh. “Gateon, make the trade happen. You’re up next. Ms. Baker, you tell Ms. Barbur the good news.”
He turned his back and joined Gemma, where they both sat down in chairs to examine the monitors
overhead. Matt had made significant progress against Jack and was racing him toward Adelaide, who was indeed dangling from a cage as predicted. This time, it looked to be over some massive lava pit.
Matt leaped across the pit with his claws extended, and I looked away, already knowing he had it won. Ignoring the preview, I greeted Kara with a soft smile. Aylin was nearby, being assaulted with a million questions by an overly excited Eric, who’d just made it out of his appointment with Hiro. When he noticed me, he waved quickly, his entire body sparkling with electricity. I waved back a little less enthusiastically, but he hardly noticed.
Settling by Kara’s side, I jabbed a thumb back Andie’s way, who was busy explaining to Kristen the ‘good news.’ She didn’t seem nearly as thrilled as her new partner was.
“Andie’s traded you,” I told Kara. “We’re both up next.”
Kara’s eyes widened, and she shook her head in surprise. “We are? But I... I mean, that’s great, I-I just...”
“She kept saying that you had plans,” I said as I rolled my eyes back Andie’s way. “You know how she gets. There is probably some ulterior motive.”
I meant it as a joke, but Kara’s cheeks flushed crimson, and I had to wonder if maybe they’d actually talked about it in private. Or discussed something, at any rate.
“I-I mean I suppose I do,” Kara flustered, “I just... I...“ She floundered for a response, then sighed in defeat. Her gaze toward Andie’s back was a conflicted one. “You’ll go easy on me, Nick?” She looked me up and down like I was some big, bad bruiser. “I’m not exactly built for physical combat, you know.”
“Of course.” I smiled. “I won’t even power up if you don’t want me to.”
Kara shook her head and waggled a stern finger at me. “Oh no, I’m using my powers, so you’ll use yours. You want to be villain first, or am I doing it?”