SuperNova: Heroes of Arcania

by Liz Long

  “Thanks again, Hao, it’s fun to learn that stuff,” I said as I shrugged on my jacket.

  “No problem,” Hao said, walking me to the door. “You come anytime.”

  “See you in a couple days, then,” I said to him with a grin.

  On my way back to the car, a strange rustling made me pause. There were footsteps, coming from my left. I turned to look, seeing nothing in front of me.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  Nothing moved and I thought maybe I was going crazy. After another second of silence, I backed away, picking up my pace to my car.

  Passing by a dark alley, I tried to act cool, like my heart wasn’t somewhere in my throat. I could maybe put off an attacker for a few seconds, but I didn’t really feel like getting mugged tonight. My hands withdrew from my coat pockets and clenched into fists.

  A crash sounded, followed by a whispered curse. I froze in surprise, caught off guard by the unusually high-pitched voice. Was that a girl trying to rob me? Great, now I’d feel bad about punching whoever jumped out at me.

  Instead, a dark figure scooted through the alley, fleeing in the opposite direction. She was clearly trying to get away from me.

  “Hey!” I shouted.

  My hands went up, thinking to use my gift, but the figure was faster than I’d thought. She was gone before I could pinpoint her location.

  Continuing back to my car, I shook my head in disbelief. “I’ve gotta be losing my mind.”

  For a split second, it looked like Nova Benson running around downtown at night in all-black clothing.

  “How dumb is that?” I chuckled to myself. “I must have it worse than I thought.”

  Another week went by without a hiccup. Classes bored us to tears, laughter and flash photography from cell phones filled the hallways, and all any senior could talk about was homecoming. I went out at night to downtown Arcania a few times; aside from giving a few bucks to the homeless, it’d been pretty slow on the superhero front.

  I’d come dangerously close to accidentally bumping into someone a few nights ago, but Fortune was apparently lying low for the time being. His bomb scare had everyone on edge, so it was no wonder the city was so empty these days. I’d kept up preparation by lifting weights or seeing how long I could run on the treadmill (turned out I could run ten straight miles before even feeling the burn).

  It seemed each lunch was now the four of us: me, Henry, Cole, and Penelope. Amber joined us a couple of times, but Henry picked on her so much I couldn’t blame her for sitting elsewhere. At least I liked the Warners. Well, I liked Cole. Penelope was okay, but something about her seemed a little off. She wasn’t really rude, but she always seemed to be on the lookout for a better conversation. Cole, on the other hand, was easygoing and funny. We’d even scribbled a few notes back and forth during class, though they were completely innocent.

  On Wednesday afternoon, Henry began to panic about his editor position.

  “You told Amber you had a great story already planned for the first issue!” I exclaimed.

  “I lied.” Henry shrugged, unapologetic about fibbing to his ex-girlfriend.

  We headed towards the gym, with exits to the parking lot. Past that were neighborhoods, including ours, and a small apartment complex. Beyond that, a drive to downtown Arcania.

  “Explain to me again why you’re freaking out,” I said. Truth be told, I’d nodded off on the phone last night when he’d told me. Out too late in the city the night before, I needed a better night’s sleep.

  “I’ve got nothing,” he said fretfully as we stepped outside. “I have to turn in a story in two days, something that has to go on the front page. What am I going to do without a real story?”

  “You really can’t write about homecoming?” I asked, sidestepping a group of texting freshmen who sat on the steps by the gym entrance.

  “I guess, but it feels so contrived,” he said. “It doesn’t belong on the front page. It’s like telling the news to run a major headline story about the Kardashians.”

  “They’ve made plenty of headlines on every news station, even CNN,” I teased him. He shot me a look so I dropped the topic. “Where’s Cole and your new girlfriend?”

  He rolled his eyes, but smiled. “She’s cute, right?”

  “Yes, but she seems a little immature.”

  “She’s almost seventeen,” he said, perhaps a little defensively. “They missed a year of school after their mom died.”

  I looked at him in surprise. “How do you know that?”

  “Penelope told me, duh. I’m not so big into research that I’d stalk her.”

  Cole hadn’t offered that information, even after he’d learned about my sister. I bit my bottom lip, sad for him and a little upset I’d never asked. Then again, maybe that was why he hadn’t told me. He probably didn’t want sympathy any more than I did. Henry and I elbowed our way around a group of slowpoke texters, crossing through to the end of the parked cars.

  “I dunno,” I said. “It seems hard to keep her attention, I guess.”

  Henry started to shrug, but then gave a quick nod of agreement. “Yeah, I can see that. Guess I’ll have to find a way to keep it.”

  I grimaced at his big grin at the suggestive comment. We reached the corner where we stood to cross the street. Our neighborhood sat directly behind our school, making it easy for many of us to get home within a few blocks. Lots of students lived nearby.

  Andy Vicker, god bless his Disney prince hair and snug jeans, lived in the same neighborhood as we did. He walked home everyday, too. Today he was right ahead of us, standing at the corner where houses met school property. He looked both ways and started crossing the street. Henry paused and turned around, presumably to look for Penelope. I couldn’t help but continue to admire Andy from the back.

  A large SUV came flying around the corner, some Barbie doll on her cell phone not paying attention. Realization hit me like a punch to the chest: she would hit Andy and more than likely kill him. His earbuds firmly in place, he still hadn’t seen her yet. There was no chance he’d get out of the way in time.

  I have to do something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Henry pointing at someone in the crowd wandering up to us. The driver hadn’t seen Andy yet, thanks to her texting. Without thinking twice, I darted out into the street. Henry yelled in surprise behind me as I braced myself to get run over.

  Penelope made me wait by her locker after school so we could walk home together. “God forbid she make some friends,” I muttered to myself.

  I’d wanted to try and walk home with Nova. With each passing day, I found myself more intrigued by her. I wanted to get to know her better, even enjoyed the challenge that certainly came with understanding her. There was something about her that made it impossible to think straight.

  Government class had become difficult to sit through. The frumpy teacher at the front didn’t stand a chance keeping my attention. Not when Nova swung that long strawberry-blond hair behind her and the smell of vanilla hit me or she pressed her pen against her soft lips. And certainly not when Nova crossed her long legs. If I could openly stare at Nova without looking like such a creeper, I’m pretty sure the building could catch on fire and I wouldn’t notice.

  In any case, I was impatiently waiting for my sister to collect her things so we could get outside.

  “Relax,” she said, scowling at me. “You can’t possibly be that excited to go home.”

  “Just ready to get outta here,” I answered, looking either way down the hall.

  I hadn’t told Penelope about my interest in Nova. I was a little surprised she hadn’t caught on, but Pen often ignored things that didn’t directly involve her. I didn’t want her to tease me for one thing, but for another, she’d probably let it slip to Dad. And frankly, I didn’t want the speech. The one where we couldn’t trust anyone, couldn’t let anyone in, couldn’t be our true selves in front of anyone but our own.

  I was tired of not trusting anyone. And I was really tired o
f not being who I wanted to be, who I could be. I wanted to help people.

  We made our way outside. Penelope complained about my long strides, but I didn’t let that stop me from scanning for Nova and Henry at the intersection. I perked up when I recognized Henry’s battered messenger bag and Nova’s sweet profile. I let myself admire it for a moment, at the slightly upturned nose, that perfect mouth. We got closer and Penelope called out for Henry. He turned, but my attention was still on Nova. My stomach tightened when her expression turned to horror and I followed her gaze.

  A car was coming straight for that popular kid, Andy something, and he had his earbuds in. Before I could take another step, Nova lunged forward. She was in the street in no time, moving to shove Andy out of the way. My heart jumped into my throat.

  The driver looked up to see them both in her kill zone and slammed on her brakes. Her shrill screams could be heard even through the closed windows. The screeching tires caught everyone’s attention and we watched as Nova slammed into Andy. She shoved him as hard as she could. With a strangled yelp, he went flying across the pavement, landing in a heap.

  “Nova!” Henry screamed as the car slid towards her.

  The car wouldn’t stop in time. She threw her arms out to stop it, as though there were any way she could do that. The car’s front bumper made contact with Nova’s bare legs. The gorgeous ones I’d been staring at every afternoon since the first day of school. This car would brutally injure her; she’d be lucky to walk again. Something inside me reacted.

  My Timekeeper gift could save someone today. I’ve waited my entire life for this moment.

  Adrenaline surging, I moved on pure instinct. My hands went up and the air shuddered with my gift. Everything slowed in an instant, time coming to a complete halt. No one moved, nothing stirred; the only sound was my heartbeat, pounding hard in my brain. I’d managed to stop the car from slamming into the girl of my dreams.

  I noticed with dissatisfaction that the bumper touched Nova’s legs. The car would need to stop to prevent any further damage; she’d probably still be in casts for weeks. When I released my grip on time, the momentum would move the car forward again, enough to crush Nova. I groaned, needing my sister’s help.

  Panting with the exertion, I unfroze only Penelope. She started when she came to, glancing around to see the full scene in front of us. She didn’t appear surprised.

  “You used your gift out in public,” she said in a flat tone.

  I nodded but stayed silent, teeth gritting in concentration.

  Penelope stood there, looking, and I finally growled at her. “A little help, please? The sooner you do it, the better we can clean this mess up.”

  “Oh, you’ve done it now,” she said in a teasing way, but waved her hand. In an instant, her gift of Telekinesis scooted the car back a few feet away from Nova. Rubber scraped across the pavement.

  My sister moved forward for a better look. Upon closer inspection, she squawked in surprise.

  “What is it?” I ground out. My hands were still in the air, holding everything still.

  “Not a scratch on her.”

  “That’s impossible, the bumper definitely hit her. She just hasn’t gone down yet.”

  Penelope pulled back to look at the car from a farther angle and glanced back at Nova’s legs. “Yeah, and if the dents are any indication, Nova should have a couple of crushed kneecaps right now, but I’m telling you, she’s good.”

  Against my better judgment, my hands shaking, I shuffled a few steps forward to see it for myself. Sure enough, Pen wasn’t lying. Nova’s wide eyes were focused on the driver careening into her. Her expression was more determined than terrified. I glanced at the bumper, stunned to see it crushed like tinfoil exactly where it hit Nova’s legs.

  “What the…?” I breathed.

  “Yeah. Like I said.” Pen cleared her throat, eyeing my shaking hands. I had to hurry up and let time get back in its proper place.

  We stepped back into our places behind Henry. I glanced at my sister, who scanned it all once more and nodded the okay. My hands dropped down to my sides and without warning, the scene swerved back into motion. The screeching sound stopped and Nova stayed frozen, despite her free will. Only after Henry screamed her name again did she snap out of it, blinking in surprise. Her hands went to her legs, checking for injuries.

  Finding none, she glanced over at Andy. He pulled himself into a sitting position, shaking his head in disbelief. Rather than go to him as I expected, she purposely eyed the car’s front bumper. Her eyes widened a little at the crunched metal and that’s when I knew.

  Nova knew that car would hit her and she jumped in front of it anyway. She wasn’t a bit surprised that the impact affected the car instead of her. She had to be gifted, like me and Pen. I bit back the grin that threatened to stretch across my face. It quickly died at my next thought.

  Nova had to have known the danger this could have put her in, at how her secret could be discovered, and yet she saved Andy anyway. Nova couldn’t have known I’d help her. She risked everyone finding out that she was more than human, so that she could save someone. Something about the idea made my heart thump heavily in my ears.

  I watched her very carefully, knowing she didn’t yet understand. She knew something was wrong. The confusion on her face was almost comical. Here I thought I’d been saving her life. Instead, I saved her secret.

  When Nova glanced my way, her eyes met mine. A jolt went through me, like lightning. Her confusion was quickly replaced with a blank expression, a mask going over her emotions. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked away. But she’d seen me watching her and we both knew something was amiss. Wonder how long it’ll take her to confront me for answers.

  Not wanting to stare any longer, I looked at the driver. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates; her hands trembled as she let go of the steering wheel. At least the airbag hadn’t exploded in her face. No one said a word, only looked at Nova in utter shock.

  Henry broke the tension when he practically lunged at his best friend, hands going to Nova’s arms as he checked to make sure she was okay. She stayed very still, her jaw tightening when his eyes went to her legs. I could almost read her mind; we both knew Henry would see that bumper and have questions.

  Without thinking, I stepped out of crowd to join them. Nova’s blue eyes met mine and I knew without a doubt this was a bad idea. My feet moved forward anyway. Penelope started, quick on my heels to join the circle. The rest of the students stayed back, some of them already bored and heading home.

  The driver got out of her car, terror still on her face. “Um…are you okay?” she asked Nova.

  She nodded. “Yeah. Are you?”

  The driver nodded, looking way more shaken up than Nova. She wiped at her tear-streaked cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been paying attention…” she trailed off, glancing at Andy. “Should we call the police or…?”

  “No,” Nova said quickly, hands going up. “I-I mean, if everyone’s okay, it seems like a lot of hassle.”

  The girl lowered her voice. “How did you survive that? I know I was driving way over the speed limit. I don’t understand how my car stopped like that.”

  “You must’ve braked just in time,” Nova assured her in a low voice.

  I squirmed when Nova gave me the side eye. My arms crossed over my chest as though I could block her out. She totally suspected me of something. We are definitely in for some kind of talk.

  Henry was kind enough to butt in. “How’d you crunch the bumper?”

  The question caught the driver off guard. She glanced at the bumper and back to Nova. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, her expression puzzled.

  To my surprise, Nova’s mouth tightened. “Maybe she doesn’t want to admit she’s a bad driver. Just let it go, reporter guy.”

  Henry rolled his eyes, but before he responded, his phone vibrated. He forgot about us to read a text and Nova breathed a clear sigh of relief. Obviously I could only re
ad so far into the details, but that exchange told me Henry didn’t know about her gift. Which probably means Henry is human.

  “What do I tell…?” the driver asked, trailing off as she looked at Nova again in shock.

  Nova glanced at me, clearly at a loss for words. I spoke without thinking, wanting nothing more than to help Nova out.

  “You must’ve hit a deer,” I said with a shrug.

  The driver nodded; it might have been against the law to lie about it, but she would never admit to anyone she’d almost hit someone. She backed away, got into her car and slowly puttered off. We watched until she was out of sight and I breathed a sigh of relief. Somewhere on my left, I could swear Nova did the same.

  “Ow,” someone said.

  We all turned to see Andy, rubbing the back of his head where he’d smacked it against pavement. He walked over to Nova, tall frame towering over hers. He looked at her in awe. Nova blushed and a few of the girls hanging around to watch the scene giggled. I guessed I could understand why someone might find Andy good looking. Though at the moment, I only cared if Nova thought that.

  “Nova, I…I don’t even know what to say,” Andy said.

  “I’d rather you not say anything, honestly,” she said.

  Penelope’s bark of laughter pierced the silence. Andy looked out in what remained of the crowd.

  “You heard her. Go do your homework, kids,” he shouted. He grinned and a couple kids laughed with him, albeit a little uncomfortably. Many of them still eyed Nova and I could already see a few heads bent together in whispers.

  “Are you okay?” Andy asked her. The way he looked at her made my hands clench into fists. I suddenly wanted to hate this guy, no matter how nice he was.

  “Are you kidding?” She let out a laugh of disbelief. “I should be asking you that. You’re not like, traumatized or anything, right?”

  Andy chuckled. “No, I don’t think so. How can I ever thank you enough?”

  “Um, don’t mention it,” she said. He opened his mouth to protest and she stopped him. “No, seriously, please don’t tell anyone. I don’t regret it, but I’d rather not have all the attention.”