True Heroes

by Gann, Myles

  Caleb sighed as the late bell rang and he gathered his things. His mind wandered to Carol. ‘Three weeks already: what a flash. I wonder what she has planned for the night. I don’t see myself objecting to anything, as long as comic books aren’t involved. I’m glad Mom made me keep them around; those little timewasters ended up being important after all.’ The stairs back into the building were cleared in a few gallops, but Caleb didn’t see Hackard until he’d almost run into the man. “Late again, Caleb?”

  Behind the rotund Principal was an entire crowd of students rushing to class like they would a Siren’s wail, but—‘Of course,’—only Caleb was stopped. “You’re not making me any earlier, Principal.”

  The man stepped aside, but Caleb soon saw another obstacle in his way as Stephen came walking up beside him further down the way. “Hey goth freak! Late are we?”

  Caleb sighed heavily and didn’t bother stopping. ‘Man-child or not, he’s never been worth my time. He thinks athletic rough-housing is an achievement and it somehow gives him dominion over everyone else. What a farce. No talent makes anyone above anyone else. It’s just another quirk.’ He readjusted his notebooks under his arm before turning and saying, “I am, as a matter of fact. Aren’t you? Oh, well, I guess elementary school does have a different schedule than high school. Wouldn’t wanna miss Duck-Duck-Goose time though.”

  Stephen stampeded forward and caught Caleb by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. Caleb was small compared to the football star lifting him by the throat. ‘The behemoth doesn’t know he’s playing with fire, though. A one-hundred-and-seventy-pound frame can be lifted by plenty of people, right up until my patience runs out. Then he’ll hit the floor faster than my feet.’ “Say something else you skinny little bastard! I’ll snap you in half and ship you home to your bitch mom!”

  Caleb’s hand twitched into a fist, but any action was stopped as Principal Hackard came speed-walking to stop anymore from happening. ‘The old man wouldn’t know what to do if the school paper had the words “Caleb,” “knocked out,” or “the star line backer” appeared in any combination. Your chances are slim to none of that headline giving you adulation, Stephen. You have no idea what I could do to you.’ “Let that boy down; not even you get to touch Caleb, football star or not. Can’t have my two shining examples duking it out when they should be in class.”

  Stephen just shot a “whatever” over his shoulder and walked away with his sole groupie chuckling at his side. ‘Even his cronies are abandoning ship. He’s down from three regulars to just one.’ Caleb smirked at the principal before walking to his philosophy classroom, where the teacher was already into her lesson. He quietly took his seat and barely avoided his teacher’s deadly-fast stare. He paid his daily homage to the poster of a donkey with a profound mustache hanging on the wall above him with one hand and took out his notebook with the other. Mrs. Drit suddenly broke away from her lesson and said over her shoulder, “See me after class, Caleb.” ‘And I’m the one with the superpowers…. Reason number one why she’s by far my most interesting teacher: applicable personality. She’s naturally a smartass that relies on personality habits and quirks to derive pattern and substance from people, which is why she finds me so interesting, I imagine. She knows I have very few normal habits and a bounty of quirks. Number two: her career choice. Her looks alone could’ve guaranteed her any modeling gig she wanted, and her mind alone could’ve had her at any sort of think tank position she’d wanted, and yet, here she stands. Maybe she isn’t bulimic enough for the spotlight, but she seems chiseled in all the right places to me.

  ‘I guess if I was a girl, I’d be nearly identical to her: smart out of necessity, messed up in some ways but excellent in others, always take pride in my body and the reactions it creates. Well, she may regret that last one after the kid last year…never really got the point of a restraining order with the invention of the telescope or binoculars. Even after that, she’s still casual in a formal environment. Always makes me smile that sense of perseverance. Those rectangular glasses on her nose aren’t rosy or foggy; those yellow eyes aren’t territorial or inviting; the softness of her face not warm or cold. She simply is and simply presents herself as such, not responsible for the reactions of others, and is perfectly content with leaving what happened as it lies. What a life.’

  Caleb’s mind finally began to tune into the lesson just as she began one of her angry rants. “So, to make up for the dreadful test scores, we’re not having any more tests until the final. Instead, I’ll be giving your little minds the opportunity to come up with your own topic and to teach the class. Bring in a topic idea and enough discussion questions to last the whole period. This will, obviously, represent most of your grade for the year. Fail it and, well, do the math.”

  She passed out the tests, Caleb vaguely noting the “A+” at the top of his paper before shoving it into a notebook, and the bell sounded again. ‘Didn’t think I was that late.’ Another stampede ensued, leaving Caleb to slowly rise from his seat and, paying homage again to the donkey, then approach Mrs. Drit’s shabby desk. The eraser in her hands ceased its duties and she turned to smile at him. “Ah my semi-star student. Why is it that your genius and your common sense have such a large gap between them?”

  “What can I say? Outside influences do their best to keep them apart.”

  She sat behind her desk and didn’t bother to smile at his sarcasm. ‘Reason three: her remarkable ability to completely control her emotions. She could feel with the situation or drop a cold stare on a moment’s notice in such a whiplashing fashion. I guess it comes in handy dealing with the morose and unforgiving crowd high-schoolers are known to be. But still, that kind of ability doesn’t come from teaching alone. What happened to you Mrs. Drit?’ The glasses he’d admired earlier were set on her desk and a sigh escaped her beautiful lips. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less that you were late today. I’ll just assume you were held up by something beyond your control, and you’re one of the only ones in this class who has a grip on the material.” Caleb shifted his pack. “I still have my reasons for keeping you here so don’t get too antsy. You're on free period now right?”

  “Yeah, but I did have some stuff to do….”

  A smile finally broke through her face and her yellow eyes seemed suddenly happy. “I promise I’ll try not to keep you the whole time. A question begs answering, though: what do you plan to do after you get out of this place?”

  ‘Don’t say be a super hero.’ He darted his thoughts away from the comics in his backpack and came up with a more traditional answer. “College I think. Somewhere. Not exactly sure where or for what yet.”

  “Getting a jump start on procrastination, aren’t we? Not the best course of action, but I’m sure you’re smart enough to already know that. How are your speeches for debate team and mock court coming?”

  ‘This is silly. I’m not in the mood to small talk and hiding from the real reason she has me here.’ “Finished them both when I sat down and worked on them for ten minutes.” Their eyes met. ‘Fiery butterflies…why do I have that feeling?’ “Do you wanna get to the point of why I’m really here?”

  A larger smile curled the corners of her lips, but it disappeared just as quickly and an ashamed look came over her face as if she was truly ashamed of it even coming out at all. ‘Why?’ “Well,” she paused. ‘She’s never at a loss for words. Stranger and stranger.’ “I know it’s your senior year and you’re already involved in the majority of the clubs here at school, but I was wondering if you wanted to add one more to the list.”

  ‘This is a conundrum…. I’m already giving up some clubs and taking up this one would make me seem hypocritical, but she’s acting really weird, and this club could be a good way to find out why. Fiery butterflies are flapping ash into my esophagus….’ “Tell me about it.”

  “Well,” again she paused to fold her hands and assume a professional demeanor, “it would be a mostly in school group, with a few meetings taking p
lace at my house, and as far as activities go, we would…engage in discussions over events in the world and maybe hold a few public shows. We’d have group dinners every now and then and other little…rewards for participation.”

  The look she gave him now wasn’t like any other he’d gotten from a teacher. ‘That’s the weirdest thing by far. Her cheeks are higher to accommodate her sharpened eyes, both of which being subservient clues above the slight part of her slender lips…. I bet I could almost hear her dense breath without using my power…she’s nervous. No flushing or heightened pulse that I can tell, so no embarrassment anymore. She must really want me to join this club. What the…get out of here power—nobody summoned you. And tell those butterflies to go away too. Relax slugger. Let’s see where this goes.’ “It sounds a little boring to me.”

  “Oh no, no. When have you ever been bored in my class?” She chuckled in a casual, high-pitched tone. ‘Never heard that sweet laugh.’ The lingering laugh carried over into her next statement. “No, trust me, this group guarantees that you won’t be bored.”

  ‘Okay, this experiment is over for now. She must not be feeling well or something.’ Trying to conceal how awkward he felt, he reached down for his answer. “I’ll think about it. When’s the first meeting?”

  A flash of disappointment came and went through her eyes. ‘It was brief but it was there.’ “When I get some members together, I’ll let you know. Sound good?” Her hand jutted forward for a handshake as he nodded and smiled, actually feeling a little more comfortable now. “Good luck this year, Caleb.”

  He turned and began to walk to the door as it was being opened by the glowing principal. Hackard’s aura faded with Caleb in sight, but energized while he passed by and straightened to Drit’s desk. ‘She’s got an in with Hackard. No idea if they’ve done anything, but I can promise he’s thought about it on quite a few lonely, cold nights with a box and a bottle. Who doesn’t think like that about her? I’m definitely in the minority for being platonic. I wonder how he talks to her. Only one way to find out.’ He slowed his pace and submerged his hearing into his power to catch their conversation. “Sorry, what was that Henry?”

  Caleb slowed further and listened closely. “I asked why our prized student was held after. If it was because of his tardiness I—”

  “That wasn’t it. Unlike you, I don’t like to dim the brightest students over something as stupid as tardiness. No, we were just talking about college and his stuff for debate team. Lots of informal stuff, really.”

  Caleb retracted his power as he moved out of range. ‘Was it really necessary to lie to him about that?’

  - - -

  ‘She’s being really nosey lately,’ Caleb noted to himself while dropping the phone to his flat chest. ‘Fifth lap. Expensive shoes, I bet. It’s good that somebody gets to use this old stadium. Well, besides me. Still, he’s not bothering me.’

  He traced the outline of a passing cloud with his finger. ‘I’m wasting my time here. When’s the last time I didn’t think that? Here, at home, doesn’t matter. Jeez, what’s wrong with me? What, do I really think my time would be better spent doing? Seriously, pick anything and I’ll get into it, Brain. Sewing? Sports? Shuffleboard?’

  The man circled the track for the sixth time as Caleb’s phone vibrated.

  “Do I know what I want to do tonight,” he whispered aloud. ‘Good God Carol, will you please text normally? You’ve got a better vocabulary than me and it’s your free period; what exactly is your inhibiting factor?’ He sighed as the sun was caught behind another cloud. His back straightened until he was sitting upright on the squeaking metal bleacher of the outdoor stadium. ‘Don’t take it out on her. Being around her is the only time I don’t feel like a waste. My power and her. That’ll be with me forever, but I can’t lose her. That part’s up to me.’

  The man was still rounding off his seventh lap as Caleb strolled down the stairs and through the back entrance to the school. ‘Answer her. She already sent me another one….’ “I could pick you up right from school,” he whispered again while carelessly rearranging the contents of his locker in the crowded hall. ‘No, no, no not a chance.’ He typed away into his phone and quickly sent the message. ‘I’ve got to get out of here now. Tell her I raced home for something. Absolutely no way I’m letting her see me like this.’

  His phone vibrated again.

  Caleb skipped down the school steps and weaved past the kids blocking his way. ‘Dodged a hail of bullets there.’ He slid his cell phone back into his pocket. ‘Calm down. Deep breaths. She won’t be finding out anything today. Carol coming to pick me up directly from school: very bad idea. The trouble brought with that would be akin to a blitzkrieg. Why am I still like this? Knowing her for years and sharing intimacy doesn’t buy her a small window into my life?’ That question plagued him as he jogged around the corner and down Flax Street. The sidewalks were mostly deserted because of the construction that was happening at the same time, making his jog not seem as out of place. Across from the furthest edge of the largest bank in town he accelerated and veered off the sidewalk into another construction site. ‘This one doesn’t seem as urgent as the other site. That one’s chugging right along while this one has rusting equipment all over the place. People are there every day after school, but never here. Oh well, no complaints from me….

  ‘Not going to focus on Carol now?’ He sighed out a heavy breath as his pace quickened enough so his legs, deep in power, could bend slightly and vault the eight-foot fence, over the cliff overlooking his very elementary set-up, and down just inside some of his fallen markers. The steep climb back to the fence served as a fitting protectorate from wandering people curious of the acts he practiced while barrels rusted against tanned dirt away from his stance, both beside where his shoes felt the tickling comfort of grass on the left. Two bulldozers and a cement truck were left to their stationary devices yards ahead for what looked like a while now. ‘Not much time for idle staring today. Carol will be at your house in a bit. Set your alarm and reset the markers.’ The shadow of his dirt mountain cooled him as he laid his phone out of the danger zone. This simple set was comprised of little flags on sticks that marked off twenty yards in front of him: his goal for the extent of his power. ‘I’ve been stretching and pushing it. I think I should look at applications today.’

  Caleb’s neck and fingers crackled as a deep inhale came in and out, allowing his power to flow freely. The world was dipped into a vat of color, emerging with an extra dimension added; every action creating a colored wave of reactions that bounced from a fine mesh wrapping the world in constant time. An orb with the slightest blue light could be seen surrounding him. He assumed his relaxed stance in the center of his markers and began to push and flex his power to its maximum area; the blue steadily gaining wattage and spread as more energy flowed. His emotionless face didn’t contort or try to force anything; he was still a picture of relaxed precision with every gained inch. Pushing, feeling; his senses became massive tentacles that moved and stretched to intermingle with everything around him. Everything from the earth beneath him to the air he breathed came to his mind in droves as he felt himself getting stronger and his muscles tighten. Harmony came to him between his mind, body and soul; a balanced scale that added weight to each golden cradle in equal amounts as the crux rose further and further up the mountainside. Feeling his limit coming on, he slowed his advance and gazed through his bright eyes. Within this new bubble of strength, everything was under his control. He glanced at his markers and saw he was at the very edge of nine yards, an all-time high for him.

  “Getting there,” his inner voice echoed against the walls of his brightly extended globe. Deep blue fiercely cut the air at the furthest fallen marker while his stance relaxed slightly. Very little pride made it past his inner sanctum simply because he knew there was nothing to celebrate yet. Caleb’s feet carried him toward the grouping of barrels as a joyless smile came to his face. Each old barrel sat on the edge of a patch of g
rass curling around the gravel he treaded on now, and as he approached, the grass bent over and lay flat as soon as his nine-yard sphere reached the blades, as if the life of the green were laid to rest beneath a blanket. They lay further under his power’s warmth as he moved forward. The barrels soon permeated his spherical haven by his choice, wiggling lightly with his bobbing approach. He lifted one of his arms and concentrated on the closest rusty metal until it started to rock to a greater extent. “Let’s try it.” He refocused and put everything he had into the barrel, large dents beginning to appear and a crunching sound making his mind wince. He dropped the crumpled drum, or the human-head sized heap of metal it had become, to the ground and turned his attention to the second barrel in line. Using much less of his strength, his energy gripped and moved as an extended hand, gently lifting the cylinder off the ground about a foot and settling it back into the grass.

  Another joyless smile came to his lips as he backed up and studied his body and power. To him, everything outside his energized eyes was a shade of blue like the one his eyes exposed every time he fell to this state. He could feel his power waning; the normally perfect ball of energy around him was starting to flux on its own, sending tremors and waves throughout the blue seal between him and the rest of the world. The millions of pebbles under him were being moved to and fro, making everything look as if they were thrown into an ocean during a hurricane. Caleb gazed at his hand. “I do hope this fluxing will fall into my control with more practice,” he said with a voice devoid of emotion.

  Through his power-enhanced ears, Caleb could hear the ringtone that warned him he had only two minutes to get home. He trotted over, taking care not to harm his phone by creating a deepening crevice the further into his extended field it came. A pile of unbalanced metal and rocks fell behind him. His power flared up again as he turned, but quickly calmed with the beautiful sight of the thunderous waves of sound and motion making their way through the air. Their intricate web of beauty held something else. Eyes squinting, he saw two silhouettes at the end of his power that were, as usual, just out of focus and devoid of any waves. He recognized the smaller outline as it was a frequent visitor in these visions, but the other was larger and unfamiliar to him. The large one began to push and beat on the smaller one. “Reminds me of Stephen. That smaller silhouette isn’t me, though. It’s smaller and more feminine than me. It hugs at the ground as if the dirty bits will save it. Nature surely cares nothing for the desperate beating.