“You know, I think we can do good together,” Samantha said. “And, no, I didn’t mean well. I mean we can actually do some good. We can be heroes.”
I sighed and turned back to the statue. It showed me giving an uppercut to the air. Everybody knew who I was really giving the uppercut to: Richter. That was the first punch I ever dealt to him: that uppercut in the parking lot of Ebon High School. I remembered every second of it, the way it had felt to finally hurt someone who everyone said couldn’t be hurt. To do the impossible.
I liked that feeling. The feeling of giving people hope.
“I think we can, too,” I said.
“Yeah?” Samantha said. “Well, good. Besides, no one knows you’re back yet, anyway. No one knows it was Tempest who brought down that building.”
That brought the idea that I’d been mulling over in my head back to the forefront. It was something I hated to do, but if I was going to prove to Holocene, the world, and to myself that I was a hero, it needed to be done. “Not yet, at least. I’m going to take credit for it, though. I’m going to apologize, and do whatever I can to help clean up and rebuild.” It was just a small building. Small potatoes compared to what Richter had done. Still, it was the right thing to do.
“Good, I’m glad. I was hoping you’d say that,” Samantha said. She stood up. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I’m starving. I’ll call Doug and the three of us can go get something to eat.”
I stood up and nodded. “Sounds good to me. Will your parents let Doug come out, though? It’s getting kind of late.”
Samantha’s expression turned sad. “I’m his legal guardian. My parents… They, um… They died. So…”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Samantha,” I said. Heat rushed to my cheeks from embarrassment.
“No, no, it’s okay. I should’ve said something sooner.” Samantha tried to laugh it off, but I could tell she was uncomfortable. “Actually, you know what, it is kinda late. Doug has school tomorrow too. I should get going.”
“Samantha, I’m sorry I—”
“Don’t worry about it, Kane,” she said. She put a hand on my arm. “Have a good day back at school. If you get bored during class, or need the answers to something, send me a text. I’ll see what I can do,” she said with a sad smile and a wink.
“Okay, yeah, I’ll do that,” I said.
Samantha turned around and walked away. I saw her wipe something from her eyes, and I knew it was tears. I felt a pit in my stomach. I felt miserable, and the thought of having to go to school tomorrow made it worse.
13
THE FIRST DAY
I WAS STANDING a few hundred feet from the entrance to Ebon High School. It’d been ten months since the last time I’d been there for school. I was there a lot during the summer volunteering at the relief center in the gym—the one Richter and I later literally brought the roof down on. I hadn’t thought about that for a long time. I could see that repairs had been halted, so it just sat there, the hole in the roof like a gaping wound.
Most of the people who ran construction companies had moved to bigger cities, where they were in very high demand. Lawyers and people who owned construction companies were the two groups of people who were benefiting handsomely from the Richter crisis.
People walked past me, ignoring me, off in their own worlds. They were on their phones, talking with their friends, or listening to their music. I took a deep breath, soaking in my surroundings. The chilly February air bit at the parts of my body not covered by a jacket or hat. The smell of car exhaust filled my nose as people sat in the warmth of their running cars until the absolute last second. After that, they’d be kept warm by their frantic running as they tried to get to class in time, as if it were a race or a game.
I wished making it to class in time was the worst of my troubles. I really didn’t even want to come back to school, but Mom and Dad had insisted. They’d said I needed to keep up appearances, and the distraction would be good for me. I needed to be as much as a normal teenage boy as possible. So, yeah, they promptly shut down my suggestion of dropping out and getting my GED.
Deep down, I was happy they’d done that. After tossing and turning all night, I’d finally decided that I would own the situation and force myself to be excited about the distraction. I couldn’t find it in me to be excited about seeing Macy and Drew again, though. I dreaded it with every fiber of my being. I had no idea how they’d react, so I expected the worst. I expected them to be mad at me, to hate me. I wasn’t sure if I could blame them, either. I’d just up and disappeared for six months without so much as a goodbye. It hadn’t been my choice, of course, but nonetheless it was what had happened.
I thought back to the last time I’d seen Macy. I’d dropped her off after Michael’s funeral, the day she and Drew got into their big fight. She’d kissed me on the cheek, as a kiss on the lips on such an occasion seemed inappropriate. Still, she’d made me forget about my sadness, even just for a second.
And then I left. For six months.
I dreaded seeing her face again. I couldn’t face her after what I’d done—even though I’d saved her life. More than once!
I sighed in frustration and watched as my breath dissipated in the cold air. I forced myself to take one step forward. And then another.
Before I knew it, I was entering the hallways of Ebon High School, beginning my senior year.
Go Eagles.
* * *
FIRST AND SECOND period went by without turmoil. Some people were happy to see me, asked where I’d been, what I’d been up to, if I had any stories, etc. People I didn’t really know or care about, or they me. They were probably just gathering seeds of rumors that they’d spread like wildfire. I expected by the end of the school day to hear, “Kane went to Seattle, has a Super baby mama, and contracted some sort of Super STD so now he literally shits fire,” or something to that effect.
I sat at my desk in third period, waiting for class to start, trying to think of what I would call this super-STD—because what else are you supposed to do while waiting for class to begin?
“Kane?” I heard someone say, breaking me from my train of thought.
I looked up, and standing there—with facial hair—was Drew. “You have facial hair!” I exclaimed. Not what I had imagined would be the first thing I’d say when I saw Drew again.
“You still don’t!” he smirked.
Yeah, six months on the moon and not even a five o’clock shadow.
I stood up from my desk and walked over to Drew. I wasn’t sure if we were about to shake hands, hug it out, or if he was going to deck me. Thankfully, he went with the option behind door number two.
He gave me a big bro-hug, patting me on the back. I patted him back, maybe just a little too hard.
“Geez, you been working out?” he asked as he pulled away, wincing as he rolled his shoulders.
“Just what happens when you’re cleaning up someone else’s mess,” I said with a laugh. Yes. Already mentioning my stint in Seattle, hopefully making the whole thing more believable.
I sat back down at my desk, and Drew sat in the one next to me. “Not even a postcard?” he said.
“Sorry, bro. I was very busy, to say the least.”
“Oh, I’m sure. I went out and volunteered in New York, actually,” he said.
“Really? That’s awesome! How long were you out there?” I asked. I got a little lightheaded. If Drew had volunteered in the relief efforts, he’d know how everything was run. He’d be able to see right through my bullshit. I made a mental note that I’d have to get a phone call every time he wanted to trade war stories.
“I got back after Christmas. What made you stay in Seattle for so long?” he asked, looking at me curiously.
I looked down at the open notebook in front of me, trying to think of an answer. “Oh, you know, they really did a number up there. That whole Space Needle thing, especially.”
“Huh,” Drew said. He began getting his things from his pack. “We
ll, good to have you back. Really missed you, dude.”
I smirked and nodded. “Yeah, it feels really good to be back.”
Our teacher, Mr. Haver, walked into the classroom and began writing something on the board. I got my pen out, ready to take notes.
One down, one to go.
* * *
IT WAS LUNCHTIME, and Drew and I decided we’d eat in the cafeteria instead of going out to get lunch. We found an empty table near the back of the cafeteria and sat down across from each other.
“So, do you know where Macy’s at? I feel like I should hurry up and let her know I’m here. If I go the whole day without saying hi, she might kill me,” I said with a nervous laugh.
I didn’t like the look Drew gave me. “We don’t really hang out anymore, so I’m not sure. She’s probably sitting somewhere with her boyfriend…sorry.”
My heart dropped, and my mind raced. I hadn’t expected her to wait for me after being gone for six months, but I was hoping I could find my way back into her life one way or the other. But she had a boyfriend now, and that meant that she was off limits—both as a friend or anything more. She was probably way over me, and I knew that if I tried being friends with her, her boyfriend probably wouldn’t like that.
If she knew who I was, though, why I’d left, she’d understand. If I told her I’d been in a coma, she definitely wouldn’t. But that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Stealing someone’s girlfriend wasn’t the hero thing to do.
I really hated trying to be a hero at that moment. It was like I was on a diet or something. I knew it was good for me, I knew it was a thing I could do, and I knew that it was what I needed to do. Still, I felt the urge to indulge myself, and I found that denying that was a very hard thing to do.
“Who’s her boyfriend?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could. I took a bite of my chocolate pudding.
“Yeah, well, that’s the kicker,” Drew said. He looked down at his plate, thinking for a moment. Then he looked up at me, wincing. “Brian Turner.”
I almost spit out my pudding. I swallowed hard. “Brian Turner? Holy. Shit. I…I mean…holy shit!”
“Keep your voice down!” Drew said, trying to calm me down.
A million thoughts assaulted my brain at once. The biggest of which was disbelief. “He’s the biggest asshole of all time! He bullied me for years!”
Drew shrugged and took a bite from his mashed potatoes as if it was all old news. “That alley incident last year knocked a few screws loose or something. He’s like a giant teddy bear now. Everybody loves him. He loves everybody. He’s like the Buddha of Ebon High.”
Even though my mind was in a frenzy, Drew’s humor penetrated my thoughts, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure he loves that nickname.”
“That’s the thing!” Drew said incredulously. “He doesn’t care! You could go up to him and say, ‘Hey, Brian, just wanted to let you know that your mom’s the fattest person ever, and your sister’s a whore—I’d know,’ and he wouldn’t care.”
I winced at Drew’s example.
“Yeah, well, we can’t all bat a thousand,” he said with a sigh.
I laughed, as did Drew. I felt my guard falling down, like I was becoming Kane Andrews again. Sitting in the cafeteria with Drew, laughing about Brian, felt normal. Well, almost. There was an empty seat next to Drew where Michael would have sat, and in the back of my mind, I wished he was there. I would’ve loved to hear what he had to say about Drew’s lackluster insults.
“There’s a party tonight at Zach’s place, if you wanna come,” Drew said, changing the subject.
“A party on a Monday night?” I asked, giving him a look.
“His parents are out of town but just for tonight, so pretty much yeah. Nothing too crazy, though, just hanging out and stuff. Chilling.”
“Sure, I guess,” I said. It wouldn’t hurt anything.
“Cool. Where’re you living? Want me to pick you up?”
“Huh? What?” I asked, but then I remembered. He must’ve heard about Mom and Dad selling the farm. “Oh, we live in an apartment downtown,” I said. “I remember how to get there, though.”
“That’s pretty cool about your dad. He’s a pretty good lawyer, I hear. I’m glad you guys decided to move back to Ebon.”
“Yeah, there’s no place like home."
14
S&T, LLC
I WALKED into apartment 2407 at the York Towers in downtown Indianapolis—home sweet home.
“I’m home, Mom,” I called.
Mom peeked out of the kitchen, which sat to the right of the front door. “How was school?”
I set my backpack down on the couch and walked into the kitchen, where I got a glass of water. “Fine. Drew was cool, didn’t ask too many questions.”
“And Macy?”
I didn’t want to answer that question. “She’s good, I guess.”
“You guess?” Mom stopped making her protein shake. “You mean you didn’t talk to her?”
I shrugged as I placed my glass in the sink. “She’s dating Brian Turner, and we didn’t have any classes together, so not really. I flew home right after class was over.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom said. She looked at me with pity in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Really.”
I heard a door close down the hall. I hadn’t been aware anyone else was home. I looked out the kitchen doorway and saw Dad come walking down the hallway and into the living area.
“You’re home from work already?” I asked.
“I took off early. Wanted to be here when you got home,” he said. He leaned up against the back of the couch, crossing his arms.
I walked out and climbed up to sit on the bar that extended from the kitchen to the living area. I swung my feet back and forth beneath me.
“How was school?” he asked.
“Fine, I guess. Nothing special.”
“Macy’s dating Brian Turner,” Mom said.
“Zoe,” Dad said, giving her a look that simply said, ‘Really?’ “You okay with that?”
“Yeah, it’s whatever, Dad,” I said. I really didn’t want to talk about it. “I didn’t even get the chance to talk to her, anyway.”
“Not even a hello?”
“Nope. I might see her tonight, though. I’m going to a party.”
“On a Monday night?” Dad asked, surprised.
“Well, it’s not really a party. Just hanging out and stuff.”
“Well, make sure you’re not out too late. You don’t have homework, do you?”
“Yeah, but I’ll get it done before I leave.”
Dad nodded, satisfied with my answer. “Well, I’m gonna head up to the office and try to get some work done.” He grabbed his briefcase from the bar next to me.
“Drop me off at the gym on your way, will ya?” Mom asked as she walked out of the kitchen, protein shake in hand.
“Of course, sweetie,” Dad answered.
The two of them walked to the front door. Before they left, Dad turned to me. “Make sure that homework’s done before you leave.”
“I will, Dad,” I said as I got down from the bar.
“Hey, keep your head up, Kane. Everything’ll be fine.”
I nodded in acknowledgement. “Thanks, Dad.”
He shut the door behind him, and I started working on my homework, getting ready for the party.
* * *
USUALLY, the flight from Indianapolis to Ebon didn’t take me very long at all. But this time, I was taking my time. Almost every time I flew, it was as fast as I could. Slowing down to soar was an incredible feeling. Something I wished I could do more often. I watched as the city lights passed beneath me, like veins leading toward the beating heart of Indianapolis. Cars passed by below, their drivers unaware of the superhuman Tempest flying above them.
I was thankful for the cold winter air, as that meant I had an excuse to wear long-sleeved shirts and jackets. That meant I could wear my Tempest outfit un
der my clothes, which I found surprisingly comfortable. It kept me very warm.
“Hey, there. Just checking in,” I heard Samantha say in my mind.
“Howdy, pardner,” I said with a chuckle. The relaxation of flying had lifted my spirits a considerable amount.
“Anything to report on the school front?”
“Not what I had in mind for senior year, but it wasn’t a complete disaster.”
“That’s good to hear. I was hoping to hear from you today, but I realized I never gave you my number. It was a slow day here at Tempest & Samantha, LLC, HQ.”
“That’s a lot of acronyms.”
“Yeah, it’s a work in progress.”
I gave Samantha my number and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as she sent me a text, giving me her number.
“If you find yourself in a sticky situation, just send me something and I’ll be there in a flash.”
“That’s good to know,” I said with a smile. It really was nice to think about. If I ever needed someone to talk to, I had the voice in my head—and I wasn’t crazy, which made it that much better.
“Doug and I had a bit of a breakthrough today while we were going over our files on the Supers so far. It’s kinda embarrassing that we didn’t see it before. When can you come by Samantha & Tempest, LLC, HQ?”
“What happened to Tempest & Samantha?”
“Yeah, I decided that since I pay the rent, my name goes first.”
“Fair enough. I’m on my way to hang out with my friends. I’ll be by later tonight. Sound good?” I said. Speaking of which, I saw the lights of Ebon twinkling in the distance.
“Sounds good. I’ll be here waiting.”
“Okay, well, I’m almost in Ebon. I’ll talk to you later.”
The First Superhero (Book 2): The Siege of the Supers Page 5