Fire Hazard: Cape High Book Eight (Cape High Series 8)

by R. J. Ross

  "You're making fun of me!" she declares.

  "Teasing you," I correct, pulling out the piece of paper they'd given me. "Um... where's locker 117?" I ask. "Not that I have any books to put in it."

  "Tell me why you're teasing me and I might help you out," she says.

  "Fine," I say, leaning forward. I shouldn’t tell her this, I know. Century is going to kill me. Nico won’t, though! That decides it. "Max IS Maximum."

  "No... WAY!" she squeaks, her eyes lighting up. "You're lying, right? That's got to be a lie!"

  "I'm from Missouri--that’s Central territory," I tell her quietly, "remember?"

  "I want to meet him!" she breathes out, looking beyond excited. "Who else do you know? Have you ever met--" she lowers her voice--"Dragon?"

  "Oh, yeah, sure," I say. "Haven't had any weighty discussions with him, though, he doesn't actually talk much, he's usually drawing."

  "Stop hitting on my girl, Pyro." The growl makes me sigh inwardly and turn around to look at Tank. He's a lot taller than me, almost by a foot, and broader. I think, if I was a norm, or he was really a cape, I might have been nervous...

  Nah.

  "He’s not hitting on me, Tank," Jimena says, moving between me and the big guy. "We were just talking!"

  "I don't like you talking with other guys!" Tank snaps.

  I go still, something clicking in my head. That one statement really, and this is a bit of a shock, pisses me off. "She's your girlfriend, not your property, Tank," I say in a mild tone. "You should treat her with more respect."

  "Don't give me that line, you've got no say in our relationship," Tank snarls, getting in my face. I stare him straight in the eye, wondering if getting in a fight on the very first day might get me tossed out. This school doesn't follow Cape High rules, there the rules say that fights will merely get you extra training time. Dorm rules say that fights get your powers taken away for fifteen minutes. The rules for this school are probably a lot tougher.

  "Tank, cool off!" Jimena snaps. "We were just talking about his friends from back home! You met one of them last night!"

  "Oh, right, the fake Maximum," he drawls. "Big whoop."

  "He's not fake," Jimena says. I turn towards her and touch her shoulder, about to tell her to stop, but a giant fist slams into the side of my face instead. For a moment I just stand there, looking at the fist blankly. He'd just punched me. Wow, that was pathetic.

  "Next time I'll hit you for real," he says, almost stuttering. He wants to play it off, huh? "You see how fast I am? I've got the power to back it up, you know!"

  No he doesn't. I just stare at him as he backs off, wondering if I should pretend to be hurt--or angry. I probably should, if only for his sake. His ego's got to be hurting almost as much as his hand is. Wait... this sounds familiar... oh, right! A tiny grin pulls at my lips unconsciously. Ace had done this in his old school.

  "You’re LAUGHING?" he bellows in my face.

  "Just remembering something," I say. He isn’t worth reacting to, I decide. The bell rings and I look at my paper. "Hey... where's room 214?" I ask a randomly passing kid.

  "Tha--that way," the kid says, pointing.

  "Thanks." I walk away, leaving both Jimena and Tank staring after me blankly. It's been a long time since I was in a real school. It might be interesting.

  ***

  Jimmi spent the entire morning worried. Worried about Tank's hand, for one--it doesn't look very good, which makes no sense to her, and worried about Pyro's face. She thinks his name is Pyro, at least. It's probably a call name like Tank and Speed, though. Boys are so focused on super names that it baffles her. Of course she's GOT one. She doesn't go by it, though. She feels a little stupid calling herself "Burnout," out loud. It's more of a little fantasy about being a real super and not just a bunch of kids trying to be.

  She leans back against Pyro's locker, hugging her bag to her chest. Tank had left around lunch, saying he had better things to do. Honestly she hopes he went to a doctor, because his hand was starting to turn purple the last time she saw it. But aren't tanks supposed to be invulnerable?

  "You're blocking my way." The cool, slightly amused voice makes her look up at Pyro. He's... really good looking, a voice whispers in the back of her mind. She instantly yells at herself for being a bad girlfriend. Tank would kill her if he knew she thought that.

  "Sorry," she says, looking away from him as she moves aside. "How, um... how’s your face?"

  "My face?" he asks blankly.

  "You know, Tank hit it this morning?"

  "Oh, right. I think I'll live," he says as he tosses a few books into the locker. "History, on the other hand, might kill me," he adds dryly as he grabs his bag and closes the locker, locking it. "I gotta go."

  "Where?" she asks.

  "Flint's picking me up--I've got to get my bike license," he says, walking away.

  "You're right," she says abruptly, making him stop. "He should--you know..." oh the guilt, she thinks, "treat me... better," she admits quietly.

  "You're a cape, Jimmi," he says, “you can fix the problem."

  Then he's gone, leaving her feeling abandoned and a bit disgusted with herself for even thinking he might save her.

  ***

  I watch as Flint pulls up to the curb, sliding into the passenger seat and staying silent as he starts for his house. Maybe I should take her away from Tank. It would cut this entire ordeal short and everyone would be happy--except that's not what I need to do. Look, the zoo kids are LED by a female the same age as Jimmi. Morgan isn't a weakling, she doesn't expect some other person to show up and save her--she spent the entire time she was in captivity trying one trick or another to get free. Even when the rest of us had given up, she was still fighting for her freedom. That's why she's our leader. That's why I would willingly go to war for her.

  I think... I don't know, maybe I want Jimmi to decide for herself what she wants. She's in a situation that I'm pretty sure isn't good--I mean, seriously, they were talking about destroying a house just the night before. Sure she wasn't there, but those are the kind of guys she's gotten involved with. She seems to have chosen it by the way she's dating one of them. Argh, I’ve had this argument with myself, already!

  "There was a little redhead that came by with Firefly," Flint says abruptly. "She wanted to come along."

  I jerk, my eyes widening. "Emily's here?"

  "Yeah, when I told them you were going to get your license, Firefly decided they would go shopping and told me to call her when we were done."

  "Why Emily?" I wonder, frowning slightly. "I would have expected Trent or maybe Sunny."

  "I don't know," Flint says. "Who is she?"

  "Kid Liberty's future partner," I say as we reach his house. "Can I drive to the DMV?"

  "No, but I can," he says, getting out of the car and heading for my bike. "You can ride behind me!"

  "But--it's MY bike," I complain as he pulls my flame patterned helmet on.

  ***

  "Did you know the flames glowed like that?" Flint asks as we walk out of the DMV. I have my license now. I had to go through a driving course. Honestly, I think Century pulled a few strings, because I’m pretty sure I should have been in there longer. There had been a seriously confused look on the trainer’s face when he told me I was finished. I guess Century didn’t want to waste time that should be spent doing what he wants me to do. If anyone can circumvent the norm system, it’s the Hall, regardless of what branch it is.

  I also have a bike that has glowing flames covering the body. I even have the ability to change the colors of the flames, or so Nico had told me over my earring link. He seemed quite interested in whether I got my bike license or not. He could probably sell bikes like this for millions, I think as I drive back to Flint's place. I'm most likely his billboard for the South Branch supers, or something.

  "How much do you think he'd charge for one of these?" Flint asks, practically reading my mind.

  "Haven't a clue. Nico builds strang
e things all the time--we spent an entire week pretending to be norm heroes just because he's got so many toys for them," I admit as we pull into his driveway and he hops off. "Can't you fly?"

  "Sure, but does it matter?"

  "Good point."

  He starts walking around the bike and I flip the switch to change the flames from orange to a dark purple. "Stealth mode," I say jokingly. Then I realize there's a black setting. "Wait, no, this is stealth mode," I say, flipping it over.

  "You got your license yet?" I hear someone from above. Before I even glance up, Emily is dropping to the ground in front of me. "Thanks, Liz!" she says happily to one of the most dangerous females in the world. "I LOVE the hat," she adds, patting the massive cowgirl hat she's wearing. She even has a dorky string under her chin, holding it on.

  "I'll come to pick you up tonight before bedtime," Firefly says, landing next to the redhead and hugging her. "Don't be too much trouble, will you?"

  "I won't."

  "Ditto, either," she says dryly. "Vinny, I'll be bringing Aubrey over this weekend, okay?"

  "You know I have a job to do--" I start out, only to groan as she flies away without listening.

  "Sweet bike! Take me for a ride!" Emily says, hopping onto the pillion seat that Flint had just gotten off.

  "Helmet," he says simply, handing his over. She gives him a brilliant grin and hands him her cowgirl hat and slips on the helmet. "Does the bike run off of your power like the other stuff he makes?" she asks.

  "It's got a plug in, but I haven't had to charge it yet, so maybe half and half?" I say. "Where are we going?"

  "To meet Jimmi!" she says. "She's going to be one of us, right?"

  "How about we just go for a ride?" I say instead, starting to drive. It's not like she'll ruin my rep if people see us. Emily dresses way more punk than I do--she's wearing a pair of combat boots, zipper decorated black capris and a tank-top that has a picture of some redheaded cartoon character with striped stockings. Her short red hair is streaked with white and blue, and she's got four earrings in each ear. "Are your earrings glowing?" I ask her, glancing at her in my side mirror.

  "Yep! Liz made me some--well, sort of. She more or less stole the basics from Nico's office and made herself some--then I stole them," she says. "They don't do all the cool stuff yours do, but I like them! But anyway, Max says I need to talk to you."

  "And whatever Max says, your group does, right?"

  "Don't joke about this," she says in a quiet tone that makes me blink. "We've been talking in our group--about yours. I want to make friends with Carla, by the way," she says, her tone lightening again. "She declared herself second in command as soon as you left and they've been doing this game of king of the mountain ever since. It's hysterical."

  "Yeah, sounds like her," I admit. "Lance should be second in command with me gone, though."

  "They're fine," she tells me. "Oh, look, a smoothie store!"

  In other words, I think, obediently pulling into the parking lot, I have to get her a smoothie. She hops off the back of my bike and races in, leaving me to kick the kickstand down and hang up my helmet before following her. She's standing in line--right behind Jimmi, I think with a slight twitch. "Come on, Vinny, I already spent all my money going shopping with Liz," she calls to me.

  I walk over, moving behind her and looking at the menu. "Hey, Pyro," Jimmi says hesitantly. "Is this your girlfriend? If it is, you work seriously fast, don't you?"

  "Oh, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm just his friend," Emily says. "Emily," she adds, holding out a hand to Jimena.

  "Jimmi," Jimena says, her eyes lighting up as she shakes hands. "Are you--um--you know?"

  "Yep, I know," Emily says. "I'm a natural redhead," she adds in a conspiratorial whisper. I choke, looking away and trying not to laugh. It doesn't work--especially when Emily hits me hard on the back.

  "Oh, man," I say, snickering. "That was great!" Emily beams up at me proudly and even offers her knuckle for a bump. I give her what she wants, still grinning. "Nice timing."

  "Thank you," she says as Jimena orders. "Trent's still complaining that Max came out first--he's positive that Max wants you on their side, but that wouldn't be fair, since they just got Ace. You're not joining their side, are you?"

  "Remember I'm halfway across the country right now," I say quietly. "Sides aren't that big on my mind at the moment, plus, Trent's more than enough for one side."

  "Who's Trent?" Jimena asks as the line moves forward.

  "My boyfriend," Emily brags, pulling out her phone and showing her a picture. "Hot, isn't he?"

  "He looks a little... normal for you," Jimena says with a frown.

  Emily snorts. "She called Trent normal looking," she says to me.

  "He is normal looking, compared to his brother," I point out.

  "Well, yeah, but EVERYONE is normal looking compared to Jack."

  "True," I say, grabbing the phone and looking at the picture. "Seriously, though, does it have to be a picture of him eating?" I ask her as I hand it back.

  "Well yeah, when it's one of the Lib--" she stops, looking at me guiltily. "I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

  "Probably not," I say.

  "Jimmi, you're coming to our--"

  I cover her mouth with my hand. "Emily? Can I have a little talk with you?" I ask in a mild tone. She reaches up and pulls my hand away.

  "Can I get the smoothie first?" she asks. "I'm next."

  "Fine, but no talking, got it?" I say, sighing. Jimmi is looking at us strangely. I think she's figured out something. Man, I've blown this job so big. They're never going to send kids to Cape High--EVER. "It's your turn," I point out to her.

  "Oh, um, right," she says, ordering quickly. When she gets her smoothie, though, she just steps to the right, watching us. I get the feeling she's going to follow us. Great.

  "I want a green apple smoothie and a strawberry and banana smoothie, and... what do you want, Vin?" Emily asks.

  "Two--no, never mind," I say, catching myself. "Give me--green apple?" I ask Emily.

  "It's amazing."

  "Gimme one of those, too," I say, not really caring. We wait for our smoothies and Emily grabs her two before heading for the door as I'm paying. I chase after her, seeing a familiar looking gang loitering in the parking lot. "Sup, Speed," I call to the leader before heading for Emily, who's found a picnic table to the side. Ditto comes out from behind a tree, reaching for the strawberry and banana smoothie. She's wearing a different outfit than Emily.

  "Both of you?" I say.

  "I couldn't make up my mind," Emily says shamelessly, taking a long drink off her smoothie.

  "She never has to," Ditto says cheerfully. "So why are we supposed to keep all of this a secret, anyway? Weren't we supposed to bring her home?"

  "She's not a puppy," I say, sitting on the table between the two--they left a gap. I can only assume that it’s for me. I look at the gang in the distance, watching as Tank grabs her arm and hauls her over. "She's dating that big idiot--thinks he's a tank."

  Both Emily and Ditto stare at Tank for a long moment, then look at me. "Is he?" they ask.

  "He punched me and broke his fist on my face," I drawl.

  "Like that guy did to Ace?" Emily asks, starting to laugh.

  Ditto reaches up and turns my face to her, frowning as she examines me from all angles. "Nope, not even a bruise. But we don't know if Trent would bruise you, either. Let's call him and have him try!"

  "No," I say simply, "let's not. Besides, it wouldn't break his fist."

  "Oh well," she says, shrugging. "We're here to talk to you."

  "Because Max sent you," I say. "What does he want you to talk to me about?"

  They lean forward, looking at each other in front of me, then drop down on the picnic table bench so they're looking up at me. "Max thinks you were affected by the zoo more than you're ever going to admit," Emily says slowly, taking a long drink of her smoothie.

  "And we have a little bit of experience
with being in a really bad situation," Ditto says. "Before you guys came we were brought in by Double M. Actually," she admits, looking over at Jimmi, "we're from this branch. There's a family in this branch that has two daughters. They're... really mean."

  "They were the ones that took me in when my parents died," Emily says quietly. "They were nice at first, they helped me out and everything... it was a rough time for me."

  "But as time went on... well, the sisters started taking things from Emily," Ditto says. "They beat on her when she didn't give in. It was really bad... and she had no proof because we heal really super fast."

  "So I left Ditto in the house and ran away," Emily says. "I was living in the streets when Double M found me, scrounging through the trash for food... it... wasn't good," she says awkwardly, looking in Jimmi's direction again.

  "Then they put us in Trent's home," Ditto says, both of them cheering up. "And we had Jeanie and Ken and now we have Liz, who's amazingly awesome," she adds. "She's the perfect adopted mom."

  "We adopted her," Emily agrees, "because her dad's a jerk and her mom's gone, so she's ours. Ours and Aubrey's, of course."

  "Of course," Ditto agrees. "So... did that help, any?" she asks me.

  "Not for me," I say honestly. "But... you might have made a good point." I blink as I realize that Jimmi is looking straight at us, and wonder just how good her hearing is. "Look, you two," I say, leaning my elbows on my knees and looking from one to the other. "Max is wrong about me. I am who I've always been. Just because he has huge aspirations for being a cape doesn't mean I have to. Honestly, the greatest thing in this entire universe is not being behind glass walls," I say almost silently. "I'm just enjoying that fact every day."

  "Well, yeah, that's good for the first couple of weeks," Emily says.

  "But not for the rest of your life," Ditto says, looking over at Jimmi again. "There are all sorts of ways to get into an abusive relationship, Vinny," she says quietly, "sometimes so-called 'love' is the most vicious door."

  "I..." I say slowly, "I think she should choose for herself."