“Well, I’m sure that Buzz will protect you from them.”
“I don’t think I need protection. The lady only wants money, and the electric boy doesn’t seem like a bad guy. What do you think?”
I eyeballed her. “What do you want, Hen? I tried to talk to you and clear the air at the park and you stormed off. I tried being friends even when I first got here, but you shut that down really fast too. So now you want to talk? What gives?”
She shrugged. “I just thought that you could use a friend. I know I was kind of a jerk at first, and even at the park, but I was having a bad day.”
“And last week? You know, the entire time I was here?” I asked. “You made it pretty clear that you didn’t want anything to do with me. I saw you look away from me at the party. I may not look like much, but I’m not a total idiot.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot at all. Why would you say something like that?” she muttered.
I shrugged and rolled my eyes. To be honest, I had enough going on that I didn’t feel like getting into another fight with her. It was the same thing, time and time again. We would get along for a few minutes, then she would get distracted by Buzz, and out of nowhere, I would be nothing to her. She wouldn’t look at me, talk to me, or even acknowledge that I was a living, breathing person. It didn’t make any sense. I was over her games.
“Did you need something, or did you just come out here to apologize? Because I’ve had one hell of a weekend, and I’m still recovering too. The world doesn’t revolve around you, you know.”
She glared at me. “You know what? Never mind. Sure, I was going to tell you I was sorry, but now I don’t think so. You’re so good at playing the wounded dog part but you can’t take responsibility for your own actions. You’re just as bad as Buzz, you know.”
My mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me? Maybe if I were a huge prick like Buzz, then you would give me the time of day. That’s what you like, isn’t it? Money, power, and a silver spoon dangling from his mouth.”
“At least he wasn’t scared to make a move!”
“I’m not surprised!” I yelled. “You probably had a boyfriend then too! At least I have some self-respect.”
She screamed and spun away from me, storming off but only making it halfway before spinning back around and storming to where she started. “You know, for your information, Buzz and I broke up. I was going to see if you could tutor me, but now I see you’re nothing but a big, fat jerk!”
“You broke up with him?” I said before catching myself. “You’ll probably take him back though, right?”
Hen glared at me again. “No. For your information, I’m not going to take him back again.” She snorted. “You must be talking with Andy. He’s always had a flair for the dramatic.”
“Isn’t that kind of the pot calling the kettle black?” I asked her.
She grinned. The mood between us was lightening some, and I was very grateful for it. I hated to fight with her, but it seemed like that was the only time we ever talked. There had to be another way to do things. Now that she was single, even if it wasn’t for long, maybe we would hit it off after all.
“Sorry about you and Buzz,” I muttered.
Hen laughed. “I don’t think you are. Not one bit. But it’s still a nice gesture, so thank you for that. I think it was time. He was always trying to change me. I don’t want to be with someone who treats other people like he treated you.”
“Oh, no,” I said. “Don’t tell me you used me as a reason to break up with him. I don’t want to deal with that jock.”
Shaking her head, she grinned at me again. “No. Of course not. It was my decision, but you did say something that stuck the other day. He’s a real jerk and I can’t change him. He doesn’t want to change, so it’s never going to happen. I don’t know. I guess we’re just on different pages. Plus, I don’t want to be stuck around here for the rest of my life. If I’m going to get into a good school, I need to get my grades up.”
She paused for a long second. I knew what she was waiting for. Hen was the type of girl who didn’t have to ask men for anything. They would fawn over her at the bat of an eye, but not me, at least not anymore. I needed her to know that I saw her as an equal, not just a pretty face. Crossing my arms, I smiled at her but still said nothing until she finally sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.
“I’m failing biology. That doesn’t ever happen to me, okay? I don’t like that I can’t see how to figure it out on my own.”
“So you need some help?” I offered.
She shrugged. “My parents want to hire a tutor, but to be honest, my father was just laid off and I don’t want them to have another one to pay. I was hoping that maybe you could do it as a friend.”
“Is that what we are now?” I asked. “Sorry, but this is just a little sudden. One second, you’re pretending like you don’t see me, then the next, you need my help? How would you feel if you were in that position?”
“I don’t know,” she muttered. “I would feel like shit. Look, I’m not saying that I didn’t make mistakes. I feel like shit for how I treated you. Haven’t you ever just wanted a fresh start in life?”
I swallowed hard. I’d wanted a fresh start for the past year of my life. Things hadn’t gone the way they were supposed to. Of course I could understand where she was coming from. I had to swallow my pride. My mother would have been ashamed of me for not instantly turning the other cheek. Hen was doing her best to reach out to me, and I had to give her credit for that. It took a lot for someone to admit when they were wrong.
“Okay, yeah. You want a fresh start, and so do I,” I told her as I stood up and stuck out my hand. “Hi, my name is Benji. I’m pretty new here.”
Hen blushed, a broad smile crossing her face as she gently took my hand. “Hey, Benji, I’m Hen. I hear you’re good at biology.”
I shrugged and grinned as she sat down next to me. “I dabble. Need some help?”
“Desperately,” she said. “I can’t tell up from down with this stuff, and that’s a first for me. I’ve never loved science, but the older I get, it seems like the less I understand. Now give me math or English, and I kick ass.”
“Or pompoms?” I joked.
Hen blushed. “Yeah, those too, but I don’t know if I’m going to stay on the team.”
“What?” I said quickly. “Why not? I’ve only been to one game, but you kicked butt out there,” I said.
Hen laughed. “You should stick with what you know, otherwise you’re gonna get yourself in trouble.”
“Good point. So, biology, huh? You got lucky. That is one subject I know better than any of the others. I’d be happy to help you out.”
“Are you sure?” she asked carefully. “I mean, I can’t pay you or anything, and I have to warn you, I’m hopeless when it comes to biology.”
“I think I’m up for the challenge,” I promised her. “Sorry about you and Buzz, and sorry about what I said earlier. I know breaking up with people sucks, especially when you’re sure it’s over.”
She cocked her head. “I didn’t take you as the romantic type.”
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. “Well, there was a girl back in Oregon. We’d been dating for a while before I figured out she was cheating on me. It’s never easy to deal with a breakup. I didn’t have any right to add to your shit storm today.”
“It’s okay,” Hen said softly. “I know you didn’t mean it. I just hoped for so long that Buzz would change, but it wasn’t till this weekend that I finally realized that wasn’t going to happen. You know, he never once asked me about art school.” She was on a roll now. “He just assumed that I would follow him to whatever college his parents bought him a way into.”
“Well, it’s better late than never,” I offered. “His brother seems pretty cool though.”
“Andy?” she asked before nodding. “Yeah, he was always fun to hang out with. I was pretty pissed when he left school after Buzz and his goons got ahold of him. I think that was the sec
ond time that he and I broke up.” Hen brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Wow, I can’t believe how stupid I was. I really don’t know when to give up on something, do I?”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It takes a strong person to always see the best in someone, even when the rest of the world can’t. I don’t think you’re stupid at all. I wish someone would fight for me half as hard as you did for Buzz.”
“What about your grandparents?” she asked suddenly. “Sorry, I remembered your telling me you moved in with them. You know, my grandparents are on their fourth cruise of the year. They would jump overboard before coming back to take care of me and my sisters if something happened.”
It was hard for me to think of it from a different perspective. I was torn away from my home. My family was ripped away from me before I was tossed in with my grandparents. They’d been on the verge of retiring at that point. I had a few distant relatives who would have jumped at the chance to take me in. My parents left me a good bit of money. It was my grandmother who stepped in, refusing the money and going toe-to-toe with the rest of them.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I said softly. “Thanks for that.”
The bell rang, making both of us jump, and my fingers started to tingle as Buzz and his goons stormed out of the cafeteria and headed across the lawn to their afternoon practice. He glared at me as he passed us but didn’t bother to stop. What was the point? He could just beat me to a pulp when Hen wasn’t around to stop him. I swallowed hard and stood up, practically jumping away from her.
She gave me a queer look. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, um. I just want to get to class. We can get together later, if you want, and get started.”
“I would really like that. I’ll message you on Facebook, okay?”
“Perfect,” I said as I backed away from her.
Hen blushed and smiled. “Benji, it’s okay. I’m not going to bite you. I’ll talk to you later. And hey, you might want to stay clear of the practice field. Just until he cools off, you know?”
“Yeah,” I said as I laughed nervously. “I didn’t plan on going that way anyway.”
“All right,” she said with one final smile before heading in the opposite direction. “See ya.”
I cleared my throat, but by the time I started to speak, she was already back in the building. The crowd was starting to thin out. It was time for the second bell, and I had to run through the halls to make it to class. I slipped into my seat just as the bell rang. I couldn’t focus on the Napoleonic era knowing that Hen was actually talking to me again. I gazed out the window and watched the field for a little while before sighing in frustration.
Buzz and his goons were going out to the field, effectively ruining my nature watching and daydreaming. With nothing else to think about, I turned my attention back to The Darkness. The name reminded me of a science fiction show I’d been hooked on years ago. I made a mental note to look it up on Netflix after catching the crazy woman. My phone vibrated and I looked down with a grin. Andy was on his way to pick me up, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The last thing I needed was a bus ride with Buzz.
As soon as the bell rang, I darted out of the room and down the steps to where the cars lined up to pick up kids. Andy waved to me, and I jogged to where he was, jumping into the back of the car just as he pulled away.
Chapter 15
“Hey, man, I thought you’d forget with everything going on,” I muttered as I jumped in. “But I’m glad that you didn’t. Your brother is on a war path today.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. I could hear them screaming from my apartment last night. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re on another one of their famous breaks.”
“You have to tell me what happened with Buzz and Hen,” I begged him. “I had such an awesome day today because of their fight. I just hope it sticks. She and I talked the entire lunch period. She really reached out to me today.”
“Did you two get into it? Plus, she totally bailed on you the other night at the party. Kind of seems like she’s trying to play both sides of the fence.”
I frowned and looked out the window for a second. I knew all about her past with Buzz, but that was before I was part of the picture. Maybe now, she saw that there were better men out there. I just had to show her what I was really made of. Even if she could never know about my superpowers, I’d find a way to be close to her and my hidden identity. Visions of Superman and Clark Kent danced through my head. Too bad I sucked at writing.
“Listen, I said I would help her out,” I said quickly. “It’s not like I’m going to ask her to prom or anything. I just want to keep the peace.”
He looked at me warily. “I would be careful if I were you. I’m just trying to look out for you. Buzz and her always break up, but they get back together too.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. This time seems different. I’m going to tutor her, you know, in biology.”
“Well, don’t say that I didn’t warn you. You want to get back to this break-in?”
“Yeah, but can you run me home? Hen said something that made a lot of sense, and I feel like I need to spend a little time with my grandparents. Is that okay?”
“No problem. My place is still on lockdown because of this heist. I was just excited they let me leave to come and get you. Just so you know, I think my parents are assuming I’m gay.”
I rolled my eyes. “You try to get more tail than I do. They really do need a new hobby.”
“You’re telling me. So, are you ready to watch this video?”
I nodded. I was excited to be on the inside of what was happening. Plus, it was the first lead that I needed to bring down The Darkness. I snorted, and Andy looked at me. “Sorry, I can’t help it. That name is killing me.”
“It makes sense. The guards both told my parents it felt like they were blind,” he muttered as he stopped at a stop sign, pulled out a thin laptop, and flipped open the screen. He tapped in a few keys before a black and white shot of the jewelry store came into view. “Sorry the quality sucks. My parents weren’t about to let me in the room with them and the police.”
“So, this is a copy?” I asked.
He nodded. “My parents have cameras all over the house. After Buzz damn near burned the place down throwing a party, they made sure the cameras covered everywhere. Except the garage,” Andy added with a sly grin.
“Here,” he said suddenly as a woman came into the frame.
She didn’t make any effort to hide herself, but why would she? From the looks of the two officers as they dropped to the ground, they didn’t see anything. Her hair was dark, but I couldn’t tell what color it was. The camera angle sucked, but her nose stuck out further than most. She had sharp features. She lifted her hand to the men in front of her, and they crumped to the ground, each of them digging at their eyes and fumbling for radios, weapons, or anything else that would help them control the situation.
After the woman dropped them to the ground, she went to the various jewelry cabinets and broke through the glass to steal the jewelry inside. As she turned back to leave, the computer froze on her face. I was surprised by how old she looked. She wasn’t a kid like me, just looking for a quick buck, but a middle-aged woman. Her designer clothing didn’t stand out as something a thief would wear. No, the woman wasn’t what I expected at all.
“What do you think?” asked Andy as he closed the computer again.
I took a deep breath. “I don’t really know. I mean, it’s a cool video, but what help do you expect me to be?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just cool that we’re the only ones getting to see it. I wonder what it feels like?”
“Did the officers give a statement?”
Andy nodded. “Yeah, but they weren’t much help. No pain, just darkness all around them. One of them said that he couldn’t move, but he didn’t know how to describe it.”
“That’s insane. So, what are the police doing about it
? I mean, it didn’t look like she touched anything to leave behind a print.”
“Yeah, they aren’t much help at all. We thought there would be a lead when they started talking about the clinic, but that idea died when the place went up in flames.”
Talking about the clinic fire perked me up some. “Oh? They can’t figure out anything from the debris?”
“Not a damn thing. Everything was burned to the ground. A few of them think that the fire was started on purpose, but a lot of them just think it was an accident.”
The car started to slow and I looked out the window. We had made it to my apartment building, and I suddenly felt guilty for not spending more time with Andy. “Hey, do you want to get together tomorrow? I know today was a bust, but I bet your parents will be gone by then. If not, I can still come over. You wouldn’t believe how charming I am with parents.”
Andy laughed. “Sure, man, and thanks for getting me out of there for a little while. Security was kicking my ass. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I jumped out of the car and jogged up to the apartment. Both of my grandparents looked up at me as I smiled at them.
“Well,” said my grandma. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? How was school?”
“It was pretty wonderful,” I said honestly. “What about you guys?”
I sat down and listened to my grandma tell me about her day, the appointment with my grandfather’s doctor, and a few other things. I couldn’t believe how interesting they were. For the first time, I saw just how much love there was between the two of them. When the conversation never turned to the rouge superheroes, I was thankful. I sat and talked with them for an hour before my phone started to vibrate, and I looked down at it. I had a new message from Hen on Facebook and I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.
“Why don’t you go get started on your homework? Or maybe you wanted to go out for a bit?” My grandmother said as she grinned down at the screen of my phone.
“Are you sure? I didn’t plan on doing anything tonight, just hanging out with you guys.”
The City Superhero (Book 1): Rise Of The Super Strike Page 11