“Oh, honey, we’re just a couple of old fogies. This is too much excitement for me anyway. I think we were getting ready to go out to bingo anyway. Unless you wanted to come with us?”
I cringed and my grandfather laughed. “Nonsense! The ladies would smother him in a heartbeat. Let the poor kid go and do his homework or whatever else he wants to do.”
“Anything you say, honey,” my grandmother said as she patted his hand.
I retreated to my room and looked at the message. It was short and simple. Hey.
Grinning, I sent her one back. Hey, how’s life?
Not terrible. I skipped practice today and came home early. I thought I would get a jump on the biology exam next week.
And how is that going? I asked.
She sent a frowning emoji. Terrible. I was right when I said none of this crap makes any sense.
It’s not hard. You just need a good tutor.
That’s what I have you for. What are you doing?
Sitting at home. Just got here. Got a lift from Andy, thank God. I don’t think Buzz noticed me slipping away.
I wouldn’t worry too much about Buzz. I think you’re a lot tougher than you look. Are you following this crazy superhero thing? How cool would it be to have those powers?
I swallowed and thought about my answer. I would love to tell her just how much it really sucked, but I couldn’t. Not until I knew if I could really trust her. The secret was starting to boil over though. I wanted to tell someone, anyone! A hero needed a sidekick, right? I shook my head, trying to shake the idea out of my head.
You there? Hen asked.
Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about the powers. That would be pretty cool. Got any wild plans for the night?
Nope, just tackling this biology.
Want some help? I nervously typed. I could help you over the phone if you wanted.
Three dots appeared on the screen. She’d seen the message but wasn’t saying anything back. I mentally kicked myself for suggesting it. She was probably just telling me she didn’t have plans to be polite.
Do you want to meet me at a coffee shop instead? It would be a lot easier for me to get a grasp on this stuff if I didn’t have to worry about my sisters in the background.
Sure, I typed, swallowing back the surprise. Send me the address. See you there in an hour?
Perfect, see you then. Thanks for helping me, by the way. You’re a good friend.
I took a ragged breath as she sent the address. With everything that I had going on, a budding relationship probably wasn’t the best idea, but this was Hen. The girl took my breath away the very first time I saw her. I grabbed my wallet without another thought and carefully peeked out into the living room. Both of my grandparents, bless their hearts, were asleep on the couch. I carefully closed the door again and quickly wrote out a note, sticking it through the nail on the outside of my door so they would see it.
She had told me, after all, that I could go out, and the knowing glance she gave me earlier wasn’t lost on me. I knew that my grandmother wanted me to fit into the community and the school. She would understand. Grabbing my book bag from where it was hanging by the door, I silently slipped into the hallway and ran down to the main floor. I was free, and now I had to make it six blocks before Hen got there. I didn’t want to waste what little money I had on a cab. Too bad I couldn’t just fly everywhere.
“Hey,” I said as I approached her table.
Hen looked up at me and smiled. “I was wondering if you were going to find the place okay. Did you get lost?”
“A little,” I lied. I had gotten very lost, but I didn’t want her to know that. “I guess one of these days, you’ll have to show me around the city so that doesn’t happen anymore.”
“Well, since it would be for my own benefit, I don’t see any problem with that. Are we ready to get started?” she asked.
I nodded and sat down next to her. The proximity of her skin to mine wasn’t lost on me as I struggled to pay attention to what she was talking about. It was easy to see where her problem was. She wanted to look at everything through the mathematical side of things, but it wasn’t always that simple in biology.
“So, what about the superheroes? That’s biology, right? Something had to change in them for the powers to come through.”
“That’s true. I haven’t really thought much about them, to be honest. I’ve had a lot of other things going on. It was cool to see The Darkness in action though.”
“Ugh,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I hate that name. A petty thief doesn’t get a name like that!”
“Right?” I said, shocked that someone else felt the same. “And what about the others? What happens if they’re all bad? What do you think about it?”
She shrugged. “Honestly, I think there are more good people than bad people in this world, and I refuse to think that all five went dark. What about Electric Boy? People are saying that he saved that lady’s life, and he’s our age.”
“Sure,” I said quickly. “I guess, but he could still go dark at any time.”
Hen eyed me carefully. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks we should just lock up anyone with a power, are you?”
I vigorously shook my head. “No way. I think it would be great to have powers. I can see the other side of the coin, too, though. My grandad isn’t a huge fan of them. You should have heard him when the cops showed up at our door.”
Hen gasped. “Why would they come to your place?”
“Right,” I muttered. “The incident with the woman happened right next to our building. The cops were just looking for leads. I was already asleep though,” I lied quickly.
I had to keep my cover. Quickly looking away from her mesmerizing gaze, I started to flip through the pages of my biology book.
“So,” I said with a smile. “Where do you want to start?”
She crinkled her nose. “Are you sure we have to do this? There are so many more interesting things we could be doing. Did you know I almost got kicked out of school once?”
I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew that she was stalling on doing the work. With a patient smile, I tapped the book. “Hen.”
“Oh, fine,” she said as she rolled her eyes.
For a second, I thought she was actually upset with me, but then she looked up with a smile and winked. “You’ve gotta learn sarcasm if we’re going to hang out together.”
I laughed. “For you, anything. So, are you ready to ace this test next week?”
With a dramatic sigh, she slouched down in her chair. “I guess.”
“Don’t worry,” I said as I leaned over and whispered into her ear. “We can make this fun, but only if you actually work for it.”
“Are you trying to bribe me?”
I nodded, our lips so close we could kiss.
She smiled back at me and bit her lip before leaning away. “All right, deal.”
Chapter 16
We studied for a few hours, mostly talking and barely getting any work done, before she had to go. I watched as she packed her bag, struggling not to beg her to stay. The sun was still up and the night was young.
“Are you sure you have to go?” I asked her.
She grinned. “Sorry. I told my mom I would watch the girls while she went to work. She’s picking up a couple of extra shifts. You’re welcome to come help, if you want.”
I shook my head. “No way,” I said playfully. “Sorry, but I’ve got a couple of things I should probably get done tonight anyway. Errands for my grandmother.”
“How is your grandpa doing?” she asked.
“Stubborn as ever, but I think he’s going to pull through. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home? Or at least let me pay for a cab?”
Hen laughed. “Boy, you really aren’t from around here, are you? I’ve got a bus pass, like every other true New Yorker.”
“All right,” I said as I threw my hands in the air. “But don’t say I didn’t offer.
Same time tomorrow?”
Hen leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Sounds great. Thanks again for all the help, Benji.”
She left me standing there in stunned silence as she slipped out the door to the waiting bus. My hand flew to my cheek where I could still feel her bubblegum lip gloss on it. She’d kissed me! I leapt a little in the air, but when I didn’t land for a split second too long, I quickly got control of myself. I had to get out of there and practice my powers. They weren’t going to learn to control themselves, after all. Using the last of my cash, I took a cab to the same park as before.
When we pulled up, the driver asked if I wanted him to wait. The park was almost empty since it closed at dark in a few minutes. I thumbed the last few dollars that I had and shook my head.
“No, I’m just meeting a friend. He’ll give me a lift.”
The man nodded as he pulled away. I set off down the same trail as before but with more confidence. I had to get a grip on flying. Then I wouldn’t need to spend any more money on cabs or a bus pass. I decided not to sit on the ground this time. The flight from the night before had shown me just what I needed to learn to master—taking off and landing—plus, I needed to get higher without worrying about falling on my ass.
I closed my eyes and focused all of my concentration on taking flight. It wasn’t long before my feet left the ground, and I opened my eyes again as the earth hovered below me. In a few more seconds, I was higher than I’d ever gone before, but the confidence was still with me. That’s how it seemed to work. The more faith I had in my powers, the easier they were to control. Swallowing hard, I pointed my hand in the direction of the school and started to fly through the night air.
The wind felt like heaven on my face as I watched the city pass beneath me. Thankfully, I knew a thing or two about flights. No radar would be able to pick me up. I was way too small. Still, that didn’t mean that I could be careless. I went to the school with a purpose. There was no game on a Monday night, and practice ended hours ago. The field would be the perfect location to get the hang of landing. If nothing else, at least it would be easy for them to find my body if I didn’t make it.
I pushed the fear aside as the school came into view. Something was wrong, though. It wasn’t empty. I saw four of the players circled around a thin man whom I recognized right away. The lacrosse players had cornered Andy and were getting ready to beat him to a pulp. I had to stop them, but not like this. I knew that they wouldn’t be so willing to keep my identity a secret. A row of pine trees separated the field from the road, and I decided it was my best bet. Carefully focusing on the trees, I felt myself start to descend in the night until my hand brushed against their tips.
I heard the boys before I was close to the ground, but it was enough to break my concentration and I went tumbling down to the ground. This time, I managed to control my fall so that I wouldn’t have any more bruised ribs, but it still made a loud noise. As I fought the urge to scream or curse, I heard one of them talking. I was trapped, and things were going to get a lot worse if I didn’t move.
“Man, whatever that was, it sounded big. Let’s get out of here. This nerd can wait another day, right?”
“Yeah,” Buzz said. “He isn’t going anywhere, isn’t that right, brother? I think maybe you should reconsider who you decide to befriend.”
“Right, because I’ve always taken your opinion into consideration,” said Andy sarcastically.
He moaned in pain after the telltale sound of someone being hit in the stomach. I had to give Andy credit. He wasn’t going to back down from Buzz. I didn’t need superpowers to know that Buzz was talking about me. It made me feel a little guilty that he was taking the beating because of me. Someday, I would find a way to repay him for his friendship. I hadn’t been a very good friend so far, with everything going on, but I was going to change that.
I heard them move away from Andy, but Buzz was the last to go as he shoved his brother away from himself and into the trees. As quickly and quietly as possible, I jumped out of the way so that he didn’t see me. Or at least that’s what I thought. I waited in silence until the players were off the field before looking for my escape route. Andy was safe. He didn’t need to know it was me who was there.
“Hey,” he called out. “Whoever is there, I know I’m not alone!”
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath as I pulled the hood over my head. “Don’t worry,” I said in a deep voice. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before leaving.”
“Sure, sounds like something one of Buzz’s goons would say to catch me off guard.” He stumbled away from me, fear in his eyes. “Who–who are you? What do you want?”
“Just to make sure that you’re okay. I saw those pricks giving you a hard time.”
“Yeah, well, that’s nothing new,” he muttered. “You’re him, aren’t you? Electric Boy, or whatever they’re calling you?”
I groaned. I secretly hated the name. It made me feel like a little kid. “I didn’t pick the name. I’m hoping it doesn’t stick.”
Andy gave me a queer look. “You sound familiar. Are you from around here?”
Clearing my throat, I looked around for a fast exit. The last thing I needed was Andy figuring out who I was. He would never be able to keep it a secret. I was trapped unless I wanted to try and calm myself down enough to fly out of there. Then, what would happen if Andy’s brother and the other goons came back? He would be a sitting duck, and the next time I landed, I might not be so lucky. Though I wouldn’t call it luck. My right arm was throbbing, but not in the way it had before when I dislocated my shoulder. I had screwed something up, maybe even broken a bone.
“No, and listen. You should get out of here. Those trolls might come back.”
Andy shrugged. “Thanks for the help and all, but I’ve been dodging or getting beat up by those guys for years. I don’t really think one missed opportunity will leave much of an impression.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe it’s time for a self-defense class then?”
“Or I could just make nice with the resident superhero and hope he sees the bat signal when I send it out.”
“I don’t have a bat signal, and I’m not a superhero,” I muttered. “You can’t stay here. Are you going to leave or do you want me to?”
He shrugged. “Why don’t you go ahead? Sorry, but I don’t think you’re all that skilled at flying yet.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I’m not like them. I’m not a total moron. I heard you fall into the trees. If you had been walking through the trees, the birds wouldn’t have been disturbed. That only happens if you’re high up in the trees. So, by my guess, you have no idea what you’re doing yet.”
“You really are a genius, aren’t you?”
He gasped. “I knew it! That’s why you were flying around the school! You do go here. Oh, man, now I regret graduating early.”
“No!” I said quickly. “If you want me to leave, then fine,” I muttered.
I spun away from him and stomped back into the clearing. I needed to focus on taking flight. There was no way I could use my electric powers with him so close. Plus, they would only get me so far before I went crashing back down to the ground. They were for self-defense, not for flying. That’s why I had the power of flight, if I could just get it under control.
I took a deep breath again and closed my eyes. I wasn’t worried about Andy. He wouldn’t try to tackle me or anything crazy like that. I knew that he didn’t believe me about being able to control my flying, and why would he? I couldn’t do it.
“So?” he asked from some distance back.
I glared at him, though he couldn’t see it in the shadows. “It takes a second, okay? Just back off. Give me space.”
I cleared my mind of everything except Hen. She always brought me peace. Taking another breath, I felt the earth give way beneath me and the wind slowly start to whip through my hair as I moved further away from the gr
ound. Now I just had to keep myself suspended long enough to get away from Andy. Swallowing back the anxiety, I opened my eyes and looked around me. The ground was about fifty feet from where I was hovering. The trees hadn’t made an ideal landing last time.
“Hey!” Andy called. “I believe you now! Why don’t you come back and talk to me? I bet I could help you with The Darkness.”
The image of the woman dropping officers to the floor flooded my mind, and I lost my concentration. I fell a few feet in the air as my heart raced. I had to keep things under control. There was no way that I was going to let Andy get tangled up in all of this. Fear coursed through me as I saw him lying in a pool of blood. That blood and his life would be on my hands if I told him the truth.
I dropped, gracelessly and hard, through the tops of the trees. I tried to send out a bolt of lightning to help my landing, but my aim was off. I struck a thick branch that could have helped to break my fall and sent it soaring to the ground, scorched and burning ahead of me. I was out of time as the ground approached, and I braced myself for impact. I landed on the same arm as before, this time feeling a sharp pain that shot through my body.
“Son of a bitch,” I groaned, holding my arm.
“Hell, I could have told you that was going to end badly. Are you okay?” Andy muttered as he inched closer.
I quickly turned away from him, hiding my face and trying to get my bearings. “I’m fine. You know, you should have just left when I told you.”
He shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t take orders very well. If you go here, you know my brother. Kinda gotta have a tough skin to live with a guy like that. So, why you? How did you get the powers?”
“What makes you think this changes anything? I still don’t want to talk or tell you who I am, okay?”
“Sure,” Andy muttered. “I wouldn’t tell anyone though, you know. I don’t really have anyone to tell.”
“You were standing up for your friend back there pretty adamantly. What about him?”
Andy shrugged. “Well, I don’t know if I would tell him or not, to be honest. I don’t know what his opinion on the whole superhero thing is right now.”
The City Superhero (Book 1): Rise Of The Super Strike Page 12