by Bryan Cohen
He punched Ted's name into the computer. "Nothing is coming up. No priors. Ted doesn't have a file."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I suppose that's good. Though a little aggression wouldn't have hurt. Anything strange in his family?"
"I think you might be more familiar with them than I am."
"My memory. It's not 100%."
"Neither is my database." The sheriff’s frustration grew. "Do you have any other questions?"
Erica sighed. "Temper, temper, Sheriff. Can you email me everything you have on the perps involved in the diner robbery?"
"I don't feel..." His willpower dwindled to zero. "I don't have your email address."
Erica provided it.
"Thanks, Sheriff. Don't worry. You're playing a small part in making your world a better place."
Sheriff Norris wasn't so sure.
The sheriff was used to giving Erica a pass for underage drinking, not a password to all their records. When she disappeared a month prior, everyone at the office assumed she’d be back within the weekend after a bender with some college kid. Sheriff Norris didn’t share that sentiment, and the first search party began after 24 hours. He recalled Erica’s parents appearing on every possible news station begging her to come home. With a missing person’s case lasting this long, he supposed this was a one-in-a-million happy ending. If not for the business with Ted Finley, Erica's return would have made national news.
Grayson, the smiley office admin, woke the sheriff from his stupor.
"Sir, do you want to see all the messages from last night? I think there might be over 100."
Sheriff Norris leaned back in his chair and put his hands through his diminishing sideburns. "Get me another cup of coffee and then wake up the prisoners. It's time to have a little chat."
The four perps his deputies arrested at the diner were a strange case. He'd booked all of them at one point or another since he'd taken over as sheriff five years prior. It was always for small stuff: petty theft, breaking and entering, trespassing on private property. Armed robbery and attempted murder were a step up for such a lowly bunch.
"Good morning, Sheriff Norris." Nigel sidled up against the bars. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
The thug was as loose and relaxed as Sheriff Norris had ever seen him.
"What do you have to be so happy about? You'll be in a county jail by the end of the week."
Nigel interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on his hands. "Three square meals a day and constant companionship? That sounds quite nice if you ask me."
The sheriff let out an audible sigh. "Can you at least tell me why you did it? You're a below-the-radar guy. You could've kept a low profile for a lifetime."
The witness accounts said that Nigel exhibited superhuman strength and blew out all the windows using his voice alone. Sheriff Norris wished that several people hadn't corroborated the report.
"You know what they say. Get busy living or get busy dying." Nigel smirked. "I suppose I did a little of both."
The sheriff didn't like riddles.
"If I have my way, I'll have you guys out of here first thing tomorrow. Paperwork. You know how it goes."
Nigel nodded. "Seems like a lot of red tape."
The sheriff headed back to his office. "It's how life works."
"But what if it wasn't, sheriff?" Nigel’s voice grew darker. "What if you could change the rules and live your life the way you wanted?"
The sheriff turned back, wrinkling his forehead as he tried to understand his prisoner. "I suppose that'd be nice. Don't start any revolutions when I'm gone."
"No promises." The Brit clicked his tongue. "Oh, one last thing."
Sheriff Norris crossed his arms.
Nigel’s eyes glowed. "If you happen to see Ted, please give him my best."
When the sheriff sat back down at his desk, he didn’t hesitate. His fingers dialed Erica’s number without giving it a second thought.
"The whole world’s gone crazy. Including me."
Sheriff Norris looked down at his hands and wondered what on Earth was happening to his quiet town.
14
Ted wasn't much of a storyteller. Despite that, he'd been asked to regale all three of his morning classes with the tale of his daring rescue at the diner. It made sense to discuss it in history and English class. But Algebra II? Not so much. Most of the students were rapt with attention. Some were as awake in school as he'd ever seen them, and he found himself having to answer questions he'd never even considered.
"Do you think your powers were meant for good or evil?"
"What if there are others out there like you?"
"Have you ever tried to float a root beer float?"
Ted got high fives in the hallway from people he'd never talked to. With all this attention, he still couldn't get the image of Erica staring right at him out of his head. It seemed impossible just a day or two ago. If he'd known that all he needed to do to get her attention was save a bunch of people from being murdered, he likely would have gotten himself killed from such efforts years ago.
When Ted began to change into his shorts for gym class, he realized he had more to worry about than Erica and cold-blooded killers. Natalie was the class' resident athlete, and he still had no idea what she would think about this entire superhero business. At the beginning of the period, they would be forced to sit in lines organized in alphabetical order. Natalie came right before him. When he entered the gym, he could see her stretching in her athletic wear. She looked natural and the shorts and short sleeves showed off her toned legs and arms.
As they sat down, she turned her head to the side a few degrees and whispered over her shoulder. "I'm glad you're OK."
His stomach settled. "Thanks."
Maybe gym won’t be so bad after all.
After a short warm-up, the class divided into teams for a round robin basketball tournament. Ted had height on his side, but not much hand-eye coordination. All the rebounds that came his way tended to bounce off his outstretched arms. After missing three shots and throwing a terrible pass, his team was down 0-5. He didn't mind losing; after all, it was only gym class.
Coach Fowler didn't feel the same way. He blew his whistle. "Finley, get over here."
The coach had a team under his command every sports season. He was all-athletics-all-the-time, and his giant biceps demonstrated his after-hours fitness dedication as well.
He squeezed the back of Ted's neck. "I want you to look at the other game, Finley."
While his court had been full of blunders, the opposite side was another story. Natalie's team was dominating, all thanks to her. He watched her hustle to get a loose rebound, perform an acrobatic spin move, and lay the ball in with ease.
"She's good."
"Her being good isn't what matters to me, son. It's that she's trying. Gym class is all about putting forth your entire effort. It's about applying yourself."
Ted was confused. "This is how I've always played, coach."
Coach Fowler gripped his neck harder. It hurt. "I've seen the video like everyone else in this school, Finley. Your level of ability has changed. If you don't start applying yourself, I'm not going to give you a passing grade."
Ted never knew his increased abilities would affect his gym class participation grade. "Alright, coach."
Coach Fowler slapped his spine and sent him back into the game. On the next possession, Ted asked for the ball. When he reached the three-point line, he let the ugly shot exit his hands. If left to its own devices, it would’ve slammed into the backboard and missed the rim completely. Instead, Ted pointed in the direction of his errant toss and mentally guided the ball into the hoop. Coach Fowler clapped hard. The game was on.
Ted followed his shot with an "air block" and a long three-pointer. Then he poked the ball loose from an opponent's hands from five feet away and knocked down another powers-guided shot. By the time the game was over, he'd made five consecutive shots and his team had more than double
d the other's score.
Okay, that kind of felt good.
"There we go, Finley." Coach Fowler cheered from the sidelines. "Now that's application. Let's get the winners on this court and the losers on the other."
It was so rare for Ted to be on the winner's side, he nearly abandoned his team. A classmate stopped him and guided him over to the correct side. That's when he realized he'd have to face Team Natalie.
Ted watched the sun reflect off the side of her bronze face. She looked as beautiful and strong as ever. When the game began, Natalie called off her defender and pointed directly at Ted. He looked behind him and then back at his ex.
Natalie dribbled between her legs. "I saw you over there. Don't use your powers. It's cheap."
"Coach Fowler said he'd fail me if I don't."
Natalie growled, which was sort of a turn on for him. She moved the ball from one hand to the other and easily went around her former beau. Before he could turn toward the net, the ball was already in the hoop. On his team's possession, Natalie chose to guard him. Once again, he shot the ball from long range, but Natalie blocked it out of the air, dribbled all the way down the court, and tapped the backboard as she laid the ball in.
Ted looked over at Coach Fowler. He gave Ted a thumbs-down.
He huffed. "Give me the rock,"
His teammate rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're real street." He sent the ball into Ted’s hands.
Natalie moved to guard him at the top of the three-point line. He passed the ball toward an open teammate and Natalie moved over to double-team. There was only one problem: the ball never reached the teammate, as Ted chose to keep it floating in mid-pass. He used his powers to bring the ball back to his hands and took a wide-open three, guiding it right into the hoop. When Natalie's team went down the court, he used his mind to make the ball go kick the point guard's foot and right into his hands. He dribbled, shot, and hit another three. After Natalie made a mid-range jump shot, she guarded Ted tightly up and down the court.
She widened her stance. "No more tricks."
Ted winked. "Just try and stop me."
When he stepped back to heave up a long three-pointer, Natalie slammed hard into his legs and fell right on top of him. He moved the ball into the net as Coach Fowler blew his whistle for a foul.
It only lasted two seconds, but Natalie temporarily lay across Ted's body. He remembered the last time the two of them had kissed. They'd cleared off a few piles of junk on the couch in his basement and had a spirited make-out session until his mom knocked on the door. That had been just a week and a half ago, but for Ted, it felt like a different life. He wondered what would happen if he put his palm on Natalie's lower back. Perhaps she'd remember what it was like to be together. In the split second their eyes locked, he swore he could see a hint of sadness. Maybe Natalie felt the same way that he did. Then again, she might have just been mad that he hit the shot. She got up and walked away before he could know for sure. She'd neglected to help him up.
Ted focused more on the foul than his team's victory after class. When they were dating, Natalie would wait outside the girl's locker room for him. Ted looked over at her spot. There was nobody there, so he walked alone.
During study hall, homework was the last thing on his mind.
Should I have said something? Or done something?
A hand resting on his shoulder brought him out of his stupor. Ted spun to his right to see Erica LaPlante smiling right into his eyes.
Holy crap.
Ted’s mind raced from the day she moved in next door to weekend sleepovers to the end of their friendship. A variety of emotions took over his brain. He stared without blinking. While he had no idea how to feel, he did eventually realize she’d looked at him for three seconds without a word being exchanged.
"Hi."
"Hey, Ted." Her voice was like an oasis. "I need you to do something for me."
His words caught in his throat before he finally found them. "I didn’t think you had study hall now."
She put her finger up to her lips. "I came here to talk to you."
Ted felt like his heart exploded. "To me?"
Erica nodded. "I'm going to pretend to go to the bathroom. Get a hall pass and meet me in the band room in five minutes. K?"
A day earlier he'd had his heart broken. Now, the only other girl he'd ever wanted to be with was asking for a secret meeting.
I don’t know how much of this I can take.
He blinked at her, as she flashed a perfect smile and left the room.
After nearly blowing it by running into the assistant principal, Ted opened the clear glass door to the empty band room and walked inside. He'd played the clarinet in middle school and recognized the familiar musty smell of the acoustically modified room.
"Erica?"
"Shhh." She hid to the side of the door, her back pressed up against the wall. "Come in."
Ted ambled forward on the red carpet until he was all the way inside. Erica sauntered over to the door and gripped the handle.
"I've been waiting to talk to you all day long."
Ted's heart was pumping blood at an incredible rate. "Wow." He tried his best to seem cool and collected. "Really?"
"Really."
Erica bit her bottom lip as she closed the door behind them.
15
A beeping machine both woke Stucky up and told him he was still alive. His eyes darted around the white room as he did his best to breathe. Stucky didn't know what day it was, but he knew he had a second chance. He was completely alone. There were no cops. There weren't any possessed family members or friends around. He did feel a sharp pain whenever he exhaled, but he’d take agony over coming back as something horrible. A nurse pulled back the curtain around his bed and smiled when she saw his eyes open.
"Hey there, Stucky."
"You know my name?"
The nurse was pretty enough to make Stucky wonder if there was some kind of angel situation going on. Given what he'd seen in the last few weeks, he wouldn't be too surprised. The nurse leaned down to check his vitals.
"You've made two things very clear since you've gotten here. Keep you alive and call you Stucky. So far, we've done an OK job of both."
Stucky laughed until the pain made him stop.
"Has anybody been in here to see me?"
"We made an effort to contact your family members." The nurse checked his intake form. "We can try your brother, Tanner, again."
Stucky tried without success to shift his position. "He goes by Tank. No need to contact him. I was kind of hoping to be left alone."
"I respect that."
"And there haven't been any cops or anything either, right?"
"Why would there be cops?"
Stucky held his breath before proceeding with caution. "To ask about the guy who did this to me, maybe?"
He hoped he’d made a good enough save.
The nurse narrowed her eyes. "Somebody attacked you?"
"Sort of."
Stucky thought about his trip through the air. The kid sent him to the hospital without even breaking a sweat. And here Nigel had said the job would be a piece of cake. Stucky was in such rough shape, he probably couldn't even eat a piece of cake.
"Honey, we had you down as jumping off the roof of the bank." She shook her head. "If the manager wasn't there that day looking over some paperwork, we probably wouldn't have gotten to you in time."
The thought of crashing through that car made his back stiffen. He wondered if he'd still be having the conversation if he'd landed on the pavement or somewhere in the middle of the street.
"Oh." Stucky held back a cough. "No, I was... pushed."
Concern spread across her face. "Maybe we should get the cops."
Stucky reached out and caught the nurse's hand before she could walk away.
"Don't. It's something I'd rather take care of myself. Can you stay with me for a sec?"
The nurse put her hand on Stucky's. He couldn't remember the last wom
an who'd treated him this nicely.
"I can only stay for a little bit. I've got a lot of other patients, and some of them are way cuter than you."
He smirked, learning quickly from his last attempt to laugh. "I doubt it, but thank you."
Stucky knew that if no cops had associated him with the diner, he could get off scot-free. He didn't know where Tank and the others were, and it was possible they didn't have a clue about him either. He finally had an out from this inter-dimensional war.
"Do you ever think about running away?"
The nurse showed off a wide grin. She had a bright, white smile that made him feel like he was in a toothpaste commercial.
"I think if you don't consider running away a few times a month, you know you're crazy."
Stucky knew it was impossible, but he temporarily entertained the thought that the nurse could run away with him. Maybe he'd go back to his parents' place in the Midwest.
They'd have to take me back if I brought a girl.
"I think I'm gonna get out of here when I'm better." Stucky’s chest grew warm. "Just jump in a car and see where the road takes me."
"If I didn't have kids and a job, believe me, Stucky, I'd be doing the same thing."
"Thanks for listening to me." He sighed. "I haven't had a lot of people do that lately."
The nurse flashed her teeth again. "You’re welcome." She stood up and grabbed her clipboard. "Now, I'm going to have to tell someone about you getting pushed. It's hospital policy."
Stucky felt his heart race. "No, you don't understand. I don't want to talk to anybody about it."
The beeping machine started getting more intense.
"Stucky, calm down."
He tried to reach for the nurse again, but instead he started to cough. The pain shot through him. He tried to hold it back, but he now felt like he was drowning.
"Nurse, please–"
He watched her pull back the curtain and heard her call for help. She seemed farther away than she was before. He knew exactly what was happening.
"It's not fair."
Stucky felt the room grow dark. One of the last images he saw was the nurse gathering several other people around him. They touched his body and shouted something, but at this point he was too far gone to hear them. When he closed his eyes, a memory came to him. It was the brick red townhouse he'd grown up in. It was his parents' house. He saw the yard. He saw his mom’s and dad's faces. Stucky watched his brother, Tank, throwing a football in the backyard. And then everything faded away.