The Phobia of Renegade X

by Chelsea M. Campbell

  “You just said you weren’t.”

  “Yeah, but… it doesn’t have anything to do with you. We’re okay. You can stop freaking out.”

  “That’s not—” He takes a deep breath. “Just answer my texts next time.”

  “Yeah, alright. If it’s that important to you.”

  Zach comes running into the room. He doesn’t have his shoes on, just socks, and almost slips and falls on the linoleum. He manages to catch himself and looks up at the microwave clock. “Crap! I’m going to be—” He stops mid-sentence when he realizes I’m there. Then he kind of gapes at me.

  I hold up my thumb. “Let me see it.”

  He holds his up to show me his H. His eyes meet mine real quick, then dart away. “I’m so sorry about what happened on Friday!”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s— Crap.” He glances at the microwave again and then tears open the fridge.

  “Dude,” Riley says, “we can give you a ride.”

  “I’m already counting on you giving me a ride and I’m still going to be late! You better be ready to go.” He looks over at Riley. “You don’t even have your shoes on!”

  “Neither do you.”

  “I’m getting them!” He pulls a handful of grapes, half a block of cheese, and a boiled egg out of the fridge, then stuffs them in a lunch bag. He grabs an apple off the counter and shoves that in on top. Then he turns back to me. “It’s not okay, all the stuff that happened. Everybody thought it was so cool that you were here, and I thought it was so cool that they thought that.”

  “Zach,” Riley says, “you can tell him in the car.”

  Zach doesn’t budge, even though Riley’s totally right. “I have to say this now. Like, to your face.”

  “It’s okay,” I tell him. “You didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”

  “But I should have known that it would! I just wanted everyone to know that we were friends, because they didn’t believe me, and because you’re famous.”

  “I’m not—”

  “I exploited our friendship.” He sucks in a breath. “I mean, if we even still have a friendship after what I did.”

  “It’s going to be a really awkward car ride if we don’t.”

  His mouth falls open and his forehead wrinkles up, worried.

  “I’m kidding. We’re still friends. Like, seriously.”

  He just looks more worried, though. “There’s another video of you on the internet because of me. Now the whole world thinks you tried to hurt people at my birthday party. And I’m so sorry, and I know there’s nothing I can do to take it back or make it up to you.”

  “I said it was fine.”

  “But it’s not. And I’m—”

  “Zach, if you say you’re sorry one more time.”

  “But I am. I don’t deserve to be your friend after what I did.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t have to freak out and go all electric.”

  “Or run off,” Riley mutters.

  “Well, maybe I wouldn’t have if you and Sarah hadn’t been—”

  “Oh, my God, X, will you shut up about that?! We were just kissing!”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.”

  “Whoa,” Zach says. “At my party?”

  “Shut up, both of you.” Riley glares at us, but his face is turning kind of red. “It wasn’t like that. And Zach? You did kind of a crappy thing, but you didn’t mean for it to get out of hand, and it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be friends, okay? And you…” He points at me. “You can’t help that stuff freaks you out sometimes. Or that you’re full of lightning.”

  “I’m not ‘full of lightning.’ Are you full of invisibility?”

  He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. And you still love Zach, so—”

  “Okay, now you’re just putting words in my mouth.”

  “—so of course you forgive him.”

  I glance over at Zach. “I’m sorry I kind of ruined your party.”

  He shakes his head. “You didn’t. I mean, Quentin ended up going home, even though he was fine—he’s the one you zapped—but that was only because his mom made him. And I made Theo leave because he was being a jerk to you, and because he posted that video. I thought he was my friend, but I don’t know if I can be friends with someone who would treat you that way.”

  I smile at him. “That might be the best thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “So, you’re not mad?”

  “Nope.”

  “But now everybody thinks you can’t fly.”

  “That’s okay, Zach. I don’t care what they think. Besides, I’m going to pass that test, get my flying certificate—”

  “There’s no certificate,” Riley says. “You know that.”

  “—and prove them wrong.”

  Zach nods. “Amelia told me. We ended up texting all weekend. She said she’s giving you flying lessons and that you’re—”

  “Wow, look at the time!” I wave my hand at the microwave. And also, I’m going to kill Amelia.

  Riley squints at me. “She’s what?”

  “We have to go. I don’t know what time your school starts, but you’re definitely going to be super late for it, and we need to leave right now.”

  “Did he just say Amelia was giving you flying lessons?”

  “I can’t hear you because you don’t have your shoes on.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t just stand there, Perkins! Zach is going to be late for school. Seriously, get your act together. I’ll meet you at the car.”

  Chapter 28

  “SO,” TRISTAN SAYS TO Kat, “tell me the truth. Liv—cool or not cool with me bringing my new girlfriend to movie night tomorrow?”

  It’s Wednesday night, about one in the morning, and me, Kat, Riley, and Tristan are doing our assignments and staking out Frank’s next robbery, which is taking place at an art gallery. We’re all outside, hiding behind the side of the building and watching the robbers’ van that’s parked, like, right in front of the gallery. Just a white, nondescript van that might not look that suspicious if you didn’t already know there was a robbery going on.

  “Uh,” Kat says, clearly not wanting to answer him, “didn’t you already talk to Liv?”

  “She said it was okay, but she didn’t sound like it was. You’re her roommate. What do you think?”

  Kat stares really hard at a crack in the pavement. “Well…”

  “Great. I knew it.” Tristan folds his arms. “So, she’s not over me? We only went out for a month, and it was mostly just— It was just casual.”

  “I’m not saying she’s not over you,” Kat says, choosing her words carefully. “But I don’t think she’s ready to have your new girlfriend shoved in her face.”

  “Come on, Katie.”

  Erg. I cringe when he calls her that. Then I glare at him, but he’s too busy discussing his love life to notice, so I exchange a look with Riley instead.

  “I’m still part of the group,” Tristan goes on. “You’re saying I can’t ever bring anybody?”

  “I’m saying it’s too soon. Give it another month.”

  “We’ll be out of school in a month. Hey, who did we decide is having the end-of-year party?”

  “Jordan. And… What’s his new boyfriend’s name?”

  “Michael. Who he’s bringing tomorrow, even though Lucas is totally going to be there.”

  “Okay, first of all, they’ve been broken up for way longer than you and Liv. And second of all, Lucas is bringing a date. And third of all, I thought you were asking because you didn’t want to hurt Liv’s feelings?”

  “Why would her feelings be hurt unless she’s not over me?”

  Maybe because he’s a horrible douche?

  “Because,” Kat says. “You guys used to make out on our couch”—gross—“and then end up in her room. But you’re not going to do that now, and maybe she doesn’t want to have to watch you make out with someone else like you u
sed to with her, in, like, the exact same spot.”

  “Can we switch movie night over to me and Blake’s?”

  “No.”

  “Fine, but next year, total reset button. New rooms, new couches, and I can bring whoever I want.”

  I roll my eyes at him.

  “What?” he snaps. I guess he saw me that time. “You don’t even know Liv.”

  “I know she can do better.”

  “Uh, are you serious right now?”

  “Nobody’s making you go to movie night. And obviously you already know she’s not okay with you bringing your new make-out partner or you wouldn’t be asking about it.”

  Tristan sort of half laughs, half scoffs. “Yeah, well, I don’t see you at movie night. Speaking of people who can do better.”

  “What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’re never around. We all bring dates when we go to the movies or to the waffle place, but Katie has to come alone. We’re all going to go hang out, but she drops everything because you happen to call.”

  Kat scowls at him. “Don’t act like everyone brings dates everywhere.”

  “Okay, but you never do. Some boyfriend you have.”

  Electricity runs up my back and across my arms. My sweatshirt hides the sparks, but Riley must hear it crackle—that or he knows me well enough to guess—because he suddenly takes a step away from me.

  Kat folds her arms and gives Tristan a disgusted look. “Wow. I can’t believe you think any of that is your business.”

  “I’m just saying that college is supposed to be fun. But you spend all your time waiting by the phone for some traitorous wannabe superhero who thinks he’s too good for us and is never around. Everyone says these are the best years of our lives, but you’re going to look back on yours and know you missed out.”

  Visible sparks run across my hands, and I know everyone sees. Maybe I should put them in my pockets, but I don’t. Maybe I should also kill Tristan, but I don’t, even though it’s something I’m pretty sure I’ll look back on with regret. And maybe my stomach also kind of clenches, because some of what he said might have a tiny bit of truth to it. Not like I think he’s right or anything, but still.

  He gets this smug look on his face, as if he thinks I won’t electrocute him in front of witnesses.

  But then I don’t have to, because Kat takes an angry step toward him. A couple angry steps, actually. “Okay, you know what?” she says. “You don’t get to tell me what I’m missing out on. You’ve never gone out with anyone for more than a month. You don’t know what it’s like to actually love somebody. And yeah, it sucks that me and Damien don’t get to see each other all the time, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him. I’m not going to throw away our future together—a future with the person I love more than anything—just because it doesn’t fit your idea of what college should be. And if you think Damien is acting ‘too good for you,’ maybe that’s just because you don’t measure up!”

  There’s a moment of stunned silence as we all stare at her in awe. Well, as I stare at her in awe. I’m pretty sure Tristan’s just terrified.

  Then Riley says, “Um, guys?” He points to the white van in front of the building.

  There’s a man walking toward it, except he’s coming from the pizza place across the street and is carrying a toolbox and looks like he’s soaking wet and kind of muddy. He’s talking on his cell phone as he approaches the van. “Yeah, looks like it’s all patched up. At least until they can get some of the pipes replaced. Didn’t cause too much damage, so it could have been worse, but— Yeah, I’ll be home soon. I’m getting in the truck right now.”

  He opens the back of the van, which we can now see from our hiding spot is full of tools and equipment, and adds his toolbox to the mix. Then he gets in the front and drives off.

  So, not the nondescript-but-somewhat-suspiciously-parked van of Frank’s team of robbers.

  Damn it.

  “They better still be here,” Tristan whispers after we scramble—I mean, sneak—into the art gallery. He says it while glaring at me, as if this is my fault. “I am not failing this assignment because of you.”

  “You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me.” Well, if it wasn’t for Riley finding that writing on the wall at the museum that mentioned Frank, but I was the one who told Kat about it.

  Kat motions for us to shut up. “We all assumed that was their van. It’s nobody’s fault. Riley, you can turn invisible, so—”

  “I’ll go check out the rest of the gallery,” he says, volunteering before she can finish asking him, though I can see on his face that wandering off into the dark to look for bad guys is not something he’s looking forward to.

  “I’ll go with you,” me and Kat both say at the same time.

  She shakes her head at me. “I can shapeshift and stay hidden—I’ll go.”

  “But, Kat—”

  “It’s recon. We just need to see if they’re still here so we can follow them when they leave—we don’t need to zap anybody. You two stay here.” She points to me and Tristan. “And don’t…” She pauses to think of the right way to put it.

  “Don’t kill each other,” Riley says.

  “Yeah, that. We’ll be right back.”

  They head off into the gallery, turning right at the first hallway and disappearing from view.

  Leaving me to stand here awkwardly with Tristan.

  Great.

  I glance over at him.

  He looks away. Then, keeping his voice low, he says, “Hey, um, about what I said back there… about you and Katie…”

  I glare at him. “What about me and Kat?” I think she made it pretty clear that it’s none of his business, but if he wants to get electrocuted, I guess I can’t stop him.

  “I’m sorry, okay?”

  That’s so not what I expected to hear. “You’re what?”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything."

  “You’re apologizing to me?”

  “Yeah, I guess I am. Don’t get me wrong, I still think you’re a stuck-up jerk, and I don’t get what Katie sees in you, but… she’s my friend, and I just shouldn’t have said anything.”

  He goes silent and looks at me all expectantly, like I’m supposed to say something to that. I almost wish he’d said something to piss me off instead, because electrocuting him would be about a hundred times less awkward than this conversation. “Okay.”

  I think that’s going to be it, because what else is there to say? But then he goes on. “It’s just… What’s your deal, anyway?”

  “My deal?”

  “Yeah, like, you’re not a villain. You’ve made that pretty clear. But then you zap some hero kid at a birthday party—”

  “That’s not what happened.”

  “That’s what it looked like happened. And I don’t know much about what heroes do in their free time, but I know that’s not it. So if you’re not a villain, and you’re not a hero, then, like, what are you?”

  “None of your business.” Just the person who’s going to murder him if he doesn’t shut up.

  “Okay, but—”

  “You’ve already decided I’m not a villain, so what do you care? And we shouldn’t even be talking. Kat and Riley are trying to do recon, so—”

  “Okay.” He holds up his hands. “I get it. No talking.”

  I watch him, thinking he’s going to say something else, but he stays quiet. I feel my shoulders relax and my stomach unknot a little. Because not only do I not want to answer his stupid questions, but I’m not 100% sure that I could kill him silently and not, like, blow Kat and Riley’s cover. Plus, Kat would have to explain to her teacher that her partner didn’t make it back from their assignment, and that sounds like a lot of paperwork.

  Then his phone rings. Really loudly. It blares through the hall, making us both jump.

  Tristan swears and fishes his phone out of his pocket. It’s way too late, though, because there are some clatt
ering noises coming from an exhibit down the hall, and some guys—presumably the robbers—start shouting at each other to get out of there.

  I glare at Tristan, but only for a split second, and then we’re both running toward the exhibit. We sort of get there at the same time, except maybe he’s slightly ahead of me and maybe I kind of elbow him and push my way into the room first. Because Kat and Riley could be in there, and what if they got caught when the robbers realized they weren’t alone in this place? What if Riley turned visible or Kat got startled and they gave themselves away? Tristan doesn’t care at all about Riley, and Kat’s just his friend, and he was the one who was too stupid to remember to silence his phone, anyway.

  Despite all that, he still calls me a jerk when I shove past him, but I don’t care.

  The room’s a mess, like a group of robbers were in the middle of stealing all the exhibit’s jewelry from the cases when they got found out and had to make a run for it. A few precious stones and some broken bits of glass are on the floor.

  “Kat?!”

  “Right here,” she says, peeling away from the shadows on the wall and shapeshifting into herself.

  Riley turns visible—he was along the opposite wall—and comes over to join us.

  “Nice going,” Kat says, giving Tristan a look.

  “Hey! It could have been him.” He jerks his thumb toward me.

  Kat just shakes her head. “It was your ringtone.”

  “I’m not saying it wasn’t me,” Tristan mutters. “I’m just saying it… it could have been anybody. It was a simple mistake.”

  “More like a stupid one,” I tell him. “One you definitely made.”

  He scowls but doesn’t say anything.

  I make eye contact with Riley, then with Kat. “You guys okay?”

  “Yeah,” Riley says. “They didn’t see us.”

  “We were sneaky,” Kat adds. “They had no idea we were here. Then Tristan’s phone went off and they took what they could and ran.”

  “I don’t suppose they said where they were going?” I push some of the broken glass around on the floor with my shoe.

  “Nope,” Riley says. “We basically just watched them rob this place, and now we have no idea where they even took the jewelry they stole or how to get it back.”