The Ups and Downs of Being Super

by Katrina Kahler

  Yep, it was now official. I may have superpowers, but I was still just an average kid who happened to be really strong.

  At the end of the school day, Jason and I met at our lockers to collect our gear for practice. Jason played on the boy’s lacrosse team. It certainly wasn’t a love for him but like he said, “the running is good.”

  Plus, it gave us a chance to hang out and walk home together after school.

  As we were collecting our sticks and pads, Ms. Janet, the janitor, walked by, sweeping the floor. I like Ms. Janet a lot. She’s a retired army sergeant who now cleans the school in the afternoons.

  “Hope you kids have a good afternoon!” Ms. Janet smiled.

  “You too!” Jason and I both replied together.

  “After I leave here I get to go clean a few more houses,” she added with another smile.

  “Ms. Janet, why don’t you enjoy your retirement more?” Jason asked.

  She grinned. “I enjoy working. It makes me feel useful. Besides, these days any extra cash I get goes to help my grandkids in college.” She shrugged. “Well, nice talking to you, kids. Have a good practice. These floors won’t sweep themselves, so I’d better get to it.”

  I thought for a second about using super breath to blow all the dust out of the school, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure I could control my power enough to do that. Besides, Ms. Janet seemed to really enjoy her work. So, I guessed I should leave her to it.

  Boy, I was tempted though!

  Practice Makes Perfect…

  After school, I met Krista on the lacrosse field for practice. I actually enjoy our practice sessions. I liked working out with the team and also the way we were learning to cooperate and work as one. I even loved doing drills. Wendi, being the star of the team, hated drills. She just loved to scrimmage. So, of course, she managed to talk Coach Blue into an all practice scrimmage session. And of course, before we started, I got a text from Mom.

  MOM> Remember to be careful at practice!

  I knew this would be a test of both my abilities and my patience.

  Coach Blue broke us up into two squads. The first was basically Wendi and Lori, and all the biggest girls against Krista, Marie, me and all the smaller, quicker girls.

  “They definitely have a size advantage on us!” Krista whispered to me as we lined up to start.

  “Don’t worry; we have speed and brains on our side!” I told her.

  “Okay, ladies, I want this to be minimum contact!” Coach Blue warned us. “After all, you are all on the same team, so we don’t need you beating each other up.”

  Lori snickered.

  “So, what we’re going to do is…each team will take a turn with the ball,” Coach Blue instructed. “If that team scores or misses, the other team will bring the ball up the field.” Coach pointed to Wendi. “Wendi’s team will get the ball first!”

  Coach Blue blew her whistle with all her might. I swear she loved the harsh sound it made. Wendi grabbed the ball, ran down the field, dodged a couple of our defenders then quickly shot the ball into the back of the net. She raised her arms in victory. Lori came over and gave her a high five and a chest bump.

  Shannon, our goalie, tossed the ball to me. I started running up the field. A couple of Wendi’s teammates lunged at me. I dodged them easily as they seemed to move in slow motion. I darted up the field. I’d never felt so sure and confident. I just knew I was going to score. I ran past two more defenders as Wendi shouted. “Somebody stop her!”

  Too late. I had already closed in on the goal. I flicked my wrist and rocketed a shot over the goalie’s right shoulder. I smiled. I shot that just hard enough to get past her without it being so hard, it was dangerous. I felt like I was really catching on to my powers.

  “Wow, I barely saw that!” Michelle gasped. “Nice shot, Lia!”

  Wendi picked up the ball and grumbled something about luck and even how a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Wendi passed the ball to Lori. Lori passed back to Wendi. The next thing we knew they had scored again.

  Shannon tossed the ball to Krista. Krista threw a long pass to Marie. Marie noticed I was open and hit me with a perfect pass. I caught the ball and tossed it in the goal in one fluid motion.

  Krista and Marie ran up and patted me on the back.

  Marie grinned. “Wow! You’re playing amazing today!”

  “You are on FIRE!” Krista shouted.

  “It’s just the great teamwork,” I insisted. Deep down, I had to say I felt amazing, like nothing in this world could stop me.

  Wendi walked by, intentionally hitting me in the shoulder. I barely felt it, but I still moved my shoulder like she had affected me. Wendi hit the ball out of the goal and glared at Michelle.

  “Can’t you stop anything, girl?”

  Michelle shrugged. "Hey, I'm a good goalie, but that was just a better shot."

  Wendi looked at Lori. Lori nodded. I didn’t like the look or the nod.

  Wendi took the ball and headed back up the field. She flicked the ball into the net, but this time she didn’t celebrate. She reached into the goal, grabbed the ball with her stick and tossed it to me.

  “Okay, Strong, let’s see how strong you really are!” she said.

  “I like a challenge,” I replied.

  I made my move up the field. Wendi ran behind me. I wasn't running full speed, but neither was she. I didn’t know what she had planned. Still, I kept my eye focused on the goal. I also knew that I didn’t want to score this goal. Okay, I did want to score this goal. I wanted to score so badly. Then I could taunt Wendi. But I knew I needed to pass the ball around. Not only was that being a good teammate but it also didn’t make me look too suspicious.

  I snapped a quick pass to Krista. Hearing footsteps coming at me from the side, I turned to see Lori closing in on me at full speed, her stick up. I lowered my shoulder just as Lori rammed into me. Lori went flying over me and then crashed to the ground, out cold. I fell to the ground too, even though I barely felt the hit.

  Coach Blue blew her whistle. “Timeout! Timeout!” She ran out onto the field. “You girls alright?”

  I sat up. “I’m fine coach…”

  Lori laid there on the ground. Marie tapped her gently on the arm. “Lori, Lori…”

  Lori lifted her head. “Anybody get the number of that truck that hit me?”

  “That was a dirty hit by Lia!” Wendi insisted, jumping up and down.

  “Looked clean to me,” Coach Blue said. It was one of the rare times she didn’t agree with her star.

  Lori sat up. “Coach is right. It was a clean hit.” Lori gave me a thumbs up.

  I walked over and helped her to her feet.

  For the rest of the practice, we ran drills. I learned that my power was undoubtedly fun to use, but I had to be on my guard, always.

  That was something I definitely had to watch out for!

  Snack Break…

  After practice, Jason, Krista, Tim, and I headed to Mr. T’s Donuts & More. Mr. T’s was the big hang out for middle school kids. The place had everything we needed…comfy couches, free wifi, yummy snacks, and the best milkshakes in the world. It even had an old-school retro type pinball machine. Everyone loved the place!

  The four of us sat on a couch, munching on our food. I had a strawberry donut that I was washing down with chocolate milk. The smooth taste of the milk made me so glad that I wasn’t lactose intolerant. I knew some people who were, and they couldn’t have any dairy products whatsoever. I would have hated not being able to enjoy milk without releasing a fart that would drop the entire room.

  "Man, it looked like you had a great practice," Tim said.

  Jason chimed in. “I would love to have seen the look on Wendi’s face when you tossed in all those goals.”

  “Oh, she was so not happy!” Krista replied.

  “I just got lucky, guys,” I said with a smile.

  No sooner did we mention her name then Wendi appeared at the door with Brandon and Lori in tow.
r />   They walked by our couch. Wendi stuck her nose in the air like she hadn’t noticed us. But Lori looked at me and at least gave me a nod. I took it as a gesture of respect. Brandon actually smiled and stopped to talk. My heart skipped a beat when he said, “Lia, I saw you from our practice field. You were playing so well. Keep it up!”

  Wendi stopped and acknowledged we existed with a, “Oh hi…” She pulled Brandon along, “Come on, Brandon lets go to our couch.”

  Before I had time to think about what just happened, something weird hit me. I got a funny feeling in my stomach. No this wasn't going to be another super fart (thank the stars), this was something else. Like I just knew something terrible was going to happen. Looking out the big windows that lined the wall at the front of Mr. T’s, I scanned downtown Starlight City. We were right across from the SLC Bank. Sure enough, I saw two men in hoodies getting out of a big black car parked right in front of the bank. A third man, also in a hoodie, sat in the driver’s seat with the car running. They were going to rob the bank! Nope, that was not happening, not on my watch.

  I got up and grabbed my book bag. “Sorry, guys, I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “Want me to come?” Krista asked, starting to rise.

  I smiled and shook my head. “Nah, it might be safer if you don’t.”

  “Got it,” Krista said, dropping back to her seat.

  I moved to the bathroom as quickly as I could without moving at super speed. My heart pounded away in my chest like a beating bass drum. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was nervous or excited. Probably a little of both.

  I went into the middle stall and closed the door. Somehow, I had the feeling there were going to be a lot of bathroom visits in my life from now on. I looked up to see a window at the back of the stall. Not a huge window but one I could fit through. Now I needed a disguise.

  Rummaging through my book bag, I found an old black tutu from a dance recital I did at the start of the year. I also pulled out a white ski mask. For once, the fact that I never cleaned out my book bag was a good thing. I quickly changed into my new outfit. Sure, I didn't look stylish, but nobody would be able to identify me. Or at least, I hoped not because that detail was critical.

  I jumped up on the toilet (after making sure it was closed) and popped open the window. I slipped out the window and promptly fell into a big garbage can in a side alley. Yep, I really should have looked before I leaped or dropped in this case. Feeling the squishy goo under my feet, I decided I didn’t want to know whatever the heck I was standing in. I pulled myself out of the trash bin and spun around as fast as I could, causing most of the slime and trash to spin off me. I took a deep breath. It was ‘Go time!’ I only hoped I could handle it. For a brief moment, I considered texting my mom. But no, there was no point in worrying her. I knew I could handle this. I was a Strong woman – literally and figuratively. I had taken enough karate lessons that I knew how to fight. I just needed a plan. I knew not to leap in feet first this time because that’s how people get hurt.

  I surveyed the scene. The driver was tilting nervously backward and forward in his seat. I noticed smoke billowing out of the tailpipe. I smiled. I had my plan.

  Not on my watch!

  I leaped across the street, landing right behind the old black smoking sedan. I bent down not only to hide but to cripple the car. I grabbed the exhaust pipe in my hand. I couldn’t tell if it was hot. If it was, the heat didn’t bother me. I pinched the pipe closed like it was made of putty. No way this car would go far at all.

  I leaned back and ducked behind the car. Now I just had to wait for the other two guys to come out. From the chaos I could hear inside the bank, it wouldn’t take long.

  Seconds later, the two masked men burst outside the front doors of the bank. One of them, a bigger man, turned back into the bank and shouted, “If nobody follows us, nobody gets hurt.”

  He leaped into the front seat of the car. The other man jumped into the back seat.

  “Drive, drive!” The bigger man ordered, waving his gun around like it was a conductor wand.

  From the spot where I’d been hiding, I had a clear view as the car pulled away from the curb. It sputtered and jerked forward. Then it coughed a stream of black soot out the back.

  “Drive faster!” the big man ordered the driver.

  With my super hearing, I could hear every word that the men said. Their voices were a mixture of frustration, anger, and fear.

  “I’m hitting the gas as hard as I can!” the driver said in a panicky voice. “I’ve got no idea why this car is moving so slow…”

  The car stammered and sputtered to a stop.

  “What the?” the big man said.

  “Maybe we don’t have gas?” the man in the back offered helplessly.

  “I put ten bucks’ worth of fuel in before we came here!” the driver said.

  I reacted fast. Jumping forward, I grabbed the front and back passenger doors. I pulled them off the car like they were made of plywood.

  “What the?” the big guy repeated once more.

  I leaned into the car and grabbed him then rammed his head up into the roof of the car. He went limp. I pulled him out of the car and dropped him to the curb. The guy in the back seat aimed his gun at me. I shot forward and grabbed the gun’s nozzle. Pulling the gun out of his hand, I crushed it into a ball of metal. The man lunged forward in desperation and punched me in the nose.

  He pulled his hand back, wincing in pain.

  “Now that was rude!” I said, changing my voice to sound very official. “Plus, kind of stupid since I bent your gun like nothing.” I leaned over the back seat and pinched him on the shoulder. He crumbled over.

  Turning my attention to the driver, I stared at him as he stood there with his arms up in the air, shaking. He handed me his gun. “I give up!” he gulped.

  I took the gun and squished it. “Smart man!” I told him. “Still, I need to make sure you don’t run away!”

  “I won’t! I promise!” he said, crossing his heart with his fingers.

  As if I could believe a guy who was perfectly willing to rob a bank! I reached forward and tapped him on the forehead. His head rocked back, his eyes rolled to the back of his head then dropped shut. He plopped back in his seat, out cold.

  Reaching for the ignition, I turned off the car. I then backed out of the car and leaped up into the air towards the alley.

  The New Normal…

  When I returned to the dining area of the restaurant, everybody was still gathered around the front window. By then, the police had come and were taking away the battered bad guys. Jason’s dad, who was chief of police, talked to the local press.

  Jason was bursting at the seams when he saw me. “OMG! You missed it! You missed the most awesome thing!”

  “It wasn’t that awesome!” Wendi insisted.

  “What did I miss?” I asked, pretending to be utterly ignorant of what had just gone on.

  “Some supergirl stopped the robbery!” Brandon gushed. “She totally clobbered those three bad dudes. I wonder if she’s good looking…”

  “If she was pretty, why would she wear a mask?” Wendi asked.

  “Probably to hide her identity,” I answered, far more defensively than I would have liked.

  “Could you please turn on the TV, Mr. T?” Jason called out. “My dad is speaking now.”

  The TV in the corner of the room popped on. Mr. T flicked a switch to the local station and there stood Jason’s dad, looking all tough and official in his best and bluest uniform. “These men are three of the five Hanson brothers,” Jason's dad said. "The other two are still at large, but we will get them."

  “What about the news that some sort of supergirl overpowered these three and saved the day?” the reporter asked.

  The chief hesitated for a second. He drew a deep breath. “Well, while we do appreciate the help of ANY citizen to make our town a better, safer place…. I can’t condone the actions of a vigilante.”

  “But s
he did save the day!” the reporter insisted.

  I fought back the urge to say, “You go girl!”

  The chief nodded again. “Yes, she did save the day, and we appreciate it. But one of the Hanson’s, the oldest brother named Bart, is threatening to sue the city. He says she used excessive force, plus he is demanding to be reimbursed for the price of the guns she destroyed.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” I said under my breath.

  Jason heard me and agreed.

  Krista, Tim, and a few others also nodded in agreement.

  “That is a good point,” Wendi admitted. “The girl might be strong…but she certainly isn’t that smart, and definitely has no sense of style!”

  Brandon shook his head. “I still gotta wonder if she’s cute...”

  Wendi elbowed him in the stomach, an annoyed expression on her face.

  Brandon bent over then straightened himself up. “I’m sure she’s not as cute as you.”

  I considered saying, “I bet she’s way cuter!” But then I decided that I already had enough to deal with; no need to start upsetting Wendi. Besides, she was my teammate and captain; we needed to work together. Not only would that be better for the team but it would make my life easier. Having super strength didn’t protect me from the mean comments of other girls. My skin might have been as tough as steel, but I still had emotions, normal kid emotions. I needed all the friends I could get. And while Wendi might not ever be a friend, I certainly didn’t need her as an enemy.

  Suddenly, my train of thought was broken by my stomach rumbling. And by rumbling, I mean really rumbling. It sounded so loud it actually shook the couch we were sitting on. I threw my hand over my stomach and felt my face turn bright red. “Oops, sorry!” I apologized, slinking down a bit. “I’m just so hungry.”

  “You had a long hard practice,” Jason told me. “Let’s get you some food.” Jason signaled for Mr. T to come over. Mr. T, a small bald man, was not only the owner but also the waiter and chef at the restaurant. He and Mrs. T, his tall redheaded wife, pretty much ran the entire place themselves.