by Chara, Mina
I could tell she wanted to go on, but tears were tipping off the edges of her eyes.
“It’s okay, I get it. Don’t worry.”
She nodded and wiped her eyes even though she hadn’t shed a tear.
“Hey friend!” Aya said, running over to David as he poked his head out from behind the café doors.
“I asked Ashley if he wanted to come, but he was busy.” David explained.
“No biggie, a team doesn’t have to do everything together,” she said.
“But you’re always with David,” I said setting down a jug of soda.
“That’s because they’re dating!” shouted Jake from the couch.
Aya slapped David on the back who gave a sheepish smile. “What can I say? The cameras really love us together.”
David didn’t seem to meet Aya’s bright smile, and instead preferred to look at the ceiling. “Actually Friday there was something we wanted to talk to you about. We, uh… Is that Sense?”
Lisa turned round on the couch and waved. “Hi kids.”
“She’s my mentor,” I explained and they nodded.
“We know, I mean we all saw you with the bomb and then… You know. But, she hangs out here?’
“She just barged in really.”
“Sorry about that!” Lisa waved the remote in the air as she continued her viewing of the TV special.
“Okay, right, well. We uh, wanted to ask you, Aya?” David prompted.
“Would you be interested in joining the gold team!?” Aya asked, jumping up and down.
Jake’s body spun round like the head on an owl as I replied. “What, like, transfer?” I asked and Aya nodded.
“Do it Day! Do it! Just do it!” urged Jake.
“Alright, alright, calm down.” I said.
“He’s right kid,” said Lisa, “that’s a good idea. You’re moving up, it might do you some good to have some team mates.”
“Really?”
“I’ll still be your mentor if you change teams,” she told me, “but I think it would get you more practice.”
“Why me?”
“Honestly?” said Aya leaning forwards as she spoke, “Veronica wanted us to get a new member before Christmas. We all agreed you were a good choice, you’re a no nonsense type, you’ve got a great mentor, and I think you and I would be great friends!”
For a moment I considered telling them I’d think about it. I still wasn’t used to the idea of being a superhero even though I’d had a power for years. I didn’t have to tell them I’d think about it. I blinked, and spent what seemed like twenty minutes debating what I should do. I’d come to the conclusion that I needed more practice as a hero, that I needed to push myself, and maybe living and working with other people was a way to push myself out of my comfort zone, and get something out of it. I opened my eyes again, seemingly no time had passed, and I said,“I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“That’s amazing!” Aya threw her hands up into the air, and Lisa cheered from the sofa.
Jake came running round with an ecstatic look on his face. “We should celebrate!” Jake announced sloshing a drink as he waved his arms.
“Be careful with that.” I said. Aya chuckled and David nodded.
Jake nudged me in the side and spilled pop on my top. “Oh, sorry ‘Day.”
I took a deep breath as Aya hummed with sympathy for me, and I held my hand up. “It’s fine, my shift was almost over anyway. I’ll just go put a different top on.” I walked back to my dorm room, setting my apron and jug of water aside. If I was going to switch teams, I’d have to move into their dorm. As I slipped the new top over my head I stopped and remembered the gold syringe. I took my phone out, searching for the picture of Grey London but at higher resolution. It wasn’t difficult to find. I zoomed in, the picture wasn’t perfect, but the object was there. It wasn’t jewelry, but it could have been a pen. I cleared a space, pulled out my suitcase and bent down to pry open the floor board. I could compare it to the photo. I couldn’t see anything at first so I put my hand down to search more carefully, but couldn’t find a thing. I set the floor board aside and wondered, had I opened the wrong one? I checked each floor board carefully, but this was the only one that budged and I’d been sure this was where I’d put it.
Which meant… the gold syringe was gone.
The next day, school had just finished and my backpack was heavy on my shoulder. I wanted to rush over to the Power League stadium to buy a ticket, just an excuse to get in, and, well I didn’t have a plan. But Grey London was the only lead I had now. And I couldn’t even be sure she was a lead. I was going off a blurry picture. Before I could reach the elevator, Veronica texted me, to tell me I was needed in the photography room. That meant it was gonna be a good hour and half before I could slip out.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to stave off the urge to take an afternoon nap and swung open the glass doors to the photo room before throwing my bag into the corner. Aya waved over the shoulder of the makeup artist, it was about time for the new group pictures of the gold team to be taken and I was dreading it.
Ashley looked at me out of the corner of his eye, but ignored me anyway. The rest of the team was slurping down various hot soups and quick snacks which meant they weren’t going to get a chance to eat later, there must be somewhere we had to go after the pictures.
Veronica threw the doors open, the sound of her practical boots slamming against the floor was reminiscent of a sergeant major. Aya passed me an energy bar, and pulled me into a quick hug.
“How’s my number one freshman team?” Veronica asked and we all hummed in reply, “We’re going to take some pictures,” she told us, clapping her hands, “Liddy Dhonage will be interviewing you. Friday, could you go get changed, please?”
I nodded, and two women set me behind a screen and handed me some clothes. My hands started to sweat as I slipped the top over my head, there were too many people in the room for comfort. I took a deep breath, tried to ignore the shaking in my chest, and stepped out. My other team mates were already sitting on this strange wooden crate like something out of a movie, the backdrop was plain white, and everyone was waiting as I went to take my place.
“I’m going to look like an idiot,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air. “Veronica please, I’m not made for the camera, I’ll go all awkward. Come on, look at me!” I swiveled in place doing my best to display the strangest faces I could make, like a woman from the cold Russian tundra doing her best on a modeling job.
“See! This is a bad idea!” I said as Veronica winced. Aya bit her lip and sighed, I got the feeling she didn’t like having her picture taken either.
“Just let me think, Ms. Fitzsimmons, I’ll come up with something,” Veronica said.
“The only picture you have of me is one where I’m frowning! Apparently it was the best one!” Ashley snorted. “Shut up Ang,” I said and pointed an accusing finger. He bit his lip, and looked away.
“Calm down,” insisted Veronica.
“I am calm!” I said and collapsed on the floor in a single movement, crossing my legs and arms. Veronica stepped away and lifted up a book entitled ‘Gold Team, freshman year: Draft, Do Not Distribute’ and flipped slowly through it, nodding as the pages turned.
“Aya, David, you take better pictures just the two of you. Ashley, you’re shooting with Friday.”
“What?” I grumbled.
“Friday, you’ll get used to the camera, I guarantee it, so until then, we’ll work up. But we do need a picture of you.”
She was right, I couldn’t just sit this out because I was nervous.
“Why Friday and me?” Ashley asked as he pushed up his glasses.
Veronica shrugged, and waved him out of the way as the photographer started snapping pictures of Aya and David. They really did seem comfortable with each other; Veronica kept stepping in and draping them over each other, telling them to look more in love, whatever that meant. Standing between Ashley and me she whispered advice like; sti
ck your chin out, stand as straight as you can, if you can’t smile think of a joke. Finally she leaned in and said, “Know your good side Friday, it’s your right. Stick with it.”
My mouth hung open, did people really do that much to take a good picture? Would I look stupid?
David and Aya finished and gave me a thumbs up. Aya stayed by the side gulping down a bottle of apple juice while David played on his phone. Veronica sat the woman from the magazine in front of Ashley and me for a few questions.
The writer from Deco had questioned us all throughout the shoot; simple things like why we were here, what did we like about each other and so on. She’d left me out and since I was new it seemed right. I wasn’t as familiar with my new team as the others were. Finally, though she turned to me. I’d expected something easy, something about why I’d joined, but no.
“So Ms. Fitzsimmons, do you ever feel inadequate now you’ve joined the most popular team in the freshman year?”
“I don’t know what you mean. Because you think I have less practice? You might be right I guess.”
“No,” Ms Dhonage said, “I mean, before you, Aya was the sole woman on the team. Do you ever feel like you have to keep up?”
My eyes slowly narrowed, and I heard the snaps of the camera slow in rhythm as the room got quieter. “What?”
Ms. Dhonage adjusted her position, and cleared her throat. “It’s just, Aya is already so popular, especially with the young men. Don’t you feel like, you know-”
“Actually, I don’t know,” I replied, my voice just a whisper below a shout.
“I just mean you must feel a little bit as though you’re in her shadow. She’s so beautiful, how do you cope with that?”
My fists clenched, and my body shook. Ashley’s hand reached out to my fist, and his fingers curled around it, sending a wave of calm through me. “We’re not competing,” I said.
“I wasn’t saying that. I just meant that-”
“I know what you’re saying,” I told her, “I’m not in competition with Aya, and frankly that question’s insulting.”
Ashley linked his fingers with mine, and my temper came down again as her mouth hung open, but only for a second before she slammed it shut. Her knuckles went white in the grip of her pen. That was what she had been doing right? I was within my right to say that wasn’t I? She had just insulted me. Had I done something wrong again?
“Ms. Dhonage, I think it’s time for you to leave,” said Veronica indicating the way to the exit and the reporter shot me a glare as Veronica pushed her out the door.
“Did I do the wrong thing?” I asked.
“No. You didn’t do the wrong thing,” said Veronica, “I had no idea she’d be so harsh with you, I’d say you handled it well.” Aya smiled at me, and Veronica gave me a nod of approval. Before Ashley let go of my hand the photographer snapped another picture. Veronica put down her clipboard and took her place behind the photographer, checking all the pictures that came through. She peered at the latest one.
“This is your best picture yet, front page worthy even.” She turned it round for us to see and I puffed up my cheeks to hide my expression; the picture looked like I was seconds away from leaping into action, and Ashley was the only thing holding me back. His hand had dropped from mine a split second before the picture was taken, so only our fingers brushed.
“That’s a good one kids,” Veronica sighed and rested her chin in her hand. “Lets try and get some more.”
I nodded, and stepped back to Ashley’s side.
“Okay kids, look at each other.”
“What?” I replied.
“Friday, look at Ashley.” she dictated without looking up from the monitor.
“I’d rather not.”
Ashley grabbed my shoulder and spun me round. “Just do it,” he groaned.
“Fine. I’m looking at him, I’m feeling anger.”
“That’s all you ever feel,” Ashley added.
“He’s not wrong. But I swear to God, one of these days, Ang-”
I waggled my finger in front of his face to issue a warning, but the quirk of his brow made my face go all red. The camera flashed and Veronica practically gasped.
“I’m gonna use that one all over the place.”
I blew a raspberry and settled in on the wooden crate. Veronica loved pictures of me frowning while Ashley smiled so we took several more. Aya finished her dinner and decided to tell me some jokes earning a genuine smile or two for her efforts. Soon Veronica had everyone back in the frame, Aya wrapped an arm around me, and rested her head on my shoulder. The next thing I knew a laugh escaped my lips and everyone was so surprised they all broke out into smiles. I knew we’d got a good group picture.
“Alright kids! That’s a wrap, good work today!” Veronica gave us all a quick shake of the shoulder, and everyone started putting away their stuff as we shuffled out of the room, one by one.
“Everything okay, Friday?” Aya asked, setting a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, it’s just I’ve been meaning to buy tickets for the championship power league game.”
David frowned and dipped his hands into his pockets. “The Championship game sold out months ago,” he told me.
Aya saw the disappointment on my face, and slapped David on the back. “Maybe Veronica could get us some tickets?” she chirped.
“Would she?” I asked.
“Sure, they probably have some spare tickets for Hero High kids. They usually do.”
“That’s great!”
Aya beamed, glad she’d cheered me up, and hung onto David’s arm as the lighting crew walked past us. “I’ll go ask her right now. It’s on Saturday, I’ll find you before the game, okay?”
“Do I need anything?” I asked, worried, now I was part of the gold team.
“I’ll take care of that, just keep your phone on and I’ll call you, okay?”
“Sure, thanks Aya.”
“No biggie,” she said with a shrug for emphasis, and left with David.
I checked down the hall both ways expecting to see Ashley, but it seemed he’d already left. Oh well. Not that I cared.
✰✰✰
Saturday came, and I wandered down the slanted cobbled streets, refusing to look at my reflection in the tempered glass of the buildings. I hated having to walk through the streets alone. The butterflies in my stomach were more acutely aware of how many people were around me now than ever before; it was ridiculous. I had to push through like my father taught me, I had to live in Icon City, but as I walked my heart sped up and with each step it became harder to breathe. I knew I had to find somewhere safe. My stomach rumbled. I also needed something to eat. I walked past most of the café’s, coffee shops, and bars because they seemed too crowded, ideal for a person that thrived in the big city. Right then, I was anything but that. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of something in a dark, burnt red, and found a squat Chinese restaurant. The sign read ‘Maggie’s’. I recognized it from Ashley’s menu, maybe he came here often? I needed to get away from all the people on the street, I couldn’t handle feeling like millions of eyes were watching me and judging. I gripped my bag like it was my life line, or maybe I just needed something to hold, and decided to try it out.
The moment the door of Maggie’s closed behind me I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. Here I could sit without feeling I was going to have a heart attack, but still, it didn’t wash away the feeling of vulnerability. I had no choice. I’d have to keep trying to go out and see if I could lessen the anxiety, only I wasn’t sure if that was how to fix it or even whether it could be fixed. The hostess showed me to a booth in the corner of the room and handed me a menu. I’d chosen the spot so I could watch the door. I lay my bag next to me hoping I could watch something on the web while I ate. When the waiter came to ask me what I wanted my eyes bulged at the sight; Ashley in an apron.
“Fitz?”
My confusion was over in an instant, and now I had
a one way ticket to frustration station. Ashley wasn’t wearing his usual clothes, they weren’t old, or freshly pressed, his hair hadn’t been pruned or combed back with just the right amount of gel. Instead he looked like someone who worked for a living, and he’d switched out his horn rimmed glasses for contacts.
“What can I get you?” he asked grudgingly.
I raised the menu up to cover my face, as though I could make him forget it was me. “Can I have honey walnut shrimp?”
“This is a restaurant, so, yes.” he replied.
“There’s no need to be snappy,” I told him.
“I’m not being snappy,” he said, clicking his pen rapidly.
“Yes you are.”
“No I’m not,” he said leaning forwards on the table, trying to use his size against me.
“Fine, then that’s what I want!”.
“Fine,” he said and stopped clicking his pen.
“Good!”
“Good.” He left, chewing the inside of his cheek.
My phone rang, the picture on the inside displaying Aya’s face. “David and I just got done with some interview, we’ve got a couple of hours until Power League, tell us where you are so we can pick you up.” Aya’s tone reminded me of a woman happily looking through the racks of a clothing store.
“I’m sitting in a place called Maggie’s.”
There was brief silence, and then a grunt from the other side. “Okay, we found it, we’re on our way. So, what have you been doing today?”
“Just, eating here really,” I told her.
“That’s all? The show gives us a good allowance..”
“I send a lot of it home,” I explained.
“Oh, that’s so nice of you!” said Aya, “but is that really all you’ve done today?”
