This World

by Lee, TD

  Disgusting.

  Class starts and it’s the same mundane shit over and over and over again. When am I ever going to need any of this stuff they’re teaching? Sure, teach me how to do excessive breakdowns of sentences, but don’t teach me how to keep myself safe from superheroes. How boring.

  What we need to know is what to do when a superhero destroying a building that you can’t get out of. Or when a superhero uses their powers that impacts the people around them. Hell, there should be some mental exercises to help get rid of telepaths trying to probe your mind! What kind of world is this that we can’t even think things safely?

  Time ticks slowly. Why am I so impatient today? What’s there for me to do or anticipate that I wish time would move faster? Maybe I’ll go visit that SAVE group today, see what they have to offer for someone like me. I’m not even suffering. I’m just realizing the harsh truths of this world.

  What feels like days finally pass and it’s lunchtime. My appetite hasn’t been the best as of late. Ever since Hero Con, just everything about me has declined. My appetite, my mental fortitude, my energy, just everything. That mind controller really messed me up. The only thing that really heightened is my hyper awareness of other people. Meaning that I feel like everyone knows everything about me and is reading my thoughts. Shit! Even my thoughts aren’t safe!

  Have there really been this many students at this school. I’ve never really looked around to notice, but there are so many people. Even out in this courtyard, there’s a bunch of people just sitting around eating lunch. You can tell which ones are heroes and which ones aren’t though. All of the heroes hang out with other heroes while normies would try, but fail. What a great super clique that I never want to be a part of.

  A familiar presence sits down next to me. “Hey Ridley!” Hiro greets me with a wide smile. Look at this smug guy, acting as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  Without looking at him, I simply say, “What, not hanging out with the super clique today?”

  “Uh, what?” he looks over at me. Look at him, showing as if he cares about me.

  I remark, “Not hanging out with your new, super cool superhero friends today?"

  He looks at me quizzically. What an innocent look for someone who fully knows what he’s doing. "Uh, no, I wanted to hang out with you. You’re my best friend and all."

  “Best friend,” I scoff. "Sure, yeah come back to hanging out with me.

  His quizzical look gets more and more serious. "What's wrong Ridley?"

  "Nothing, nothing at all, so why don't you go back to hanging out with the super clique over there, they look like they're looking for you." I point with my eyes towards the group of familiar super students that are heading in our direction.

  "Ridley, are you mad at me for hanging out with them?"

  Oh, you know.

  "No, why would I be mad?"

  He tilts his head, saying, "Then why are you being so defensive? If I did something wrong, you know I want you to tell me. You’re hiding something and it’s really scaring me that you won’t tell me." Is this guy being genuine or is he just that good at hiding his intentions?

  "You didn't anything wrong, nothing at all." I dismiss. "You're leaving me to hang out with your new friends, you don't need me, just go to them."

  "Aight, so you're mad at me for hanging out with super people. I thought you would be okay with it since you’re not into superheroes."

  “Oh, I’m totally okay with it, definitely okay with it,” I reply.

  “You’re not though. Ridley, what’s wrong? You know I care about you right?” Those puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work on me.

  “Yeah, sure, show that you’re concerned about me now. Where were you when I needed you? Oh right, you were having fun replacing me with your super friends at Hero Con where you just left me to go hang out with way more interesting people than me,” I rant, my voice gradually getting louder and louder. Some nearby students look over in our direction. Each of them judging me with those ominous eyes of theirs.

  “What do you mean? I-I didn’t-”

  “Oh, but you know what’s even better than leaving me like that? Being mind controlled! It was fantastic, let me tell you!” I’m at the brink of shouting now. Whatever, the flood gates are open!

  “You were there when King was there?” Hiro’s eyes flare in shock.

  “Yeah, and your so-called favorite superhero is a giant ass dick!” A shocked expression flashes across Hiro’s face. “Aw, did I hit a nerve when I said that about your favorite?”

  Hiro’s eyes squint, his brows furrow. “Are you okay Ridley?” he asks.

  “Fine, perfectly fine! Can’t you tell!?” I shout, throwing my hands up.

  Hiro attempts to put his arm around me shoulders, but I brush them off. “What did King do to you?”

  “You think King was bad? Your favorite superhero almost killed a bunch of us because he just wanted to get to King! I could’ve been murdered by a superhero. Don’t those two, you know, kind of shouldn’t go together?” I continue shouting to the point that a lot more students are looking at my direction.

  “C’mon Ridley, just calm-”

  I quickly interrupt, “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! You superheroes and your high and mighty attitudes. I don’t get why you think you’re so much better than the rest of us. You’re all just glorified people with special quirks, yet you get worshipped like Gods. How pathetic is it that you would look up to other people like you.”

  “You don’t understand Ridley, there’s so much you don’t understand about this superhero thing,” Hiro’s voice went from soft to serious within an instant. He bites his quivering lips. That look in his eyes. It’s passion, yet sadness, grief, sorrow. Who knew such a guy could feel those things. Who knows if they’re real or fake though.

  “What? I wouldn’t understand that you’re some big shot superhero now?”

  His eyes flare wide in shock again. “Th-that’s not it at all. It’s just that there’s so much you don’t know.”

  I roll my eyes and sigh deeply. “Whatever, I don’t want to know. I’m sure you got better things to do and better people to be around. So you know what? I’m going to make this easy on you and just walk away. Good luck with everything, super bitch.” I stand up and immediately walk away.

  “R-Ridley!” Hiro calls out to me, but I keep on walking. Good luck with whatever the stupid hell you want to do with your super life, super freak.

  Chapter 11

  I never did attend SAVE. Not the day when Hiro and I argued. Not the day after. Not the week or two after. Not the month after either. Never. Maybe it’s the lack of motivation. Maybe laziness. But I never got around to it. Then again, why would I want to sit in a room with a bunch of people who were somehow affected by super people? That’s what I want to get away from, super anything. It’s impossible though. Super shit is everywhere. No matter where I go, there’s some sort of super thing. Whether it be encountering super people or seeing them on TV or just seeing a goddamn picture of them, they’re everywhere! I can’t go anywhere without seeing them. Is this society so superhero driven that it’s just ingrained into our everyday lives? That’s kind of pathetic.

  I thought I would get better after cutting myself off from Hiro though, but my appetite and whatever else is still in a slump. It doesn’t even feel like it’s been over a month since Hiro and I stopped being friends. Maybe all of this laziness or loss of appetite is because of my lack of motivation? Then again, was I even motivated in the first place to do anything? Maybe a change of pace is in order. Is there a place where I can just be totally freed from super stuff? Or at least have something new that’s not superhero related? It’s the same thing over and over again, nothing changes. I sure as hell do not want to be saved by a superhero anymore though.

  After that encounter with Meteor, just the mere thought of being saved by a superhero is making my stomach churn. Seriously, how can a person who is supposed to save people willing
to kill the people they’re supposed to save just to get to the villain? That sounds more villainous to me. It’s sickening. What’s even worse is that Hiro looks up to the guy. If Hiro looks up to him, wouldn’t that mean that Hiro has that same mindset? Would he be willing to cut innocent people down just to get to the end result? Is sacrificing the few to save the many a big thing for him? I’m glad I’m not his friend, I’d probably be his first victim.

  Speaking of Hiro, school is a bit awkward now that Hiro and I aren’t exactly friends anymore. He’s been avoidant of me just as I’ve been avoidant of him. As it should be, I want nothing to do with superheroes so not being his friend anymore makes sense. He’s constantly with Sadie and the super clique now, so I’m just an oversight at this point. I’m okay with that if that means he’s occupied with other people. I’m not bitter about it at all. After all, he looks happy. He’s all smiles and joy. Not a shred of sadness or guilt. Keep laughing it up everyone, he’s probably going to kill you just to get to the enemy. Then again, who needs enemies if your closest friend can be a murderer?

  School is also a little awkward because people heard and saw my outburst I had. More people are avoiding me than usual, not that many people talked to me anyway. I’m fine with this. I’d much rather be by myself than to risk being around a super person. Whether or not people are a super person yet is up in the air, but they can be like Hiro and become one at any time. Every so often, I would notice that Hiro would glance over at me as if he wants to say something. Even if he does, I’m not listening. It’s not worth it and there’s nothing left for him to say. I’m done with the guy. No more.

  A bunch of students have been weird towards me too. I get a lot of glares, even weeks after that argument I had with Hiro. All of these people just blindly follow superheroes don’t they? I’ve even had a couple of students come up to me just to tell me that I’m wrong. As if they know. These people are probably just people who have been around superheroes when things were fine and there was no imminent danger. Meanwhile, I was almost killed by a superhero. So really, they don’t understand a single thing. People just don’t understand that superheroes aren’t that great. Of course, there are people willing to defend them as if their life depends on it.

  The bell of lunch rings. I sluggishly move through the hallway. There’s way too many people in this hallway. Students are running about, trying to get to the lunchroom as quick as they can. I don’t see the rush. The food isn’t that great. The taste is bland. It’s no Gourmet Duel or Chiffon Room, so why bother?

  “H-hey, Ridley,” Hiro says with a saddened smile. He stands in the middle of the hallway like he was waiting for me for a while.

  Of course the guy tries to talk to me today. Did he suddenly get a new superpower? Does he have telepathy now? Are my thoughts going to be safe and private? My mind quickly flashes back to the incident with King, my hands tightly wrapped around Hiro’s neck. I shake my head as the memory fades into the back of my mind.

  I simply walk by, he’s got no time for me, so why would I make time for him?

  He dashes in front of me to stop me from walking further. “C’mon, hey.”

  The guy might be big, but he’s no wall. I simple just walk around him to which he dashes in front of me again. “Stop.” How annoying, why can’t he just leave me alone?

  “Just, listen to what I have to say,” he remarks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  I push his hand off of me and walk around him again, only for him to stop in front of me again. “This is harassment, you need to stop.”

  “I just wanna talk,” he says.

  I quickly respond with a harsh tone, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “But I-”

  “But nothing, now go on to your super clique. Your real friends,” I say.

  He bites his lip, fighting the urge to say something. His chest puffs out as he takes a deep breath. “C’mon, don’t be like that Ridley. You’ve known me for how long? You know I’m not the kinda person who-”

  “Shut up,” I say, “just go already. If you’re not, then I will.” He stands still, biting his lip harder than before. “Cool, now I’m going.”

  When I walk by him, I can just feel the agitated vibe coming from him. Oh no, is he going to hurt me? "Without me, who else do you have!?" he snaps. I turn around at his words. Within the next instant, that angry face he had immediately turns to sorrow and shock. Mouth gaping. Eyes wide. "I-I, I'm sorry-."

  "You obviously meant that," I snap back. Whatever, now that this guy is a big hot shot hero he thinks he's so much better than me. "I'm out, you go play with your super shits."

  "R-Ridley!" he calls out to me before I disappear into the crowd of students that happened to watch our argument.

  I roll my eyes. The image of my hands choking Hiro flashes into my head again. “Shit,” I mumble quietly. I shake my head again to get rid of the image. Deep breaths exit my mouth. Tch. Who else do I have? Does Hiro think he’s so high and mighty that my whole life revolves around the guy? Hell no, I have other friends. Like Mariana. Sure I only see her during random times, but she’s a friend. O-or even…my parents? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I can make new friends. I don’t need Hiro in my life. He’s just a guy that I once knew, that’s all it is. Damn that Hiro, I’m pissed now. It’s not like I can go anywhere to blow off some steam either.

  Once I get my food, I go to my usual spot and start eating. Things are quieter here, especially now that Hiro doesn’t hang around here. It’s refreshing to not have someone yap into your ear about the latest superhero gossip or whatever. Just some peace and quiet.

  “They’re all freaks,” I hear a voice murmur from behind me. That peace and quiet didn’t last very long.

  I turn around to find a tall, slender guy with long dyed black hair with a streak of yellow across his bangs. His bangs cover his right eye. His attire is relatively simplistic with long black pants that show off his skinny stature, oversized black hoodie with skeletal patterns on it. He’s wearing fingerless gloves that shows off the neon green nails he has painted on. The most elaborate thing about this guys’ wardrobe are the impractical amount of straps and belts attached to his pants.

  “Um, what?” I murmur.

  He sits down next to me and elaborates, “Superheroes. They’re freaks. Just society’s illusions of people who think they’re great when they’re not. They’re overrated.”

  “Yes! Right!?” I exclaim without meaning to. This guy gets it. He understands.

  He nods as he takes a quick sip of the milk on his lunch tray. “They’re dangerous and should be kept away from normal people. It’s dangerous for them to be able to roam around wherever they want with no consequences. It’s like the government wants normal people like us to die. We’re just the pawns of a higher scheme of making superheroes seem amazing. When in reality, what’s so super about superheroes?”

  “Nothing!” we both say together.

  We both laugh at our unison. “Wow, I’m so glad there’s someone who understands. There have been way too many people who have come up to me just to say I’m wrong,” I respond.

  “Superheroes are scary after all. People just don’t understand,” the guy says with a smile.

  “Right!?” I exclaim, again not intending to. “Sorry, you probably think it’s so weird that I’m just so excited that there’s someone else that understands.”

  “No, I think it’s great. Not a lot of people have the guts to tell a superhero off either. But you did it without any trace of holding back, it was fantastic to see.” The guy smirks. “I’m Jaron, by the way.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m Ridley,” I introduce myself. I put my hand out for a handshake to which Jaron returns the gesture.

  “Ridley, huh? That’s a pretty name,” Jaron chuckles quietly to himself.

  “Uh, I guess,” I respond. What do I say to something like that? “So what did a super person do to you?” I ask, genuinely curious.

  “Check it,” Jaron says as he p
ulls down on the collar of his shirt. Under his collar bone and above where his heart is located is a huge circular scar. “Oh and here too.” He lifts up his bangs to reveal a large patch of missing skin tissue from above his right brow to his right temple. It’s like there’s a crater on his forehead. There’s very light scar tissue that barely makes it that you can’t see his skull. “The scar on my chest is when I got stabbed by a former friend who was a Soul Harvester. He went on a rampage and was trying to harvest my soul, so I got this beautiful mark.”

  “Ouch!” I respond. I feel like a wuss now, since Jaron here actually has been injured by heroes. Meanwhile, I haven’t, although I could’ve been burned alive so maybe that balances it out.

  “Yeah, hurt like a bitch. But with the missing skin, it was pretty much frostbite, both the hero and the actual pain of frostbite. Frostbite, the hero, kept using her powers to create ice and snow. She was fighting and I got hit with several ice balls and snow. So I got frostbite where I got hit the most and had to surgically remove the damaged skin from the frostbite since there was no way in that freezing hell that it would’ve been easily treated. So those are my stories.”

  “Wow, just wow. These superheroes think they’re helping, but they only caused damage to the people the swear to protect. How stupid,” I remark. Superheroes really have no repercussions do they?

  “So, what about you? And battle scars?” Jaron asks as he takes a bite out of his food.

  I shake my head. Honestly, I’m a little bummed out that I don’t have anything to show for. Yeah, I’m extremely anti-superheroes now, but I have nothing to show for it. “No, but I did get close to getting burned alive!” I respond.