SuperNova: Heroes of Arcania

by Liz Long

  My heart plummeted to the ground along with my jaw. In love with me? No! Henry is like my brother.

  She saw my reflection and quickly shook her head. “He’s not, don’t worry. I was just really upset when we broke up and jumped to all sorts of ideas.”

  A sigh of relief escaped me as Amber continued talking. “He always wants to hang out with you instead of anyone else. I realized he didn’t feel that way about you though when…it was after your sister died. I think he was just really worried about you. He kept saying he was busy with the paper, but I knew it was because he was always with you.”

  I gave her a puzzled glance. “Why wouldn’t he tell you that? Why would he blame the paper?”

  “Well, really, what am I supposed to tell everyone? That he broke up with me because of you?” Amber snapped. Gazing at her own reflection, she took a deep breath. “Sorry. It still sucks. I really liked him and I still think we were headed somewhere before…you know. And now we don’t hang out as much as before because it’s all awkward and stuff.”

  My eyes went to the floor then back to her apologetic face. I nodded, wanting her to continue. “I’m sorry if I had anything to do with it. I liked you two together.”

  A brief smile flitted across her face and she spoke again. “He didn’t want people to talk. You guys are more family than a couple, but he didn’t want anyone to know how bad off you really were.” She shifted uncomfortably in her heels. “I mean…what happened to you, it killed Henry. He didn’t know how to help you. He even quit the paper, but right before school started back, he told McGee he could write again. A friend on staff told me that he seemed ready to get back into it because you were better.”

  “He quit the paper?” I echoed. Henry had been ready to sacrifice everything for me, for my sanity. I’d fed him so many lies these last few weeks. Guilt sat like a boulder in my gut.

  “Yeah. We were all worried.”

  “I guess it was weird for everyone.” I could see her side of things. Who wanted to talk to a depressed girl about homework?

  “Yeah, but now you’re like, back to normal or whatever, right?”

  I almost snorted at her question. “Something like that.”

  Amber shifted over to let one of the juniors get to the sink. “For what it’s worth, you and Cole are really cute together.”

  She smirked at the blush on my cheeks and for a moment, it felt like old times, giggling over boys.

  “Besides, he’s too much of a gentleman for me. What good is my secret weapon if he refuses to look down?” She laughed as she pointed to her chest. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have prey to catch.”

  She gave me a ferocious look before we cracked up laughing. As we left the restroom, fondness came over me. We might not be as close anymore, but she was still my friend and I was glad for it.

  I followed Amber back through the side entrance of the gym, unconsciously searching for Cole. He hadn’t strayed far, however, waiting for me. He talked with another student who was in my English class. I took a moment to admire my handsome date.

  Cole’s gray suit fit him well, with a skinny tie that matched the blue of my dress. He’d used gel to slick back his normally loose blond hair. He stuck a hand in his pocket, cocking his head to hear what his friend said. I giggled to myself thinking about how he should be on the cover of a magazine.

  As though he could feel my eyes on him, he looked up, searching until he found me. I felt drawn to him, an invisible cord pulling me to him. My feet moved without thinking and I couldn’t look away from him. He held his hand out for mine before I’d reached him, a tiny smile on his face. My heart might’ve done a backflip from sheer joy. The rhythm shifted when the song slowed and our classmate nodded at us before walking away.

  Cole’s thumb tapped my hand. “Want to dance?”

  “I recall you telling Amber about how you don’t dance,” I teased.

  He shrugged, lips tugging upward as he answered. “I’m more than willing to make the exception for you.”

  My stupid grin broke out again; there was no way he could say things like that to me and not make me all giddy. I nodded and Cole whisked me off to the floor, taking our place in the sea of students. His arms circled my waist and he pulled me into him, until our faces were only inches apart. I couldn’t look away from his golden eyes if I wanted to; everyone else melted away.

  “I forgot to ask you something.” His minty breath made my lashes flutter.

  “What?”

  “If you’d be my girlfriend?” A crooked grin appeared and I laughed.

  “Definitely.”

  Cole kissed me, his arms wrapping tighter around me.

  “I meant to tell you,” I whispered. “You look great.”

  “Thanks,” he said sincerely, “but I’m pretty sure it’s you everyone’s staring at.”

  “They are not.”

  “You’re a beautiful superhero who saves peoples’ lives, why wouldn’t they?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Who cares what they think.”

  He laughed, those pearly whites shining in the spotlights. “I love that about you; how you don’t care what anyone else thinks of you. You know how hard it is to find people like that?”

  “I never used to be this way,” I admitted. “Before Star died, I always worried what people thought about me.”

  “And now?”

  “Now it doesn’t matter,” I said with a shrug. “I like who I am, so I guess it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

  “It helps we have bigger things to consider.” His voice got low and conspiratorial.

  I put a forefinger to his lips to stop him. “I like our little secret, but we’re not going to talk about that tonight. No missions, no Fortune…it’s just you and me.”

  Cole kissed my finger and nodded, a sparkle in his eye. “No arguments here.”

  He kissed me again and I lost track of everything. The conversation, the people around us, the possibility of adults coming to tear us apart…all I could think about was Cole. I didn’t care if anyone rolled their eyes at us. I was head over heels for this guy and sort of wanted everyone to know it.

  The song ended, couples breaking apart. Some left the dance floor, maybe to find a dark hallway somewhere, while others picked up the pace to the new song. Cole and I split; I fanned myself, breathless.

  “Want something to drink?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  We made our way to the refreshments, where he got us each a sparkling cider. While he scanned the room, I sipped on the bubbly drink.

  “You’re eyeing those cookies awful hard,” a voice teased me. I turned around to see Henry, dressed in a navy blue suit. His brightly patterned socks cracked me up, but I had to admit they went well with his outfit and personality.

  “You look great!” I said, adding, “and yes, I want to eat at least half of them.”

  He laughed, putting an arm around me and squeezing. He slapped hands with Cole. “Where’s Penelope?”

  “Said her date was running late,” Cole said with a shrug. He winked at me. “I did not want to meet the same fate.”

  Henry rolled his eyes at my grin. “You two are killing me.”

  “Sorry,” we both automatically replied.

  Henry turned to me, a mischievous smile crossing his face. “The parental units are out of town ’til Wednesday. Think I should invite a few friends back after the dance?”

  I laughed. “Your mother would kill you if she found out.”

  “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  The three of us stood there for a few minutes, chatting about nothing in particular. The songs changed again, the beat of the next tune slow to start. In the temporary quiet, someone shrieked. My ears pricked up and I wondered if I’d imagined it. Another shout followed, or at least sounded like it did. It was only when Cole gave me a grim look that I knew it was real.

  “I heard it too,” he said.

  Without he
sitation, he grabbed my hand and moved. Henry shouted in surprise behind us, asking where we were going. Cole and I made our way through the crowd, bumping into the dancing bodies. I kept my arms to myself, not wanting to accidentally send someone flying and cause a scene. Finally we were at the side entrance. We left the gymnasium, stood in the dark hallway listening for another scream. Music thumped behind the closed doors.

  “Where are we going?” I asked him. “It might be nothing. Spilled punch on a dress or something.”

  “It could be Fortune.”

  “Why on earth would Fortune come to a high school dance?”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  My stomach wrenched. I’d never wanted someone to be more wrong. Before we could even hope it was a normal issue, Penelope came out of nowhere, heels sliding on the slick floor. She scowled, ripping them off her feet. When she glanced up and saw us, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

  “Oh, hey. Just who I was looking for.”

  “Where the heck did you come from?” I asked.

  “No time. Come with me,” Penelope commanded. She bolted, glancing back once to make sure we followed.

  Cole and I exchanged glances but rushed after her as she ran down the hallway. We skidded to a halt around the corner when we reached her locker. She spun the dial, jerked the door open and threw my pink Chucks at me over her shoulder. Then she pulled her own sneakers out.

  “Put those on,” she said. “Cole, grab the masks, too.”

  I tossed my heels aside and put on the shoes. As I laced them up, I gave her a suspicious look. “I’ve been looking for these for a while.”

  “Needed to be prepared. Took them from your room,” she said without apology, methodically tying her shoelaces.

  “When were you in—”

  “No time,” she said. “Fortune’s here. Put ‘em on.”

  “Are you sure?” Cole asked. He glanced at me, looking as shocked as I felt.

  Pen shot him a look. “Of course I’m sure.”

  She tossed our heels into the open locker and slammed in shut. I looked to either of them, completely bewildered.

  “Why on earth is he here? A high school Homecoming dance, of all places?”

  Cole paled as realization struck him. “He’s here for us. He figured it out.”

  My knees wobbled and he reached out for my elbow, steadying me. I swallowed hard. “Okay. If you’re right, we have to get everyone out of here. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”

  “Because of us,” Cole corrected. “We’re in this together, Nova. You’re not alone.”

  I focused on his handsome face, at the reassuring expression. My posture straightened, chin sticking out so my head held high. “You’re right. It’s going to be okay.”

  I reached for my mask. Cole handed them over and I slipped mine on, grateful Penelope thought to bring them. Even if students recognized our clothing, I didn’t want Fortune to recognize my face. All three of us shared a look.

  “Now what?” Penelope asked. She looked to me.

  I cleared my throat. “Cole, I think you’re right that he’s here for us, but it’s a fishing expedition. If he knew our identities, he would’ve struck at home or at our families. He wants chaos.”

  He nodded, lips pursed in thought. “Good point. We have to keep it that way.”

  “He brought some guys with him,” Pen said, raising a brow in a significant way. “Guys with guns.”

  “I’m more worried about their gifts,” Cole muttered. “I’ll freeze as many as I can, but I’ll be limited given the panicked crowd.”

  “We have to get everyone out,” I said, making a decision. “That’s our first priority. Get them out so Fortune doesn’t have any leverage.”

  “I’ll go around the back, take some of the guns away,” Penelope offered. “They can’t stop a flood of panicked people headed at them.”

  “I’ll take the side exit,” Cole said.

  “That leaves the front for me,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this. Remember: get everyone out. Then we deal with Fortune.”

  “Any bright ideas on that particular part of the plan?” Penelope asked.

  I hesitated, staring somewhere over her shoulder in thought. “Not sure yet. I might just have to slam him into a wall and be done with it.”

  Penelope didn’t look especially confident of that plan, doubt etched into her pretty face. “Fortune could kill us tonight and you want to charge at him like some linebacker?”

  “I’ll stop time.” Cole ran a hand through his hair. “If I can hold him still long enough for Nova to bash his head in, we’ll be good.”

  I gulped at the violent phrase. I was ready. Right?

  Another scream pierced the night, cutting off any more conversation. Without another word, we darted into our respective directions. Cole and I stayed together, but he soon cut down another hallway to get to the side of the gymnasium. I tried not to overthink how I’d feel when I saw Fortune again, instead pushing through the gym’s double doors with my head held high.

  Heart slamming in my chest, I turned the corner and continued down the dark hallway. My footsteps clicked on the floor, echoing off the lockers and windows. Shouts were somewhere ahead of me, spurring another burst of speed from me. Thoughts raced through my head as I considered what we were running into; Fortune had succeeded in catching us off guard. What other plays did he plan to make tonight?

  I feared for Nova, worried he’d discovered her identity. Of course, if he has, it’s only a matter of time until he figures out me and Penelope. I swallowed hard. Dad would kill me if Fortune came after us and Penelope got hurt. I had to tell him the truth sooner rather than later.

  I hadn’t dared breathe a word of my and Pen’s argument to Dad; if I had, he’d have us packed and moved before the weekend. At least Penelope’s here. She’d barely left her room the last couple nights, giving me the silent treatment. I didn’t think she was actually mad at me though, but rather she was scared of what she’d found in Dad’s office. I’m scared, too.

  I turned at the hallway’s end. Students fled the gymnasium, shouting about Fortune and his hired gunmen. Anger zipped through me, at how Fortune used fear to control everyone.

  I ran to the crowd, urging them to get out and run. Many of them would head straight home, to the nearby neighborhoods where they resided. I only hoped Fortune wouldn’t go so far as to chase us all down to our homes.

  Someone shouted behind me. I spun to peer down the dark tunnel. Figures moved somewhere around the middle, smashing a classroom door window. They reached an arm through the glass to unlock the door and slipped inside. Behind the figure were two more men, carrying someone between them.

  My feet moved forward without my thinking, wanting a closer look. At the same time, dread pooled in my stomach at what I might see. My Adam’s apple throbbed against my tight tie and I tugged at the knot to loosen it. Still I pushed ahead, the three dark figures stepping into a thin pool of light from a nearby trophy case.

  The person in the middle thrashed. It was a male, that much I could tell from the dark suit. Fortune’s men had tossed a cloth bag over their captive’s head, however, so I had no idea who they had. Until the person jerked again, bringing his feet up into his chest. His pants pulled up enough for me to see the ankles.

  Brightly patterned socks completed a dark blue ensemble. A knot formed in my stomach as I put two and two together. I choked out the name.

  “Henry?”

  Fortune was kidnapping Nova’s best friend. Before I could worry about the why, I reacted. My shuffle broke into a jog as I moved for Henry and the men taking him. They’d all slipped inside the classroom. I ran to the door, tossing it open with a bang. My hands went up to freeze them.

  Instead, I found only one of them left, his body halfway out the first-floor window. How did they get out of here so fast? The one guy left glanced up and my gift stilled everything in the room. The man’s motions ceased, half
his torso and bottom in the classroom and the rest of him halfway through the escape route. He clearly hadn’t expected to be caught, which made me wonder how Fortune had planned this out.

  Without getting too close to the man, I managed to look out of the window from which he tried to escape. Nothing moved; I wondered if one of the men was a Transporter for them to have disappeared into thin air. I glanced back to Fortune’s man, dressed all in black - though nothing like Fortune’s tasteful suits - and his face under a mask. I backed away slowly, wondering if I should hold him until the police arrived.

  A high-pitched scream made my attention waver for half a second and I lost control. The masked man started upon the release, scowling at me from under the mask.

  “Give it up, kid. You won’t win against him.”

  Before I could so much as reply, he flung his arm out. A sphere of water left his palm and slammed into me, spraying everywhere. I soared backwards, tumbling across three desks that crashed on top of me when I hit the floor. I groaned, pulling myself up into a sitting position. Brushing my wet hair out of my eyes, I looked up in time to see the guy jump out the window. Back on his feet in no time, he hightailed it across the grassy area, fleeing after his comrades.

  “Who just took Henry,” I mumbled. “Dammit!”

  I turned around, Henry’s friendly face floating in my mind. I felt like I couldn’t breathe; my fingers clawed at my tie, ripping it off my neck. Red appeared in my vision. I grabbed a desk and slung it across the room, where it collided with the teacher’s desk. Papers and desk items went flying and the student desk crashed to the ground.

  I stormed out of the classroom, hoping I wasn’t too late. Heart in my throat, I headed straight back to the gymnasium to find my girlfriend. My new priority was getting Nova out of here before Fortune took her, too.

  I crashed through the front doors of the gym, sending them flying open and banging into the walls. I swallowed hard as I prepared to go down swinging.

  Amber stood twenty feet from me, terror etched into her pretty face. I followed her gaze to one of Fortune’s lackeys approaching her. Students cowered behind her, frightened and unsure of what to do.