Boyfriends and Best Friends Forever!

by Katrina Kahler

  The thing that really bothers me is that even though those fears are amplified, they are still my legitimate fears. I’m not saying they are rational, a lot of fears aren't. But they are definitely my underlying fears. I mean, I have to face facts…I am different, way stronger than the average person. I could actually hurt an average person if I got carried away and hugged them too tightly. I could even hug a grizzly bear and knock it out in seconds. Double heck, My mom, and grandmas are all super beings and I even knock them around with my breath. On a bad day, the slightest whiff of my shoes can drop them. Now I see why Jason is with Tanya. Tanya is always in control.

  Time for Advice

  Passing over my house, I noticed Oscar’s car in the driveway. Yep, my mom must have been on a date too. Man, fate was really kicking me when I was down today. I certainly don’t begrudge my mom having a love life. I only wish she wasn’t dating the reporter that longs to find out my secret identity. As if life isn’t complicated enough when you are super. But hey, my dad dates an android. So, I guess a nosy reporter is a step up.

  Walking through the open back door, I found Mom and Oscar sitting at a candlelit table with servings of delicious food. It smelled so good! Yeah, sure I had eaten at Grandma’s but that was over an hour ago. One of the cool things about being super is being able to eat a lot.

  “Candlelight at 4 o’clock in the afternoon?” I asked. “I get why Grandma eats early, but why you two?”

  “I go on the air at 6,” Oscar said.

  “I just got off a long shift so I am really hungry!” Mom said.

  Oscar pointed at the food on the table. “I don’t know how your mom does it. She works a ten-hour shift and still cooks a delicious meal?” Oscar turned to Mom with a wide grin. “Do you have super powers like Super Teen?” he asked jokingly.

  “No, of course not,” Mom said, batting her eyelashes like a kid.

  “I’ve had a long crazy day!” I said. I pointed at Oscar. “Oscar go to work early. You’ll find there’s news today about Super Teen losing to a clown gang!”

  Oscar’s eyes glazed over. He stood up. “Sorry, honey, must rush to work. Must find out the scoop on this clown gang. Man, this is amazing.” Oscar turned and ran out of the room. He then doubled back, kissed mom on the lips (gross) and ran out. I heard a car start and drive away.

  I sat down at Oscar’s untouched plate and began eating his meal. “Sorry, Mom, it’s been a tough day. I had to use my voice command on him. I need some Mom time.”

  Mom took a bite of her steak. “You lost today? To a gang of clowns? Do you mean a group of jokers?”

  I shook my head. “Nope, they were actually a bunch of clowns.”

  “Super clowns?” Mom asked.

  “Nope, just regular clowns with exploding balls and glue guns and balloons… oh, they also had flowers that squirted fear goo,” I said.

  “Ah, fear. So that’s how they escaped from you,” Mom concluded.

  “Yep!” I said leaning on the table. “It seems that being super strong doesn’t make me fearless.”

  Mom grinned. “No honey, of course not. You may be superhuman but you are still human. Even you should have some fears. Fears can be useful. They can help us to be cautious. They can encourage us to find ways to improve.” Mom hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. “So then, what are your fears?”

  I groaned. “Being alone.”

  “Honey, you will never be alone. You’re a superhero! Your dad runs a giant company with lots of people. They are all willing to work with you forever if needed. You have a lot of friends…Jason, Tanya, Tomas, Jessica, Lorie, Marie, Tim, Krista…I could go on….”

  “I don’t mean alone-alone, I mean alone emotionally,” I sighed.

  “Oh…” Mom said.

  “Everybody else is paired up with somebody and I have nobody!”

  “Well you’re only 13… you have time… and being a superhero does keep you busy,” Mom lectured.

  “True, but I still feel like I may never find anyone special… It’s not easy being super,” I moaned. “I can be dangerous around normal people. Maybe not in the short term but in the long term.”

  “Nonsense,” Mom said. “I found your dad and now I have Oscar.”

  “True,” I nodded, agreeing that there may actually be some hope for me. Mom found love so I could find love. But then it hit me. “You’re not as super as I am…” I sighed. “I’m the 19th generation; the one born with all the powers, the most power. If I got married, my husband wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom after me for hours without risking instant suffocation.”

  Mom smiled.

  “You know it’s true Mom! We still can’t even keep any plants in my bathroom because they all die instantly. Before Dad invented the new ventilation systems for my bathroom, I used to leave my window open and one time I saw birds dropped from the sky. Even our neighbors fainted. And that was from 30 yards away!”

  Mom stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. “Honey, there are always workarounds. I’m sure you and your future husband can have separate bathrooms. Or an even more improved ventilation system.” She leaned in and hugged me. “But when love comes, you will find a way to make it work. Being super makes you stronger but not different.”

  I thought about Mom’s words. They made some sense. After all, there were 19 generations of Strong women and they all had kids and family. Just because I was the strongest of them all, it didn’t mean that I too, couldn't find somebody.

  There was a knock on the back door. I sniffed the air. It was Jason. I sniffed again. He was alone. I felt a rush of relief.

  “Come in, Jason,” Mom and I both said at once.

  “How do you know it’s me?” Jason called from outside the door.

  “Your scent. Everyone has a unique scent and we can recognize yours.” I said. “Now get in here.”

  It was true. The more I became used to my powers, the more I was able to do tiny but helpful little things like identify people by their individual scents. It wasn’t always the most pleasant ability but it was still a cool skill to have.

  Jason turned the doorknob and walked in. “Why was the door unlocked? My dad says everybody should always lock their doors.”

  Mom and I just gave him our look.

  Jason smacked himself on the forehead. “Oh right, you’re both super. Sorry, it’s been a long day. I’ve been working with my dad and BMS labs trying to figure out how that fear goo works. It's pretty high tech. It dissipates fairly quickly and seems to target the amygdala in the brain…”

  “So it affects emotions?” Mom said, being all doctor like.

  “Yes. But why it only triggers negative emotions, we’re not sure,” Jason said. “We just know these clowns are not ordinary clowns. They are either working for someone with a great deal of chemistry knowledge and the body, or one of the clowns has that knowledge himself.

  “They seemed pretty odd,” I said.

  “A lot of smart people do seem odd,” Jason said. “I know people who think I’m a bit odd.”

  “Good point,” I said.

  Jason grinned at me. “You could have said, No Jason that’s not true…”

  “I don’t lie to my friends,” I told him.

  His grin grew. “Yep, that’s one of your best features.”

  “So, what do I do next time I meet up with these clowns?” I asked, making a fist. “I guarantee you, there will be a next time and they won’t get away!”

  Jason looked at me. “That’s easy! Don’t breathe when you’re around them.”

  “That’s your expert brainiac advice…don’t breathe?” I grumbled.

  Jason nodded. “Yes, when you are around them. Hold your breath and don’t talk. Maybe exhale their own goo back at them.”

  “Sounds like sound advice,” Mom agreed.

  “Okay, next time I run into those clowns I will hold my breath until I put them down!” I said.

  “Perfect!” Jason said.

  Dear Diary: I feel ba
d that I had to ruin mom’s date evening, but there are times when a daughter needs her mom and this was one of them. Besides, I’m pretty sure Oscar loved the idea of reporting on the clown gang and trying to figure out who they were and where they came from. Maybe it will even get him off my case for once. After all, I really do help the city. That’s all I really want… to make my mark in the world.

  Hopefully, I won’t be making my mark in the world alone. My talk with Mom was useful. If Mom could find Dad, then surely I can find love too. Is love right around the corner? Say at Jason’s house? No, it isn’t. At least not for now. But if life has taught me anything so far, it’s that the only thing constant thing in life is change. Although my future may not be with Jason, I will find the right person for me, eventually. But if I don’t, it doesn’t mean I won’t be happy! I don’t need to define myself by being with somebody else. Sure, it would be nice, but it certainly isn’t essential!

  Being Dumped

  The next day, I arrived at school determined to have a good day; or at least a better day than the one before. Truthfully, the bar wasn’t set all that high. I mean, come on, I got my butt kicked by a bunch of clowns. My mom and grandma were on dates. My BFF is dating the perfect girl, whose sister I also battled yesterday. I grinned at that last thought. It was the high point of the day as I’d put her down easily. But the day had definitely gone downhill from there.

  Entering the building, I found myself greeted by Krista and Tim, two of my best friends. They walked up to me, hand in hand. We’re a couple now!” Krista shrieked, excitedly.

  I forced myself to smile. “I’m so happy for you guys!” And I was…kind of…mostly. After all, Krista and Tim were very nice people and always supportive of me. They had my back when it came to regular kid stuff and that was important to me. I had to be Lia Strong first and Super Teen second. Super Teen was just a part of me, not who I was. I had to remember that. My powers were cool and awesome and all that jazz but they didn’t define me. Regular non-super friends were important.

  Gazing across the hallway, all my mind could see were couples. I spotted Lori’s new boyfriend, Jayden, laughing and joking and flexing his muscles as he stood alongside her. He was a very cute track star.

  Marie also had a new boyfriend, Wilson. A bit of a sci-fi nerd but a good guy and a good fit for Marie. Having a boyfriend was great for her because it taught her to control her power so she wouldn’t accidentally turn him into cheese.

  Yep, everywhere I looked, all I could see were happy, smiling couples. Then I heard. “Wait! You’re breaking up with me?” I couldn’t believe my ears. Those words were coming from Wendi Long, head cheerleader, head of the LAX team, and prettiest girl in the school. As a normal human, she was my biggest rival.

  Turning, I saw Wendi with her mouth agape standing at her locker, staring at the most handsome boy in the school…Brandon Gold. Brandon had it all…he was tall, he was muscly and strong, he had soft brown hair, sparkling eyes, and to top it all off, he was nice. I almost thought he was too good for Wendi. He even seemed too good to be true.

  Brandon lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Wendi. I don't want to hurt you but my family will be moving away soon and I thought it would be easier for us both if we broke up.”

  “I’ve never ever, ever been dumped!” Wendi shouted.

  Brandon stayed calm. I’m not sure how he did it. “This isn’t a dumping,” he sighed. “You’ll always be special to me. I just know it’ll be better for us both if we aren’t together; especially since we can’t be together….”

  Every girl in the hallway sighed too. Even I sighed. Brandon was so nice and so considerate. Okay, maybe his timing wasn’t the best. He probably could have done this when they were alone, but I guessed he wanted to do it in public so Wendi couldn’t make a big scene.

  Sadly, being in public didn’t stop Wendi. “How dare you break up with me!” she shouted. She stomped her foot towards Brandon. “I’m the one who says when a relationship is over!”

  Brandon straightened himself up. “If you want to dump me, I am totally cool with that.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Wendi said. She pointed at Brandon. “Brandon, you’re not worthy of all this!” she pointed up and down at herself. “I’ve kept you as my boyfriend just to be nice to you. But now it’s over.” She waved indifferently. “Bye bye, you’re gone!”

  Brandon lowered his head. “If that’s how you want it.” He turned and walked into homeroom.

  Patti put her hand on Wendi’s shoulder. “That would have been so much smoother if you two weren’t in the same homeroom. You even sit next to each other.”

  Wendi raised her nose and looked down at her BF. “Please, I look so good today, I am going to make him suffer. He’s going to so regret his decision.”

  Patti pointed at her. “Don’t you mean your decision?”

  “Yes, yes exactly.” Wendi spat. “That boy will feel so sorry that I dumped him!”

  Wendi turned to the other people in the hallway. “What are you all looking at? Go home, people! The show is over.”

  Everybody except Tanya turned away. Wendi strutted towards her homeroom head high, nose even higher.

  “Wow! That was so painful to watch!” Jason told Tanya.

  Tanya smirked. “I don’t know; I love watching Wendi do her mental gymnastics and try to turn it all around so it looks like it was her choice.” She gave Jason a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you at lunch,”

  I felt my heart sink a little.

  Dear Diary: Yikes! Who’d ever have thought Wendi and I would have something in common. We are now both single! But strangely enough, I actually feel bad for Wendi. At least I am alone by choice. I have a responsibility to the world. I am Super Teen. I can’t let myself be distracted. Plus, if I had a boyfriend, he could be in danger if bad guys found out. That’s my story, I’m alone by choice. For Wendi, this clearly isn’t her choice no matter how she tries to spin it. I’m not sure if Wendi is a girl who knows how to be alone. I guess I really shouldn’t care. Yet, somehow I do. Wow! Do I actually feel sorry for Wendi?

  The Clone

  During lunch, I was sitting at my usual table with Jason, Tanya, Krista, and Tim when VP McAdoo’s voice blared over the loudspeaker.

  “Jason Michaels, Lia Strong, and Tanya Cane please report to the front of the school for a special assignment. That is all…”

  “Well, that was abrupt,” Tanya said.

  “Wonder what it could be about?” Jason asked.

  I gazed at MAC to see if his screen would give me a clue. But all MAC showed me was the time: 12:12.

  Standing up, I walked with the others towards the door of the cafeteria. “I guess we’ll find out!” I said.

  I felt pretty certain this had something to do with BMS labs, especially since it was Jason, Tanya and myself who had been called upon. I would have preferred it to be just Jason and I but Tanya does have useful powers. Plus, as far as I knew, this could very well be about her sister Kayla. If Kayla were out of control, Tanya would be needed to calm her down.

  Outside of the school, we saw Hana sitting at the steering wheel of a shiny sleek blue car. The car looked like a rocket on wheels.

  Yep, this definitely had something to do with BMS labs.

  VP McAdoo walked around to the driver’s side and leaned into the open window of the car to talk to Hana.

  “Wow, this is quite the car, miss….”

  “My name is Hana,” Hana said coldly.

  “Hana, what type of car is this? I’ve never seen one like it?” the VP asked.

  “It’s a special test car. I could tell you more but then I would have to erase your memory,” Hana replied. She looked the VP in the eyes. “Would you like your memory erased?”

  “Believe me, I don’t have a lot of memories that I cherish,” the VP said.

  “Well then!” Hana said, her hands beginning to crackle with energy.

  I stepped between Hana and the VP. I forced Hana’s hands down. “ Ha…Ha
na, you’re such a kidder!” I said.

  I motioned for Tanya and Jason to get into the back seat of the car. I turned to the VP. “Thanks, Mr. McAdoo we’ll take it from here.”

  I waited for him to walk away before I moved to the passenger’s side of the car. I got in.

  Hana looked at me. “I wasn’t kidding. I was going to erase his memory.”

  “Yep, I know. That’s why I stopped you,” I said.

  Hana started the car. “Oh well, no big deal. We must get to the lab ASAP!” She hit the gas. The car jetted forward. I shot back in my seat.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, while holding on for dear life.

  “I am driving this new test vehicle to BMS labs,” Hana stated bluntly. “You know Lia, your father always boasts about how intelligent and smart you are. But quite frankly, sometimes you don’t seem to grasp the most obvious things.”

  “I meant, why are we going to BMS labs!” I said.

  Hana looked at me. “Why didn’t you ask that?”

  “I just did,” I said.

  “Good point,” she said. “But I cannot tell you.”

  “It must be government work!” Jason said from the backseat. He was almost popping out of his seat in anticipation. “Finally, our first national security adventure!”

  “You don’t know that,” Tanya said.

  Jason clapped his handed repeatedly. “I can sense it!”

  Tanya looked over my shoulder and faced me. “Tell him he’s getting carried away.”

  I thought for a moment. Hana was being very secretive. Dad was getting us out of school early. Whatever this was, it had to be big. It could very well be related to the government. Or, Kayla was going whacko.