by Drew Hayes
“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Roy released a gut wrenching scream, one that tore at his very vocal chords. Chad was taken by surprise. He was behind Roy, pulling Roy’s left arm to his back against Roy’s considerable struggling, ready to send him sprawling. It should have hurt him, yes, but not nearly enough for a reaction like that. Fleetingly Chad wondered if his continuous beatings had somehow left lasting nerve damage that the healers hadn’t gotten. It was only a half second of doubt and confusion, yet almost instantly Chad realized what it had cost him.
The fingers of Roy’s right hand wrapped around Chad’s left bicep. Chad felt the arm in his grip dangle weightlessly, his hold no longer effective as Roy turned around to face him.
“You... ripped your entire left arm out of socket?”
“And screamed loud enough to distract you while I did it,” Roy said. “See, for guys with our kind of strength, it’s hard to tell the difference between regular struggling and bone-shattering effort. It all feels the same weighed against our power.”
He was right. Chad had felt him bucking against his grip, but Chad had assumed it was merely his usual boisterous escape attempts.
“A good point,” Chad said. “Now what, though? Your left arm is useless and you know I’ll break that grip you have on me in no time. You still can’t win.”
“Newsflash, Blondie,” Roy said, gritting his teeth through the pain that his left arm was broadcasting. “I’m not trying to win.” In one motion Roy jerked Chad forward, digging his hand deep into the arm and pulling forward with all his weight. Chad braced himself for a throw, reaching out for Roy’s shoulder to reverse it before he was airborne. That was to his detriment, because too late he realized the meaning of Roy’s words.
“Dodge, fucker,” Roy said, slamming his head directly into Chad’s temple. The world dissolved into static and Chad’s head swam in pain. He wasn’t so far gone that he forgot his years of experience, and by the time his vision cleared he had placed Roy back onto the concrete with considerable force.
“You lose, yet again,” Chad said, his vision clearing to reveal a badly-battered Roy coughing up blood from the ground.
“Yeah, I do,” Roy said, his voice ragged. “But I hit you.”
Chad felt a soft trickle of blood run down his cheek. He sealed the cut on the side of his head immediately, but there was no denying the damage that had been dealt.
“You tore your arm out of socket and sacrificed every advantage in our confrontation just to land one blow?”
“Damn right,” Roy said, pushing himself up with his right arm. It took him a moment to get standing, but he made it eventually. He faced Chad once more, right arm pulled into a fighting position, left arm dangling uselessly at his side.
“That was an insane gamble,” Chad remarked.
“It wasn’t just some gamble. I’ve paid to attention to your favorite moves in response to how I come at you. I’ve watched your style all these weeks, and I knew if I ran at you dumbly, you’d put me in a lock before dropping me. I had a feeling you’d defend against a throw over a headbutt, too.”
“What made you assume that?”
“Because you fight with polish and tactics, and you always go for the win. People like you defend like the other guy has the same thing in mind. It would never occur to you that I’d be going for a head-butt instead of trying to toss you out of the circle and win,” Roy explained.
“Because it’s ludicrous,” Chad pointed out.
It was Roy’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, yeah it is. But it worked.”
Chad shook his head. “I suppose it did. So you finally hit me, Roy. Now what?”
“Now I go for two,” Roy said, flexing his right hand and cracking the knuckles.
One minute ago Chad would have dismissed such a notion as sheer foolishness. Now, he merely nodded and took his own stance. Roy Daniels was lacking in training, refinement, and overall skill, but he had determination in spades. Chad knew firsthand how dangerous that particular quality could be. He wouldn’t be underestimating his opponent again.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Chad said.
104.
“How do I look?” Hershel asked.
Nick made a twirling motion with his hand, which Hershel obliged by slowly spinning around in place. He was wearing a hunter green button-down shirt, khaki pants and loafers. It wasn’t the most fashionable outfit possible, but for a guy who wore shirt with dice on them, it was one hell of a step up.
“You look great,” Vince assured him.
“Almost perfect,” Nick agreed. He stepped forward and slightly adjusted the angle at which Hershel’s shirt was tucked in. Neither Hershel nor Vince could see any difference when Nick stepped back; however, he seemed quite pleased with himself. “And there we go. You’re ready for a night on the town, you lady killer.”
“Heaven deliver us from such nicknames,” Vince said. “Let’s go over the list again. You have your wallet? Your cell phone? Nick’s keys?”
“Check, check, and check,” Hershel confirmed. “And thanks again for the loan.”
Nick shrugged. “I can’t let you take out a girl like Mary on Roy’s motorcycle. She deserves more class than that.”
“Agreed,” Hershel said.
“Just be safe with my car. I don’t fancy going back to walking my happy ass everywhere.”
“Will do.”
“So, did you ever think of a good place to take Mary after dinner?” Vince asked.
“Sort of,” Hershel said. “I have no idea if she’ll like it. It’s all I could think of, though, so I guess it has to work.”
“Any hints on what the brave act of desperation is?” Nick asked.
Hershel shook his head. “Nothing personal, but I want it to be a surprise. Mary doesn’t read my thoughts, but she hasn’t made any such claim about you guys.”
“A fair point,” Vince said. “And I think that’s everything. Are you ready to pick up your date?”
“Dear god no,” Hershel said, clasping his hands to keep them from trembling. “But let’s go ahead anyway.”
“Atta boy,” Nick said, throwing his arm around Hershel’s shoulders as they left the boys’ lounge and entered the common room. “By the way,” he whispered, “I left a box of condoms in the glove box. Just tossing it out there if you need to know.”
“What happened to treating a classy lady right?” Hershel whispered back.
“Hey, I’m not making judgments or assumptions. I’m merely of the mind that it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Thanks, Nick. I think.”
With that they were in the common room, walking in on the sight of Alice standing in a very guard-like way by the girls’ side. She examined Hershel critically, her expert eyes assessing his ensemble and demeanor. Whatever test was being performed in that blonde head evidently culminated in Hershel passing, because she knocked twice on the steel door next to her and said, “He’s here.”
A moment later the door swung open and revealed a girl none of the boys could have immediately placed if not for process of basic deduction. Gone was the wild-haired girl who often wore outfits consisting of capris and combat boots. In her place was a petite young lady wearing a peach dress with her hair styled carefully. Her face was lightly dusted with makeup, gently accentuating the features her tussled locks often hid. She was a little bit taller, thanks in no small part to wearing heels for once, and the smile on her face was absolutely entrancing.
“Hi,” she said, fidgeting slightly as she stepped into the room.
“Hi,” Hershel echoed, his tone saturated in the same sense of sheer wonder that the rest of him was feeling. “You look really nice.” The boy had a talent at understatements.
“You, too,” Mary said. They continued looking at each awkwardly for a few moments more, though it in no way compared to the awkwardness the other three felt at standing around observing this haphazard attempt at romance. Eventually something in Hershel’s head snapped into place, and he extended his ar
m.
“Shall we head out?”
“Sounds great,” Mary said taking his arm. The other two boys would have had to stoop slightly to link arms with Mary, but for once Hershel’s vertical disparity was working in his favor. The well-dressed couple walked out the door, thought it was a slightly more complicated task than normal since they were now linked together.
“That was just plain adorable,” Alice said once they’d left the room.
“I feel like I just watched a pair of kittens wrestling playfully,” Nick said. “I’m not sure I like this warm feeling creeping up inside.”
Alice swatted his arm half-heartedly. “You know you’re just as happy as we are that they’re finally going out.”
“He talks a tough game, but he ran Hershel through the ringer getting his outfit right,” Vince said.
Had Mary been there she would have slammed Vince into the ceiling and proceeded to detail all the different fashion combinations Alice had forced upon her during the last five days, showing no mercy until he had a whole new appreciation for what “going through the ringer” was really like. Since she was otherwise happily occupied, the comment went unpunished.
“You got me, I’m a big ole softy,” Nick said.
“I don’t know about that; however, I’ll give you points for loaning your car to Hershel,” Alice admitted.
“Why not? He’s a careful guy, and it’s not like I’ll be using it tonight anyway. My date is driving. Oh, that reminds me, I need to go change before she gets here,” Nick said, glancing at his watch and dashing off into the boys’ lounge once more.
“Ugh, that is so like him,” Alice said. “He does one nice thing, but he put off getting himself ready and now some girl will have to wait- HIS WHAT?”
“His date,” Vince replied helpfully. “Didn’t he tell you? I guess Hershel’s bold move finally put the right spring in his step.”
“Right. Just so we’re clear here, this is Nick we’re talking about, right? Nick has a date?”
“He sure does,” Vince said.
Alice’s next words were careful, measured, and calm. That should have tipped off Vince that this news was not being nearly as cheerfully received as he might have imagined. Vince being... well, Vince, the verbal cue went unnoticed.
Alice let out a deep breath. “With who?”
105.
So far Hershel was surprised at how easily his date was going. The conversation was flowing easily now that they’d gotten past their initial awkward hurdle and Mary seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. This put the part of him that had been secretly wondering if she had accepted his invitation out of pity at ease. The small boost in confidence helped him return the volley of words, and thus increased the fun Mary was having. It was a self-perpetuating cycle, but an exceptionally enjoyable one.
“Hmm. The steak looks really good,” Mary said, glancing over the menu for the first time since they’d arrived.
“It’s what they’re known for,” Hershel told her.
“Well then, I think I’ll give it a try,” she said, setting the menu back down. “It’s been too long since I had a well-cooked haunch of meat.”
“Got a carnivore streak?”
“I did live in the woods for several years. Canned food can only get you so far and a girl has to eat,” Mary said.
“I bet you throw one hell of a barbeque.”
“You would not be disappointed,” she confirmed. “Once it warms up again that might be a fun activity one weekend.”
“Yeah, it would. Maybe they’ll organize one for us. The school seems to be on top of it, what with the river trip and all,” Hershel pointed out.
Mary wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure if I’ll be going on that. Much as I miss the outdoors, the things I enjoyed were the peace and serenity. I don’t think I’m likely to find those things with thirty alcohol-saturated freshman splashing around.”
Hershel nodded. “It’s really not my scene either, but Roy is beyond-words excited about it.”
“He has been good lately,” Mary said with a sigh. “I suppose he deserves a break here and there.”
Hershel winced involuntarily at the word “break.”
“I’d say he definitely deserves a little time to cut loose,” he said.
“And you’re not just saying that because you get to share in the memories of those loose times, huh?” Mary asked.
“Not at all,” Hershel replied. “Roy has some fun, but I much prefer my own memories. Especially on nights like this.”
“Very smooth answer, Mr. Daniels,” Mary said. “Roy might have some competition for the role of charmer."
* * *
"Wow, this place is really nice," Bubbles observed as Nick pulled out her chair for her. The restaurant wasn't actually all that high class, at least not by Nick's standards, but as he walked over to his own seat he decided he might as well roll with it.
"Just my way of saying thank you for your willingness to drive tonight," Nick said.
"Oh, it's no problem! I mean, if you'd already promised your friend he could use your car then that’s how it is and you should keep your promises. Even when it’s super inconvenient. ‘That’s a promise’ means you’ll do it no matter what.”
“Indeed,” Nick said, wishing dearly he had a fake ID and could order some wine.
“Besides, it’s totally worth a few minutes behind the wheel to come out to an awesome place like this with you,” Bubbles said, a rosy blush tinting her cheeks.
“You’re sweet,” Nick replied. “But I consider myself the lucky one. After all, I’m out with the most beautiful girl in the whole restaurant. And she’s a Super at that.”
“No way, I’m barely a Super at all. I mean, yeah, I love my power and it’s really cool and fun, but let’s be honest here: I’m not going to be saving any babies trapped in a fire or knocking out bank robbers. When I was little I kept thinking my power would bloom into something really cool and then it never happened and I was bummed for a while but then I kind of figured it’s easier to be a normal girl than a Hero anyway and that’s when I got okay with it.”
“That’s a very mature attitude,” Nick said. “And for the record, I think it’s an amazing ability. It must be a tremendous feeling to conjure something out of nothingness.”
“It’s pretty cool,” Bubbles agreed. “I didn’t use it too much first semester though cause I was really scared of showing to someone in the HCP and getting laughed at.”
“HCP? Oh, that’s right, Lander has a program for Supers, doesn’t it?”
“Oh yeah, it’s a big deal in the Super community. The ones who are in it keep themselves a secret, though, so it could totally be anyone you meet on campus,” Bubbles explained.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Anyone, huh? So you’re telling me I could very well be sitting with a bona fide Hero in training right now.”
“As if. I hear that thing is crazy hard anyway. I’m much happier being a regular girl with something extra special about her,” Bubbles said chipperly.
Nick smiled. “I can see the appeal there. We normal people just have to find our specialness in other places.”
“So what makes you special then?”
“I am spectacular at blackjack,” Nick replied.
“I’ve heard of that; it’s the game that’s like Go Fish, right?”
“My dear girl, I have so very much to teach you.”
* * *
“You know, I’m really not used to surprises,” Mary said as Hershel piloted them around town in Nick’s car. “I’d be perfectly okay with you telling me where we’re going.”
“No way,” Hershel said. “I get to be possibly the first boy to surprise a telepath. You think there’s any way I’m passing on that honor?”
“Honor, huh? Someone is feeling confident.”
“Well, it has been a good night so far,” Hershel pointed out. It had been, too. The longer he’d been out with Mary the more they’d fallen into the comfortable rhythm of
friends. There was still a romantic element to the evening, but the thing about knowing someone for several months is that changing one aspect of being with them doesn’t affect the entire existing dynamic. People who are friends don’t shift to entirely different individuals when they date; they merely become friends who are involved.
“Besides,” Hershel continued, “I could either be upbeat or worried, and worried seemed like it would have kind of dragged down the night.”
Mary giggled. “You make a good point. I still want to know where we’re going, though.”
“And you will. Just as soon as we arrive,” Hershel assured her.
Mary stuck out her tongue at Hershel, an act made all the more humorous by her prim and proper appearance. She really did want to know, but it bears mentioning that at no point did she ever consider reading his mind to find out. Well... not seriously consider, anyway. As far as Mary was concerned, tonight she was a normal girl on a normal date.
106.
“We’re here,” Hershel said, pulling Nick’s car to a stop.
Mary peered out the window; a small twinkle of lights set against rolling waves of darkness greeted her.
“The docks?”
“The docks,” Hershel confirmed. He opened the door and stepped out, the salted air washing over him. It was a familiar, comfortable feeling. He’d thought all week about what to do with Mary after dinner, and on Thursday he decided to engage in a favorite activity to clear his head. The thought right on the heels of that decision was why not kill two birds with one stone and bring Mary along? After all, it was a fun activity, outdoorsy, and something Hershel had a bit of talent in.
“I’d like to point out that you specifically requested I not read your mind, refused to tell me where we were going, and then drove me out to the docks at night,” Mary said as she left the car and joined him. “Just saying, this looks a lot like the start to one of those horror movies Nick loves.”
Hershel laughed. “Mary, you’re the strongest girl in our class. If Roy couldn’t beat you, what chance do I have of pulling off something underhanded?”
