“I’m never going to get use to this,” Clark said with a smile on his face.
“We’ve been chosen, man,” John whispered. “That’s what I think.”
The teacher cleared her throat and looked their way. This forced them to face the front of the room and stop speaking. When the bell finally rang, John and Clark agreed to hang out another time when John went a separate way for his next class. With a huge grin on his face Clark skipped to computer class where he sat next to Andrew.
“So I hear you’ve got it too?” Clark asked Andrew. “We were looking for you on Sunday, bro.”
“Yeah,” Andrew laughed. “I’ve become a mutant.”
Andrew looked at his backpack and it unzipped itself.
“You weren’t even squinting,” Clark said. “You must’ve been practicing.”
“Yeah, I think I’m getting the hang of this,” Andrew said. “But we’ve got to keep this a secret.”
“Definitely,” Clark affirmed. “I’m gonna try out for the football team tomorrow.”
“Nice,” Andrew told him. “That sort of gives me an idea.”
“Like what?”
“Tell you later.”
Donny the Geek was grinning from ear to ear when he walked into the computer class and sat on the other side of Clark.
“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Donny smiled.
“Yeah,” Clark said. “I see you’re really happy today.”
“Heck yeah,” Donny brimmed. “The question is no longer ‘what can I do.’ It’s what can’t I do!”
“That’s the spirit I’m talking about!” Clark said before turning his attention to Andrew. “See Andrew, you should take a pointer from Donny.”
Andrew gave a tired half smile when the lazy computer teacher, Mr. Kelsey, walked into the classroom and threw his books onto the desk.
“Do whatever you’d like today,” Mr. Kelsey said before plopping into his chair.
Clark took notice when Donny nudged him in the side. Donny smiled as he pointed his finger above his desk and looked at Mr. Kelsey. Donny whirled his finger around and the books and stacks of paper on the teacher’s desk tipped over and fell onto the floor.
“Dammit!” Mr. Kelsey said as he slowly got out of his seat and picked the papers up. Several students began laughing. “What’s so funny? You want extra work? Then get back to your stations,” the teacher said tartly.
“I think I’m gonna try that next period,” Andrew laughed.
“Hilarious!” Clark agreed.
“Thanks guys,” Donny grinned.
“And I was wondering,” Clark said. “How are things going between you and Chloe.”
“Well I was feeling a little embarrassed once the drinks wore off after your party on Saturday,” Donny told him. “But we’re still hanging out. I still can’t believe Chloe really likes me. Braces and all. And with these powers, we’ve got something we can really bond over… well, besides trigonometry.”
“I’m happy for you, dude,” Clark said. “I always know you had it in you.”
“I know it sounds strange but I feel like I needed some kind of help to get to this point. Alcohol first and now superpowers,” Donny thought aloud.
“Works ever time,” Clark laughed. “But seriously, that stuff only enhances who you really are.”
“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Donny said as he took out a piece of paper. He wrote “Want to hang out after school today?” on the sheet and folded it into a paper airplane. Donny pointed his finger at the paper and it levitated off his desk. Then he pointed his finger in the air and the paper airplane followed. It landed across the room and into Chloe’s lap as Donny had directed it to. Chloe unfolded the paper plane, looked up at Donny, and nodded. When Donny smiled, Chloe blew him a kiss.
“Yes!” Donny cheered.
“Later today I was planning to go with a few of the guys back to the barn,” Clark said. “Guess you won’t be along.”
“And miss an evening with Chloe? No way!” Donny said. “Tell me what I miss.”
During lunch period Clark saw Sarah for the first time since morning. Clark was going on about possibly becoming quarterback and MVP of a football team he had yet to be accepted on. Sarah talked about using her powers to become head cheerleader.
“How?” Clark asked as he ate a slice of pizza.
“I don’t know,” Sarah said with a mouthful. “Maybe by flipping higher in the air? Or, I know─ balancing on a pyramid with just one foot!”
“You’re gonna take your best friend’s spot?” Clark asked.
“You’re my best friend,” Sarah grunted.
“Yeah, I know that,” Clark said. “I was just referring to Jessica. Your best female friend.”
“If I take Jessica’s spot, so what?” Sarah scoffed. “She’ll live. And how about you? You’ll be taking someone’s spot on the football team. Don’t seem too concerned about that.”
“I’m sorry,” Clark said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Sarah folded her arms and Clark apologized again. He took his carton of chocolate milk and poured a small amount of it into the large section of his lunch tray. Then he pointed his finger at the milk and it formed the shape of a heart. “I made a chocolate heart for you,” Clark teased. Sarah responded with a smile.
“Thanks,” she said.
“I love you,” Clark told her. “You’re the best girlfriend any guy could ever have. And I’ll support anything you do. If that means Jessica gets toppled as cheerleading captain then tell her to bring it on.”
Sarah was taking a sip of her juice when Clark said this. It was enough to make her laugh. She had to use a napkin to wipe away the juice she spilled from chuckling.
“And besides,” Sarah told him. “I’m pretty sure Jessica’s been sleeping with Charles. That makes her, well, slutty.”
This time was Clark’s turn to laugh. Then Big Dan approached them.
“Clark!” Big Dan said, “Are you on for this evening?”
“You mean for checking out the crystal at the barn again?” Clark asked. “Yeah. I’m in.”
“Great,” Big Dan said. “Dude, I can bench press like a thousand pounds now.”
“Are you serious?” Clark asked him.
“Yeah, man,” Big Dan said. “I woke up on Sunday, freaked out at first when stuff in my room just started moving. Hell of a birthday gift.”
“Oh yeah,” Sarah said, “Happy belated birthday.”
“Thanks,” Big Dan smiled. “I’ll see you two later.”
***
School was over in no time and Clark hopped into the back seat of Charles’s car while John got into the passenger seat. Clark called his mom and told her that he would be arriving home a little late. Then they took off as Big Dan followed in his pickup truck.
“Across the tracks,” John uttered.
“That’s where we’re headed,” Charles told him.
“I hope the crystal’s still there,” John said.
“Why would it not be there?” Clark asked from the backseat.
“I don’t know, Clark,” John said as he brushed his long hair out of his face. “For the same reason that it appeared there─ maybe it disappeared. There’s obviously a lot of strange crap occurring. After what’s happened to us, if the crystal suddenly disappeared it would be the least strange thing to happen all year.”
“All I know is that I got a plan,” Charles said. “I think you’ll like it.”
“What is it?” Clark and John both asked.
“Ugh, I’ll tell you when we get there,” Charles said.
“Why not say it now?” John asked.
“Cause you guys might not like it now!”
“But you just said we would,” Clark corrected him.
“What I meant was─,” Charles went on. “You’ll like it eventually.”
Clark and John continued to question Charles but he refused to tell them what he was planning. They asked until the car crossed the tracks into the terr
itory full of gravel and grass. They made it up the barn and got out of the car. Big Dan was right behind them as he got out of his pickup truck. They approached the barn and opened the door. With daylight shining through the cracks, the interior of the rundown barn was clearly visible. But it was the crystal in the center of the barn that caught all of their attention.
The tall crystal that imbued them with unimaginable powers was in the same spot as it was when they first touched it. But they noticed something different about it. It wasn’t glowing this time. There was no effervescent aura of rainbow hues exuding from it. The crystal was colorless and clear.
“The color’s gone,” John said.
“Yeah,” Big Dan agreed.
“I think we sapped its colors when we touched it,” Clark admitted.
“What now?” Big Dan asked.
“Maybe we should touch it again,” John suggested.
“NO!” Clark yelled. “The color’s gone. It may do something different if we touch it again.”
“If we touch it, maybe it could make us even stronger,” John said.
“I’m not taking that chance,” Clark bluntly told him.
“I’m with Clark,” Charles said. “Let’s not touch it.”
“What do we do then? Why’re we here?” Big Dan asked.
“We’re going to take it with us,” Charles told them.
“No way!” said Big Dan.
“I don’t know if we should do that,” Clark muffled.
“Yeah,” Charles let out a laugh. “That’s why I didn’t tell you in the car. There’s no turning back now.”
After a few minutes of back and forth bickering, they came to the decision to take the crystal with them. Naturally they decided to use the power of telekinesis to move it. All at once, they focused on the crystal and it lifted off the ground. Slowly the crystal pushed its way through the barn door and floated into the back of Big Dan’s pickup truck. When the crystal fell, the truck lowered with its tremendous weight.
“Damn, that took a lot out of me,” Charles said.
“Where do we take it?” John asked.
Charles went into the trunk of his car and pulled out a large blanket. He threw it over the crystal which he made sure not to touch.
“My dad owns this old warehouse,” Charles said. “It has a security locked basement and nobody uses it. We’ll take it there.”
Clark and John got into the car with Charles who drove west to the warehouse as Big Dan followed. Big Dan drove slowly due to the weight of the crystal in his truck. It took them twenty-five minutes to get to their destination and they pulled around back. When no one was watching, they again used their powers to swiftly levitate the blanket-covered crystal into the secure basement of the warehouse.
“And now…,” Charles said as he looked to the crystal in the basement. “To just find out where you came from and what else you’re capable of.”
CHAPTER 5
“Did you find out anything else about it?” Clark asked Charles before he headed off to class the next morning.
“No,” Charles said. “Didn’t have time to study a magic crystal. I had a date after we left the warehouse.”
“Maybe Donny can study it or something,” Clark suggested.
“Good idea. I’ll tell Donny the Geek to bring his microscope next time,” Charles laughed. “I’m sure he’s got plenty of time on his hands.”
“Actually,” Clark corrected him. “Donny’s been spending a lot of time with Chloe lately.”
“I was wondering about that,” Charles said. “What the hell does Chloe Li see in him? You know he’s not even getting to first base. They’re probably just solving math problems together.”
“Wow,” Clark said. “Why are you so down on him?”
“Cause I was interested in Chloe,” Charles admitted.
“With all those other fish in the sea,” Clark joked sarcastically, “Whatever will fisherman Charles do when he loses one catch?”
Across the hall in the girl’s restroom, Sarah skipped speaking with Clark in order to find Jessica, the cheerleading captain. Jessica was standing in front of the large restroom mirror changing her makeup. She was speaking with another cheerleader, Samantha, when Sarah walked in.
“You know, he’s really not that good,” Jessica said to Samantha as Sarah walked in.
“Who?” Samantha asked.
“Charles Walsh,” Jessica told her friend. “Who do you think? He’s overrated by almost everyone. They just like his gifts.”
“Hey girls,” Sarah said as the two other girls looked to her.
“Hey Sarah,” Jessica and Samantha said simultaneously.
“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked as she pulled out her eyeliner and applied in while looking into the mirror.
“Oh, nothing,” Jessica said nonchalantly.
“Everything going well on the team, captain?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah,” Jessica told her. “You need to show up tomorrow afternoon. We’re having tryouts for additional members. All current members must attend.”
“About that,” Sarah said. “I was kinda thinking that I would try out for team captain.”
“What?” Jessica said bewildered, “That’s my spot?”
“I know.”
“What makes you think you can try out for my spot?”
“You know just as well as I that every spot is up for grabs at the beginning of the year,” Sarah fluttered.
“And what makes you think you’re good enough to be captain?” Jessica scoffed.
“I just think I’d do a really great job,” Sarah said as she placed her items into her handbag. “And your head isn’t always in the game.”
Sarah turned around and exited the girls’ restroom as Jessica and Samantha looked to one another in shock.
On the other side of the school, the first class bell was on its way to going off when Clark parted with Charles. They were wondering why John had not joined them before classes began as he routinely did. Clark quickly found out why John was absent during first period. When Clark entered the classroom, John was already sitting in his seat. His head was lowered and covered by the hoodie of his trench coat.
“What’s up, man?” Clark asked. “We were looking for you.”
John said nothing, his head still down.
“You okay, John?”
Without removing the hoodie, John tilted his head which allowed Clark to see a large bruise around his left eye. The bruised area of John’s pale face was swollen. He used his hand to brush his long hair in a manner that concealed his face.
“How did that happen?” Clark dismally asked.
“My old man,” John whispered.
“Jesus, he just gave you a black eye?”
“This morning. Drunk out of his fucking mind.”
“You didn’t do anything to him?”
“I could have, Clark─ do you know what I could have done to him? But I didn’t,” John’s voice progressed to pain. “I didn’t put a single finger on him when I so easily could have. Because I care. Because I know somewhere within that extremely horrible person is my father. I could have thrown him through a wall. I could have dropped an extremely heavy object on him. But then my real father wouldn’t have a chance of returning. But I feel like this morning confirmed to me that he never will.”
Clark could see the sorrow in John’s eyes before John turned away from him and lied his head down on his desk. All was calm and all was quiet until the first bell finally rang. The history teacher sprang into the room and started her lecture but all Clark could think about was the anguish he felt for John. He simply thought, “How terrible it must be to lack a loving family.”
When class was over, Clark walked out with John and placed his arm over his shoulder. It was a gesture of friendship that Clark hoped John would appreciate. Just as they were walking out of class, John was shoved into a set of lockers by a bully named TJ.
“Watch where you’re going, Ahern,” TJ laugh
ed. “I think you need to get that black eye fixed.”
John looked at him with rage, his fist clenched as Clark spoke up. “Leave him the hell alone, TJ. You really don’t know who you’re screwing with.”
The bully laughed and continued walking.
“Don’t worry about him, man,” Clark told him. “I’ll see you later today, okay? Stay strong.”
Clark waved him bye as John sullenly walked down another hallway and vanished from sight. The tone shifted when Clark arrived at computer class. Donny the Geek was as cheery as ever. He bounced about the classroom and waved at Chloe every few minutes.
Donny waved his finger through the air and sent paper airplane one after the other to Chloe. She laughed and flew them right back with her own powers. “Calm yourself, man!” Clark told him twice.
“No! I’m in love! Don’t you know the feeling, Clark?”
“Yes, I have a girlfriend too, remember? But I’m not about to expose the one really awesome secret thing that I’ve got going for myself.”
“What?” Donny said smarmily, “Aren’t you about to try out for the football team using these beautiful telekinetic abilities?”
Donny used a red ink pen to draw a heart on another piece of paper. Instead of folding it with his hands, he concentrated with his mind and the sheet folded itself into a paper plane. He whisked it through the air and into Chloe’s lap just as he did all the others.
“No,” Clark corrected him. “I’m being covert about what I do.”
“I can’t help it, Clark. I’ve fallen hard!”
During one point in class, Donny was using telekinesis to send another paper plane to Chloe when Clark decided to have a little fun of his own. Clark concentrated on a pencil and sent it flying through the air. The pencil shot the paper plane down and Clark began laughing.
“Hey!” Donny yelped.
“S-O-S! Drone down!” Clark laughed.
“Not funny!”
Finally, Clark’s attention was turned elsewhere. “Where’s Andrew?” he asked.
“No clue,” Donny answered. “Didn’t realize he wasn’t here.”
After computer class, Clark went straight to English class where he managed to both take notes and pay attention. He didn’t want his grades to slip if he was to be a star athlete on the football team. And trying out for the team was the big thought that wouldn’t leave his mind until the time arrived. After English class Clark headed to the cafeteria for lunch. He stood in line for a meal with Sarah when he decided to pull off another sophomoric trick.
Ascension (The Ascension Series) Page 8
