Noah let out a sigh and stretched his fingers out onto his keyboard. He typed.
Chapter 14
Fourteen-year-old Noah had already hit the end of the hallway by the time the clock chimed for the top of the hour. He’d gotten done with the computer lab right about the same time that most of the athletes were about to head home too.
“Henson!”
Noah pushed hurriedly through the front school doors ahead of the strong voice calling his name. He smirked and let the doors shut before running forward, aiming toward the steep stairs.
“Wait up, man!”
Noah ignored the voice and hopped onto the railing by the front stairs, the snow pushing against his boots. His black wristwatch read, December 14th, 2034, 3:45pm. “She’s gonna kill me,” he muttered as he slid effortlessly down the long rail. Several students pointed to him, giving him props for the cool move.
When he landed at the bottom of the stairs, Noah risked a glance over his shoulder. A tall, dark-skinned young man with dreads tied back in a neat bun burst through the school doors, his eyes searching the crowd of departing athletes lingering in front of the building. He wore an open US Marines uniform top that was too big for him over the rest of his clothes. Feet flashing, the young man flew down the steps, taking huge leaps and only keeping his balance through sheer athleticism and a little bit of luck. He waved and pointed at Noah, yelling, “Hold on, Henson!”
Noah realized that this would be a perfect time to get some more training in. He’d accepted in the past that he couldn’t avoid going to school in some capacity, and getting out of the house helped him meet lots of new people and grow his skills. However, he still liked to train whenever he could, and the current situation was ideal for some practical exercise.
Noah booked it down the street toward Steelton’s downtown shopping plaza. Even with the students blocking the sidewalks, he knew he could outrun Jamal Hendricks. With [Listen], Noah was able to pick up a few awed murmurs from several students as he rocketed past.
“Whoa, is that Noah Henson?”
“That freshman is fast.”
“Why is Jamal chasing—wait, Noah’s faster than Jamal? Didn’t Jamal break a track record or something last year?”
Noah felt slightly guilty. Part of him knew he should be hiding his abilities–standing out too much created its own problems, but a slight grin tugged the edge of his lips. For years, Noah had spent time each day pushing his body to its limits. Magic abilities or not, getting an athletic physique required hard work. He enjoyed the results. In his first life, he’d gotten winded going up a single flight of stairs. This time around was different.
With [Listen], he caught Jamal’s frustrated voice at the edge of his skill’s range. “Darn. When did he get so fast?”
Apparently, some of the watching students had decided to help Jamal, because Noah was suddenly attacked. A few snowballs whizzed by his ear, and he reflexively took a [Stumble] forward, barely catching himself in a skidding crouch on the icy sidewalk. A couple snowballs sailed harmlessly over his head, and he almost immediately began running again.
In another dozen lunging steps, he sensed another barrage coming, and decided to be proactive. Luckily, he had picked up several acrobatics and gymnast abilities with [Jack of All] over the years. After hopping over a concrete barrier to a ledge, he leapt over a street below to another ledge, ending his momentum in a forward flip. He landed perfectly and took off running again. Behind him, a few members of the swim team simultaneously yelled and laughed, looking down at the drop. One of the brave ones lowered himself to fall a person’s height to the ground below, but Noah was already long gone.
As soon as Washington High School was out of sight, Noah slowed his pace to what he considered an easy jog, his boots crunching against the Michigan snow. Within ten minutes, he’d reached Steelton’s downtown plaza. Christmas music echoed over the neighborly chatter in the town square. Tomorrow would be the final day before winter break, ending his freshman high school semester with the winter talent show. After that, his family would be heading to Colorado.
Noah couldn’t help but grin as he took in the cheery atmosphere. His [Community] skill flared to life, and he found his vision crowded with screens next to each familiar face he passed. Each box held various information and reminders for Noah that he had accrued over the years. He’d used this knowledge and his high [Charisma] stat to further build relationships with the people of Steelton. Noah carefully made his way through groups of friendly faces, greeting people by name or being greeted in turn. The light dusting of snow tumbled lazily around him but wasn’t uncomfortable. Everyone stayed warm in their winter coats. Luckily, Noah had kept his physical exertion before to just below the point he would start sweating and become uncomfortable.
In the years since he had gained his powers, Noah hadn’t been able to level up his Listener skills–his core class skills. It was disappointing, but he had plenty of other concerns on his mind too, spending every waking hour on preparing humanity for the Shift.
Noah had broken his titanic goal into different tasks: Growing a powerful financial empire, acquiring necessary resources to build forts across the world, stocking weapons and gear to outfit his people, learning about survival without electricity, and creating a reliable network to spread his preparations and exchange information across the world.
The city of Steelton had its own category because he had planned on building his first fort here after the Shift had occurred. He’d been making headway in every aspect of his plan so far, including spending considerable time and effort using his high Charisma to create a stronger community.
Steelton’s downtown plaza had never been this active during the holidays in Noah’s previous life. The bright sound of friendly banter mixed with the scent of pine, proving how powerful Noah’s [Charisma] stat really was. The city had an average population of just over thirty thousand people, but by the time Noah had reached high school, the community had changed. He’d helped make the place feel like a small town where everyone knew each other by first name.
This had been an important part of his plan.
When the Shift comes, Noah reminded himself, Steelton can act as the perfect example of what humanity can look like when they band together. Hopefully, this will create a ripple effect. People will flock to Steelton and travelers will tell others about it, spreading word of what a fort is supposed to act like. At least, that’s my hope.
Of course, his plan had other facets, but he had around four more years until the Shift came. This wasn’t a lot of time, but Noah felt confident he could give humanity the edge it needed to eventually unite against the invading Aelves.
He glanced around, always aware of his surroundings, and noted that he was getting close to his destination. Lucy’s Diner was a go-to hub for most of the high schoolers and young adults of Steelton. The restaurant had the best milkshakes and tastiest burgers in the entire state of Michigan, at least Noah suspected so. He pulled out his phone and unfolded it, turning on the holo display, updating himself on some crucial information while he had the time to do so.
At fourteen years of age, Noah Henson was a billionaire. With the help of the Anonymoose hackers, he had largely kept his alternate digital accounts completely secret and isolated from his real, younger identity. If the government had found out that one of the richest people in the world secretly bought buildings all over the world, filling them with food and weapons, it’s safe to say they would have had some questions. This was the kind of attention Noah had hoped to avoid.
In fact, this was why he tried not to flaunt his abilities, wealth, or too many skills. Being exceptional helped him make friends and build his community, and allowed him to help everyone have a better life. But being too exceptional would make others see him as too alien, and would cause problems—at least he believed so.
Noah had no desire to be a face on talk shows. He was trying to save his family and friends, not have 15 minutes of fame.
After checking the status of some recent land purchases across a dozen countries, he smiled, pride swelling his chest. Besides his financial resources, he had also checked Steelton’s local statistics and how they had changed over the past nine years. Noah folded his phone back into his pocket.
As of this year, Steelton has the lowest crime rate of any city in America. School and college graduation numbers have skyrocketed. If the Shift were to never occur, Steelton’s growing economy would be on track to compete with a major city within ten years.
He had never said any of this out loud, savoring the secret like candy that never went stale. For some reason, it made him feel a little embarrassed whenever he thought about his subtle interventions over the years, jump-starting Steelton’s massive growth. Noah had changed things for the better, he was sure of it. He had personally funded all of the local schools and colleges, even the preschools. The money had steadily come into the community through anonymous donors who had claimed to be alumni. Noah had the means and had known what strings to attach to his gifts.
Steelton had even recently attracted the attention of state universities, sending some of their sociology and economics students to study the sudden positive growth of the city.
Noah picked up the scent of fried food, and he felt his stomach rumble. His destination was only two blocks away. He checked his watch again before waving a car to a stop, then jogging across the road and into the restaurant.
Lucy's Diner was bright and packed. Rowdy high school kids filled booths and tables. Adults sat at the counter, shooting gossip with Lucy herself, sipping hot coffee to cut the sweetness of her famous pies. The place’s owner was tall and broad-shouldered, her black hair in a pixie cut. She had a bodybuilder’s frame and wasn’t afraid to get physical if someone proved too rowdy, although no one had in years. Lucy had a way of listening to customers as if they might be stretching the truth a little, skepticism freezing a raised eyebrow. She’d listen before doling out her harsh worldly wisdom.
The whole diner had been decorated to look like something from the 1960s. After so much effort, the place looked like it’d been plunked down by a time machine. The wallpaper, seats, and swivel-stool cushions shined a plastic baby blue. Chrome tables reflected the soft light, making Noah feel like he had escaped Michigan's winter and stepped into a period movie set in spring. Every woman working at the diner was tattooed up to their wrists. They wore matching baby blue polos and skirts with white ascots. Around town, it was an open secret that Lucy usually only hired tough chicks who could drink most of the town under the table.
Noah recognized everyone in the diner, and they recognized him right back. Each of them had their own screens appear as [Community] kicked in. With [Listen], Noah gathered gossip and conversations, updating the notes on their screens. This action was reflexive these days, something he didn’t really need to think about, so most of his attention stayed forward as he pushed his way through the crowded diner.
He spotted Johnny Dormund sitting with his buddies from the martial arts club. The chubby blond gamer-kid had sprouted into a gigantic athlete, easily the biggest student at Washington High. Johnny’s dad had once joked that all Dormunds were fifty percent muscle and sixty percent heart. From that brilliant math alone, Noah had a good idea of why none of the Dormunds were known for their academic prowess. They were good people, though—some of the best.
Noah rubbed the top of his own head self-consciously. In his new life, he had actually gained a few inches of height compared to his previous body. It could have been the orb’s magic or the fact his body was at peak human capability, fueled with dozens of skills he’d picked up over the years with [Jack of All]. Maybe it was both. He’d also studied nutrition and hadn’t existed on junk food this time around.
Up ahead, Lucy’s mousy daughter, Danielle Perkins, studied a newspaper. Noah knew she would become the class valedictorian. With her nose always glued to a book, it seemed inevitable.
Unlike most other Steelton residents, not much had changed between Danielle Perkins’ current life and how Noah had remembered her. However, she’d somehow begun a friendly, one-sided rivalry with Noah starting in middle school, when she caught him purposefully leaving two questions unanswered on their math test. She’d gotten the highest score but must have thought she hadn’t really earned the win. Since then, it seemed she had been working twice as hard since she knew she technically wasn’t really the smartest student in the school. Noah had nothing against her, but he did feel good when his mere presence deflated her a bit. She had always seemed a bit smug.
Everything around him seemed very normal, happy, and it filled Noah with joy. There was an anomaly, though. One person didn’t have their own screen for [Community]. This only happened when Noah first met someone he hadn’t encountered before. Right now, it was odd because he had met all the relatives and friends who came into Steelton for the holidays over the years. Strangers rarely found themselves at Lucy’s. The unfamiliar person was a man in a sharp black suit and tie. He had grey eyes, trim silver hair, and the thick neck of a veteran boxer. Probably a new relative visiting for the holidays, Noah mused.
He mentally dismissed the stranger and scanned the room, then spotted who he was looking for, the only redhead in the diner. Noah took off his coat and rushed over, plopping into the seat opposite to her. He looked into her green eyes and smiled. "You are late, Kay," he accused, pretending it was he who had been waiting on her.
Krystal Connolly's thin, ginger eyebrows knotted together for a half a second before they shot up. She didn’t buy it and pushed back. "If you were another minute late, I'd have left. I have to watch Sam tonight." Her smooth, alto voice seemed entirely flat and serious.
Sam was Krystal’s eight-year-old brother, who Noah had quickly learned liked to materialize whenever Noah and Krystal were at her house. The kid seemed to believe that Noah was after his sister. While Noah had admittedly held a crush on Krystal in his first life, and while he still thought she was very pretty, there were several reasons preventing things going any further than friendship.
For one, Noah wasn’t sure he should date at all until he was an adult, and even that seemed a little unlikely. While he didn’t feel any older than his current fourteen years, and sometimes forgot that he was technically older than most of his friends, he couldn’t ignore reality. Every time something happened that triggered a memory of his parents dying, or receiving beatings as Worm, Noah’s resolve to prepare for the Shift strengthened. Whenever his past traumas surfaced, he felt distant from everyone around him for a while.
He hadn’t had much experience with girls prior to the Shift either, and while his Charisma stat helped him make friends and connect with people easily now, it would probably make him second guess any initial romantic possibilities for the rest of his life. He’d wonder if people liked him for him, or for his stats.
Noah kind of thought Krystal might like him, but he wasn’t entirely certain, and he wasn’t sure what to do with that information if there was any concrete way to find out. Even if it would be okay for him to date someone his age while he could remember his previous life, he wasn’t sure he had time for it. If he dated someone, they’d probably want to walk around the track at school holding hands, or go to festivals, or whatever else people do who go on dates–Noah wasn’t an expert. What he did know, was that right now, he probably wouldn’t be much of a boyfriend.
Krystal was special—interesting, funny, witty, and very wise for her age. She deserved someone better than a secretive guy relying on a Charisma stat and past memories to build an empire, preparing for an apocalypse that may or may not still even happen. Unfortunately, whenever Noah was at her house, her brother Sam would often make fake, sloppy kissing sounds before running away, leaving a startled Krystal and pained Noah behind.
Noah blinked, focusing on the present, and throwing his coat on the seat beside him. “Nothing is stopping you now. I won’t hold it against you if you leave. Really, all I can do is apo
logize. I tried coming as fast as I could after using the computer lab. In fact, I even did a cool flip when some of the athletes leaving school tried using me for target practice."
Krystal’s eyes twinkled, and she made a long, dramatic sigh before taking a sip of her milkshake. “I guess I’ll let it slide this time, but we have a class project to plan.”
“Uh huh.”
The girl’s head shot up, and a suspicious look crossed her face. “You already did it again, didn’t you?”
With a sheepish look, Noah said, “I only did my parts—well, maybe a little extra. There’s an outline and pointers on research that should help you out, though.”
“Noah! This is getting ridiculous. Everyone is going to think I just want to partner up with you for class projects because you do everything!”
In the next booth, Melissa Dayle said in a stage whisper, “Uhh, I don’t think anyone will think that’s the only reason—”
Krystal hissed at her friend, looking embarrassed, and Melissa’s table all laughed. To let Krystal save face, Noah pretended not to notice and raised a hand to get one of the waitress’ attention. [Community] reminded him the approaching server’s name was Becky, and luckily, she already held a platter bearing a chocolate milkshake. With a click, she set the tray down on the table, and Noah said, “Bless you, Becky.” He grabbed the shake and started pushing his straw out of its paper.
Meanwhile, Becky ignored him and gave Krystal a wink. In a throaty voice, she said, "You better hold on tight to this one, sugar. He’s probably a wild one.” Then she walked off.
Noah blinked, watching Becky leave and mentally shook his head. Why did older people always do that? It’s like they teased teens constantly about relationships and dating, but then if teens actually dated or had relationships, they’d get freaked out—then it suddenly wasn’t funny or cute anymore. Adults seemed to only tease about that stuff to get some kind of glee about everyone being embarrassed.
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