The Pyramid Chronicles: Tyche Point (#1)

Chapter Nineteen: Of All The Abandoned Joints In All The Town

Lunch was off to a bad start. Eric had forgotten to grab food before he left the house that morning, so he had to resort to eating from the vending machine. The school did a pretty bad job of keeping the thing stocked. Eric wound up with a bag of stale potato chips and off-brand soda.

"Who in their right mind buys 'Doctor Flavor?'" Eric asked as he popped open the soda can. "And grape-flavored, at that?"

Sam glanced at the can. "You sure you don't want half my sandwich?"

"Thanks, but I'll live." Eric took a sip and immediately regretted it. Ugh.

Veronica was busy unwrapping her own lunch. She'd spent most of the past few days working on a lab project instead of coming to lunch, and when she did join them, she didn't tend to talk much. "Isn't Summer usually here, too?" she asked.

Sam cast her a sideways glance. "Maybe she got held up in class."

"Hmm." Veronica took a bite of her sandwich.

To Eric's surprise, Adam entered the cafeteria and headed straight for their table, instead of the one he usually sat at with his other friends.

"What's up?" Eric asked when Adam reached them.

"Anyone seen Willow?" Adam asked.

Eric lifted an eyebrow. "Doesn't she eat lunch in the tech club room?"

"I looked, but she wasn't there."

"And you care, because—?"

"I just—had a question. Geez," Adam muttered before storming off.

"Hey, guys!" Summer waved at the group as she jogged them from the other direction. "Uh, is Adam okay?"

"He's fine," Eric said. "Just being dramatic."

"Oh, well, I have some crazy news." Summer slid into the chair opposite Eric and waved her hands animatedly as she spoke. "My mom texted me, and said she was talking to our neighbor about an hour ago, and apparently our neighbor's sister was at the hospital getting x-rays because she was afraid her son broke his arm. But get this: his arm wasn't actually broken!"

"Uh..." Eric exchanged a confused glance with Sam, who shrugged. "Good for him?"

"I'm not done!" Summer exclaimed. "The kid fell off a playground, and his arm definitely was broken. But this girl in a mask came up to them and touched the kid's arm and healed him! And then she ran off!"

"Uh-huh," Sam said slowly. Veronica's expression suggested she was also struggling to process Summer's frantic story.

"So, she told her sister, who told my mom, and my mom asked me if I knew this girl, and I was explaining that we don't know all the kids with powers—"

"Wait, wait," Eric cut Summer off. "You're saying there's someone in town with healing powers?"

"Apparently," Summer said. "Hey, can I have one of your chips?"

Eric pushed the bag toward her. "Go ahead."

Summer picked one out of the bag. "I just think it's a good sign. Not only is there another kid with powers, but she was brave enough to use them in public." She took a bite of the chip and frowned. "Ew. These are stale."

"Yep." Eric popped another chip in his mouth and washed it down with a sip of the soda.

Summer shrugged and finished the chip. After swallowing, she asked, "So are we all still on for a training session today?"

"Yes," Veronica said quickly. "I mean, I am."

Sam nodded. "We're good to meet at three."

"Adam's got football practice, but he said he'd try to stop by after," Eric said. "And I guess Willow texted him saying she had something going on, but I'm not sure what." Maybe that was what Adam wanted to ask her about.