James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book One

Twenty-Six

Mia rested her chin on her hand, watching me. Her touch sent a jolt through my body like a million volts of electricity shot through my veins.

"What's up?" I asked, my smile widening. Max let out an annoyed grunt behind me.

"Idiot," Max muttered. Mia's gaze shifted past me, and she shot Max a glare. I glanced behind me and saw him rolling his eyes.

"Ignore him," she growled. He continued to mock Mia like a child, and it infuriated me. Max huffed and leaned back in his seat while I turned back to Mia, who was now smiling at him.

"Can I come over to your place this afternoon, James?" she asked, her smile captivating. She playfully pressed her index finger against my nose. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice so that only I could hear her. "Superboy."

She glanced at Max and grimaced, clearly causing him discomfort. I couldn't help but laugh, relishing the satisfaction of getting under his skin.

"You're a bloody fool," Max grumbled from behind me. I chuckled.

"Yeah, sure. I can walk you to my house after school," I replied. She smirked, mirroring my amusement.

"I'll meet you outside the front entrance, and we can go from there."

I nodded, affirming our plan. Just as the classroom bell rang, Mr. Kinley walked in, signaling the start of class.

∆∆∆

That evening, I found myself on the couch, snacking on pretzels and sipping Coke with my father, who was inebriated in his chair in the corner. Mia had her arm around my shoulders, while Derek shot me disapproving looks whenever our father wasn't looking. He was livid because I was consuming caffeinated soda before our father, like it wasn't an issue. Sam entered the room, immediately clearing his throat and catching my attention.

"Hey, Sam," Mia greeted me with a smile, shifting in my arms. She waved at him as he entered, and Sam's gaze turned to Derek and me on the couch.

"Derek, James, can I talk to you briefly?" Sam asked, guiding us out of the room and into the kitchen.

"James, do you realize Mia is the only one who knows about the cure?" Sam stated, frustration clear in his voice. Both Derek and I leaned against opposite walls, staring at him. Were they serious?

"Yeah, and?" I responded.

"She's Mark's cousin and allied with Max. Do you understand the problem, James?" Sam pointed out the obvious. But I refused to think like him. Frustration caused my fists to clench, and as I leaned against the counter, it gave way under my strength.

"Whoa there, Superboy," Derek intervened soothingly. "Sam has a valid point. She could work with them."

"We don't know that for sure," I snapped, brushing debris off my shirt.

Our father approached the commotion, his face red with anger as he surveyed the scene. His eyes moved past the broken counter next to Sam.

"What the hell, Sam?" our father exclaimed. Sam gestured towards me and the mess, crossing his arms. Having superpowers was exasperating. One slight miscalculation and the marble countertop was torn from its foundation.

My dad appeared furious. "The three of you better clean that up," he snarled in rage. I heard the front door slam shut, signaling Mia's departure after hearing our father's outburst.

"FUCK!" I shouted in frustration, brushing past Derek and retreating to my bedroom. Derek followed me inside and took a seat at my desk.

"Are you alright, James?" Derek asked, bouncing a stress ball off the wall and tossing it in my direction.

"No," I replied plainly.

When I attempted to catch the ball using telekinesis, half of my room lifted with it-the contents of my closet, documents on my desk, and even my laptop. I let them float away from their original positions. Quickly reacting, Derek caught my computer before it crashed.

"You're welcome," he said, smiling.

"I didn't ask you to do that," I snarled.

Derek scoffed. "Fine, James. It's probably best to calm down before you end up hurting someone. I warned you about drinking soda, yet you did it anyway."

I growled like a frustrated animal under my breath. "I don't care, and I don't want these powers anymore."

"I know you don't mean that. You've saved countless people. You're a superhero, for fuck's sake," Derek's eyes met mine, his gaze unwavering. "It's in your blood, James."

"But I'm not a hero, Derek. Could you stop trying to label me as one? I don't want to be a cop like you or Dad," I confided, my composure cracking. "All I want is to be an ordinary guy, living a normal life, just like you, Dad, and Sam. That's all." Just then, our father knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked. I groaned, gesturing for him to enter.

"I'm sorry if I upset you and drove your girlfriend away, James. That wasn't my intention, and I didn't mean to snap at both of you," he apologized, looking at me and then at Derek.

"It's okay, Dad," I reassured him, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry about the countertop." Not that he didn't already know when I started breaking off chunks, but he remained oblivious, refusing to acknowledge my powers. However, he was far from foolish. Like his brothers, he was a genius and knew someone had caused the mess.

He sighed. "It's not your fault. You didn't shatter the countertop." Derek pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. His fingers tapped on his phone when he thought Dad wasn't looking, and then my phone chimed. I glanced at the text message.

"I told you Dad is in denial," he had written. I looked at Derek, and he shrugged.

"Are you two secretly communicating?" my father observed. Derek and I exchanged glances.

"Yes," we replied in unison.

My father chuckled. "I'm glad you two are getting along," he admitted before focusing back on me. "Feel better, bud. Tomorrow is a new day." He ruffled my hair and left the room. Derek let out a sigh.

"I have to go to work. I've got a night shift, so I'll check in on you later," Derek informed me. My brother was about to leave for the night.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

He stood up from the chair and headed towards the door. "Try not to break anything else," he half-joked. I moaned, sinking deeper into my bed.

"Aye, aye, captain," I replied with a grin, acknowledging my foolishness. I saluted him as he walked away, getting comfortable under the covers. I felt miserable, unsure of how much more of this super-powered drama I could handle, but deep down, I knew it was only the beginning.