Seek {Superhero AU} - Ending 1

10: Walking 'Cross The Campus

Okay so I just reread the entire story and I find it funny how much even in just this my writing has progressed.

The last time I updated was at two in the morning. Let's see if I can write better than that at one.

A/N from 2023: For any new readers, the above author's note no longer applies because I've gone back through and edited the whole thing. So the whole thing is roughly the same quality of writing now. If you're curious what the original version looked like, I have a copy of it, and I might include it as a link at the end just for the sake of preserving history hahaha

WPOV

Track: Campus, Vampire Weekend

I haven't been to school since Nico told me his name. Today's the first day. I'm more than a little anxious, but it's in an exciting way. I mean, Nico and Luke know each other from school. Luke goes to my school. Now I just have to find a guy named Nico and voilà! Identity discovered, mystery solved, and I'll pull him aside and tell him who I am, and then we won't have to keep dancing around each other.

I mean, we aren't enemies anymore. We could be good friends—I know it. Every time I talk to him, we have these moments where I feel so close to him, and I think he's noticing them, too.

I get ready for school quickly. I'm a morning person—I like it when the world is light and quiet and looking forward to another day. It feels fresh and calming, and it makes me feel like everything is going to be alright.

I make it down to the kitchen, and my mother smiles at me. She has a glass of orange juice on the table for me, and I grin. I love citrus fruits.

I put a piece of bread in the toaster while I sip the orange juice. My mom has the news playing, and she's humming some cheerful melody from a song that I don't quite recognize.

Her eyes dart up to the television when the reporter starts talking about Nico's break-in yesterday. "That guy needs to be put in check. If the police can't, then someone else should—and quickly, before he hurts someone."

My cheeks heat up. Knowing that Nico is searching the city for his kidnapped sister puts all of this in perspective in a completely new way. "Well, he's never hurt anyone before, has he? He's not that bad."

"Will, he kidnapped some poor old woman," my mother says, looking disgusted that I would ever defend a criminal like that.

I choke on my sip of orange juice, coughing uncontrollably. Between bouts of coughing, I manage to croak, "What are you talking about?"

My mom nods her head at the newscast while she sets a mug under the coffee machine's dispenser. She presses a button on the lid and waits for it to heat up. "They've been talking about it all morning. I forgot the woman's name. The police can't find her anywhere, but the Ghost King was definitely the one who did it. I mean, he probably didn't expect her to be home when he broke in, so he kidnapped her. If no one stops him, who knows what harm he will do to her?"

I open my mouth to argue and defend Nico—to tell her that no, Nico was definitely innocent because he was with me for the majority of the day. And anyway—Nico wouldn't kidnap someone. I don't even think he uses the full extent of his powers when he's defending himself; sometimes, I see him start to summon shadows all around his arms, but then there's this spark of worry in his eyes. He always ends up shrinking some of it into a ball and dissolving the rest.

If Nico won't even use excessive force against Luke, who is a complete asshole who probably deserves it, I cannot imagine a world where he kidnaps someone.

But I can't argue any of that without giving myself away. So I shut my mouth and promise myself that one day, when I tell my mother that I am Sunburst, I am going to immediately follow that up with a conversation about reliable news sources. And I'll clear the air about Nico immediately.

My toast pops up. I grab it—it's burnt, just the way I like it. My mother rolls her eyes at my burnt toast obsession, but there's a smile tugging at her lips, so I know she doesn't really mean it.

I butter my toast and finish my orange juice. I grab my bag and eat my toast on the walk to the bus stop, listening to one of my favorite songs as I walk down the sidewalk.

Today is going to be a good day. And if it's not—then I'm going to make it a good day.

I have another quest for the day: follow Luke around and see if I can catch him being an asshole. If he's a bully, he can get suspended for that; if I can't get him in trouble for hurting Nico, maybe I can get him sent home so he can't hurt anyone at school at least.

I'm quite happy with my plan for the day, so by the time the bus pulls up, I am smiling and ready for the day.

Lou Ellen and Cecil meet me at the front of the school. They both look vaguely dead inside; they'll be more awake in about two hours.

"Good morning!" I greet as I approach. "Sorry I wasn't here yesterday! I had some pretty nasty allergies, so I decided to just stay home so I wasn't sneezing on everyone."

They're too tired to doubt my excuse. This is my strategy every time I miss school: tell my friends where I was before they've fully woken up. They won't have the brainpower yet to doubt what I tell them, and by the time they are more awake, they've forgotten about it entirely.

I'm about to ask if they have anything exciting planned for today when I spot Luke in my peripheral vision.

"Oh, uh, actually—I just remembered I have a thing this morning. At...over there. Goodbye!"

"Bye," says Lou Ellen, and it sounds vaguely like a zombie.

I leave Lou Ellen and Cecil sulking about the crimes that the morning sun has committed against them, and I sneak around the side of the school to the place where I'd seen Luke talking with his friend Ethan Nakamura. They're laughing, and I'm sure that they must be plotting something when I overhear their conversation:

"Ethan, that is the worst pick-up line ever—like, in the whole history of pick-up lines. That's never going to work on any of your crushes."

"If I say it ironically, it's funny!" Ethan insists, laughing.

"You do not mean it ironically, dude," Luke teases, and their voices fade out again.

So...they're just having a normal conversation. I didn't catch them doing anything. What if I spend the whole day following them and never catch them doing anything? I don't want to spend a whole day listening to Luke's boring conversations.

It's worth it if it means I can do a favor for Nico. Even the thought of how relieved he will be when Luke is banned from going to school for who-knows-how-long is enough to make heat spread up my neck.

This is going to be a long day—but it's going to be worth it.

Word count: 1227 

How'd you like the chapter?

The next chapter is the first chapter of new content rather than just edited content--so I hope you're excited :D

I hope you guys are all doing well. Have a (possibly vegan) cookie.