Foresight

Chapter 9

"Bye Stacey," Mike said as she walked off. Mike found himself smiling uncontrollably. Connor came over, having watched the whole thing from the bench next to Mike's.

"Did you just...?" he began. Mike nodded.

"Get a date with one of the greatest girls in the school? Yes, my friend I have!" Mike replied triumphantly. Connor gaped at him in awe.

"I knew you'd get someone – I did not expect Stacey!" Connor said. He slapped Mike on the back. "That's my boy!" he suddenly cried loudly. He and Mike high fived.

"I've got to get this right – one wrong move and I've missed my chance with that amazing girl," Mike said, anxiety returning. Connor suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You can do this! Don't give me quitter talk! Do you hear me Private?" He yelled like an army general, frantically shaking Mike.

"Sir! Yes Sir!" Mike said in a soldier like voice.

"Damn right you hear me!" Connor said, letting go and smiling at Mike. Both finished eating their lunch and left the cafeteria. As they were crossing the hall, Mike heard a familiar unpleasant voice behind him.

"Ready to finish what you started this morning Warren?" Finn Gregson's voice snarled from behind Mike. Everything went slow again. Mike turned around and saw Gregson's fist slowly approaching his face. Mike quickly dodged. Everything went back to normal again. Connor had also turned around and glared at Finn, looking like he was about to throttle him.

"If you mean you're going to try and punch me and fail – then sure," Mike retorted, smirking smugly. Connor looked at him, dumbstruck. He turned to face Mike.

"Mike what are you doing?" he hissed. Mike winked at him.

"It's fine – I got this," he replied. He turned back to face Gregson, still smirking. "Let's party,".

"HEY THERE'S A FIGHT!" somebody yelled. Everyone in the corridor formed a circle around Mike and Finn. This was going to be fun.

Gregson began launching punches at Mike. But Mike was on a completely different plane to him. A faster one. Gregson was in slow motion and Mike dodged his every blow. Mike almost laughed at how comically menacing Finn looked – his face was screwed up in an over-exaggerated scowl and his voice had been reduced to a slow series of animalistic growls. Mike suddenly felt the childish impulse to humiliate Finn even more. He began moving around the circle. Finn suddenly frowned in confusion. Clearly to him Mike was moving way too fast to land another blow. The crowd moved to one side which revealed to Mike that he was now in front of a set of lockers.

He had an idea.

Instead of continuing to move around the circle anymore, he stayed still. Finn saw this and took the advantage. He lunged for Mike, just as he'd hoped he would. Mike suddenly shifted onto the faster plane and skidded to one side. And then everything returned to normal.

An almighty crash filled the room and the crowd gasped.

For Finn had ran face first into a locker and was now lying on his back with a large bruise on his forehead. The crowd began cheering and clapping. Connor looked at Mike, utterly amazed. Mike smiled, triumphantly and stood over Finn.

"I've told you many times before," Mike said to Finn who was looking up at him in shock. Mike leaned downwards slightly. "I don't like fighting,".

"Y-y-you just did f-f-f-fight me!" Finn stammered. Mike shook his head.

"No Finn – I didn't fight back, because I didn't have to," Mike said. The crowd had now begun to disperse. Once the majority had cleared off Mike offered Finn a hand up. Finn looked at his hand incredulously, refusing to take it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Finn asked dazed.

"Offering to help you up," Mike said flatly, keeping his arm extended.

"Why?" Finn asked. "I'm always a dick to you,".

"It's called good grace," Mike responded. And then he knelt beside Finn. "And you know what?".

"What?" Finn asked, still slightly panicked.

"I don't think you're a bully just because you're a nasty person," Mike replied. Finn looked away for a moment, really taking in what Mike was saying. Finally, he took Mike's hand and let him help him up.

Mike's ears rang and his eyes rolled up into his head again. This time it was different. Mike felt a surge of danger. He saw Finn sitting in a Football uniform at a well-polished table in a suburban house. A middle-aged man was standing over Finn. He looked angry and was yelling. "YOU QUIT?" The man roared. Finn looked up at the man, presumably his dad, and stood up, looking just as angry.

"I don't want to play anymore dad – I'm sick of these stupid pills you keep forcing me to take before each game – I can't eat! I can't sleep!" Finn roared back.

"You wouldn't be half the player you are now if I hadn't given you those pills!" His dad roared. And then Mike felt himself gasp in his mind. For he saw Finn's father punch his child in the mouth.

"Mike?" Finn's voice echoed.

Mike was back in the hallway with somebody who he now had more respect and sympathy for than he'd ever had before. "Oh my God," Mike gasped he looked up at Finn. "Did you quit the Football team?" he asked, before he could stop himself. Finn looked at him with wide eyes. He violently grabbed Mike by the rim of his shirt and pinned him against the lockers.

"How do you know about that?" Finn growled, his face full of fury.

"I... uh...guessed?" Mike stammered, his heart pounding. "Yeah, I mean you've seemed more angry than normal – I figured something crappy might have happened,". Finn let go of Mike seemingly having bought that. However, he looked at Mike through narrowed eyes.

"There's something different about you too," he said, almost accusingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mike said defensively.

"Really? Because I saw you during that fight – almost looked like you knew what I was going to do before I did it," Finn replied, sceptically.

"So? What you think I'm psychic or something?" Mike replied, chuckling with false sarcasm.

"Who said anything about that?" Finn said, raising his eyebrow. Mike started to panic. Finn didn't really believe in all that nonsense, did he? Mike wasn't even sure if he believed it – even now, it felt too much like a dream to be real.

"Okay, Finn, I'm gonna go," Mike finally said, just wanting to get on with the day. He began walking away when Finn called out to him.

"Hey Mike!" he called. Mike turned around. Finn looked at him, somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm... sorry for being such a dick to you all the time – you're a cool guy," Finn said, genuinely. Mike gaped for a moment but then gave Finn a brief smile.

"Don't worry about it Finn – just talk to people if you're feeling down – okay? It's not good for you to take it out on others – it just doesn't help," Mike replied. Finn nodded and the two parted ways.

Well that was very unexpected Mike thought to himself. Just a few hours ago he'd thought Finn was the worst person in the world. Now he felt so sorry for the poor guy – what the hell was his dad doing to him? Mike couldn't imagine what it would be like having to live with a father like that. What would he do now? He could hardly go to his dad and say that he'd seen Finn's dad abuse him in a psychic vision. Even if that did work Mike doubted Finn would appreciate that anyway – if he got taken away from his dad because of Mike, he'd probably feel even worse – even a bad father was better than no father.

Whatever Mike was trying to devise to help Finn was momentarily disregarded with the sound of the school bell. Lunch was over. And Mike had two more classes before he could go home.