James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book One

Nine

"Damn it, Derek," I grumbled as I squinted against the harsh light. Derek sat by my bedside, his hands pressed against my chest as I lay on my back, a concealed smirk beneath the covers. I ripped the blankets off my bare torso and flung him across the room, pinning him against the crumbling wall.

"Let go," he gasped, collapsing from the impact, clutching his chest while I got out of bed.

"Don't pull that stunt again, especially after last night," I yelled, grabbing my clothes and storming towards the bathroom.

"Yeah, we need to talk about that," Derek shouted after me as I slammed the bathroom door.

About thirty minutes later, we were in the car. Derek drove in silence. The police radio turned off. He focused on the road, occasionally glancing at me. "Sam is right, and I don't want you to fight that guy," Derek said.

I sighed. "I'm fine, Derek. Not a scratch." Derek huffed, his gaze fixed on the road.

"He rammed you with my car, James, with me in it. I don't want you fighting him."

"Derek, I'm invincible. I can handle it," I scoffed.

Derek grunted in frustration, panic evident in his voice. "But what if you're not, James?" I fell silent, lost in my thoughts.

I remembered a younger Derek, around eleven years old, playing with me on the front lawn of our home, tossing a football back and forth. We laughed and had fun until the ball rolled into the street. Instead of staying put, Derek, the older brother, chased it.

A truck was speeding down the road, its driver distracted by a phone call. Derek's attention was on a girl across the street, sunbathing in a lawn chair, sipping lemonade. Sam witnessed the scene from the window.

I sprinted after Derek with incredible speed, pushing him forward just in time to avoid being hit by the truck narrowly. Derek collapsed on the grass on the other side of the road while the truck's front bumper crashed into my torso, leaving an imprint of my body on the metal. As the bewildered driver exited his car, I brushed off the dirt and tire tracks from my shirt.

The girl in the corner lowered her sunglasses to see my brother and me better. She was in complete shock, her mouth agape.

"Daddy!" the girl cried as she hurried back into her house.

I grabbed the ball and led Derek back to our side of the street as if nothing had happened. Sam and Derek always said it was a miracle that the truck didn't harm or kill me. From that day forward, Derek felt indebted to me.

"I don't know, Derek, but it's better than letting them roam freely in Phoenix," I said.

Derek pulled up in front of the school. My eyes shifted to Nicholas Grant, standing near the double doors, conversing with another unfamiliar boy. They exchanged a few words before Nick walked into the building. I glanced at Derek.

"At least it's not Mark," he commented. I pushed him against his door before opening mine and shot him a glare as I walked towards the school.

"Hey, mate," the new kid called out, stopping me as my hand reached for the door handle. I recognized him from the hospital. I gave him a once-over. "Do you know that guy?" he asked.

I vaguely remember Noah from my childhood. We played superheroes in a room with Maximus at four while Sam watched. Another boy, identical to Noah, sat in the background, looking miserable. Sam tried to cheer him up.

"Are you okay, bud?" Sam asked. Bryce scoffed in response, hiding his face in his knees and avoiding eye contact. Sam sat beside Bryce, pulling the young Noah look-alike closer. "We'll get through this, Bryce. I promise you; I'll find a way to save all of us."