"It wasn't on the forecast that it was supposed to rain, was it?" Kennedy barges through the front door of HQ with soaking wet hair. I'm sitting in front of the window next to the coffee station wondering how I'm going to pull off Operation Hoax successfully and writing down the plans in my phone. Even though I was in front of the window, I had no idea what was going on outside.
I look back down at my notes and begin to type again, "If you're accusing me of causing a storm, I don't do that. Power outages are more of my specialty."
She plops down in the seat next to me after pouring herself a cup of coffee. "So I heard there's a new plan in action and you're our new co-captain."
"That's right," I reply disgruntled that her wet hair is dripping onto my phone. "There's a new plan, but I'm far from being a co-captain. I've gotten us into too many troublesome situations and need I remind you Em literally tutors all of us?"
Kennedy shrugs as she takes another sip of coffee. I'm thinking I might have to brew another pot if we're all going to be caffeine connoisseurs around here. "Not Maggie though."
I bite the inside of my cheek. I'm never going to figure out this plan and all the details if Kennedy's going to sit here and make me talk about my relationship history. With evident frustration, I lay my phone face down on the counter in front of me. "Yes, Maggie is incredibly smart and doesn't need tutoring. Why don't you tell me how she came to be a sidekick in this group?"
Kennedy throws her hands up in defense and her eyes grow wide, "I didn't mean anything by it, Beck. I just meant we're not all tutored by Em. But to answer your question, I think she just showed up to the scene of a crime once and started helping out. We never knew who she really was under the mask."
I nervously laugh, trying to let the tension settle now that I realize how much I overreacted. "Oh yeah, we should probably start doing background checks on new supers that just show up at the scene. I heard the last guy tried to kidnap Jenga."
Kennedy quirks an eyebrow, "And Maggie was suspicious of you from the start. Guess we should've listened to her."
I'm quiet for a moment, letting that sink in. Did Maggie recognize me that first night? Or did she actually get the vibe that I had bad intentions?
"Sorry, that was insensitive-" Kennedy starts to apologize but I wave her off.
"No it was spot on. I will never be able to make up for what I did to Em or to you guys. I should've just let Professor Hayes know from day one that I wasn't up for the task and just accepted I was going to fail. The thing is, I knew that I knew too much after I asked him for additional help. I was sure that I was going to have a hitman after me. So I acted selfishly and thought of saving my own life. And now all of you are in constant danger until I fix this. If I can't even pass a freaking class, how am I supposed to save lives?"
Kennedy nods and purses her lips, allowing them to turn into a knowing smile. "Sounds like you're going to keep needing your girlfriend to tutor you." She takes another sip of her coffee.
"I'm not sure there's a label on us yet-" I begin, but Kennedy is already standing up from her barstool. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go get Em to take my seat. I haven't had enough coffee to be your therapist or your tutor but it sounds like Em is just the girl you need to be talking to."
Fair enough, she's who I want to be talking to anyways.
It's not long before Em's making her way up the steps to see me banging my head against the wood grain counter.
"Having fun there?"
"Em I can't figure out how to pull this off without the possibility of someone dying!" I spit out without a second thought.
Em takes Kennedy's seat without a word, but her furrowed eyebrows tell me she's confused by my outburst.
"So I change the probability. We'll figure it out together Beck," she sets her coffee cup down and grabs my hands in hers. "Listen, we're going to win. I'm not going to let you take on the responsibility for this alone. My role working for the SEA isn't exactly noble and I need to be part of the changes too. This isn't about your assignment anymore or you capturing me. Let that guilt go. We have work to do."
I take in her appearance from head to toe, admiring her tenacity and her beauty. That's when I realize what she's wearing.
"Is that my shirt?" I'm utterly confused as to where she got it and also why she's wearing it.
She looks down and pulls on the black t-shirt with a picture of a gorilla on it with the words, There is no need to be upset written on it. It's faded out terribly, but I know that shirt is mine without a doubt, because I distinctly remember my dad hysterically laughing when I found it in our attic cleaning things out before a move. He said it was some joke from his highschool days, so I kept it because it was vintage. He didn't appreciate me calling it vintage.
"Oh, I spilled coffee on mine, I found this."
I'm trying to hold back a cheesy grin because she looks so cute in a simple way in my t-shirt and black leggings. "It's way too big on you. Also, you went through my bag?"
She raises an eyebrow, "Are you keeping secrets again?"
I let out a laugh, "No I'm trying to keep my clothes!" I pull her barstool closer to me so I can wrap my hands around her waist. "First my hat, then my heart, and now my shirt? The hero is a thief, who would've thought?"
Em chuckles, "I don't think I ever confirmed it was your shirt."
I roll my eyes as the corner of my mouth turns up, "Is it my shirt?"
She purses her lips, "Ok yes but Beck -"
I chuckle, "I'm just teasing. You look adorable Em. Feel free to steal more of my shirts."
She then rests her head on my shoulder and after a beat of peaceful silence passes, she points to my notes and asks "What's the plan, boss?"
"This is what I have so far:
Step one is I have to keep up the act of being hypnotized and keep reporting back to The Undergrounds. I'll tell them I've captured Jenga and I'm holding her hostage somewhere. Then when it's time to bring Jenga to them, Grayson will go into The Undergrounds pretending to be Switch and you will go in as Jenga. At this point, Geo will create an earthquake as a distraction and I'll be making sure the power goes out. We'll use this distraction as a time to kidnap Professor Hayes."
Em nods along, absentmindedly twirling her hair as she looks at the plans. When she realizes I've come to a stopping point, she sits up straighter and blurts, "Oh you're done," I must not be great at hiding my hurt, as she adds, "It's great so far! I'm just wondering what do we do with Hayes after we kidnap him?"
I let out a loud sigh that I didn't realize I'd been holding in. "I don't know, Em. I just wanted to reverse the roles on him. But maybe we can use your probability powers to change the odds of him basically wanting to brainwash other students."
A few seconds of silence pass between us as we study my makeshift outline.
Then I look over at Em, who simultaneously looks up at me.
"You know, it is kind of weird how he's so good at brainwashing students to get involved in his operation. Do you think that's his power? Maybe he's related to Jessie!" I barely breathe between sentences.
Em slaps my arm in excitement at a potential revelation, "And maybe Jessie brainwashed Noah! He's been your friend for so long - it's kind of odd how fast he turned on you."
I slap my hand to my forehead, "That would make so much sense! Ever since he started seeing Jessie his personality changed and it didn't make sense why they stayed together. But he started hating on supers once I was in the psychology class, like someone had flipped a switch in his brain."
Em jumps out of her chair and it goes crashing to the floor. "I'm going to research if there's any correlation between Jessie and Professor Hayes and then I'll see if I can use the database to find out what powers Hayes has - my money is on something resembling hypnosis."
I grab Em's hand as she heads towards the steps to the basement. "Maybe we could rely less on the S.E.A system? It just feels invasive and like a crutch that will be missed when the system crashes."
Em's eyebrows knit together, "Beck, I understand having moral guidelines is what makes us the good guys, but we have the resources to take the bad guys down. Why shouldn't I use it? You even said you wanted to kidnap Hayes just for the sake of giving him a taste of his own medicine."
I run a hand through my hair, "No I know, and you're right. I just thought we were going to walk away from the S.E.A and using their database doesn't seem like walking away."
Em lets out a small laugh as she shakes her head. "Well I'll just burn the system when all of this is over - how 'bout that?"
I purse my lips and cock my head, "Yeah that'll do."
She sits back down and grabs my hands in hers, "Beck, whatever happens, I need you to know I forgive you. Please stop beating yourself up, you were literally in survival mode."
I let out a shaky breath as I nod my head.
Before I can say anything else, Maggie enters the room. Just when I finally start to calm down I get all worked up again. How can she be part of the team? What good has she ever done?
Well, she did help de-hypnotize you last night Becky.
Shut up, Reggie. Let me hold on to my grudge.
Maggie looks over at Em and I holding hands. She makes her way to the coffee pot like everyone else has been doing, but doesn't say a word to us.
Em releases my hands and starts to type on my laptop.
I think I should give y'all some time to talk.
Before I can oppose, she's scooting off of the barstool and giving me a small but encouraging smile as she exits the room.
Why would I want to talk to Maggie? And why would Em want me to talk to her? Call me petty, but I refuse to say anything.
Then Maggie breaks the deafening silence with "We're going to need more coffee."
I stare at her, with a blank expression. Nothing she says will get me to make conversation.
"Beck, look, I'm sorry-"
I scoff. I would actually love to respond to that, but I don't think my words would be appropriate.
"Aren't you going to say anything to me?" She throws her hands up in exasperation.
Something inside me softens up when I see how exhausted she looks. There's shadows under her eyes and her hair is pulled into a sloppy bun. She's still in her pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. I wonder if she got any sleep last night. It doesn't look like it.
"I don't know what to say to you." It's an honest response. No matter how many bitter feelings I have towards her, I can never construct my words into a sentence. There's just a constant swirl of angry thoughts.
"Anything, Beck. Say anything."
You have permission to speak out Beck. Stop holding in your feelings.
"I came home from the hospital to see you making out with my roommate on my couch. You never apologized. That was the worst birthday ever, and not just because I got electrocuted and gained freak powers. Two of my closest friends stabbed me in the back. One day I'll be able to forgive you, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever have to work with you." I slam my laptop and grab it so I can make a quick beeline to the staircase so I don't have to chat anymore.
Maggie laughs, but there's a sadness, a bitterness to her laugh. It catches my attention and I stop to stare at her, perplexed.
"Then you'll be pleased to know Rhett cheated on me."
I contemplate my response for a solid minute, my tongue resting in my cheek as I try to decide what to say.
"What does it feel like? Being a cheater that gets cheated on?"
Her lip quivers but she puts on a brave smile. "It sucks."
"Did he ever apologize?"
She shakes her head and when she looks back at me a single tear falls down her face. "I'm so sorry Beck. I wish I could take it all back." A few more tears start falling, but I'm having a hard time being entirely sympathetic.
Only one thing comes to my mind. "Well we now have a common enemy in Rhett. But the enemy of my enemy is not my friend in this case. We will make it through this assignment together, and then we part ways." I'm putting my foot on the first step down the staircase when she yells at me, anger evident in her tone, "I helped de-hypnotize you last night and this is how you thank me? By being unsympathetic towards my situation and still not forgiving me?"
I spin on my heel and I don't hold back anymore. "You didn't want to help save me last night! And if you did it in the hopes of gaining my forgiveness then was it really so sincere? Gosh, Maggie, you're so self-centered! I don't know how you came to be a super hero's sidekick, but there's got to be something in it for you - there's no way you just showed up and started helping out!"
She sets her coffee cup down with a hard thud, and some of the coffee swirls out onto the counter. "Oh I'm selfish?! You kidnapped a town hero so you could get a good grade! We're not that different, Beck - that's why we were good together."
I pull on my hair, "Are you really trying to tell me we were good together after you've cheated on me?! And I may be selfish, but if the roles were reversed and you had been in the hospital, I wouldn't have gone to your best friend to find another pair of lips to kiss because yours were busy having a feeding tube between them! You never came to the hospital to check on me. Not once! The difference between you and I? The second I realized what I did to Emily, I went in and rescued her."
"Only because it was Emily. Had you never realized Jenga was Emily, you wouldn't have gone to rescue her - that would've jeopardized your plan to get an A."
Becky, you were a terrible villain. It was a chore trying to get you to go through with the kidnapping. You also felt extremely guilty afterwards. She clearly doesn't know you.
I bite my bottom lip before spitting out sharply, "What do you want from me, Maggie?" I throw my hands in the air and let them fall at my sides. "I'm working on my own mistakes and my selfishness."
"I just want you to see that I'm doing the same thing. That I'm trying to make things up to you Beckett. I just want some sort of credit."
I roll my eyes, "I see that, but every time you acknowledge how you're saving the day, you're not really being all that heroic."
She purses her lips, and I think she's finally understanding what I'm saying. "Maybe when you stop looking for attention from anyone who will give it to you, you'll realize there are much more important things to focus on."
I leave her with those words as I mull them over in my own head. I've got more important things to focus on, too.
***
"Alright everyone, gather round." Every sidekick, including a reluctant Maggie, Grayson, and Karsyn swivel their heads to look at me in the basement of HQ. I'm nervous to take the reigns on this, but Emily has confidence in me, and that's all that matters to me.
"Right now, the plan is for me to report back to The Undergrounds as a double agent and report that I've captured Jenga and I'm holding her hostage. I'm sure at that point they will ask me to go ahead and bring her into The Undergrounds. When I bring her in, Maggie will cause an earthquake as a distraction so I can get away with causing a power outage. In the confusion of the earthquake and darkness, Emily will kidnap Hayes and bring him back to Headquarters. Right now we're working under the theory that Hayes might have some sort of mind manipulation power, so until we have confirmation on what his power is, we will not be acting any further than me playing pretend double agent. Is everyone clear on the plan for now?"
Grayson interrupts, "So you don't need me to act as Switch?"
I point to him, "Not yet, but once we find out Hayes' powers, I want to set up a plan. Right now I want to gather information for myself on my enemy and report back on my findings before we make any sudden moves."
Everyone nods in agreement. Kennedy pipes up, "How are we figuring out his power?"
I usher to Emily, "Jenga's access to SEA records. We'll hopefully know in no time."
It's Cooper's turn to ask a question, "This plan sounds like I've got time to go home and take a shower and a nap and maybe go to class... am I hearing that right?"
I let out a light laugh, "Yeah, man, do what you gotta do."
When no one else comes up with any more comments, I ask, "Anymore questions?"
Matthew chimes in, "What are we doing with Hayes once we kidnap him?"
Emily chuckles and I throw up my hands as I walk away mumbling, "Everybody's a critic."
****
A/N
Well, um, this is long overdue.
Hi 👋
The past year has been filled with some crazy stuff... I didn't plan on not writing during the chaos, but that's seemingly how it happened.
So here's some life updates I'd like to share:
• I graduated from college last May (then struggled to find a job in my field and got cheated out of a good bit of money from an employer so that was fun 🙃)
• I realized that God was calling me to teach and that's not what my degree is in so I am now full time substitute teaching until I can make plans to further my education, and doing other jobs on the side
• I am recently engaged and planning my wedding 😁
So, yeah 😅 my life has been kind of all over the place. But I thank each of you reading this for being patient and for not pressuring me. Because while I would love to write fiction all day, it is sadly not my source of income and gets back-burnered unfortunately.
I hope all of you have had a fantastic year!
I'm looking forward to getting able to update again as soon as I can! Love you all - God bless!
Always, Sunny 💛