Chapter 14 - Newsworthy
A smoldering cracked computer snapped as some sparks flew from its shell. The rows of computers and desks pushed to the front still looked the same. In the back of the class were large tables with current layouts of the paper, much of it blank, waiting to be filled. A dim light seeped through the cracks of the door from the hallway and a bright green exit sign illuminated the only door into the room.
“Why are you dressed like that?” Nina mustered up trying to appear brave and looked the woman in the eye. She held eye contact with the woman, beautiful olive colored skin, bright eyes
“My dear, I can ask you the same question. Not a becoming outfit of a young lady.” The woman smirked. “That’s probably why you don’t have a child. It is time.”
“She’s definitely not from this time.” Nina stated. “So you’re Roman, or Greek right.”
“Try Goddess, the last of them,” The woman held out her hand and electric bolts formed a staff. She pointed it at Nina who gulped. “And you are ash.”
Ford leapt forward kicking the woman’s staff out of her hand. She fell to the floor for a moment then swiped Ford into a wall. Running she grabbed her staff and her eyes glowed with electric power. She turned to look back where Ford and Nina were, but there were gone. The side door was left open.
Ford held Nina’s hand as they ran across the parking lot. Looking back, Nina watched the woman transform into lightning and shoot up into the sky. Another bolt shot down right in front of them.
“You’re pathetic, both of you. Here I imagined a Sage to contain more power. I suppose I was wrong.” The woman smiled at the two then in a whip of lightning disappeared back into the sky.
Panting, Nina and Ford eyed each other. Nina hopped up and walked across the grass pulling out her keys. “This story is going to make me famous.”
“You can’t write the story!” Ford hopped up and followed Nina to the parking lot. He couldn’t believe what he just heard her say.
“Who’s going to stop me? You? Her?” Nina shook her head. “Regardless Ford, this is something the world needs to know and I will be the one to tell them.”
“Fine, then get the full story.” Ford started and pointed up to the sky. “You need to know who your characters are – the villain,” Ford pointed to himself, “the hero, and all the back story that comes with it.”
“Just admit you need my help.” Nina smirked then nodded. “I’ll meet you in the library before school.”
***
Ford couldn’t sleep that night, as he sat in the library reading through books about goddesses, he couldn’t believe how many there were. Looking up he spotted Mr. Lenoir and Levi talking with each other. This was his first time seeing both of them since school ended for the summer. Levi spotted Ford and dismissed himself from the conversation with the history teacher.
“Ford, I wanted to talk with you.” Levi started sitting down at the table with the boy he loved.
“I wanted to talk with you too.” Ford gulped. He needed to tell Levi what conclusions he came to. “I’m sorry,” Ford spat out finally finding the right words for the jock. “I’m really sorry.”
Taken aback, Levi leaned back in his chair, “Thanks.” The two teens just stared at each other across the worn wooden library table. Levi’s chest muscles flexed under his shirt and his blue eyes shook a little. “What are you looking up?” Levi tried to change the subject.
“Just…you know, work stuff.” Ford knew Levi would get the hint.
“Is it that ice woman again?” Levi questioned, “I can help if you need it.”
Ford shook his head, “It’s a one man job I’m afraid.” He felt Levi’s hand on his and then his eyes connected once more with the jock. Ford felt his pants tighten and he crossed his legs. He thought of the previous spring when they were kissing in Levi’s garage.
“It doesn’t have to be.” Levi whispered so only Ford would hear him. Ford looked into Levi’s eyes and smiled but pulled his hand back to the book. A loud slam jolted the two boys. Nina dropped her book bag on the table.
“Okay lovers,” She joked and sat down. Levi stood up and looked at Ford than Nina and left. “What are you doing?” Nina asked Ford.
“Researching,” Ford flipped another page in the book he had.
“We have something called the Internet now.” She pulled out a stack of papers from her bag and dropped them in front of Ford. “Her name is Hera, she is a Greek goddess. When the lightning storms started the emergency rooms were filled.”
“With victims?” Ford finished, but was wrong.
“With premature babies, luckily it was only about 20 for the Denver area. She is the Goddess of marriage, women, and birth….her powers are pathetic compared to a Sage of Wind like yourself.” Nina continued. Nina was smart and Ford could see that. She was also determined, which Ford didn’t know was a good or bad thing yet.
“Then why the lightning?” Ford questioned.
“I’m guessing she took the staff from her husband – Zeus. She is the last of the Greek Gods, or so she says.” Nina tapped her print outs in thought.
“Then how do we stop her?” Ford got right to the point, he didn’t care about the back-story Nina was looking for. She was such a reporter, it kind of bothered him a little bit.
“Get the staff away from her when she generates it. Then, I dunno, kill her. How do you usually handle this stuff?” Nina asked as the bell rang for everyone to go to their first period classes.
“I haven’t been at it too long.” Ford thought about it. He still really wasn’t used to the fighting even though he had gotten better at it. Part of him wished he could just
“When and where did you get these powers?” Nina asked her pen tapping a piece of paper so conveniently placed in front of her.
“I don’t want to do an interview right now, okay?” Ford stood up and grabbed his backpack. He kept thinking about Levi and wanted to chat with him more he just didn’t know really what to say to the jock.
“Why because you like that jock over there? Levi is an asshole, like Carter…plus I don’t even think he is gay.” Nina’s eyes widened like she stumbled on the Holy Grail. “Holy cow, he is…Levi is gay – so the plot thickens.”
“I got the power at the Museum, from this Greek statue a year ago.” Ford jumped in quickly trying to change the conversation.
“Greek statue, you think our friend Hera might know the details.” Nina was on Ford like butter on bread. Not skipping a beat, she jotted down some notes.
“I didn’t think to ask her, since I’ve been too busy dodging her lightning bolts.” Ford rolled his eyes and started out of the library.
“Chad wants the story by Monday, do you think it will be done by then?” Nina shouted after as the bell rang.
***
He’d been standing there for a while, looking up at the swirling dark gray clouds. Shrugging, he walked back into the hallway and continued to think. He thought about the time that Audrey and him decided to skip school. The sky was gray like today, except the minute they stepped outside it was as if the floodgates opened and rain started pouring down. Instead, they went back to class. Ford couldn’t help but chuckle and then stopped, standing by the back door of the school. This is where Audrey and he turned back.
He stepped outside ready for the rain to start pouring but he only heard a low rumble of thunder. Proceeding out the back towards the teacher’s parking lot he stared up at the sky, he wanted to fight Hera. At least that was something he could do.
There was something shaking, a car, walking over to the car he looked into the glass and saw what he wished he hadn’t. Levi was bent over Mr. Lenoir’s unbuttoned pants. Watching the jock’s head bob up and down Ford’s eyes noticed Mr. Lenoir push back on the seat and moan.
Rage filled Ford and he got tunnel vision looking at his longtime crush and his first kiss go at it in the car. Wind picked up and whipped around the car shaking it. Ford punched the window causing it to spider glass. The two inside jumped. Quickly, Mr. Lenoir zipped up his pants and jumped out of the car. The history teacher sped after Ford and rounded the corner to see a long stretch of empty. Cursing himself he walked back to the car as wind whipped around.
Standing on the roof, Ford looked down at the teacher as he inspected the damage Ford had done to the window and the secret relationship.
***
Sitting on the school roof, Ford watched the dark clouds become darker in the night. He didn’t want to be sad anymore, but it hurt so much and he was so angry. The thunder and lightning clapped above his head. The storm raged and in a flash of lightning Hera appeared on the roof.
“Well aren’t you the gem,” The woman in Greek grab, Hera, smirked her arms crossed and her eyes square on the teenager. “Is that what heartbreak looks like? We aren’t so different you and I.”
“Tell me what I am,” Ford whispered. “That statue, which I got this power from.”
“That statue is a conduit, waiting for one of the chosen to activate it. It came to you as fate meant it to, and you gained your power as fate meant as well. Now, what you are? That’s complicated. But let’s make it less so.” With a flash of light the staff appeared in her hands. She was ready for battle. Shifting on her feet she took a step towards the teen.
“It must suck, being so alone.” Ford stood up, his eyes teary, staring at the goddess. “I get it, why you’re so angry, so vengeful. You’re the last one, no friends, no family.”
“We are so a like,” She smiled and pointed the staff at the teenager.
“No,” Ford bit his lip. “I’m stronger and you might be vengeful, but well,” A giant gust of wind simultaneously pushed Hera back against one of the fans and took the staff from her hand.
It flew over to Ford and instantly he felt a surge of energy from the staff. Looking over at Hera, he shook his head. Instantly, he snapped the staff in half on his knee and Hera grabbed her heart and glared at Ford. “But well, I’m pissed, and heartbroken.”
Sending another gust of wind at Hera she flew off the roof and onto the ground. Jumping off the roof, the wind cushioned Ford as he landed gently next to the fallen goddess.
He knelt next to her as her skin started to turn a bright white and dissolve away. The power of the staff was keeping her alive and with the staff gone, she would fade away too.
“All things must come to an end, I suppose.” She scoffed and coughed some white dust coming from her lungs. “You lost whoever broke your heart. But I tell you now, with the other sages I’ve seen gone by – you better get used to that feeling.” She coughed again and her body to her torso disappeared.
“What do you mean?” Ford questioned. He leaned in more looking at the dying goddess.
“You want to know what a Sage is? Being a Sage is loss, is loneliness, it is death.” In a final glow of light Hera disappeared.
***
Getting home, Ford was ready for his mom to start yelling at him. But surprisingly, he got home on time. Nancy placed a bowl of salad on the table and Ford’s grandmother was joining the family for dinner. Dropping his backpack on the floor by the door he walked up and sat at the table. He sat down and the feeling felt almost too normal to him. He was still numb from before, and flashes of his history teacher and Levi shot through his head.
“How was school? I feel like I haven’t heard anything about your teachers or anything about this year.” Nancy spooned some salad onto Ford’s plate.
“You know, it’s going, kind of shitty, but it’s going…” Ford shrugged honestly.
“Ford! Don’t use that language.” Nancy chastised, Roger and her mother-in-law stared at her. Her face softened she found some compassion in her words. “It’s sad seeing a friend go, but this came in the mail for you today.” Nancy stood up and picked up a letter from the counter. It was from Audrey. She dropped it in front of Ford.
Ford looked at the letter and he gulped. Looking at the letter made him even sadder. It reminded him what Hera said about being alone. He needed to talk to Audrey but she was a whole time zone away. He stood up and took the letter from the table then walked out of the kitchen.
***
Ford sat in his truck and looked at the envelope. He wanted to open it but he couldn’t stop thinking about what Hera had told him last night. A knock on the window caught his attention. Nina stared through the glass at him. Propping open the door he looked at the girl.
“So you beat her, the sky is clear now. You beat her.” Nina nodded looked at him. “And, you look like hell. Did you not sleep?”
“No,” Ford got out of the car and shut the door. “I didn’t sleep and Nina, fine. Write the story. Because I can’t deal with this anymore. My friend, my only friend that knew this secret left. The other guy I had a crush on slept with a teacher who I also had a crush on and that goddess I did fight and beat, she told me I would die alone. So go ahead and write that article. At least someone deserves to be happy.” Ford slammed his car door and started walking towards the school.
“Stop,” Nina shouted and grabbed Ford’s arm. “I get it. You think I am a bitch. I don’t do this whole friend thing well, but I’m not going to write that piece.” Nina smiled.
“Your not?” Ford said, surprised. He looked at her and couldn’t see any lies in her face.
“No, who’d believe it anyway.” Nina shook her head, “a flying person who fights goddesses from Greek mythology. It sounds like an episode of the X-men.” Nina linked arms with Ford and started to walk towards the school with him. “So how’d you beat her?”
“That staff, you were right.” Ford answered and although he was still mad at Levi, and had Hera’s words on his mind, he felt a bit better.
“Nice,” Nina congratulated. “Let’s have lunch today. My treat for causing you all that stress.”
Ford nodded and looked at Nina. She was definitely no Audrey, but she was a friend and right now, that was exactly what he needed.