So, lunch was going to end soon. Liana got her stuff and got found by Arlo, so they walked around with each other.
A bit awkwardly, since they haven't talked well for months. But, Liana was feeling alright because of her talk with Keene. And she was invited back to the group chat, where she apologized and said she was dealing with some stuff she didn't want them involved in.
Basically, she was dealing with them being snoopy and knowing too much, so she didn't want to deal with them, but she didn't say that.
They accepted her apology easily, Blyke said "about time", and things seemed to be more normal with them.
Arlo was a bit more awkward, but they were trying. He was still trying to get her to use her ability and show it, but she was just turning him down constantly.
Can you show me how it works? No. Can I see you use your ability? Okay, float. Not float, the dangerous one. No, they're both dangerous. Can you- PUCK OFF I WILL SLAP YOU.
But, because they were trying, she was, too.
"Sorry for blocking you," she told him.
"No, it's fine. But, what can I do to make you use your ability?"
"Unless it's needed, no."
He sighed. "You have so much potential. What is it that makes your level so low?"
"Figure that out."
"I hope you become more comfortable with your ability.."
"It was pretty trippy to use it like that."
She remembered the feeling afterwards. Like she left her room unclean for months, and finally started by putting a piece of garbage away. The feeling of, is it enough? and the worrying about the room's state for so long, and still now. A mess she's intentionally leaving untouched.
Liana winced.
Up ahead, they could hear a scuffle between students.
Interested, Liana trotted forward, followed by Arlo.
"You."
"Y-Yes?!"
Serapinny and Evvy?
Turning the corner, Seraphina was holding the wrist of a mid-tier that was a bit closer to being elite-tier. Her green eyes stared at Seraphina, frightened.
Evie, the girl with watermelon-colored hair, was already jogging off with her items.
"Don't waste others' time," Seraphina warned, letting her go.
Arlo pulled Liana back, watching from around the corner.
As Seraphina walked their way, the green-eyed girl with pigtails clutched her arm. Clenching her fist, her hand started to glow green.
"You're supposed to look out for the rest of us!"
A green beam, like Blyke's, but different in color and weaker, shot toward Seraphina.
Turning around, Seraphina's blue eyes reflected its green light. She threw her arms up to guard her head.
Arlo's eyes glowed and, in an instant, there was a barrier around Seraphina. The green beam, hitting that dome, stopped, the moment she realized what she did.
Everyone knew that ability. Foolishly attacking the school's Ace, and now this? Publicly, the owner of this ability was the strongest male student in the whole region. And, if that ability was here, then surely, Wellston's King was too.
Seraphina lowered her arms, seeing a golden tint around her.
Arlo stepped forward. "What do we have here?"
Brea, the one who tried to attack Seraphina, trembled in fear. Her eyes watered, knowing Arlo wouldn't let her off.
Walking until he was next to Seraphina, his barrier dropped. His eyes were still glowing, however.
"A-Arlo?"
Waaah, that's one of the girls that makes me do homework!
"How dare you strike a superior from behind?"
While Liana watched by peeking her head around the corner, a green-haired kid, Crail, grabbed her shoulder.
"Hey, Liana. Can I talk to you?" His hand went into his pocket.
"Uhhhhh."
Wait. Was she in trouble again? Was she supposed to do his homework? Ummmm...
She ran. Around to the corner, to where Arlo and Seraphina were.
"Get back here!"
Running to Arlo and Seraphina, she went to Seraphina's side.
Crail immediately skidded to a stop. "A-Ah, sorry for her.."
Arlo only sighed, grabbing his wrist fast. With his iron grip, Crail couldn't get out, knowing if he did worse, he would be like Brea.
Brea, meanwhile, was crying out for mercy, pushed into the floor by Arlo's barrier that forcefully shrunk, and tried even more, despite it hitting the limit for her without breaking the floor.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"From now on, if I catch any of you overstepping your boundaries," Arlo spoke to the crowd of nervous students, "you'll have to answer to me. And you," he looked at Crail, who was stiff and sweating, "stop bothering her."
"O-Okay!" Arlo let go of him, and without another glance, Crail ran.
Arlo looked at Seraphina. "We need to talk. Go to class, Lia."
"Alright.. thanks."
. . .
While she was two minutes in on her biking home, she got a call from Isen. Stopping at a crosswalk, she picked up, biking with one arm.
"Whazzup?"
"Lia! Can you call the school doctor? Do you have his number? Actually, you've been in his office a bunch of times, do you know how to make a tonic for John?"
"Yeah. Why?" The light turned green. She started biking.
"John's unconscious in front of the boys' dorms."
"... Be there in three minutes!"
And in the middle of the busy road, she skidded around and pedaled back fast.
Sure, she got honked and yelled at, but did she care?
Not really.
Doors were still open in the school. Buut, Darren probably locked the door to his office already.
So, what did she do? Go to her uncle, get a copy of Darren's office keys, and break into his office.
"Why do you need them?"
"Tonic!"
".... Okay. Catch."
Stealing a thermos from the cupboards, she made a tonic for John from memory.
Blyke
Isen ran
Liana
That's fine
Gimme a minute
I didn't need to know if he was there or not thou, I think, does it mattersja
After finishing the tonic(???) that she relied on completely with memory, she biked over with a thermos and parked her bike outside. It had the same color, so she was pretty sure it was right. Maybe.
Running up the flights of stairs to the third floor, she knocked loudly on Blyke's door.
He opened it, looking irritated.
"Thanks. He's in his room."
Letting her in, she made her way to John's room, knocking. "John? I made a tonic.."
Opening the door, he swiped the thermos and chugged it. "Thanks, Lia!" He gave the thermos back to her.
"You're welcome." She smiled. "Get better soon."
"Yeah. Later!" Smiling back, he closed his bedroom door.
Blyke watched the whole thing. WTF, he's so much nicer to her?!
"I'm going to go now, Blyke. Bye!"
. . .
She got a homework assignment of writing a memory of hers, and turning it to sound like a story. Limit of 15 pages.
Keene with apples? No.. What happened this weekend? No way.
She tuned into the group chat.
Liana
I got this assignment
Turn a memory and write it as a story
Anyone got interesting memories?
Holden
Well
I saw a concert once!
Remi
What about Arlo's surprise birthday party?
Necer have i ever had a crush as a kid
Liana
Great idea
But that includes Arlo, and why embarrass him when he's Kibg?
Remi
Embarrass him because he's king
Liana
Compelling arfument
Arlo
Both of you, stop.
Liana
So
Can i write a happy ending to one of your crushes, where you get barrier, have twins, and one of you works as a corporate boss?
*Married
Arlo
Thats not a memory.
Remi
But it'd be a really good ending to a long standing romance!
Liana
Maybe a dream I had because it's a memory
Wait
That won't work
What about when Blyke was snooping around the girls' dorm cuz he was looking for Remi?
Remi
Wait, wut
Liana
Maybe just write about my crush as a kid
[Isen has joined the group chat]
Isen
I hear stories being written
About Lia's first crush??????
Remi
Lia, you gotta share
Liana
Yah
Bye
I need extra pairs of eyes
And now I have an idea, THABKY YOU
Whos gofna read it for me and proof?
Isen
ME!
I'm great at it
I'm on the newspaper team
I write front page articles
Remi
Me too, because Im interestedd!
Holden
Okay!
Arlo
Sure.
Liana
ILnow you only accepted because of blackmail material, but yasss
C u later
Thx for helpang
[Liana has left the group chat]
[Remi has changed the name of the group chat to "LiasGotACrush??"]
[Isen has changed the name of the group chat to "CantwaitToReadOmg"]
[Arlo changed the name of the group chat to "Turf Wars w/ a mid-tier"]
[Liana has joined the group chat]
[Liana has changed the name of the group chat to "Crackheads"]
Liana
I'm turning off my phone
Bai, crackheads
[Liana has left the group chat]
So she managed to finish her assignment. She wrote about her first crush, back when she was in second or third grade. A kid she met in a park, who she didn't know the name of.
On her laptop, she began typing.
She was excited. A rush of a yearning to write it all came through her. That's why, in the next hour, she entered the group chat.
Liana
Ihagefidnuhsedd
Blyke
Wut
I have finished?
Isen
YASSS QUEEEEN
Can you type it out here for us?
Liana
Ummm
No
Isen
Why not?!
Liana
Cuz it's gonna hurt my fingers
And it's embarrassing to have it stuck here permanently
Basically, I met a kid in a park
And he left
Remi
So
When you were little, you had a crush on a kid you met
For less than an hour???
Liana
I dunno the time!
[Arlo has joined the group chat]
Arlo
Finish your homework before you start chatting
Liana
Anyone up to meet me in the back alleys of the school just to be creepy
And read it?
Isen
B
itch, yes????
Remi
Lol
What, is Isen going to see a Polish Jerry again?
Liana
????
Isen
LIA
U KNOW IT WAD U
I changed locks
Can't break in nkw
Liana
Wut
Yeah, she was still playing dumb. And yeah, they still haven't caught on.
But, with how she started the second year, she hadn't bothered Isen in that regard at all.
Nice reminder, though. She'll pick up on it.
The morning after, she stole Keene's phone and texted Isen a picture of Polish Jerry.
It was early, though. He probably hadn't woken up yet.
Her assignment was due in two days, anyway. They would have time to read.
She was the first to text into the group chat that morning.
Liana
Driving
Plz no texting
Keene let her drive both of them to school that morning.
***
Blyke approached John, his hair gelled into a helmet like John's own hairstyle from before, thanks to using Liana's hair gel.
"Let's be friends!"
WTF?????
***
No infirmary trips before lunch! Kids weren't bothering her as much, and since she already made them get failing marks more than once, they stopped asking her to do homework. Seemed pretty salty, though, glaring at her and stuff, but they wouldn't touch her. Hopefully. She wasn't sure why they were leaving her alone so far.
So, a fun text convo in the group chat with Isen freaking out again, and theorizing Liana sent him a picture and was now plotting his death in the back alleys, Remi texted her.
Pink Lightning
I said I needed to talk to you
Does after school work?
Liana
Yup!
Waiting in the back that lunch, Remi and Blyke showed up. So did Holden, and Isen, who was shivering behind them. Arlo didn't show up, though. Huh.
Oh well.
While they crowded around the papers she printed, Seraphina texted her.
S-Pinny Purple
Hey
Why are you hanging out with Arlo again?
As far as I knew, you guys had a fall out
But after the weekend, you're suddenly fine with everyone again?
What happened?
Liana
I had a talk with my uncle
And I didn't want to push everyone away again
So I unblocked them, and I'm trying to be friends again
You already know this? I apologized in the group chat too
why?
S-Pinny Purple
Arlo targetted John
Beat him and humiliated him
Did he do the same to you?
Just want you to watch you with him
Liana
No
But
He said he thinks I'm hgh-tier
So he might
S-Pinny Purple
Block him right now
And avoid him
Liana stared, worried and befuddled.
Was this why John broke down, covered in blood? But, Arlo seemed a bit scared of him... She's known Arlo for a while now. Why would he hurt her? No.. he wants her to use her ability properly. What if he resorted to bad methods to do that?
Pressing her lips together, she gulped.
Who's telling the truth?
"This is pretty good for a rough copy," Holden said, bringing her attention back.
"Make some changes here, though." Isen got out a pen and started circling parts of the paper.
Smiling, she looked back to her phone.
Liana
What about the others?
S-Pinny Purple
I trust them
Not Arlo
"'Believe in me?'"
Ears burning at that sentence, Liana swiped the papers.
"What-?"
"I just remembered that this is really an embarrassing story, so-" Standing up fast, face red, she sprinted off.
"WAIT!"
Not done reading, they started chasing after her.
"LIAAAAAA!" Blyke screamed.
She shrieked. "NO! STOP READING!"
Holden was laughing the whole time.
They made it to the front of the school. Isen tackled her, using his ability.
"AAAH!"
On the grass, she held desperately onto the papers, not letting go. They all caught up, Liana being shaken up by Isen, who accused her of sending Polish Jerry, but that only made her laugh at his weirdly teary eyes.
They poked fun at her. Holden was trying to pull out the papers from her grip. Remi was trying to help by tickling. Blyke was recording the whole spectacle.
"Stoaaaap!" Liana cried, laughing and trying to run.
A black car pulled up to the school.
Two people stepped out; a lady with mint-green hair and a gentle face, and a tall man with stern blue eyes, and a tough face.
The commotion of a pile of high schoolers made them glance over. They didn't seem to be hurting each other, but merely fooling around.
"I heard about your work! With that strong, uncontrollable boy!"
"Yep."
The two authoritative looking people, Nadia and Keon, stepped onto the school property.
They managed to steal the papers back. Holden read the story aloud, while she squirmed on the ground, wheezing with Isen sitting on her.
Keene stepped out, holding an apple and ready to greet whoever stepped onto the property, strong enough to catch his attention.
Liana was messing around to the side with her friends, a sight Keene was happy to see again. Looking back to greet the figures, Keene's eyes landed on a familiar face.
"Ah, Mr. Keon," he greeted cooly.
"I don't..! Want to go back anymore!"
"Good afternoon. I'm part of security here at Wellston. What business do you have here today?"
The stern-faced man, Keon, stared at him, taking a moment. "Ah." He remembered his face now. It was those dumb, nerdy glasses that made him remember. "It's you."
Glancing over to Liana on the grass, tearing up from laughter, he looked back.
"Is that her?"
"Yup. A fine girl, isn't she?"
"Well... I hope you raised her properly."
Nadia looked to Liana, rolling on the grass. Knowing what type of kids Keon worked with, she frowned. A girl like that is a problem child?
Keon took out his badge.
"Keon; I'm here on behalf of the Authorities. I have some questions to ask."