"So let me get this straight," Jason said while we walked out towards the main exit through the dark hallways. "Stanlee was pushed down the spiral steps by Jack and then jumped by Wade and his posse, but you guys and Officer Black saw the real-time footage and it was actually Stanlee falling down some steps?"
Jessica slowly nodded, "Yes, that's what we saw."
Jason scoffed, "Surely you guys don't believe that nonsense."
Keisha rolled her eyes and did her best British accent, "Yeah, we totally believe a machine over what our friends actually saw with their own two eyes."
Everybody burst out in laughter.
Jason bumped my shoulder, "Anyways, why did you ask me if I could open your locker?"
I glanced at my arms wearily. I couldn't risk anything. Not until I have a better understanding of this power.
Keisha snickered, "Believe it or not he was just stuck to one."
Jason's eyes widened, "You're joking."
Luke laughed "I wish we were bro. We literally had to pry him off."
Jessica shook her head, "I'm more surprised that the locker door didn't come off its hinges."
Luke nodded, "I'm more surprised it didn't after what Kevin did to Wade."
"You know, you guys never did tell us why you were in Officer Black's office," Keisha said.
I sighed, "Wade was pissed about my earlier taunt in the infirmary. Anger issues, amirite? He used that wuss Charlie to help him get into our class."
Keisha scratched her head, "Isn't that a non-negotiable suspension?"
Jessica nodded slowly.
"That short demon," Jason mumbled.
I cracked my knuckles, "It gets worse, he tried to threaten everyone in the class to pay him up like it was some extortion scene. "
Jason whistled, "Clearly living up to that gangsta dream of his. "
I smirked, "Can't even achieve that as long as we have people like Luke. Knocked him down a few pegs earlier."
Luke crossed his arms, "Principal L is the reason he acts so stuck up. He thinks he's untouchable and that everyone should be his shoe-shiners. Well, we got news for him right Kev?"
Jason chuckled, "What did you two do?"
Luke wagged his finger, "No, no, no. Not what I did, what this BEAST did. He punched Wade and sent him FLYING."
Luke reenacted my punch.
Jessica's eyebrow furrowed. "You're being for real?"
Luke nodded adamantly, "We can go to Mr. Jones class right now. Kevin punched him so hard that he sent that fool crashing into the door and then the door crushed his wannabe ahh."
Keisha glanced at me, "You didn't say all that when you first told us."
I facepalmed, "I didn't think it was something worth gloating over."
Keisha punched my arm, "You're too modest, Kevin."
I rubbed my arm. "Luke isn't a trustworthy narrator either. He didn't tell you guys how he saved me from being jumped by Dumb and Dumber."
Jason wrapped his arm around me and Luke, "Sheesh, who needs me when you've got Batman and Robin protecting Gotham City!"
I snickered, "Batman? Sure, I guess. Luke's more like Nightwing than Robin, though. Unless we're talking Teen Titans, then hell yeah."
Luke's face went red, "Well, I couldn't just stand there and watch, you know. I'm done being a bystander if it means watching people I care about get hurt."
Keisha and Jessica grinned. Jason nodded in approval. The way Luke was acting, it felt like a piece of me that I used to be-a type of strength that I've long since locked away.
As we neared the main entrance, Luke hit the handicap button. Keisha flicked him upside the head playfully.
She shook her head with a smirk on her face. "The power's out, smart one."
Luke sheepishly scratched his head, "My bad. My uncle always said I had the memory of a goldfish."
That earned a chuckle from everybody.
Luke walked forward and pushed open the grand metal doors. The winds were still going strong as the clouds covered the sky. The air was filled with pollen. The city bus awaited us near the bus stop.
Luke glanced back at us, "Last one to the bus stop is a rotten egg!"
Jessica cackled, "You're on!"
The two zoomed to the bus stop like cheetahs in the savanna.
Jason stopped walking. "Guys."
Keisha and I gave him our full attention.
He thrust his hands deep into his green-and-white zip-up jacket. His gaze pierced the sidewalk. "Earlier, before I came in here, I ran into the twins."
I frowned. "What happened?"
Jason glanced up, rubbing his neck. "They were getting heated. Barry was confused why Connor was mad at him when all he was doing was looking out for him. Connor was mad at Barry for treating him like a child and apparently, he wasn't happy with how he treated you guys and Marcus?"
The winds seemed to howl way louder now. Ripping out any vibe of fun and laughter and grounding us back into our reality.
Keisha sighed, "Barry wasn't too happy about being 'right'."
Jason's eyes narrowed, "Right about what?"
I clenched my fists, "The dodgeball game today. We lost."
Jason stared at me. "Is this also the reason you're in bandages and why Connor's hand is taped up?"
"Yeah," Keisha and I said simultaneously.
Jason exhaled sharply. "This is why he said that."
My eyebrows rose. "Who said what?"
Jason's green eyes looked as if they held a storm of worry and regret. It looked like it pained him to say what he was about to say, like a widow at a funeral.
"Connor, he said that if Barry is leaving us, then he and Connor are dead as brothers."
My heart dropped. The twins may have butted heads every once in a while, but they never got to a point where they said that they were dead to each other and wanted nothing to do with the other anymore. I can see why Jason is concerned. He knows what it's like to lose family. I flashed back to the first time we invited Jason to dinner. I could never forget the look on his face after having some of Ma's spaghetti and meatballs. The single tear that rolled down his right cheek said everything.
Jason closed his eyes, "This is my fault. I should've been here today."
Keisha punched his arm, "Hey, hotshot. You're not Superman. For the record, we were close. We got it all the way down to just Jackal."
Jason glanced towards the flagpole that was flapping so hard it sounded like it was cutting through the air. "That's impressive. Who was the last man standing on our side?"
I gripped my left arm. "I was. I tried to catch the ball like I did yesterday. The thing is, Wade is clearly not Jackal. I sold us out when it mattered most, again."
Keisha narrowed her eyes and slowly turned toward me. I cleared my throat.
I smirked, "But it felt good cooking the rest of that team. You should've seen how I took out Wade-"
Keisha cackled, "That Wade takedown was so PEAK! You gave him PTSD with how he busted his lip on the floor. Technically speaking, we would've beaten them if Jackal wasn't here today, just like yesterday."
Jason stared at me quizzically. "So I'm still confused. What's up with the bandages?"
I fiddled with my backpack's webbing straps. "When I failed to enter the zone and catch Jackal's ball, his ball slammed me into the wooden wall. It didn't help that Luke had been smashed into it earlier."
Jason frowned, his gaze like a laser beam going right through me. Jason had always been great at keeping his emotions in check, but today the vibe was off.
Jason gazed up at the skies and mumbled, "No silver lining to go off of today. Everything is going wrong today. May the Tao help us all."
For the first time, the winds seemed to calm down to a little breeze. The pollen and the leaves spun around the three of us like a mini tornado near our feet.
I stared at Jason. For some reason, that last line felt familiar, like I'd heard it before. Not just once, but multiple times.
HONKKKKK
All three of us whipped our heads toward the bus stop area simultaneously. The city bus driver peeped his head out the window and yelled, "You kids getting on or not?"
Jason turned around, "Tomorrow, I'll do more than just beat them. I'll make them wish they were suspended."
The aura surrounding Jason felt dangerous. The winds whipped at our faces and the entire area. Carrying leaves, dandelion and oak tree pollen through the air. Keisha had to hold her black shades in place.
Keisha smoothed out her hair, "C'mon Stanlee's waiting for us."