James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Twenty-One

BRYCE

I sat on the couch beside Noah, holding two slices of pizza and a Coke. "Where's James?" I inquired. Noah took a bite of his pizza, speaking with his mouth full.

"He went on a date with Claire. He said he'll be back soon." He paused hesitantly. "Hey, what's the deal between you and Mark? Do you genuinely like him, or are you just going along?" Shawn, Madison, Easton, and Dylan entered the room. We loaded our plates with pizza and grabbed sodas.

"Breakfast of champions," Easton chuckled as they settled onto the L-shaped couch with Noah and me.

"Hell yeah," Shawn exclaimed. Shawn and Easton clinked their soda cans.

"So, Noah, are you really from Australia, or did you pick up that accent somewhere else?" Easton asked.

Noah chuckled. "Oh, young cousin, you have so much to learn." He gulped down his soda. Then Sam descended the staircase into the living room.

Madison gave a thumbs up and dove into her pizza. "You're such an ass," she mumbled with a full mouth. She had no shame, and I loved that about her.

"What the heck does that mean?" Noah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Nothing," Dylan answered him irritably.

Noah sighed. "Wuff." Then he frowned, and Sam adjusted his hoodie sleeves.

"Alright, I'm going to leave you guys here for now. If anything happens, text me immediately," My father said, standing in the archway of the living room.

"Who's the unlucky lady?" Noah asked Dad.

Dad huffed, adjusting his posture. "Actually, it's your mother. Bryce is in charge. Don't do anything stupid," Dad looked at Noah, then at me, nodding in my direction. He headed towards the door and left the six of us alone at home.

"Well, who's up for throwing a party?" Noah flashed a smile and clapped his hands together. I glared at Noah.

"Noah!" I exclaimed. "You're going to get us into trouble."

Noah laughed. "What's the big deal?" We all took a simultaneous bite of our pizza. "That's the whole point." Noah sunk into the couch cushions with a sigh.

I turned to my phone and texted Mark. Dylan, the clever one in our group, suggested the worst game ever played. "How about truth or dare?"

"Seriously, Dylan? We're not twelve," Madison growled. I agreed with her. Noah grinned mischievously, hoping I didn't know where this was going. Unfortunately, even without our twin telepathy, it was too easy to predict my devious brother.

"I think that's a fantastic idea. Who's going first?" Noah tipped his soda can toward Dylan. Easton rolled his eyes. I was right there with him, but Sam put me in charge.

"I'm out," Easton threw his hands up and finished his pizza in one bite, returning to his phone seconds later. Noah rubbed his palms together and licked his lips.

"I got this. Dare," Noah said with a huge grin.

Madison laughed. "Noah, you're a fool," she mumbled.

"Alright, dare me to do something then, Maddox," Noah muttered, leaning back. Madison rolled her eyes.

"I dare you to do something with your powers. You know, if you really have them. That video looked mighty photoshopped."

"Oh, we have powers, alright!" Noah said, rubbing his palms together. He pulled up his hand, as a flicker of lightning formed at his fingertips. Dylan, Shawn, and Easton immediately looked up from their cellphones, immersed in the electric ball at the tips of Noah's fingers.

"Ta-da," Noah winked while I rolled my eyes, irritated by his cockiness. "Magic," he said, waving his hands theatrically. My brother had clever moments, but sometimes he was just an idiot.

"Noah, can I talk to you upstairs?" I asked, exasperated. Noah looked at me and sighed.

"Wait a second. You're that guy from that video, right?" Shawn interrupted, his eyes fixed on his phone screen displaying a clear image of James fighting with Max while Noah and Sam battled Grace in the background. Easton showed the video to Noah, and their eyes briefly met mine.

"What did you do, Noah?" I growled.

"Absolutely nothing, mate! They figured it out themselves," Noah replied, winking at Easton. He, Maddox, and Dylan studied him with annoyance and curiosity.

"For fuck sake, Bryce. They're our cousins, and Shawn's our friend. They need to know at some point," Noah almost convinced them until he spoke again. My brother could be a freaking idiot. "But if it were me, I wouldn't tell your sister, Shawn," Noah rambled on, disregarding the pact we made to never admit to having powers under any circumstances. His arrogance annoyed me to no end. I grabbed his arm and dragged him away while Noah pretended to kick and scream, "Help, he's kidnapping me with his super-strength!" he cried dramatically. What a jerk! I'm just surprised Madison and Dylan didn't make the connection earlier. But it was only a matter of time before Henry did too.

∆∆∆

JAMES

Claire and I browsed through separate aisles of the Seventh Dimension, searching through stacks of comic books piled like old records. The walls were adorned with quirky space-themed decorations, and posters of funny books and rare collectibles added to the ambiance. Now and then, I glanced at Claire with a big, goofy smile, and she returned the gesture.

"So, what kind of comics do you enjoy reading?" Claire asked me as we met at the end of an aisle, almost bumping heads.

"What kind of comics do you think I read?" I replied playfully.

"Hmm," Claire touched her finger to her chin, pretending to ponder. "Maybe Superman? I don't know, you tell me."

I grinned widely. Suddenly, we were nose to nose, as if about to kiss, but Claire pulled back just before our lips could touch. I held up a limited-edition Superman comic.

"Good guess. Do you want anything?" I offered. She kindly declined with a shake of her head.

"I find it strange when a guy insists on paying for something for the girl. It shouldn't be that way," she commented. I frowned, walking towards the counter. I had never thought about it from that perspective. Claire followed behind, her hand brushing against mine.

"Oh. I'm sorry," I apologized.

The cashier punched in the comic book number. "Thirteen fifty-six," he said. I pulled out a twenty, paid the cashier, and let him keep the change. Claire and I walked out of the store together.

"It's okay," she finally replied, grinning sheepishly. My frown transformed into a smile, and I blushed. Claire blushed, too, and we intertwined our hands as we strolled down the sidewalk. Claire giggled, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"So, how long have you lived in Los Angeles?" I asked her, swinging her hand in mine.

"About ten years. And how long have you been in Phoenix?"

My cheeks flushed again, radiating warmth. Though it was barely noon, the streetlights seemed to glow as the sun hung high.

"A few years. I used to live here before my dad and uncle moved to Arizona shortly after my mom passed away," I explained.

Claire sighed, walking beside me and swinging our hands. "My mom passed away too. It's just me, my stepdad Shawn, and my little brother Carter." My eyebrows raised in sympathy.

"Oh," I paused, momentarily lost in thoughts of my mom. I missed her deeply. "I'm sorry for your loss. It's a similar situation for me. My dad, my brother, my uncle, Noah, and Grace are like my family. It's a long story."

Claire giggled again. "It's okay. I have all the time in the world to hear about it," she said, sending a flutter of excitement. I felt like I could lift off the ground.

"Hopefully, someday soon," I replied with a sigh. Claire leaned against my shoulder, offering me comfort. It was a relief because I felt floating in the air. Our hands remained intertwined as we walked back to my house.