James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Twelve

DEREK

My dark sweatshirt tugged over my crisp white tee, and I reached for my phone on the dresser. Son of a bitch. I sighed, stuffing my phone in my hoodie pocket, and grabbed my headphones from the dresser. The battery was at 5% capacity, and I didn't have time for this, but it was what it was. I would charge it at work.

"Dad, I'm going out," I yelled from the bedroom, glancing at my half-assed bed.

My dad yelled back, "Okay," A wall thud and a curse from Sam in the opposite room startled me.

"Geez. You good, Sam?" I asked.

Sam groaned back, "Yep."

I looked at the time on my phone. Then, as I flipped off the bedroom light, a bright flurry of blue and purple electricity zapped the light switch from the palm of my hand, and the lights flickered out. I stared at the wall for a moment, amused. Damn, superpowers were incredible, besides the minor surprises on rare occasions that came with having them-sort of like this moment. My phone beeped, and the battery bounced to one hundred percent faster than a blink of an eye.

Walking onto the open second story, I leaned over the upper railing, staring down. Grace wailed in the darkened room below, the sunlight barely pushing through the dull windows. I walked over to the stairwell.

"What the fuck, Grace," I grumbled. Then I hurried down the steps. My father peered through the open doorway of the living room.

"Was that you, Derek?" Grace looked out the open doorway to the living room, too. My father flickered the light switch, but nothing happened. I now understood my brother and why his powers frustrated him.

"I'll call an electrician," my dad sighed. I stuffed one of my earbuds and pulled open the front door. Bright purple lights flashed back from my palm as my hand curled against the metallic knob while the lights sparked and flickered.

"I have to get to work," I said, hurrying to the driveway. All eyes were on me as they rushed to the front patio doorway.

"Wait a minute, Derek," Sam called. "Was that you?" He paused, hesitating, his eyes meeting mine with concern.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied. I knew where this was going. A break from work may be necessary. I was a workaholic, just like my dad. But it seemed like a good thing, especially as a cop.

"You're calling in sick," my dad ordered. I looked at him, challenging his order with an intense gaze. My dad's eyes leveled with mine.

"I don't want to complain, but--" I paused with pursed lips as my father stopped me.

"I'm serious, Derek!"

Grace snorted in the background, chuckling with a grin. "It looks like Lover-boy has a new superpower." She wiggled her eyebrows at me. I stared back at her with a half-smile.

"Basement, now!" Sam demanded, gesturing to the open doorway leading to the lowest point of our house beside the staircase.

"Yep," I said, walking towards the stairs. I knew the drill mostly because I was almost always there when Sam did the same for James. I wandered to the stairs, Sam and my concerned father following behind.

"I'll call Henry and let him know you're sick." My dad said. He patted the staircase ceiling. "This house really could use some work," He added. Then, we put my new abilities to the test.

∆∆∆

Sam bounced back and forth on his feet as he worked on his computer. He strapped me to a couple of wireless weights and a headband he synced to the computer, and suddenly he looked my way with astonishment. Samual attached a single rounded lightbulb to a computerized machine in the middle of the room.