Super Hijinx

I Dare You

The Johnson kids dare each other to use their superpowers in public and almost get caught.

~

The Johnson siblings sagged on a park bench beside a playground. Alice and Eric, twins and the eldest, grudgingly sandwiched their younger siblings between them. Except for Randy, who sat across from them, his legs spread wide in nonchalance, and Sylvia, who wilted like a second skin on Alice, her willowy limbs akimbo. Jerathan and Andrea hunched miserably between the twins.

They were at a huge, outdoor book sale on a cloudless summer afternoon. They had been dragged there after hours of shopping for groceries and home goods. They were hot. They were tired. They were hungry. They had no more energy to play on the playground. They were ready to go home, but Mrs. Johnson refused to leave. They watched as she moved from table to table, perusing the used books and making idle conversation.

"I dare you to use your superpower to convince Mom to leave."

The dare came from Randy and was directed at Eric. The other siblings gasped, their eyes darting between the two. Eric blanched under their beady stares despite his dark skin. "No!"

"Too late. I dared you, so you have to do it, no matter what. You know the rules."

Eric slid the headphones he was always wearing off his ears and around his neck. There was no turning back. Randy had spoken. His words held power. When it came to I Dare You, there was no stopping the game once started. That was the hard and fast rule.

Eric rose from the bench he shared with his siblings. He walked a short distance away, fingers tapping his thighs, sweat beading his temple. He closed his eyes and searched for the perfect song within his mental library. He listened to so many that he had one for every occasion. He found one. A song about forgetting. A song about moving on. He scoped out a strategic location to work his magic. Close enough for Mrs. Johnson to hear the lyrics and be compelled to leave. Far enough to remain unseen among the crowd. The trick to getting his superpower to work was to sing aloud. He also had to direct his singing toward his target.

Eric tucked his chin to his chest and sang low under his breath. Mrs. Johnson remained unaffected. She had no doubt dialed back her extraordinary senses to avoid being overwhelmed, surrounded as she was by so many people and distractions.

Eric glanced back at his siblings in time to see Randy mouthing the word "louder" with exaggeration. Eric huffed and shifted on his feet. People navigated around him. Some were beginning to stare. Eric tried again, this time singing as loud as he dared. Mrs. Johnson still did not react. How much had she lessened her senses? Or was it Eric, too scared to project his own voice?

Eric took a deep breath, prepared to sing from his belly, when he noticed a woman with a baby watching him curiously. His voice sputtered out, fear clogging his throat. He hurried back, embarrassed, to his waiting siblings and slouched on the bench.

Randy was the first to speak. "What was that?"

"You know Mom dials back her senses in public."

"Naw, I think you were just too chicken to go through with the dare. Buck, buck, buck, BUUUCK."