Super

12 - Suction Cup Powers

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

– Robert Frost

November was nearing its end and the folded index card with the café's address given to me by Obsidian Black burned a hole in my pocket. Every. Freaking. Day. If I wanted to find out my dad's motives or have any chance of saving the other supers - including poor Lodestone - and my own father, I needed to go to the café and meet Arson. But there was a catch. If I went, I agreed to give up my friends and that was something I'd never do, not for any amount of information. As for my dad... Sure I was conflicted – he had done something really bad, after all – but he was my dad. I wasn't about to let him die! The other supers had been trying to help me come up with a plan, but it wasn't going very well.

All of this buzzed around in my mind while I babysat Hunter. The kid was so hyped up I was beginning to wonder whether my aunt had given him any coffee. After an hour of playing superheroes (he insisted on playing Gold Thrush while I was some damsel in distress; oh the irony), I finally managed to get him into bed.

"Annie?" Hunter asked, yawning a sleepy yawn and rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah?" I cooed, stroking his hair as I tucked the blanket up around his chin.

"How do you know Gold Thrush?" I had to give Hunter credit. For a twelve-year-old, he was very inquisitive.

"We're friends," I explained gently, "I met him after Electro showed up to save my life." By now, nearly all of New York City knew about my friendship with the supers, thanks to that news report after the battle at the school. Gosh, that felt like ages ago.

"Okay," Hunter yawned again, "I like him." He nuzzled further into his pillows and was asleep before I could even mutter, "me too."

It was still early and Hunter's parents, my aunt and uncle, were due back any minute so I texted Lila to see if she wanted to do something after I got off babysitting. When she didn't reply, I texted a couple other of my friends from school, Nick, Ashton, and even Danielle. I wasn't particularly close with any of them – we didn't even sit together at lunch – but we were kind of friends. Nick and Ashton were in my math class so we talked sometimes. As for Danielle, we had a bunch of classes together last year, but we'd grown apart since then.

By the time my aunt and uncle got home, only Danielle had replied to tell me she was busy helping her dad with work. Her dad, aka Mr Ryder, was our replacement biology teacher after Mr Jackson... I swallowed, determined not to think of that.

Aunt Teresa dug around in her purse for a twenty, but unable to find one, she called in my uncle. "Clyde!" She whisper-yelled to avoid waking up Hunter. "I can't find a twenty!"

"Just give her a fifty, Teresa," Uncle Clyde called back. God I loved my uncle. He was always looking out for me, be it by telling my mom to raise my allowance by ten dollars or by offering me an internship at one of his companies. Uncle Clyde would always be there.

Aunt Teresa rolled her eyes, but handed me the fifty anyway, sighing when Hunter came bounding down the steps, as awake as ever as he ran to tackle his mom. I took that as my cue to leave; Hunter was their problem now.

Giggling a little, I shut the door behind me and took the stairs two at a time. Outside, it was warmer than the frosty apartment had been. Uncle Clyde had spilt orange juice on the heater last month; it had sizzled a little before coming to a grinding halt, no longer releasing toasty heat. Long story short, I had to dress up like an Eskimo just to babysit Hunter. Now, however, I slipped off my coat and welcomed the only slightly chilly night air, ignoring the goose bumps peppering my pale arms. Anything was warmer than that apartment.