Metal Has No Heartbeat (A Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes [Young Justice] Fanfiction)

Six: Fresh

"Bye Mahiko!"

"Later Zaki!"

"See you tomorrow Mahi!"

I give idle waves as I throw my board to the ground, step on and push off. I race down the main school path, shooting out of the gate to come side-by-side with Alissa.

"Rough day?" I ask the blonde, who looks positively irate as she tries to keep up with my much more skilled skating.

"Last class with Miss Moran; what do you think?" She murmurs.

"Ouch, Moran the man," I sympathise. Miss Moran does not look like a Miss. And that's just by the hair on her chinny-chin-chin. We pass the next gate where the younger schoolers are. Lenore, Julia and Koban emerge and join us on their own boards.

"Anyone else feel like the day went too quick?" Lenore asks nervously. 

Koban grins back at her, "You're just nervous. The day dragged on as slowly as it always has."

I pretend not to hear any of the conversation.

The sun never seems to fade things in Creeper's Point, I've noticed. Everything is so colourful and bright at the moment. At least, it is until the recent memory of Doc announcing I had not been picked to join the Team rears its head.

This town might be pretty and sun-beaten, but I don't want to be here. I don't need to be here.

In an attempt to distract myself I glance at the others riding alongside me on the path. Theon is the closest, with his headphones swaying around his neck. I can hear the music playing from them; the fading voice of Kendrick Lamar.

"We should do that," I say, pointing at him.

He glances down at the headphones, "Average Joe?"

"Yeah." Anything to get my mind of this. 

Before I can suggest anything for the track however, the next song comes on through his phone. Both of us share the same grin at the tambourine and electronic beat. Theon reaches into his pocket and yanks the cord out of his phone.

We nod to the beat with each other as we turn the next corner, the others frowning at the oddity.

"Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down. And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there. I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air." 

We high-five and the others are either groaning in annoyance or laughing. The music can barely be heard over the noises of the town- the cars on the road, our board wheels on the pavement.

But we all know it. So we all sing it as we head home.

"In west Philadelphia born and raised. On the playground was where I spent most of my days. Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool. And all shooting some b-ball outside of the school."

Everyone knows who we are. Some people are afraid of us, some people pity us, but most people treat us normally. Doctor Magnus has been here for a long time and a lot of people have benefited from that big brain of his.

It isn't unusual to see eight teenagers riding skateboards down the main road of Creeper's Point hollering lyrics at the top of their lungs.

"I begged and pleaded with her day after day but she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way. She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket. I put my Walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'."

Sometimes we sing Disney songs and sometimes we sing Anime theme songs. The town knows we have a channel so it usually doesn't bother them.

On the way past the bakery the one person who can't stand us, Grandpa Golman the town calls him, roars out the window for us to shut up. As well roll by we sing even louder, turning the corner and laughing as he hollers threats down the street.