Markus High

Chapter Two

The next day at school I had an early run in with Carnivore. The beastly boy had decided to give me another black eye. 

Great. Just great.

I slammed my locker shut and kicked it for good measure.

Stupid Dinosaur! Stupid school! Stupid heroes! I thought, leaning my head again my locker door. All thoughts of my past day with Annalee had left me. 

Suddenly a girl with long, wavy, light brown and cotton candy pink hair stormed up to me. Her blue eyes, slightly hidden behind her glasses, looked angry for a split second then she seemed to realize she was standing near me. I glanced at her in surprise.

"Uhhh... Hi. I'm Tina. I, uh..." she stuttered. 

I stared at her in shock. I knew it was rude, but I wasn't in the mood to talk to a super. I hadn't seen her around the school before and though I wasn't in the greatest of minds that day, my bare minimum of politeness kicked in for the new girl.

"Markus," I almost grunted at Tina. "You're new, aren't you?"

Just then the five minute bell rang. I was going to gym next period.

"Yeah, I uh, I am," she replied nervously. 

I shrugged as she hurried back, obviously having forgotten something. I ditched the girl and grumpily headed for gym. 

I quickly got changed for gym and waited in the gymnasium. I noticed Tina as she walked in late and was waved over to the teacher.

"Class, this is..." he paused but didn't finish. "Never mind, just go stand on that last row in front of Markus, that boy over there," he said, pointing over at me. Tina walked over the the last row and stood in her spot.

"I was just talking to you, wasn't I?" she asked me curiously.

"Yeah. Tina, right?" I asked, not understanding why the gym teacher didn't introduce the new girl. Just then I saw Annalee run into class. I didn't know she was in this class. I saw the teacher get angry at her, which, with me already in a bad mood, made it worse.

"Hey! Back off from her! We're not all perfect!" I snapped, not thinking about the consequences. 

Thy gym teacher turned and glared at me. I'd never admit it, but Mr. Balling scared the heck out of me! He had the power of super strength from his dad and the power of telekinesis from his mom (don't ask how I know that), so that made him even more of a threat than Carnivore. He walked right in front of me, looming like a vulture over a dead carcass.

"Do you have anything you'd like to say, Mr. Caesar?" he growled.

I probably said something really intelligent like, "Uhm..." because my teacher's scowl just deepened.

"Climb the rope," he sighed, marking off something on his clipboard. 

I gulped hard. I looked over at the rope climbing station. It looked like a regular rope climb if you didn't count the lava pit, laser guns pointed at various points on the rope, and the suspicious trap door above the rope that I knew from experience had sharks and snakes in it. A piece of cake for any super, but a death sentence for me.

"I can't do that!" I squeaked.

"You've done it before."

"Yeah, and I've gone to the hospital with a crispy shark on my head!"

"Quit complaining! Rope, now!"

I didn't need to be told twice. Mr. Balling's voice could probably make a werewolf turn back into a human with fright. I immediately ran over to the rope and started my task. I glanced over at the class; some of the supers were snickering amongst themselves while others were crouched down, ready to save me when the time called for it. I sighed, jumping onto the rope. An avalanche of mayhem came down at me the instant I did.