Waterboy

Chapter Three: Stream

And that was it.
        I throw down my backpack when I step in the door.
        "Hey, Mom," I say in a monotone voice.
        "Hey, Jake. How was your day?" Vicki asks.
        "Pretty good," I say as I walk into the living room. I plop down on the couch to her left and turn to her.
The window is open and her dark brown hair glistens in the sunlight.
"How's your girlfriend?" Samantha says as she runs in.
"Oh, shut up!" I call to her over my shoulder.
"Hey, nice words," Vicki points at my face.
I love my new mom and all, but she can be kind of strict at times.
My dad passed away three years ago, but I still have trouble calling Vicki 'mom'.
I know I should be mature about everything because I'm 16 now, but I'm still having the dreams and I think it means something.
Every night for the past few months, I've had a dream where I'm a superhero. I can fly, I have heat vision, all the goods. Then I wake up and I'm... just... plain old me, I guess.

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That night I was about to turn on the shower when I noticed a big drop of water running down my leg. Then another, and another. I found it strange because I hadn't even turned on the shower yet.
I reached down my finger and scooped a drop onto my tongue. It was salty. I haven't been crying or anything. What's going on?
I wish I could say that was the weirdest thing that happened that night.
When I got out of the shower, I walked to my room and my window was open along with the blinds.
I was getting changed into my pajamas when I got a phone call on the new iPhone 6s that Vicki had bought me.
When I looked for a caller ID, it just had a number that I didn't recognize and an area code I'd never seen before. Despite what my adopted parents told me, I picked up.
"I'm coming for you, Yakob," a man said in a Russian accent.
I chucked the phone down at my bed. In curiosity, I picked it up and kept listening.
"I am Dr. Alexander Ivanov, world-renowned scientist. Your father sent me bankrupt. I will have my revenge soon enough."
I recognized the name, but I've- My dad. Alexander Ivanov is the man my dad stole his experiments from.
I lay down in my bed, my mind cluttered. The water. The scientist. My girlfriend, Zoe. My dad. I start to cry.
I start to cry, but no tears come out. I feel water on my leg again. I lift up my head and look down to see my right hand is dripping water, like tears. I lift up my hand. Drops fall a few at a time, then they stop. My crying stops.
I hold my eyes open and try to force myself to cry, but nothing happens. I stand up and look at my hand. Something's wrong.
        I open my bedroom door and call downstairs,"V-MOM!! Somethi-"
Oh, wait. I can't let anyone know. Not even Vicki.
        "Yeah, honey?" Vicki called.
        "Uh, nothing. Never mind," I can't tell anyone.

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        "Hey. Look at this," I say.
        I push as hard as I can and a few drops of water shoot from my left fingertips. Then my right. A steady stream flows out of all my fingers. Except my thumbs, of course.
         Zoe steps back and falls over the only seat in my basement, a short couch.
         "What in the-" Zoe has a terrified look on her face as she starts to stand back up.
         When she's calmed down, I explain everything I know about my new mysterious powers.
         "I have no clue how, okay? Just about three nights ago, my mind was all messy and I started to cry, but no tears came out. I looked down at my hand and water was coming out. I'm still learning, but I've started to focus it."
         "Oh," her terrified and confused face returns.
         "There's also this guy," I start up again,"He called me the night I found out about my powers. His name is Dr. Alexander Ivanov. He's Russian. It's the guy my dad sabotaged when I was a kid. He said he's coming for me to get revenge. I have to train up to stop him."
         Her face now looks more scared than confused. I don't even know if she understood anything I just told her, if she's been zoning out, or if she is afraid of me. It could be all three.
         "Okay, it's seven thirty. Time for you to go."
         "What?!" Zoe flips out on me for no known reason,"Why?!"
         "It's my nightly training time. I have to get my focus fixated on my powers and making them stronger. Sorry," I shrug.

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         "Ughhh!!!!" I scream as water shoots from my hands. My homemade speedometer duct taped to my wall tells me that the water shoots out at around 24 mph. A new record! "Yes! Almost ready to challenge him." If he's got a gun, I can beat him. That's probably all he has. After all, he is just a dumb old scientist. Just like my dad was... no. Stay focused. I have to train mo-
        I pass out on the ground. Maybe I worked too hard. After all, it's only 12:34.