How Many Heroes

14- Burning

Luke wasn't in Algebra today. Instead of focusing on equations, I wondered what he was doing. He was probably saving a kid from gang members, or hunting down Amy. Or, I thought with a shiver, maybe he already left.

I wanted to think that that that he wouldn't do that to me, that at least he would tell me he was leaving, the way he told me about his powers last night. But really, there was no reason why he should. I wasn't that special.

"Bethany! Bethany, were you paying attention?" Ms. Bower asked, glaring at me with an annoyed expression.

"Uh...I, Y-Yes, Ms. Bower," I stammered. I'd forgotten where I was.

"Then why don't you finish this problem for us?" she said. A few students snickered, ready to see me fail.

Blood rushed to my cheeks. My vision suddenly became so blurred that I could barely read the writing on the board, much less understand it. I walked up anyway. I barely made it a few feet before a backpack strap caught my ankle and tripped me. I landed hard on my butt, wanting to curl into a tight ball. My heart pounded in my ears, an unsteady rhythm against the chorus of laughter surrounding me. Trembling, I stepped up to the board and looked at the problem. It was a fraction, but instead of simple numbers, huge polynomials were on the top and bottom. My head throbbed. How do you divide letters?

"Clearly, you weren't listening at all," Mrs. Bower said angrily. "Otherwise, you could do something other than stare at the board."

The class made an 'ooooh' sound, then laughed again. My cheeks turned red. I kept staring at the problem like I could somehow figure it out rather than face the class. My fingers shook.

"If you're not going to do anything, please stop wasting everybody's time and go back to your seat," Mrs. Bower said. More snickers followed her last remark.

Head down, I went back to my lonely seat in the back of the room, careful not to trip over the backpack again. Ms. Bower called on some other girl to finish the problem. She solved the equation in record time, judging by the teacher's awarding smile. I felt my eyes burn. Why was I so stupid? This must have been one of the easiest lessons all year, but I was completely lost. A tear slipped down my cheek, then another. I wish Luke were here. He could teach me better than Ms. Bower.

When the bell rang, I practically leapt out of my seat. Just being in Algebra class was enough to put me on the edge of an anxiety attack. Hell, being in school did that. I knew I should go to my next class, but if I were stuck in another room listening to stuff I didn't understand for another two hours, I would officially go crazy.

I went inside a bathroom on the other side of the school, knowing it would be empty since half the toilets didn't work. Hearing the late bell ring, I opened one of the bathroom stalls with yellow tape across it and sat on a toilet. After a moment's hesitation, I closed the door, just in case someone decided to come in anyway. Then, at last, the whirlwind of embarrassment and anxiety in my mind began to subside. I was alone. I was okay.

Since class started ten minutes ago and I had no acceptable excuse, I decided to stay the rest of the period in the stall. Sure, the school would call home, but I knew my parents would understand. This wasn't the first time I'd done this, and I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last.

"-we have to do it there, Amy?" A girl said. I froze. Amy was back at Ambrose?

"Yes!" Amy growled. The savage tone of her voice made it easy to imagine her as the demon Luke claimed she was. Shaking slightly, I wondered if her unnaturally blue eyes could see through walls.

"You never said anything about killing people!" The first girl said. I recognized her as Ashley, her sidekick.

"We'll hit at midnight. No one will be there."