The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

20. Stay With Me

{Cameron}

Meeting up with Pink Wildfire and Green Phoenix is a little awkward after we've tried to make amends. We all sit on the roof of the school, the only place we could find that was close enough to all our houses, looking at each other for a while. It's no secret that Kaelie and I were the ones who had encouraged the dunking of Trevor's head into the toilet freshman year. And now we were expected to work as equals. Trevor's eyeing her like he expects her to order me to do it again, and I'm expecting her to shoot back a snappy retort. But she pretends like she can't feel him looking at her.

   "So." Trevor scratches the back of his head. "Um...what's this thing I've heard about the Red Knight?"

   I glance over at Kaelie. "Want me to tell him or should I?"

   We just look at each other for another long silence, and then finally she relents. "I'll tell him."

   He's surprisingly attentive as she lays it out for him, which I thought would have been hard for him, considering what's happened. But he's quiet until she's done.

   "Merlin," he says, shaking his head. "That's rough. I'm sorry, Pink."

   She shrugs, but doesn't object to the nickname. That's an improvement.

   "How can we help?" I ask. "Besides tracking him, I guess."

   "I think he's the one who's committing these murders. And leaving those notes," she says, rubbing her knuckles on the ground. "But we don't have any proof unless we actually witness one."

   "Catch him red-handed," Trevor says, grinning. "If you know what I mean."

   I allow myself a grin of my own. Red Knight, red handed. Good one.

   "You like those kinds of puns, don't you?" I detect an eyebrow raise, and I actually catch the ghost of a smile when I glance over at Kaelie.

   "Oh, yeah. I wouldn't be the way I am today if I didn't have my puns," Trevor says, completely oblivious to the personal drama happening over here.

   She nods and looks down.

   "You okay?" I ask, laying a hand on her knee.

   "I'm fine," she says quickly. I wonder if this is hard for her, facing this kind of thing again. She'd been all over the news for kicking the Red Knight out of our city. A celebrity, basically, until she lost her temper and suddenly became vilified.

   "'Kay. So Red Knight," Trevor says, jumping to his feet. He's one of those rare supers that just seemed to have powers for seemingly no reason at all. That explains why he's always so happy, even when it doesn't seem like it. The worst demon he's ever had to confront is probably Pink Wildfire when she's Kaelie Thomas. "What'll we do?"

   "Just hold your horses, Phoenix." I stand up too, wondering if I should get one of those caps the falconers use so their birds don't get too excited. That or a leg tether. Anything to keep him under control. "We can't just all go rushing off with no plan."

   "Fine." He huffs out, leaning against the big metal air conditioner chute with a loud metallic bang.

   "Don't make me threaten you with the falcon cap." I smack his arm lightly with the back of my hand. "Or a little string to tie around your leg."

   He rolls his eyes, looking at Kaelie behind me. "This is what I've had to deal with ever since I became a super."

   "Don't even get me started," she says, folding her arms.