Superhero Crash Course

4- She throws nice uppercut

  I forgot to tell you that English isn't my first language. I'm Thai. I only speak English with some of my friends (and myself :D) and during debate tournaments. Sooooo, if there're grammar mistakes, I'm sorry. I'm going back to edit every chapter once the book's done :)

-Ida

Chapter 4-- She throws nice uppercut

"What do you mean? I have to rewrite everything? " 1 day after the near death experience and I had to go back to school to faced Professor Howard in Social Study class AKA a nearer to death experience. Professor Howard adjusted his wire glasses and handed my printed essay back. I wrote that last night at about 1 AM. "You are missing the point of the assignment, Devlin." He said. "You said we have to analyze news about superheroes, Professor Howard." I knitted my brows.

"Superheroes, Devlin. Not super villains. Since you have always done good jobs in every assignment, I'll give you a chance to fix this. Submit it again by the end of today or I'll have to give you a C-." He said, walking away to return the graded papers to other students.

I looked down at my paper in confusion. I wrote a very neat 500 words essay. Even though it was all from the deadline-induced diligence, a rejection sure wasn't what I deserved.

I wrote about Cryonics and how he saved people in the bus from getting pulverized with a coffee bar. My essay should be titled Ode To Cryonics since I knew how much my teacher loves to see dept, metaphors, and overly analyzed scenarios in an essay. I didn't refer to him with that name though. I didn't even think he would use the name I randomly picked for real.

(I decided to skip the fact that this guy supposedly followed me to my house.

And also the fact that he couldn't tell apart Morning Glory and Petunia.)

I felt a pencil poked lightly at my shoulder. I knew who did that and I yanked the pencil from his hand. "Wow. Jamie Devlin's essay got rejected. That's new. I should expect a surprise midsummer snow today." Les who was seated behind me drawled.

"Says a guy who already got a C-." I said venomously.

"You haven't been watching the news, eh?" He said. "You wouldn't have written about that ice guy if you knew."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "He saved my life. I would have died if he wasn't there." And you wouldn't have cared too. "Does that sound heroic enough for you?"

Les raised both his hands up in defense. "Did you know what he did after saving you?" I raised my eyebrows, signaling him to go on. "He broke into that new bank across from the court. There's a footage video on news everywhere. What have you been doing for the past 8 hours?"

Helping the villain pick his name, why? I thought, feeling a chill down my spine.

"This bank is a luxurious one, you see. Most of its clients are politicians." Les took his pencil back. "They hold on to important papers. Not money."

"No freaking way. I saw him saving people."

"Superheroes don't save people then use that as an excuse to act above laws." Les said simply, leaning back in his chair, tipping it backward so two front legs were pointing in the air. "Those who do both things at once are successful super villains."

It took me a few minutes to admit that he's got a solid point.

- - -

"If you are just going to stare at the TV an ignore me, I'll take your gum." I threatened Kat, stealing a piece of her blueberry gum from the package.

"Hush now, Jamie. There's a new superhero in town." Kat said. Her grass green eyes were glued to the small wheeled in television in the middle of the room. It was Mrs. Desjardin's Drama class. First week at school meant the only time of the year that this class had full attendance.