Mitchell Freeman: Unlikely Hero

Chapter 6 - Shopping For An Ambush

     I had to concentrate every waking moment on trying not to use too much energy in any of his normal daily activities. One morning I shot an entire tube of toothpaste all over the mirror just trying to put a dab on my toothbrush. Simple tasks were becoming increasingly more difficult because I had to restrain myself, or my strength would get the better of me.

     Emmy was a huge help to me at school. She used her powers to restrain me when I couldn't restrain myself. She opened my locker for me, so that I wouldn't rip it off its hinges. She was constantly telling me to take it easy in my head to remind me not to drive my pen or pencil through the top of the desk while writing in class.

     My weakest area was gym class. Emmy really had to watch me there. We were still playing softball, and she spent nearly every minute of the class keeping me from causing a catastrophe. In one class, she saved Sue Bandloe, who was playing second base, from getting a ball thrown through her chest when I threw it from right field. After a couple classes involving near misses, she convinced Gill to get me out of that class to avoid a disaster. In the end, Dr. Geller wrote the school a note saying I had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder, and needed to be excused from PE for the rest of the school year.

     I couldn't wait for school to be over for the summer. There were only a few weeks left in the school year. I knew I was a danger to everyone around me, but in a crowded school situation, something was ten times more likely to happen. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but constantly walking on eggshells was making me a nervous wreck.

     My nerves were frayed even more when Kenny Gailin returned to school. Gailins's hand was still in a cast, and every time he saw Me, he just glared venomously. He never said a word to me, but Mitch could hear his thought clear as a bell. Gailin was vowing revenge on me. He wanted me to suffer; he was such a comforting soul. I wasn't worried about Gailin hurting me because he really couldn't do any physical harm to me. Heck, a house could fall on me and do no damage. I was, however, afraid that Gailin might do something that would cause me to unleash my powers and cause some serious mayhem.

     Fortunately, Gailin kept his distance. This surprised me because I knew Gailin was planning something from the thoughts I picked up. It also unnerved me a little. There was something about an ambush, which, with my new powers, was virtually impossible. I could pick up Gailins thoughts long before he could get close enough to ambush me, but I wasn't going to drop my guard regardless.

     The last day of school finally arrived. We just had to go in for a few hours, and we would receive our final report cards. Some of the teachers were having End of School Year parties in their classes. Others would just let the kids play on their phones or talk to their friends the whole time. It was a very informal day.

     I rode my bike to school for a change that day. I wasn't worried about Gailin doing anything to it anymore. I had to be careful pedaling because if I wasn't, I would find himself going down the street at two hundred miles per hour. Emmy was waiting for me by the bike rack. After I locked up the bike, we went in to say goodbye to another school year.

     Mrs. Carthage had brought in donuts and juice boxes for all her students. She beamed at the us and told us to help ourselves. A message was scrawled on the chalkboard in bold letters, "Have A Great Summer!!" The teacher allowed us students to roam freely around the classroom to socialize with our friends. She moved around the room during the class hour to say goodbye to each student. Mrs. Carthage saved her farewell for Emmy and I until last because we were her star pupils.

     When the bell rang, Emmy and I headed for English. The teacher of the class was Mr. Warford. He was a tall, skinny man with a balding head that had vestiges of blond hair remaining over his ears. His beady eyes were shaded by his permanently, furrowed eyebrows. Mr. Warford's shoulders always seemed to be hunched, and his head jutted forward even with them. He looked very much like an overgrown vulture. His constant scowl didn't do much to change that image.