The PulseTeam, Book Two: Evolution

Chapter Five: The Collision Effect

Part One: The Rumor

Virtis Academy | Cleveland, Ohio
Monday, June 13, 2033 | 12:02 EST

I walk through the library to our usual spot, hand-in-hand with Alexa, with a smile on my face, because I have about a couple of weeks of freedom on my hands. Freedom from what, you ask? Bradley Phillipdee Walker and his goon squad. And please don't ask me why I know his full name.

Most of the football players don't show up to school so they can visit with Brad in the hospital. Which means that when my period of freedom is over, I could potentially have an army of enemies in the varsity football team. Am I looking forward to that? Absolutely not. Is it avoidable? Not really. Will I be ready for them all? Definitely.

There's also a rumor circulating throughout the whole school that I was Brad's assailant. This brought a smile to my face upon my first time hearing it, and said smile has remained on my face all day long.

Alexa and I are the first ones here, so I pull her chair out for her and push it in once her butt hits the seat.

As soon as I sit down in the seat next to her and pull out my tablet, the whole varsity cheerleading squad swarms the table we're sitting at and asks me generally the same question I've been getting all day: "Did you kick Brad's ass??"

"First off, ladies," I begin, "be careful to pay closer attention to your surroundings. My girlfriend is quite literally sitting right next to me and you all almost knocked her out of her seat trying to get to me. Secondly, I will neither confirm nor deny that it was me who hospitalized Brad. Thirdly, if I am, in fact, the reason why he is, at this moment, required to put in time at the hospital, I really don't want it broadcast around the entire school. My friends and I have kept a low profile so far to avoid something like this, and I'm not going to let anyone or anything wreck it."

"Well," starts one of the cheerleaders, "if you were the one that kicked his ass, we were going to thank you. He's a real head, you know."

"I do," I say.

"And," says another cheerleader, "we were also going to invite you and your friends to an appreciation party we're having at the end of the month for the varsity and junior varsity sports teams. If you did or didn't do it, you guys are still more than welcome to come. Most of the school is coming, you know."

"Hmm..." I say, mulling over my options, "will Brittney be there?"

"As much as we tried to keep this thing quiet from her," says the girl I can only assume is the head of the squad, "she got wind of it and according to her, she is making a 'special guest star appearance'. More like 'special guest whore appearance'."

"But if you say yes, we'll try extra hard not to let her know you're coming."

"I'll consult my friends, and we will think about it," I say.

"Good enough," says the captain. "See ya around, David."

And they walk away.

Part Two: Jessica Moves On

12:12 EST

Rick and Asune show up almost fifteen minutes late, and judging by the pheromones Asune is putting off, they just got finished with a make-out session. And Malaya is right behind them.

"What did they want, bro?" asks Rick.

"They wanted me to confirm that I hospitalized Brad and his cronies," I reply. "I neither confirmed nor denied that I did, of course, and as a result, they put two and two together and invited us all to an appreciation party for the varsity and junior varsity sports teams. And I told them that I would consult you guys and we would think about it."