Secret Powers

Chapter 14

The end of the day bell went off and Cindy, Kevin and Bruno were walking out together when Mr. Adams grabbed Cindy's arm.
"Yes?" She questioned staring him in the eyes.
"What is it teach?" Kevin pulled his backpack's strap farther up his arm. "We're on our way out. We're going to get some ice cream, I need her to pay for mine."
"I never agreed to that." She turned to Kevin shocked. "And when did we decided to go get ice cream?"
"Just now when I thought I wanted some." Kevin replied.
"Listen." Ace broke up the conversation. "I need to talk to you privately. May I have some of your time?"
"Sure, Mr. Adams." She looked over at Bruno and Kevin. "Why don't you two go and I'll catch up in a bit."
"We hadn't decided where to go yet!" Kevin shouted throwing his arms up.
"There's only one ice cream place near here." Cindy countered. "Go there."
"Okay," Kevin started walking again. "They better have triple chocolate threat, thought. If not, I will not be a happy camper."
Bruno slowly walked with Kevin but something was bugging him.
"What's with the soar look?" Kevin bumped into him. "What's eating at you?"
"Isn't there something fishy about that guy?" Bruno glanced over his shoulder several times as Kevin thought.
"I always think there's something fishy about a teacher." Kevin finally responded. "They're all suspicious characters. However, I don't think that's what you're talking about. You mean the fishy like my dad says about bad guys. The ones with the eyes that sit too close together." Kevin turned to his right, where Bruno had been, but wasn't anymore. "Great!" He yelled marching down the halls. "Now I have to pay for my own ice cream!"
"Cindy." Ace leaned on his desk as he glanced all over the room. "I need some help. You, being the smartest in your class, I thought you would the one to ask."
"Of course." Cindy shrugged. "What do you need? I know that this class isn't the easiest to control." She smiled as Mr. Adam grinned.
"Well you see..." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't seem to get everyone's attention." He stood up and took a few steps forward. "I was wondering if you, being a student yourself," He stepped closer as he talked. "could get them to come to each one of my classes, or even just this Monday's. You see, some class inspectors are coming to see if I can teach properly."
Cindy smiled as Ace now was standing right in front of her. If he grabbed her now and covered her mouth, no one could stop him or even know it was him.
"Cindy!" Ace jerked to see Bruno in the doorway. "If all he wants is the whole class to sit in on this Monday's class, I can help with that." Bruno glared at Ace with suspicion in his stare.
"What are you thinking?" Cindy inquired as she marched over to him unhappy about his interrupting. "We were supposed to be having a private conversation." She wasn't pleased with his eavesdropping at all.
"I wanted to make sure you had money, cause Kevin and I won't pay for your ice cream." Bruno scoffed at her trying to hide his worry, which he assumed was working as Cindy's face grew pale. "You were too stupid to have thought about bringing money today, right?"
"I didn't know we were going to get ice cream!" She countered justifying herself. "How was I to know the guy, who only recently said wasn't even my friend, was going to have me tag along for a treat after school?"
"Do what my mom always say." Bruno patted her head, confusing her, she had never seen him like this. "Expect the unexpected." He put it simply, nothing to misunderstand.
"How- What- You!" She walked past him. "I can't believe this! I'm going to ask Aunt if she has any money to spare! I will have my treat."
Cindy ran down the hall and then the stairs leaving Bruno with Mr. Adams.
"What do you think you're doing kid?" Ace crossed his arms. "You trying to get me angry?"
"Not putting up a front anymore?" Bruno glanced at Ace through his peripheral vision.
"No need to be the nice teacher if you already know I'm only playing it." Ace shrugged as he spoke. "You're pretty smart." He placed his hand on the desk and sat down on it. "It took a bit, but I caught the hint in your answer this morning. were you appearing stupid for a reason, or you just don't want to do the work?"
"I don't want to be anything besides myself." Bruno snapped at him and turned away to leave, but paused for a moment. "I don't know what your aim is, but don't even think about hurting Cindy." He looked over his shoulder. "Or I will kill you."
"Scary..." Ace felt a shiver run up his back.

"What was all that about?" Cindy asked licking her ice cream cone she bought with Aunt Clara's money. Bruno looked at her with a side-ways glance. "You know, interrupting my secret conversation with Mr. Ace."
"That..." Bruno stared at his own ice cream. What was he to tell her? That he thought Ace was going to do something to her? Wouldn't that lead to her asking why? He wasn't ready to tell her about his power. "I wanted to have my ice cream earlier than it would take to wait for you."
"You could have gotten it without me." She bit the top of her cone and reached for a napkin to stop the dripping. "Nn nned oo waah for mea." Her words were muffled with the food in her mouth.
"What was that?" Kevin burst out laughing. "Didn't your mom teach you not to talk with your mouth full?"
Cindy froze as she stared at Kevin. He didn't understand why he was getting a stare down.
"You idiot." Bruno slapped him over the head with a stern expression, surprising both of his companions. "Don't ask stupid questions."
Kevin glared at the boss as he rubbed his aching cranium. "No need to hit me so hard!" He cried out. "You almost broke my crown like that Jake person."
"Jack." Cindy giggled and Bruno turned to her with relief flowing over him. She was back to normal. He hadn't thought about it before, but she had always lived with her aunt, she didn't know her mother. However, he wasn't allowed to just say that, so he tried to ease the tension, which seemed to be work, for he was now staring at them as Cindy put Kevin in a headlock.
"Why do you correct me!?" Kevin complained while attempting to get out of her lock. "I can call him Jake if I want! It's not like he's going to know, he died." Cindy let go of him and he rushed out of her reach. "If you break your crown you will die." He said in a harrumph.
"That's not completely true." She crossed her arms and tilted her head as she rolled her eyes. "You could live."
"There you go again." He mumbled. "You need to get off my back about everything. I can believe that it was Jake and Jennie if I want to." He stuck his tongue out at them.
"Now that's messed up." Cindy shook her head at him. "Jennie? Really? That's not even close." The conversation went on like that for a while then it was time to go home and the three of them went separate ways.
None of them could have ever imagined what would happen next.