Rise of the Dark Heroes (BOOK #1)

Chapter Five

STEVIE

OH NO... This can't be real!

I splashed some water on my face and rubbed my eyes until they were sore. When I dared to let my eyelids flutter open again, my face was still glowing back at me in the reflection. But that wasn't all; my whole body was shining soft blue.

That's impossible...How is my body glowing? The only explanation would be that I'm a...

I shook my head vigorously, wanting to rip my hair out because of the stress I was enduring. There was no way that I was Deviate. I hadn't experienced some kind of freak accident like the others. As far as I knew, I was still behaving normally.

How did this happen? More importantly, how was I going to sneak out of the university looking like a walking lightbulb?

There has to be some way to control it. There has to be an off switch!

I placed my hands in front of my face, fixating all my concentration on them. My goal was to make the glowing stop somehow, but all it did was make me look like a damn fool.

New plan: I needed to get off campus quickly before someone saw me, but how? I scanned the bathroom hastily, a million ideas tracing my mind—all unintelligent proposals.

Could I wrap myself up in toilet paper? No, that's absurd. Besides, the glowing would show underneath. Maybe I'll camp out in here until all classes end? No, I don't have that kind of time.

Suddenly, I finally had an idea that wasn't over the top. I looked down at my outfit and bit my lip, taking in that I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. My legs and feet were well hidden. I just had to worry about my arms and head. My idea wasn't the greatest, and it would make me look ridiculous, but if it meant I could get off campus without anyone recognizing me, any notion seemed like a decent one.

-

I waited until the glowing died down, forcing myself to relax. I found out that the more I stressed, the brighter my body shimmered, so I meditated on the bathroom floor, hoping no other girl would walk in on me. I learned how to meditate from my therapy sessions long ago. My therapist claimed they would also help with my migraines, but they didn't.

My arms were still faintly glistening, but not enough to be seen a mile away like before. I knew then that it was go-time.

I stood off the floor, taking in a deep breath. I exited the bathroom an hour after my episode with Adam Murphy, wishing everyone had just forgotten about it. If only. There's no way they could have forgotten that I caused an indoor windstorm.

What if they told my professor shortly after? What if they're looking for me?

Oh no. I'd stressed myself out. The soft glow my body once had was now increasing. I started speed walking, taking in calm breaths.

Stick to the plan, stick to the plan, I chanted in my head.

I jogged to the office on the first floor, my eyes only meeting the ground. The secretary gawked at me; I could feel her stare. I refused to look at her, praying I wasn't glowing as bright as I thought. The lost and found bin was to the right of the office. Keeping my head down, I rummaged through it.

I found a rainbow scarf, two pairs of sunglasses, an XL hoodie with bleach stains that smelled like a gym sock and molded cheese had a baby, a soccer ball, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle snapback.

This is it?

Whimpering, I picked up the bleach-stained hoodie, putting it on while suppressing a gag. It draped over me like a cloak a villain would wear in the movies. Next, I took the rainbow scarf and fashioned it around my mouth like it was below zero degrees outside. I looked at what else the bin had to offer and decided against the hat and sunglasses; I had looked ridiculous enough.