Rise of the Dark Heroes (BOOK #1)

PART TWO

STEVIE

OCTOBER HAD rolled around as swiftly as the flutter of an eyelid. I had heard zilch from Dark throughout September. It was as if he'd vanished, almost like he never even existed. One night, I had nearly convinced myself that he was a figment that my Deviate brain had fabricated as a last resort to keep me sane. I couldn't believe that, in any case. He had to be real. If he wasn't, then I was indeed going mad.

Ever since his threats, Adam had kept his word. I would turn around, and he was there, gazing at me from across the classroom, down the hall, outside. Adam lingered in my space no matter where I went on campus. I didn't let him see that he was getting to me, but Grace could read me like a book. She asked me what was bothering me every day, and every time I would tell her it was nothing. She couldn't know.

The thought of Adam knowing of my being a Deviate shook me to the core. If he knew, he would expose me. Imagine if I was no longer in his way. He could academically rise to the top of the class, become the professor's favorite. I'm sure that mattered little to him compared to what would happen to me. I would be an outcast like the other Deviates, doomed to a life on the streets. That's what he wanted. Because I crossed him.

I opened the door to our tiny apartment, making my way to the living room, where I saw Mom dancing along to a workout video, her body gleaming with sweat and her long hair tied into a tight bun.

"I'm home," I announced, throwing down my backpack.

Mom glanced back without breaking her stride. "How was school?"

"The usual," I answered.

Mom continued her workout, and the longer I stood there, the quicker I realized that it was pointless just to watch her, so I slipped out. We hardly talked this past month. I'd been so stressed about college and waiting for Dark to contact me that I stayed confined in my room after school.

Before I could close the door to my room, I saw a towering figure in my peripheral vision. Instinct told me to turn to the right, and sure enough, I perceived a body standing outside my window, crouched on the fire escape. I let out a girly scream, at first convinced that it was Adam. What if he followed me home? I jumped back, gripping the door for support before noticing that it wasn't my college foe; it was Dark!

His helmet was on, and he was beckoning me to open the window. I was dumbstruck. How long had he been standing there, waiting?

"Stevie?" I heard my mother shout from the living room.

My eyes grew wide. If Mom saw Dark standing at my window, she'd call the police before I could explain anything to her. What would I even have to justify? That the big, scary man dressed in black was my pal? I didn't have time to think. I saw her running over to me, and I partially shut the door, blocking the entrance with my body.

"What on earth happened?" my mom asked. Beads of sweat were trickling down her nose; I couldn't help but gape.

"I—I saw a spider!" I gasped, my voice jumping up and down quicker than a frog. My heart was still racing from the fright Dark gave me.

"That's it?" Mom asked.

"Yeah. But I got it," I said, my body trembling.

Mom relaxed, massaging her chest. "I would have thought someone was trying to break into the apartment by the sound of that scream."

I snuck a glance at Dark, who was still at the window, gawking at me. I replied with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm going to start homework now."

I slammed the door and locked it, letting out a shaky sigh. With my hand resting over my heart, I shot Dark a glare through the window. I marched over and opened it, feeling the breezy October air rush into my room. Dark remained there, wearing black pants and a black hoodie. Shocking.