Chapter 29

Ray

I just sat there for a long moment, watching where Mark had driven off on his motorcycle. Well, I thought. Now what?

I was in rough shape. I needed some time to recover from the fight with Stoner and what’s-her-face-new-girl. Alexandria? Angela? Who knows? I wanted some food, water, and more sleep. My head still ached even though I kept my powers on to dampen the pain.

There was one place that seemed to be beckoning to me to rest my weary head.

Home.

I stoked my powers and leaped into the air. I redirected my power emission, just as Mark had taught me, and launched higher until I was flying just below the clouds. I kept my speed slow to save my head from throbbing so much.

Watching the lights pass below me and feeling the wind blow around, my mood lightened, but only a little. Flying was awesome, but I still felt sore about losing that fight. I’d been humiliated.

Beat up by a girl! Right in front of everyone at school! Ugh! It made me want to puke just thinking about it.

Not only did I humiliate myself, but I’d also disappointed Mark. And now he went and ditched me by finding himself another Starling to train. Was Mark still going to teach me more about the Second Degree? Because I wanted to learn. I understood now what it felt like, and I wanted more of it, but I still didn’t know how to tap into it on purpose.

I spotted my house far below and plummeted toward it. Lights were on inside, except for my bedroom.

I landed with a thud in my back yard, next to our pool. I looked up at my second story, bedroom window, and hesitated, rubbing my aching head, and then jumped through it, sliding it open as I entered. First thing I did was collapse on my bed, heaving a huge sigh.

Before I could drift off to sleep, I heard footsteps approach my bedroom and the door swung open. Lights were turned on. I weakly lifted my head and opened my eyes.

My mom stood at the doorway, her eyes wide and her lips pursed. With her short frame and her curly short hair down to her shoulders, she looked intense and… scared?

“Hi mom,” I said mid-yawn. Last time I’d seen my mom was at the football game when I’d crushed that news reporter’s cell phone. Since then I’d snuck into the house every night to sleep, but I’d spent most of my time during the day training with Mark. She probably knew I had powers now, especially if she heard about my fight with Stoner today. I wasn’t looking forward to this encounter.

Mom softly closed the door behind her, barely making a click. “Ray, you need to get out of here,” she whispered.

“What? Why? I’m too exhausted to move…”

“The police are here.”

That got my attention. I sat up, groaning as I held my head. “Why are they here?”

“I don’t know.” Mom continued to whisper. “They say it’s because you broke Coach Jones’ collar bone and sent him to the hospital, and that you knocked down a few walls at the high school.”

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I lowered my eyes, rubbing a hand through my hair. “Yeah…. I guess that’s kinda against the law, huh.”

“Ray!” Mom said with a gasp. “Don’t tell me you actually did those awful things!”

“Coach Jones deserved it,” I said. “And so did the walls. They were coming down anyways.”

“This is serious, Ray! You could go to jail!”

I chuckled. “I’m not going to jail, mom. And don’t call me Ray anymore; call me Draco.”

My mom turned toward the door as we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She turned back on me with a stern look. “I don’t care what you think you are or what nonsense has gotten in your head. You are good, Ray. Deep down. You would never hurt people like that.”

Just then, the door to my bedroom burst open. Two cops, armed with guns, stood at the doorway. Once they saw me, they pointed their pistols at me. “Ray Simmons!” One cop yelled. “You’re under arrest! Get down on the ground with your hands up!”

My mom jumped to her feet, her arms raised out of reflex. “Ray, do as they say!”

I casually stood up, smirked at the two officers, and looked at my mom. “You don’t know the real me, mom. I’ve grown out of being good.”

“ON THE GROUND!” the second officer ordered. “WE WILL SHOOT!”

“You’re wrong mom. I’m not good…” I turned back to the cops, stoking my powers and glaring at them through glowing eyes. They both opened fire. I lunged to the left, dodging both bullets as time seemed to slow down. I sped toward them and yanked their guns out of their hands. Gusts of wind blew through the room as I ran, tossing the curtains around and my mom’s hair to the side. By the time the cops finally realized their guns we’re missing, they both gulped as they stared down the barrel of their own guns. I held both pistols and aimed them directly at their heads. They both raised their hands, fear spread across their faces. I turned to my mom. “… I’m a god.”

I squeezed. Instead of pulling the triggers, I crushed the guns in my fingers, like they were made of playdough, and tossed them to the floor. My mom held her hands over her mouth, looking shocked.

I strode up to the two officers, placed my hands between them, and scooted them to the sides, like I would with clothes hanging in the closet, and walked out of the bedroom. As I walked down the stairs, I realized something. I didn’t need this house. I didn’t need my mom. I could take care of myself just fine.

I opened my front door and paused. There was a barricade of police cars with their lights flashing. Cops stood behind their vehicles with their pistols and rifles aimed at me. “Get on your knees with your hands where we can see them!” a cop said through his megaphone. They’d apparently been waiting for me to return home, unable to find me until now.

I strode closer to them, my eyes glowing, not slowing my pace.

“We will shoot you!” the head cop said.

I kept walking, ignoring their orders.

They opened fire. The sound was deafening, like a hundred fireworks going off all at once and I had the front row seat. I hunched over, raising my arms to shield my face, and stoked my powers on to full throttle. The burning in my gut burned hotter, like a bomb went off inside me.

Hundreds of bullets pelted me. They stung my skin like the tiny grains of sand in a sandstorm. More irritating than painful. After half a minute, the sound of gunshots died down, and the stinging stopped. I stood straight, lowering my arms to my sides, and felt multiple bullets drop to the ground around me, making audible clings as they bounced on the sidewalk. My shirt and the bottom of my jeans had been ripped to shreds, but that didn’t bother me.

I stared at the cops, letting them see my glowing eyes. They gawked. A few cops stood up from behind their cars, looking confused. The head officer held his megaphone limply to the side, his mouth wide open.

I raised my arms to my sides and shrugged. It was a gesture that said, “Oh well. Nice try.” They are beneath me, I thought. Law enforcement is for mortals. They aren’t even worth my time or attention. I lifted my chin to the sky, and leaped into the air, leaving the police below in a gust of wind.

I shook my head as I remembered that I’d once regretted touching the glowing Star Stone that now rested in my pocket. I’d hated it for ruining my dream as a football champion. How shortsighted I was! The Hall of Fame was nothing compared to being a god! Touching that stone had expanded my vision to new horizons. New dreams. Dreams of immortality, power, and basically getting to do whatever I wanted.

My head still throbbed and my stomach groaned. I stopped my ascent and gazed down at Tucson. I was so hungry I could kill!