Lou heard Nate's voice echoing from downstairs, and it was then that he decided to slip on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Of course, he didn't have time to run a hand through his hair before Nate, obviously impatient, roared up the stairs and burst through his room.

"I assumed you wouldn't be attending school today. Guess I was right." Nate burst out, his eyes roving over the room with expressionistic weariness. "Did you pass out from the sheer power of your cringe?"

Lou glanced up, a grin tugging at his lips. “Good morning to you too, idiot. What are you doing here so early?”

Nate shrugged, mischief lighting his eyes. "Figured you could use a pick-me-up after last night. Plus, I had to see the infamous Captain Cringe in the flesh."

Lou groaned, shaking his head as he pulled on his shoes. "Don’t start."

Nate sauntered into the room, grinning widely. “Seriously though, last night was something else. You set a new record for drunken cringe. I’m impressed. That means your gift really kicked in, huh?”

Lou chuckled, tugging at his shirt. “At least I didn’t spend the entire night hugging the toilet like someone I know.”

Nate burst out laughing, clapping Lou on the back with a force that nearly made him stumble. “Hey, after witnessing your performance, I needed a drink or ten to cope.”

Lou glanced in the mirror, adjusting his hair with a smirk. “Admit it, handling my cringe isn’t for the faint of heart. Not everyone can teleport away from their problems like you.”

Nate raised an eyebrow and mimicked Lou’s tone dramatically. “Oh yes, one’s gifted with the power to make everyone cringe, and the other can only teleport anywhere. Totally fair.”

Lou shook his head, laughing. “Stop being a dick. I thought you were here to cheer me up. And It’s not making people cringe. It’s more complicated, like I can level up from it, and get stronger. Weird, but kind of cool, huh?”

Nate’s eyes widened in mock amazement. “So, you’re telling me you’re going to become the ultimate cringe lord?”

Lou snorted and rolled his eyes. "Something like that. Anyway, I'm ready. Let's get out of here. Maybe some fresh air will do us good."

Nate's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he gave Lou a double thumbs-up. "Yeah, sure. What about a breakfast at the diner? You can tell me more about this power of yours." Lou's voice echoed through the house as he bounded down the stairs, Nate hot on his heels "Mom, we are leaving!"

Julia poked her head out of the kitchen and gave them a warm smile: "Right, boys, have a good time and take it easy on getting yourselves into trouble, okay?" Lou grinned back at her. "No promises, Mom," he replied as he slipped out the door with Nate.

----------------------------------------

“So, what’s the deal with this power of yours?” Nate asked, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"Like I was saying," Lou started, kicking a stray pebble down the sidewalk, "I guess it's a growth-type power? Basically, the more cringe I induce, the stronger I get. Last night, when everyone was cringing, I could feel myself leveling up. It’s weird but kind of amazing.”

Nate's brows shot up in surprise. "Growth-type? Never heard of it. So, how does it work exactly?"

Lou shrugged. "I have these stats like intelligence, charisma, strength, and so on. As I make people cringe, I earn points and can distribute them to increase my stats."

Nate laughed, shaking his head. "You are serious? I have never heard such a thing before. So you're telling me you can get smarter, stronger, and all that from just making people uncomfortable?"

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Lou shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. Last night, I leveled up a few times. I don't exactly know how it works, but that was pretty much the gist of it."

Nate scratched his head, quite interested in the topic. "This is insane. We have to try this out."

Lou chuckled. "I saw that coming. Got any bright ideas?"

Nate grinned wickedly, then. "Buckle up, buddy."

Before Lou could protest, Nate had already grabbed his arm. Everything before them blurred and then seemed to swirl to the point that before Lou knew it, they were standing in front of some diner. Lou stumbled a little, his vision blurring for a split second as he realized it was the familiar sensation of Nate's teleportation washing over him. His stomach lurched like he had just stepped off a roller coaster.

"Dude, warn me next time!" Lou recovered, steadying himself.

Nate laughed, "I told you to buckle up, didn't I? Oh well. We'd best get inside. I must see this power at work."

The diner's door flew open with a jingle, and waves of warmth and the tantalizing scent of sizzling bacon tumbled out like a surge of it. Lou's stomach groaned back at it, a symphony of hunger pangs answering the nervous excitement bubbling up inside of him.

Mismatched vinyl booths lined the walls, the worn leather seats groaning under the weight of hungry patrons. Vintage movie posters and quirky artwork jostled for attention, while the air buzzed with conversation and the clatter of breakfast dishes.

They slid into one of the weathered booths, the leather worn and the springs creaking in protest as they sat down. Nate leaned forward, his usual joking demeanor replaced by something more intense. "Okay, Lou," he said in a conspiratorial tone, "showtime. Let's see what this Cringe Power of yours can do."

Lou grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You like this a little too much, don't you?"

There it was: a grin that seemed to take years off him, revealing the hint of the mad scientist buried beneath his easygoing facade. "Oh, yes. Now jump in there and make me proud, Captain Cringe."

A waitress, sporty in a sunshine-yellow apron and a smile that could melt butter, materialized at their table. Her voice was as sweet as the maple syrup she carried in a small pitcher. "Good morning, gentlemen! What can I get for you today?" she chirped.

Lou inhaled deeply, then turned to the waitress, this time with his wide, awkward smile, "Hi! Can I get a stack of your finest pancakes? And um, I also want the chef to marinate the pancakes with lullabies."

The waitress blinked, really taken aback. Her eyes narrowed as she processed the request. "Kids, do I look like I have time for this? If you want pancakes, just say so. Don't waste my time with nonsense."

Lou knew he was pushing his luck but he continued. “Oh, and can you tell me your thoughts on the meaning of life? Just curious.”

The waitress released a sigh of exasperation, the strains on her patience appearing transparent. "Anything else?" she barked as she wrote down the order with a scowl.

Nate chipped in "I want pancakes as well, not whispered by anyone." The waitress, now totally indignant, turned on her heel, fuming, and went storming off.

Nate bit his lip, trying not to roar with laughter.

Lou turned back to Nate, who was shaking with silent laughter. “How was that?”

Nate nodded, still chuckling. “Not bad. Let’s see if you leveled up.”

Lou closed his eyes, focusing. Suddenly, a holographic notification flashed before his eyes:

"LEVEL UP! You are now Level 6."

"Yep, just leveled up. This is definitely working," said Lou with amazement in his voice. "But it is so hard to do this. I don't know if I’ll ever recover from that."

Nate clapped his hands together. "I don't know if this waitress will ever recover from that." He paused, then leaned in, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, now that you've leveled up, what do you get? Do you have any new cringe powers?"

Lou grinned. "I wish. I haven't got anything like that yet. I only get two stat points to distribute with each level. I can increase my intelligence, wisdom, strength, dexterity, constitution, or charisma."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "Charisma, huh? Maybe you should pour all your points into that. You definitely need it."

Lou laughed. "Very funny. But seriously, I have to think strategically. Increasing charisma might actually work against me. How can I make people cringe if they find me charismatic? Intelligence and wisdom help me understand my power better, and strength, dexterity, and constitution would help me handle any physical confrontations if people get too upset."

Nate shook his head, still grinning. "Yeah, yeah, Mr. Strategic. So, what are you thinking? Brain or brawn?"

Lou leaned back, contemplating. "I think a mix is best. Maybe one point in wisdom to better understand this power and one in strength or constitution to handle any physical confrontations. Balance is key."

Nate nodded, impressed. "Smart move. You don't want to end up too lopsided. Imagine being super smart but weak as a noodle. Or strong as an ox but too dumb to use your power effectively."

Lou chuckled. "Exactly. I need to strike the right balance. Plus, if I get too strong, I might end up scaring people instead of just making them cringe. That could get messy."

Nate burst out laughing. "Yeah, Captain Cringe with muscles. That would be something to see."

This brought their conversation to a halt as the waitress returned with their food. She tossed the plates onto the table and huffed, clearly still annoyed. "Enjoy your meal," she said curtly before walking away.

Lou looked at his pancakes and then back at Nate. "Alright, Captain Cringe is ready for his next mission. What's the plan?"

Nate grinned, leaning back in the booth. "Dude, take it easy. Even I’m cringing with you calling yourself that goofy ass title. First, we eat. Then, we strategize. We need to figure out how to level you up faster without causing a scene every time. Maybe there are other ways to make people cringe that are less... direct."

Lou nodded, digging into his pancakes. "Sounds like a plan. Let's see how far this power can take us."

Nate asked sarcastically, "So how's your pancake? Can you taste the lullabies?"

Lou, trying not to laugh, replied, "Yeah, these pancakes are definitely marinated with lullabies."

As they ate, they brainstormed more and more, each idea more ridiculous than the last, and yet each brought them closer to grasping the potential of Lou's powers.