The Loner Page 6

  “Wait, why?”

  “Ever heard of a placebo effect? You’ve been so pent-up and reserved... I thought I’d give you a little help with loosening up.”

  “Well, it obviously worked,” I fire back sarcastically.

  “Calm down, boy scout. Don’t get it twisted. I’m all for consensual drinking. You’re the one who took the bottle...and didn’t get drunk. The most you’re probably riding on right now is a sugar high, and everyone knows how bad they can get. I may not look it, but I’m actually terrified by you right now, I swear.” Summer raises her hands in front of her face and feigns panic. I just roll my eyes at her. “I honestly can’t stop shaking.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Hey, I did you a favor. Your power is triggered by fear in case you didn’t catch on. I don’t know how you didn’t know that. You’re welcome by the way.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I say dismissively. “I think I figured that one out when Tristen was trying to melt me.” Or that time that I freaking incinerated two people.

  “I was just trying to be a good teammate. I was looking out for you.”

  “Did you plan this whole thing?”

  “What? No. That’d be crazy. I just wanted to come out here, relax, get you fake drunk, and try to get you to use your powers. That’s it, I swear. Why would I get Tristen’s groupies to fight us? I was just looking out for you, Aiden.”

  “Yeah? Why?” I stop and turn to face her.

  “Because I know how it feels to be in your position. Afraid of your abilities.”

  “Wait, what do you mean?”

  “I saw how you reacted after you blasted Tristen. You were scared.”

  “Yeah, but...”

  “I lied to you, Aiden.”

  “What? Again?” I try to walk away, but she grabs me by the arm and pulls me back.

  “No, I’m serious. Just give me a sec before you go storming off.”

  “Fine.” I huff.

  “Remember when I told you that it took me three days to learn how to chill a drink? Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth. Everything I touched turned to ice... Even my best friend.”

  “Summer, I...”

  “No, it’s fine. Really, it is. We were able to get help for her, but I was terrified. I almost killed her. She lived, but I lost her. I don’t blame her or anything. I understand. It’s just that—”

  ...Right...and you’ve been cold ever since.

  “Enough,” I say after raising my hand out in front of her. “Stop... I get it. Any more of this and you’ll start to lose your reputation.”

  “My wha—Hey, I was being vulnerable, you dick.” I can tell from looking into her eyes that what she said was heartfelt and that it took a lot for her to say it. She really was sorry, and she really did care, despite how she may show it. The little tidbit she gave me was more than enough to understand where she was coming from. Somehow the story got out and the others ostracized her.

  “Yeah, I got that. It’s unbecoming.”

  Summer’s fist hardens with a coat of ice and she strikes me right in the solar plexus, sending me to my knees. “That better?” she muses while towering above me. She’s nice enough to even let me catch my breath.

  “Perfect,” I rasp.

  “Good.” Summer takes another swig from the bottle before walking off. “By the way, good job on being clutch back there. If you didn’t do anything, we totally would have had to fight. I would have been pissed if those fuckboys ruined my dress. Yeah, I really hope they flunk out. I can’t wait until we crack the code on asexual reproduction. If they attack us again, I’m going to castrate them.”

  “What?”

  “See ya tomorrow!” I hear a bottle crack in the distance and I roll my eyes. Did she really just—ugh.

  “Same,” I whisper, my hand still over my gut. Summer’s a handful, but at least I’m sure that I made a new friend.

  ****

  “So, how did it go?” The walk back to my dorm was a confusing one. Our date had ended, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about it. It was strange, just like everything else here. “Aiden?”

  “It was fine,” I answer Tyler dismissively. When I first stepped in our dorm, the door to his room was open, so he wouldn’t give me a chance to sneak off without checking in with him.

  “Just fine? That’s all you have to say? She didn’t curve you, did she?”

  “What? No. Nothing like that. It was just...crazy.”

  “Good crazy or bad crazy?” Tyler says with a furrowed brow. I can hear the sounds of explosions and a commentator coming from his screen although I can’t see it. He’s on his game again, but this was enough to pull him away.

  “Neutral.” I shrug.

  “Did you at least make a move on her?”

  “Nope.”

  “Come on, man. You gotta pull the trigger!”

  “It wasn’t like that. It was...platonic...ish,” I say as I rub the top of my core where Summer hit me. She packs a punch. If I would have had a full stomach, I for sure would have puked.

  “Geez, you’re hopeless. So, what did y’all end up doing then?”

  “We went out to the park, drank some kind of mango sweet punch thing, we shared our deepest and darkest secrets about our past, and then Tristen’s goons tried to jump us...which is quite ridiculous, might I add. It’s kinda insane that Tristen hates me that much. We beat him fair and square.”

  “So you got in a fight?”

  “Nah. Almost, but Summer and I managed to scare them off—she taught me how to use my powers better before they came.”

  “Oh shit, and it worked?”

  “Yeah,” I answer. “Yeah, it did. She’s a good teacher, surprisingly. She had to lie to me, but it worked.” I shrug.

  “Wait, what? Things just got interesting.”

  “They did, but I’m going to bed. I’m sore from when she sucker punched me,” I muse while walking towards my room. “Night.”

  “Hey, Aiden!” He calls out from his room. “Don’t leave me hanging like that. Aiden? Aiden!”

  “It’s no biggie, I have to get ready for tomorrow. I swear.” I shut the door and strip down for the night with a smile on my face that I couldn’t get rid of if I tried. Things aren’t perfect, but oddly enough, it feels like even with everything going on, I’m on the way to getting there.

  Chapter 6

  “To sum up what we discussed so far, I must say, I was quite impressed by your cohesiveness as a team. Despite your opposition, you all managed to keep a level head and focus on the objective—especially you, Aiden. You displayed great leadership skills as well as tactical prowess. Your lack of magic didn’t stop you from pushing the offensive. Your strategy was quite remarkable...using Tristen’s temperament against him.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Hoover.” I nod.

  “However,” he says with a pregnant silence, “your execution needs to be more refined. You were able to identify and dismantle the dynamics of your opposition, but your plan of attack was quite rash. If your powers wouldn’t have awakened, your chance of winning would have been severely diminished.”

  “I’ll do better next time, sir.”

  “It’s quite all right, Aiden. Few know their limits because they are often afraid to push themselves. You dove head-first into the flames and emerged as a stronger version of yourself. Kudos...and excellent work to you, Summer, for covering Aiden. You were able to pick up on his strategy and incorporated one of your own. You displayed amazing battle sense and adaptability, which is excellent because your ice allows for a wide range of both offensive and defensive techniques. Your abilities are only limited by your own creativity while out in the field.”

  “Thanks, but I was just trying to get an A,” Summer answers with her crossed arms while slouching in her seat.

  “And you’ve done just that.” He smiles.

  “Perfect.”

  “Erik, your performance was fantastic as well. Even though you eventually were incapacitated by Kaci, your effor
ts were what allowed the team to thrive and ultimately win. Teamwork is all about sacrifice, and all of your plays were critical. Your initial diversion was the wedge that Aiden needed in order to implement his plan and give Summer a moment to catch her breath. Your strategy when pursuing Kaci was good, but there were areas in which you could improve. Your abilities aren’t suited to deal with hers, but there are ways to increase your effectiveness. I’ll be happy to discuss these methods with you in private, shortly.”

  “Thank you.”

  Last night was cool, but once morning hit, it was just another day at the academy—ridiculous classes, dodging drama, and trying to stay on top of things. Tristen and his goons hadn’t tried anything so far, but I doubt that it’d be the end our squabble. If anything, it only means that he’ll be gunning for me harder in the exercises that allow for combat. I haven’t tried to use my ability ever since last night, but I’d like to believe that it won’t go into hiding anytime soon. It’s just...I don’t know...dangerous. If we ended up fighting last night and I hit someone, I don’t know how much damage I’d cause. It was stupid to activate them in the first place. Somebody could have gotten seriously hurt and I’d lose my spot at the academy.

  “Now, I’d like to take a moment to talk to each of you individually, starting with Aiden, so Summer and Erik, if you will?” Mr. Hoover extends an open hand to the door, gesturing them towards the exit. “Summer, you’re next. Don’t go running off.”

  “Sure thing,” she says flatly. “I’m just going to run to the cafeteria and get a snack, but I’ll be back.” I don’t look back at Summer, but I do manage to see a faint sense of bewilderment at Summer’s proposal. She literally does whatever she wants, and apparently, teachers aren’t exempt from her antics...at least to some degree.

  “Okay...but make it quick. We have a lot to discuss and I have other students to attend to,” Mr. Hoover says with a stern undertone.

  “Will do, Boss man.”

  Once Summer and Erik leave, Mr. Hoover adjusts his posture in his seat and clears his throat.

  “Mr. Cross.”

  “Yes?”

  “As I stated before, your display yesterday was quite remarkable.” Mr. Hoover reaches inside one of the drawers to his desk and pulls out two manila folders—one he keeps for himself and another he places in front of me.

  “Thank you,” I respond nervously as I look at the folder now resting in front of me.

  “That’s for you, Aiden. Go on, open it. It’s a write-up of your abilities, gathered from the information we pulled from your suit.”

  “Oh, okay.” Mr. Hoover slides the folder closer. I pick it up and begin to read through the files.

  “While you look over everything, I’m just going to go ahead and start talking if that’s fine.”

  “Sure.” I nod.

  “I’m going to be frank with you. Your powers are somewhat of an enigma, Aiden. Not as much as the functional aspect, but rather, the properties of the energy your body appears to produce.”

  Dark energy with fire-like consistency of varying intensity. Clear destructive tendencies, possibility to manipulate form with practice. “Mhmm.” I nod while skimming through my file.

  “Your body produces this...energy...that has a flame-like consistency much like Tristen’s actual pyrokinetic abilities, but...”

  “But?”

  “But unlike Tristen’s fire, yours doesn’t produce any heat, which is rather odd. No heat readings were picked up from either of your suits. What is clear though is that your abilities are quite destructive in nature. Did Summer tell you about what happened yesterday?”

  “Summer? No. What do you mean?” I lean forward in my seat, sweat starting to pool beneath my uniform. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, but I am surprised that she didn’t mention what happened during training yesterday. Kaci didn’t either, I’m assuming.” He rubs his face in contemplation.

  “I’m...confused. What happened?”

  “When you attacked Tristen...when your abilities awakened...your attack was far more powerful than what you may have originally thought. Kaci was able to place a barrier between your flame and Tristen before it made impact. Your flame broke through it with no qualms and went on to fracture the structure of Tristen’s suit.”

  “It did?”

  “Yes,” Mr. Hoover affirms. “It was virtually instantaneous. All of this happened while you closed your eyes in a panic. Kaci was somewhat drained from her previous bout, but it was still an impressive feat. Usually when a combination of energies collide with one another there’s some form of a reaction. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it was almost like your powers ate hers.”

  “Ate?” I ask, not fully understanding the weight of his words.

  “More research has to be done, and I’ll be sure to speak to Kaci when it’s her time for her review. She should be able to give me better insight as to what happened. I just wanted to bring it to your attention to see if you noticed anything strange that happened in that moment. Tristen’s powers didn’t seem to be affected, but our data from his suit was inconclusive due to the damage caused.”

  “Oh.” My head dips towards my desk. “Okay.”

  “It’s not as dramatic as it sounds. These things happen, and at the core of things, this is why you’re here in the first place, to understand and master your abilities. No need to fret, Aiden. The answers will come in time. Aiden?”

  “Yes?”

  “Have you tried to use your powers again since training?”

  "I have, but I haven’t been able to do much. I can feel it when I concentrate, so I know it’s there, but I can’t do much else. Does that make sense?” Mr. Hoover scrunches his face in quiet speculation. What I told him wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t quite the truth. I was able to bring them out again, but the less I refer to what happened last night, the better.

  “I see.” Mr. Hoover’s face softens and he leans back in his chair. “Well, that’s good to hear. It looks like they are here to stay this time. And yes, it makes perfect sense. Your abilities are a part of you, just like everything else that comprises you as a person. The only difference between today and a few weeks ago is that you’re cognizant of its presence. Aiden, I get the feeling that your powers weren’t dormant, but rather, you didn’t know how to unlock them, which was the case for many students here at the academy. Sure, there is some growth that must take place for students to activate their abilities, but once that threshold has been met, it’s only a matter of time and effort.”

  “...So, you’re saying my time is now?”

  “It’s been a long time coming.” Mr. Hoover smirks.

  “Great.”

  “When our powers first activate, it’s usually by some sort of trigger. This trigger can be anything from emotion to a memory, and in some cases, out of necessity.”

  “You mean survival?” A flashback of the day my parents died shoots across my vision in a blur, like I was reliving it, moment by moment.

  “Precisely, Aiden, and I feel like the activation of your abilities was just that.”

  “Right,” I muse, brushing off my trauma. “That makes sense.”

  “The situation you were put in with Tristen motivated your dormant abilities to awaken.”

  “Fight or flight...”

  “Precisely. Your body’s adrenal response from the incoming dread, among other things, pushed you to break down the stronghold that limited the use of your powers.”

  “So, I should be able to use them again then, right?” I ask, playing dumb. Summer had already explained this to me without all of the formalities.

  “Correct. All you have to do is think back to how you felt when you first triggered your abilities, so, if you will.” Mr. Hoover turns over his hand, revealing his palm.

  “Wait, now?”

  “There’s no time like the present, Aiden.”

  “All right, I’ll give it a go.” I exhale. “So, all I have to do is focus?”


  “Yes. Close your eyes, lay your palm out on the table, and listen to the sound of my voice. Think back to yesterday, or even the time before that when you first had a glimpse of your abilities. What did you feel in that moment? Let it flow through you.”

  Just as Mr. Hoover instructed, I look within myself and soon the vision of my awakening plays in my mind’s eye. The gunfire. The screams. The desperation. The futile attempts at survival. Their last words...the emptiness. All of it comes back in a flooding wave of heat and emotion, and then...a stillness...

  “Well done, Aiden.” I open my eyes to see the dark flame dancing in my palm, fully under my control. “You’ve done it.”

  I cast aside the afterthought of my visions of pain and the flames twist in a weakening fashion. “Are they tied directly to my emotions?” I ask, watching the flame in hopes that it stabilizes.

  “In a way, but not quite. Your emotions, at least at the moment, are a conduit, but these flames are an extension of your very being. This is as natural to your body as breathing is.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it.” The flames contort, demanding my undivided attention. I feel them shift as I alternate between looking at my palm and my teacher.

  “In time.” I nod, but I don’t acknowledge him with my gaze. Instead I focus on the swirling energy in my palm, studying it, transfixed as if the dark, pulsing flames had some sort of secret hidden at its core.

  It’s almost like I could get lost in it if I let myself. There’s just so much I don’t know...

  “What do you want me to do with it, now?” I ask, my voice shaky as I try to remain in control. The flames wobble a bit before slightly diminishing. It was easier, believe it or not, when I was with Summer...when there was a threat. Hell, when I blasted Tristen it was a whole different sensation, entirely.

  “That’s it for now... Try to extinguish the flame. Release whatever tension you have in your body. Everyone’s powers act differently, but whatever source the power is stemming from, visualize cutting off that supply.” I do what he says with little effort and the flames cease. Another point for Summer and her late-night tutoring session. “Good. The next combat focused ABT exercise will be two weeks from now, so in the meantime, you should have enough training to further the fundamentals of what your abilities entail. For now, I don’t want you to try to do anything fancy, Aiden. As you know, your powers carry destructive properties. There are precautions set in order and dedicated places to practice, but I don’t want you to endanger yourself or others.”