Book Two Ch 2

                                    

                                          
"What's wrong, Dad?" I asked quietly, noticing the sweat glistening on his forehead. We had stopped a few meters from our house in the otherwise quiet and deserted neighborhood. I did not know how he had made it this far, but all became clear when secrets unraveled.
"Nothing," He said, although I could tell it wasn't true. He pulled off his headphones before continuing.
"Uncle Matt, have you and Derek put in a transfer request to join the police force?" Noah asked with wide eyes.
My father's eyes darkened as he answered, "No, Derek won't do anything until he can safely control his powers. I'm not even sure if I want to join now."
There was a heavy silence before Noah spoke again. "Well...it would be nice for James, my dad, and I to apply for the academy." He sighed heavily and made himself comfortable on the pavement next to us.
"You're not even sixteen, Noah. And James is barely going to be seventeen." My dad frowned. "I'm not sure I will return if I—either of you can't control your powers."
"Dad, we're cops sworn into duty no matter our circumstances," Derek contended, but my father nearly cracked.
"Don't argue with me, Derek. I'm not letting you endanger people with your new abilities. Besides, Uncle Henry and your cousins don't need to know about your superpowers. He's still the police chief, and it will happen if you return to work without learning restraint. We need no more trouble, and neither does your uncle."
Derek was afraid to push him any further. All four of us walked along with each other. My father was right. Derek needed to learn self-control before he could do anything. Having superpowers came with a great deal of responsibility. I remember the struggle I had when I got my abilities. It got tiring most times, trying to figure out how to control myself, incredibly when things got complicated. We didn't know what Derek could do, but I knew he learned much from my experience.
∆∆∆
DEREK
Samual was lean and muscular, with a slim build. His hair was cut short, black like his thick-framed glasses. His eyes were the same shade of brown, and his skin was tan. He wore a tee shirt and jeans, his shirt partly unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows, with a pair of Converse that looked a little scuffed. The book he was reading was a thick and dusty tome of literature. He looked like he had been through hell and back.
Grace was thin and curvy, with a medium bust and short brown hair. Her eyes were brown, and her skin was a creamy white. Her shirt and jeans were torn, her shirt knotted into a crop top, and her jeans hanging loosely behind her. Her hair was in a ponytail, and her face was free of makeup. She looked more relaxed than the last time I saw her. She has black and white trainers with scuffs on her soles.
Grace's eyes rounded, and her mouth opened. "Hey, boys?" Her voice trailed into a question as if she were asking for permission to continue. James took Grace to the floor quickly, saying nothing in response. Noah and I helped tackle her, pinning her to the kitchen floor with our combined weight.
"Get off of me!" Grace twisted beneath us, but we kept her tight between our chests. "You're hurting me," she wailed, putting up a good fight but losing control as tears filled her eyes.
I tightened my grip on her slender arms, locking them into place and peering deeply into her almond-shaped eyes. After a few moments of struggling, she stopped fighting, her gaze never leaving mine. James and I exchanged glances before agreeing to let Grace go.
"I see you gave lover boy superpowers," she grumbled, pushing an errant strand of hair away from her face with a trembling hand.
"How did you find us, Grace?" James asked, his voice taking on a wary tone. His question mirrored the one in my head.