Chương 39: The Price of Fame

I pushed back my next training session with Mr. Cheng until tomorrow. While Gran puttered around in the kitchen, my fingers dialled the number on our landline. Sharon picked up and I told her that I was sick and needed some rest. Mentally and physically, my body needed some recouping time, and there was also a feeling that Lau-shur would take notice of every little change in me since we'd last met. At school, people would not stop singing my anthem, it rang out along the halls whenever I walked down them.

They also re-enacted the fight, usually when Brandon wasn't around. Despite the fact that I'd won, he was still the most intimidating, or as I liked to tell myself, most likely to punch someone just for saying something he didn't like. As always, the truth got twisted until it was completely mangled.

Eventually, word got round that Brandon had had me up against the lockers with his pants down, fulfilling his most unconsensual sadist fantasies, until I poked him with a pinkie finger and turned him into a paraplegic for an hour. They at least got one thing right. In a fair world, Brandon would have been immediately kicked out of the school, but loopholes and enabling parents will always exist to confound the laws of justice.

He couldn't be expelled when his behavior was a result of his suddenly diagnosed bipolarism, according to the school counselor. He couldn't even be suspended because his mother appealed the decision. People said that his dad threatened to sue the school over the whole thing. It was all a big complicated mess and the truth was probably somewhere in the middle. The only fact that mattered was that Brandon was back at school.

You'd think he would be on the war path for me and anyone else talking about it, but he walked around school, lips lined in a grimace but saying nothing. That alone was enough to cower a lot of people, so maybe he was leaning into that, but it was distinctly different from his usual hot head behavior. But as long as he left me alone, I really did not care. People came up to talk to me all of the time now with only about a million questions.

"Can you teach me that same move? I want to use it on my little brother when he takes too long with the Switch."

"Are you a Karate master? Where's your black belt?"

"Are you a Chem Head? How do I join? Do I get to kill people?"

"You can choke me, disable me– I'll let you do whatever you want, babe." That was Tony again. He clearly needed some counseling. I hid in a bathroom stall during lunch. Who knew that being popular was so much worse than being hated, at least when you're an introvert. This was why the Academy was not for me. The door opened and the soft clack of shoes heading inside filled the air. Whoever it was stopped in front of my stall and then cleared their throat.

"Cass–""No, I can't show you the technique so you can use it on that guy who never texted you back, okay! I take classes for it and maybe, you know, don't disable someone just for not liking you? Seriously–""It's Mavis, Cass." My body froze in mid-rant.

"I just wanted to talk with you. Because… we haven't done that in a really long time." My fingers were tapping against my jean-clad knees. Guess I was the one needing repetitive movements to comfort myself now. She sighed because this was typical Cass protocol. Hiding away, not talking to anyone.

"I want to know what's going on with you. I barely recognize who you are anymore." Clearly, I hadn't changed as much as she thought. I could give her all of my cover stories, but what would she do with them? Tell me to stop being reckless, stop putting myself in danger. I might be the one hiding right now, but Mavis hid from everything. That was just with the made up stuff. If she knew the real truth ….

"I think it's great that you stood up to that jerk Brandon." She let out a big breath.

"Obviously, that's something we've all been waiting and hoping to see. I just don't understand why you've been so distant for months now. It feels like you're changing into a different person. And I get it, that's not always a bad thing, and you're probably going to get a lot more friends now." Her voice was starting to waver, the words coming out half-formed.

"I'm okay with that as long as there's one thing that doesn't change: that you're still that girl who sat next to me in elementary school after my mom died, who didn't try to excuse the actions of… I just don't want to lose my only–" Stolen novel; please report. The door of the stall burst open and I slammed into her, my arms wrapping her in a hug as I buried my face in her shoulder.

"I don't want to lose you either." I was clearly allergic to something at the school because my eyes were watery again. I pulled back and looked her in the eyes, hands on her shoulders.

"You have to save me from these people. I get into one fight and they turn into a ravenous crowd that wants something from me, but I can't figure out what. Except for Tony, he was pretty clear with what he wanted. I really need to take a shower after hearing it though." Mavis laughed through what sounded like a sob.

"He's definitely not good enough for my best friend." I hugged her tighter. It was a nice reminder that I'd had true friends before all of this.

"You're not upset about the fight with Brandon?" She took a step back from our hug and leaned against the wall, eyes on her shoes.

"I got scared when I saw you fighting him, but I guess you can't always run away. I'm glad you were able to stop him from hurting you. How did you do it, anyway?" I let out a breath I had apparently been holding.

"It's not, like, powers or anything, it's just martial arts. Don't worry, anyone can do it." Mavis looked down, her shoulders lowering from their former tense posture. She closed her eyes as she sighed, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Good. You're the only other person who understands how terrible they are." My fingers scratched at my head as I stared at my shoes. I was exactly like that before everything, so I really couldn't blame her. And the big question was: was there anything that would have convinced me otherwise?

"I mean…" My eyes were on the sink, the paper towel dispenser, anywhere but her.

"I hate the super culture– it's horrible and ridiculous and everyone involved needs to get therapy and a life. But, I don't know if everyone with powers is bad. If someone was just–" Mavis wasn't looking away anymore. Her eyes were boring into mine, her finger tapping a rapid beat on her leg.

"They are the worst. Always hurting people. Don't forget it, Cass. Okay?" Her voice was high and sharp. I nodded my head slowly.

"I won't." Mavis sighed but her eyes had a look in them when she stared at me that didn't feel right. A slight lowering of her brow or narrowing of the eyes. It was hard to tell, but it was definitely different. Mavis and I found our usual empty table in the corner for lunch. We had visitors coming over every few minutes, trying to talk to me, but Mavis insisted that she was saving those seats for someone else. Tony was the hardest to drive off.

"No problem Mildred, I'll leave when they get here." His red, droopy eyes kept flicking up and down over me.

"My name is Mavis and I would prefer it if you left now." She clicked her chopsticks loudly before picking up a noodle from her lunch. This was an entirely new side to her. Mavis didn't usually talk to other kids besides me, let alone tell them to buzz off. Tony just kept his face turned toward me as he leaned across the table.

"So Cass, when are you going to come over to my place? We could watch Webflix and chill."

"Tony, I'm not interested in–" Before I could finish my sentence, Colin took the seat next to Tony.

"Hey Cassandra! I told everyone how amazing you were before, but nobody believed me. I said she's a real hero even if she doesn't have powers, but they all laughed. Well, they aren't laughing now, right?" The words poured from his mouth like they couldn't get out fast enough. Mavis's mouth pulled into a tight line when he used the word hero.

"We are saving those seats for friends so if you two could leave that would be great." Her voice had gone up a few octaves. Colin blinked at her behind his coke bottle glasses.

"I thought you two didn't have any other friends?" The burn was said with such innocent confusion that it was hard to hold it against the little freshman. Besides, he was right. Mavis had her mouth pinched, eyelashes touching her forehead as her eyes opened wide. She was a kernal ready to pop.

"I think what Mavis is trying to say–" I said, holding up a hand in front of her to prevent any explosions "–is we want to talk privately so maybe you guys could give us some space?" Tony nodded his head sagely.

"Girl talk. I get it. I'll give you ladies some space." Colin jerked his head up and down quickly.

"Ok, I understand. Can I get a selfie with you first though, Cass?"

"Good idea," Tony chimed in.

"Get one of us with a hand around my neck and the other reaching for my–""JUST GO!" Mavis' yell could be heard across the cafeteria. Her whole hand was patting a staccato rhythm on her leg. Half of the heads in the room turned towards us. A silence followed as people waited, food hanging halfway out of their mouths, to see if a fight was about to break out. A loud burp from the left corner was the only thing that did.

"Ok geez, chill out, Mildred. We're leaving." Tony grumbled as he got up from the table.

"Her name is Mavis," I said.

"And by the way, Tony, nematodes have a better chance of getting with me than you do." I watched the cogs in his brain try to begin to turn.

"Go read a book for once and you'll understand." Colin leaned over to whisper, "They're self fertile, so she's implying that you'll never–""I knew that!" Tony said, shoving against Colin as he walked away, raising his middle fingers at us in adieu.

"Your loss, babe. I was ready to be your submissive." Colin got to his feet, with his head down and voice small.

"I'm sorry I bothered you." He looked like a kicked puppy. I glanced at Mavis quickly, then said, "Wait, Colin, you can stay." His head popped up with a smile that stretched across his whole face.

"Thanks! Can I still get the…"

"No selfie," I interrupted him.

"Just sit down, you can hang out with us if you want. Mavis doesn't mind, right?" Mavis looked like she very much did mind. She was staring daggers at little Collin as if he was Meat Tower sitting at our table. My foot struck out under the table and kicked her leg.

"Right, Mavis?" She took a deep breath and looked away.

"Yeah, he can sit there." Nobody else tried to come over after that. Mavis screaming at Tony seemed to send out the right signal that we wanted to be left alone. Colin unfortunately spent the remainder of the meal peppering me with questions about how I beat up Brandon. Mavis ate in silence, with a look on her face like every bite was disgusting.