This chapter introduces the main characters of the first part of the story. I'm not giving away much in this one.
"If I Could Fly"
Chapter 1 – Overture
The fist stopped just short of the door. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He thought about turning back then remembered the three hour train ride he had taken just to get here. He couldn't go back now. But what if it was still there? How would he deal with it? He hadn't thought this trip through at all. He was nervous, and being nervous scared him. There was not much that could make him nervous anymore.
He forced his fist to make contact with the door. Whatever happened, he would deal with it the way he had always done. Less than a second after he started knocking, the door was almost ripped off its hinges as it was opened and something hit him in the chest with a squeal, almost knocking him to the ground. He looked down to find a familiar young woman of nineteen years clinging to him.
"Hey Dev. How've you been?" He asked the face embedded in his shoulder.
"Zain, I've been OK. How are you?"
The woman released Zain and took a step back. Zain brushed his long blond hair out of his eyes and beheld his old friend Devon Schaffer. Her shoulder length black hair, tanned skin and long legs. For the first time in months he looked into those massive brown eyes and found the answer to his earlier question. It was still there. That feeling that spread through his body whenever he saw something unspeakably beautiful.
"I'm fine," he said breathlessly.
They stepped into the building and Devon led Zain down a short hallway until they found themselves in a living room. It had all the usual features of a living room including a sofa and T.V plus it had a fridge, cooker and sink.
"You have a kitchen in your living room. Cool," remarked Zain.
"Well we can't afford the bigger dorms so we've had to become expert space savers," explained Devon.
Besides the furnishing there were three people waiting for them in the living room, looking to be introduced. One of the guys was tall, the other was about a head shorter than Zain. The last person was another young woman, about the same height as the shorter guy. Zain was able to guess who they all were before Devon started to talk.
"This is my room mate, Charlotte, and her boyfriend, Ben." said Devon.
"Devon told me about you all before I came out here," Zain told them as he shook their hands.
"And this is my boyfriend, Jed," presented Devon.
"Nice to meet you," lied Zain.
The truth was this Jed made him feel uneasy. Not only was this man tall, standing an inch or two above the already tall Zain, he was also broad and gave off a feeling of power. He seemed to dominate the room. He smiled at Zain as they shook hands but Zain could see past it into the eyes that appeared to be sizing him up, calculating, making him nervous again.
"Its amazing how dry you are," Jed observed.
"Why's that?" Asked Zain.
"Its been pouring with rain outside for an hour."
Eddie turned the lights out. Lightning always looks more impressive in the dark. He sat in his chair with a beer and watched the storm raging outside. He never used to like lightning but had grown fond of it over the last year. In fact it had been about a year since he had a reason to be scared of anything.
He glanced to the empty seat beside him and sighed. The usual occupant of that chair had gone to visit an old friend of theirs at university. Or rather, a friend of Zain's. Devon and Eddie had never really been friends. They had been so much more. That is why Eddie had chosen not to go with Zain. He didn't know how awkward it would be and didn't want to find out.
He wondered what the two of them would talk about. They had a lot of catching up to do. Eddie's heart jolted faster. What if he told her about what happened last year, what they could now do. The two guys needed to keep that between themselves. They had read the comics, seen the films. They knew what would happen to them if this got out somehow.
Devon thought back to three months ago and wondered if Zain's prediction had come true. He had hurt her that day and she promised she would strive to make sure he was wrong. She had not kept that promise very well and only managed to talk to him once since leaving her home for university. It was that conversation that led to her inviting him to visit for a few days.
Now she wasn't so sure if she wanted him here. Seeing him brought back a lot of memories. She had lived in a world of difficult choices. The images of people she used to love clouded her minds eye causing her actual eyes to become clouded with tears. She quickly pushed the tears back and the images to the back of her mind. She shouldn't be thinking of things that have already happened, things she had no control over.
She forced her mind back to the present where she decided she was being stupid. The return of an old friend should be a happy moment. She had missed Zain, and it was good to see him again. She felt a little bad for leaving him at the dorm while she and Jed went for dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the first month of their relationship. Zain didn't seem to mind though, said he would probably check out the local pubs. Devon hoped he didn't get lost. She knew about his sense of direction, or lack of it.
She looked across the table to Jed. She had a better life now. Or so she had thought until about a month ago.
"Eddie, stop worrying, I'm not gonna tell anyone. I'm not that stupid," Zain reassured his friend over the phone.
He looked around outside the pub. Which way was the dorm from here? He cursed his sense of direction. Shaking his head, he stepped inside. He'll find his way back later. If need be he could always give Devon a drunk call asking to be picked up. He smiled at the image, then saw the pretty girl girl behind the bar and his smile broadened. He knew just how to deal with his feelings for Devon.
"Dude," he said into the phone, "you should've come too, you'd love it here."
The man sat at the table deep in thought. There was something about this Zain he didn't like. The way he looked at Devon, the way he quickly changed the subject after it was mentioned that he was dry when he came in despite it raining outside. Both of these spelled trouble. The hair on the back of the man's neck stood on end. He sensed a storm coming. One he would meet head on.
Next chapter:
Abilities unveiled
Fights break out