Chapter 9 we are the Specials
"So tell me why I'm going with you today?" I yawn out.
Shifting in the car seat my whole body aches, I haven't slept since the day before. Every time I drift off to sleep Cameron's body was there again, every drop of blood, every broken bone, his mouth pleading for help, sits etched into my mind.
Duncan leans through the window of the car to explain, "Because of my unwavering charm and master persuasive skills. Plus I did you a favor yesterday by taking you to your parents it's the least you can do."
Duncan walks around the hood slipping into the driver's seat. After checking his mirrors he puts the car into ignition backing carefully out the garage. I let out another loud yawn, Duncan turns his head and asks, "Why are you so tired?"
My mouth starts to form the sentence and I quickly bite my tongue. Chris's words ring in my head "Not to your parents, not to the media, not to each other."
I gaze at Duncan his eyes were no longer on the road the glazed over face I had become accustomed to expressed genuine concern. "Nothing. Just a crazy night not much sleep," I say to quickly to be believable.
Duncan's eyes return to the road, easing over the dirt path of the campus. The car parks in front of the gate instantly my body tenses for the transition from the school. Duncan slams on the gas pedal sending me lurching forward then slammed back by the force of the portal. A flurry of light explodes engulfing the car spitting us out on a road. I open my eyes and relax at the view of the road we were once again on the road and my stomach isn't as queasy as before.
"That wasn't so bad." I mumble to myself.
"I know right you made it through the portal without almost puking," Duncan teases.
"Oh shut up. I wasn't that bad," I argue.
"You were about to lose your lunch in my car you were so scared," Duncan snorts.
"I was not scared then and I'm not scared now," I retort.
Duncan sneers, "Then why are you still holding my hand."
My mouth drops in shock at the sight my fingers are interlocked with Duncan's. How could I not have noticed this? My face oozes embarrassment and my cheeks burn in shame as I yank my hand away. Duncan notices watching my face turn up in frustration. The light reflecting off his eyes makes his crystal blue eyes sparkle even more. He laughs, "I don't get why you're so frustrated? There's nothing wrong with being scared sometimes."
Duncan's voice trails off allowing me time to think ignoring him I stare out of the window of the car watching the trees whisk by into a green blur. The cool air whips past my face sending my hair back. I can tell the air is cool but I don't shiver, I don't even have goosebumps on my arms, my powers are keeping me perfectly warm. I close my eyes to feel the air batter my face, the crisp air runs into my eyes sending tears down my face. My face relaxes from the biting weather, I sit waiting for a cool sensation even a mild shiver to no avail.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
Duncan replies, "You'll find out when we get there, relax. Take a nap, I don't want you to be tired when we get there."
"You want me to just relax and go to sleep in an unregistered vehicle with a known criminal while no one knows my location?" I challenge.
"Yep." Duncan replies coolly.
I recline in my seat muttering my skepticism, "If he really thinks I'm going to sleep while he's driving he has got to be out of his mind."
Before I'm able to finish my sentence I feel my consciousness fading away to blackness.
I'm dashing through the grass my limbs burn of fatigue. The cool familiarity of the moist grass squishes in tandem with my strides. My chest feels compressed like the air is being sucked out of my lungs. My feet collide, I trip slamming myself to the ground. I crawl begging my body to venture forward. Trudging through the darkness of the field the sky melts into the ground morphing into a drugged haze the ground trembles as I try to move. My legs fail from numbness still I claw forward without warning a fire encircles me. The fire dances in front of me tauntingly I focus on the flame trying to make it die but it won't shakily I hold out my finger to touch it. On contact the fire is warm singing my hand, swiftly I retract it cradling it with my body. My arm gives way causing me to fall to my stomach, the fire flickers higher like a heartbeat growing stronger every second. The fog before my eyes grows denser blinding me I cannot make up the stars or moon only a symbol a perfect red pyramid. My heart is palpitating out of my chest, my lungs are concaving. Before my eyes can droop closed a pair of feet appear before my face I hold out my arm beckoning them for help, I am met with a kick to the gut I let out a small yep whilst the warm stream of tears slides down my face. The assailant removes an item from their robe swinging their arm upward they stab a syringe into my neck. All that can leave my mouth is a breathy cry for help my body cringes as the poison travels through my body. The assailant walks away leaving me in the grass returning to the mist.
"Yo wake up we're almost here," Duncan commands as a small nudge jolts me awake.
Everything remains a fog, I rub my eyes and everything comes into focus. We were in the suburbs once again, nearly identical houses sit piled next to each other like organized doll houses. "Where are we going," I repeat.
Duncan taunts, "You'll find out when we get there."
Dazed I stick my face out the window to feel the cold air again. The images replay in my head the stab, the pyramid, the school. Is this going to happen? The front of my head starts to pulsate and my chest compresses closing off my throat. I huff out in frustration discharging fire and steam fire from my mouth.
"It's a bit chilly right now try not to breathe so hard you might scare someone," Duncan advises.
I roll my eyes content to ignore Duncan's advice. I watch the houses blur together again into a soggy brown mush interrupted by the occasional car and child. The brown mush makes my stomach feel queasy so I shift my gaze over to Duncan. He's radiating off warmer than usual, every inch of his body nervously trembles he looks tensed. Duncan drums his fingers against the steering wheel rocking to music that's not playing. I stare at him deeper trying to make the psychic connection but all I can read is static of a thousand people speaking. My mind swims through black and white static diving farther I'm turned to a grainy picture of a younger Duncan. I strain trying to delve deeper but I'm being pulled out, I'm yanked out of the gray and white fuzz until the picture dissipates leaving me in a dark hole.
Duncan sighs, "Courtney Courtney Courtney I expected better of you. Sinking down to using our mind connection to see where we're going I expected better of you."
I cry in frustration, "What it's not like you don't try to read my mind all the time."
Duncan scoffs at me, "Only because most of the time you're screaming your thoughts out loud it's hard to ignore."
I open to my mouth to yell at him, interrupted by Duncan jeering the car to a sharp turn slamming me into the window. We're turned into a cul de sac neighborhood Duncan's face looks grim as he drives us closer to the last home on the street. The house is cotton white, with blue shudders, neatly mowed lawn with a long drive way. The whole thing would put Mr. Rogers to shame it looks like a house in an afterschool special.
Duncan parks on the street in front of the house remaining frozen in the driver's seat, his eyebrows furrow, and his knuckles turn chalky white from gripping on to the steering wheel. I caress his shoulder, "Are you ok?"
He obviously isn't I've never seen him scared before, his eyes blink sporadically like he's replaying something in his head. Duncan stops all his movement he takes a deep breath and commands, "Yeah, get out of the car."
I unbuckle slipping out of the car, Duncan stands waiting for me, together we walk up the drive way of the house Duncan chokes out, "So we're here."
"Where exactly is here?" I ask.
Duncan explains, "My parent's house. I haven't seen my entire family in years, we got your painful family reunion out of the way yesterday; so I figured why not?"
At the door Duncan tenses up again staring at the forest green door, I take the cue to knock slamming my knuckles against the door. We wait for five seconds Duncan says hastily, "No one's home we should go."
He pivots his foot to leave and the door opens a petite woman my height appears in the doorway. Her blonde hair is packed neatly in a bun her face is void of wrinkle with the exception of laugh lines. Her eyes glaze over me until she spies Duncan, her eyes light up as she jump to Duncan kissing all over his forehead. Embarrassed by his mother's affection Duncan rubs his hand behind his neck awkwardly, "Hey ma."
She raises up her arms pulling his face down for a better view she coos, "Oh you're getting so big…Dunky bear."
I find myself trying to stifle my giggles, Duncan's face is turning redder than ever. Once again she turns to me taking notice of my amusement of her display of affection she asks, "Duncan you even brought a girl, she's so pretty…. What's your name sweetheart?"
"Courtney." I answer.
"Beautiful…. I'm Mrs. Michaels. You can call me Deborah."
A burst of cold air whips by us interrupting the reunion, Duncan and I stand undisturbed by the temperature not even wearing jackets. Deborah shivers uncontrollably she commands, "You kids get in here it's too cold to be out there."
Wrangling us inside I observe the inside of Duncan's childhood home. On every wall are pictures of children on vacation and in sports, none of the children look like Duncan. In the living room we stop in front of a brick mantel, hanging above it is a family portrait the only one Duncan isn't absent from. The picture is older, a ten year old Duncan grins into the camera next to two teenage boys, his father, and mother with a baby swaddled in her arms. Duncan stands next to me admiring the portrait I taunt, "Baby Duncan was so cute… What happened?"
"He became an outstandingly sexy individual." Duncan purrs wiggling his unibrow.
My giggle erupt to full on wheezing at Duncan's remark he argues, "Don't fight it you know the truth.
He isn't wrong even with his piercings and overall punk exterior he's pretty handsome. Especially his eyes they made you go swimming in icy pools of blue, catching light and piercing right into whatever they're staring at.
Duncan commences gyrating his abs inching closer to me my cheeks flurry in a light crimson at his antics. Duncan's mother comes over smacking her son on the back of the head she inquires, "This is how you go treating nice girls?"
She faces me to apologize, "Duncan's never been very good with girls they make him nervous and then he starts to sweat really bad."
Duncan barks, "Ma!"
His mother asks with sincerity. "What it's true you're a growing boy there's nothing wrong with sweating its part of the body's natural changes."
A timer goes off from the kitchen making Deborah jump in surprise, "I need to go finish dinner. Duncan your brothers are outside go introduce Courtney and wash up."
Duncan interlocks my arm with his at my surprise, I look at him waiting for a response but he doesn't give one. He leads me to the end of the house dropping me off at the porch. I step outside but Duncan doesn't follow he says, "I'll be out in a minute I need to talk to my Ma really fast."
I banter, "Why so she'll give you advice on how to talk to girls?"
"Psshhh we both know I'm a master at that," he gives me a wink and stalks off back to the kitchen.
He looks different when talking to me the cockiness is there but as a filmy layer to something else, it looks like fear. I ponder on it as I journey into his backyard it's a large grass covered lot littered with leaves. In the center two men wrestle over a ball in the yard roughly, as I walk towards them, one of the men hears me and looks up.
The taller one with the sandy blonde hair and brown eyes stops rough housing to ask, "Who are you?"
"Oh I'm Courtney I'm Duncan's friend."
The slightly shorter one with dark hair remarks slyly, "You're too pretty to be one of Duncan's girl's."
"Oh no you misunderstood me I'm just friends with Duncan we go to school together," I explain.
The pair's eyes grow twice their size the taller one asks, "So…. can you like fly or shoot stuff out of your eyes?"
In shock at the taller one's brazen I stand with my mouth open in surprise. Do they know about specials? The shorter one shoves his elbow into his brother's ribcage, "What the heck dude you can't just ask her that."
The taller one coughs out from the plunge to the ribs. Without warning a hand rests on my shoulder Duncan chimes in, "You wouldn't be bothering Courtney now would you boys?"
The taller one jumps at the accusation, "Us why never little brother it would be simply unprofessional."
The two don't embrace they just maintain distance and nod. Duncan introduces me, "This is Derek my older brother."
Derek reaches out to shake my hand I grasp it and I'm pulled into a bear hug. He declares, "Any friend of Duncan is a friend of ours."
He pulls me in so close I can smell the mixture of perspiration and deodorant. After I'm released Duncan introduces me to his other brother, "This is my other older brother Dylan."
This introduction didn't sound as friendly it was laced with acid that they acknowledged. Dylan only nods at me politely.
The tension could be cut with a knife the wind, whips by us etching out the words that were not being said between the brothers. Duncan's hand slips down from my shoulder to my waist clutching me closer. The heat we emit from standing so close makes small heat ripples in the air around us. He strokes my hip slowly in circles with his index finger, I can feel my heart beating faster. A voice erupts out of the silence, "Dunky…."
Duncan's finger's rip from my hip to turn to the voice. A girl about my height with dark red hair, pale cream skin, and a red sun dress emerges from the door. My eyes pop out of my head at how breathtaking she is as her hair bounces in the wind. She strides toward Duncan landing in his open arms, he hoists her up and hugs her tightly. I stare at her bright expression closely, at her jaw line trailing to her arm the skin has an uneven leathery texture. Duncan and Zoey release from their embrace turning to the rest of us. I raise my hand for a hand shake, greeted instead by arms engulfing me in a hug. Surprised I stare at Duncan who has a troubled grin plastered to his face, I return the hug releasing first.
Her voice rings. "Hi I'm Zoey Duncan's little sister."
"Oh I'm Courtney I go to school with Duncan."
Zoey's eyes pop open to the same size as Dylan and Derek, she replies nervously, "Lovely um… Dinner is done everybody get ready."
Dylan and Derek stride quickly to catch up with their sister Duncan and I walk behind them.
"So does everyone know about your powers?"
"Yeah I may or may not have burned down part of my school trying to change people's grades. That's the first time I got caught for my powers and I met Mclean"
"What about Zoey?"
Duncan goes silent he remarks, "What about her?"
"Her burn marks Duncan. Was that you?"
I stop at the porch waiting for his answer, Duncan leans against the wall of the house avoiding eye contact. His eyebrow furrows in frustration and his knuckles clench until they're red. I turn Duncan's face to look at mine I whisper, "It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do. We're here now it was an accident."
Duncan rolls his eye up to avoid my gaze I pull his face down close to mine, "Duncan you're not a bad person we can do this we can get through dinner ok?"
Duncan finally returns his eyes to mine, they're not angry and hard like before they're soft and vulnerable. Duncan nods his head and I relinquish his face, I open the door and Duncan leads me to the bathroom. We both wash our hands and walk to the dinner table. I sit on one side with Zoey Duncan sits on the other side with his brothers, Deborah sits on the end closest to me. On the opposite end there's a man I did not know once I'm seated he introduces himself. "Hello I'm Duncan's father. Pleased to meet your acquaintance Courtney."
"Like wise," I return.
"Duncan." Mr. Michaels spits.
"Dad."
Mr. Michaels commands, "Everyone bow your head for grace."
We all link our hands listening to Mr. Michaels's prayer. Normally I would pray, but I feel the instinct to drown Michael's prayer out to a mild hum focusing on Duncan. He opens his eyes smirking at me, I purse my lips to stop the grin from flying to my face. Mr. Michaels finishes the prayer and we all say Amen. Derek is the first one to start piling food on his plate. I watch everyone pass the food to each other, no one even says a word. The only noise that erupts from the table are the sounds of forks and knives scratching against plates. Duncan's father eyebrows knit together with every bite obviously perturbed. His face sits scrunched up in anger moving only to take another bite or a sip of brandy. I stir the pasta on my plate avoiding the glare I'm receiving from Duncan's father. Deborah ask, "Is dinner alright dear?"
"Everything is delicious Deborah your cooking is phenomenal," I reply.
Deborah's face lights up deepening her laugh lines she gushes, "It was nothing really just a recipe I picked up from-"
Duncan's father interrupts, "So Courtney… where are you from?"
Deborah casts her head down from her husband's interruption her hands start shaking mildly in frustration.
Surprised I reply, "Oh um here and there my dad has a corporate job so we had to move around a lot. Before moving into the school I lived in Toronto."
Mr. Michaels curls his mouth pensively, "What does your mother do?"
"My step mother is an art dealer she works out of studios. My birth mother was a scientist she passed away when I was young."
Everyone's head turns down at the mention of death except for Mr. Michaels. Duncan growls, "Not everything has to be an interrogation."
Duncan's mohawk slowly droops from the heat gravitating off of him melting the product. Dylan and Derek are even breaking out in a light sweat, I sit with my eyes down to avoid the glaring contest between Duncan and his father. I glance over at Zoey who's chewing her food mechanically, her hands shake with nerves as she tries to shovel the food in her mouth. Deborah cuts the food on her plate into small child portion slicing away to avoid the drama.
Duncan's father snarls, "So Courtney do you burn everything to a crisp you come in contact with like Duncan?"
Deborah shouts throwing down her cutlery, "Zachary you've crossed the line apologize to them now."
"I shouldn't have to. Why can't I even ask questions in my own damn house anymore? When delinquents like him soiree in here and disrespect me. I pay the bills… Or did you forget?" Mr. Michael's words slur together in drunkenness.
He shakes his paws at Duncan shouting, "You're the worst you know that? After all I've done for you this is how you repay me?"
Duncan slams his fist on the table making the ice in my drink melt, "I'm your kid I shouldn't have to pay homage to sociopathic alcoholic."
Mr. Michaels bellows, "I'm your father you will respect me. You're just a criminal who gets upset when you're treated like one."
"At least I'm not a small town washed up cop who hates his family and job and is waiting for the first chance he gets to leave," Duncan returns.
Instead of staring at the commotion I watch the rest of the family bite their lips in anger and fear. No one's eating this more just counting the seconds between shouts and waves of heat.
Mr. Michaels knocks over his brandy in agitation, "You owe me everything. How about all the property damage I'm still paying off. Happy Nudes Year ring a bell? Pool Party in the city fountain? Almost burning down your school to change people's grades."
"I made mistakes, I've changed since then," Duncan argues.
"Big mistakes, and you still haven't changed you're selfish and immature. That's not even the worse part how about the fact you almost killed your sister," Mr. Michaels spits.
On the crescendo of his last words Zoey runs from the table wailing. Duncan's face is completely defeated watching his sister run from the table, he takes his glare from his father to the floor. The heat plastering the room dissipates changing the room to the brisk air of outside. Duncan's jaw locks in anger, he knocks over his chair, storming out of the room. Mr. Michaels returns to his seat pleased with his victory.
The argument leaves a dead silence in the room, no one even bothers pretending to eat anymore. Standing up I say, "Thank you Deborah for the lovely meal it was a pleasure to meet all of you."
Turning on my heels I leave the Michaels at their table and make my escape from the house. The whole car lets out a thick wave of heat as I step inside to watch the Duncan seethe in the driver's seat. As soon as I'm buckled in Duncan rips down the street pushing 80 mph I yell, "You need to slow down you're gonna wreck the car!"
The car accelerates even faster pushing ninety we're out of town blazing through the brown suburban decay past the trees once again. I command "Duncan you need to stop!"
Duncan doesn't listen to me he rips down the road, the engine screeching in excitement. My stomach is sitting in my chest from the speed, I watch as the trees morph into a dark blur. Suddenly Duncan sends the car swerving into a beaten path between the trees stopping in a meadow. The light hits on the meadow making the warm ray of light emanate off each blade of grass and tree surrounding us. Duncan stalks out of the car leaving scorch marks under his feet. Following him I shout, "You can't just do that. That kind of reckless driving could have killed us even worse we could have hurt someone else."
Duncan's body cringes buckling his mouth Duncan's breathing becomes agitated, he's gasping for breath. I reach out to check his breathing and I'm shoved away falling to the floor. Like a dragon's breath fire erupts from Duncan's mouth taller than the trees. The air is takes on a smoky scent my mouth sits open at the sheer heat of the fire. The fire wilts until it's gone from sight. Duncan sways from side to side landing on his hands and knees in a hoarse voice he says, "I'm trying. I'm trying to be good."
He slams his head to the ground clawing at the grass around him he rasps, "I didn't want to hurt you."
The last words tremble to escape his mouth, he looks at me eyes sullen the blue in his eyes are defeated pool of blue. Unlike the usual icy sharpness. "You didn't hurt me." I reply inching closer to him.
Duncan falls to his back staring into the grayness of the sky, "But I almost did and that's bad enough."
I crawl over him laying opposite with my head nestled in his shoulder and his in mine. Breathing slowly I let myself melt into the wet grasses surrounding us. "Duncan what you did…. Burning Zoey it was an accident. You can't torment yourself," I reason.
"It wasn't an accident," Duncan whispers.
All the heat surrounding us fades to brisk breezes slipping through the meadow. The purple asters of the meadow swish from side to side matching the gray blanket that lies above us. Duncan explains, "I ran away from the school, I was tired of being there. I couldn't control my powers. I was a monster, everything I was near got burnt. First chance I got I left. When I got home I was the only one there I was trying to find something, and Zoey she kept bugging me."
Duncan combs his fingers through his hair blinking tightly trying not to think of what happens next. He continues, "I kept telling her to buzz off but she wouldn't stop. Everything happened so fast, next thing I know the living room and the right side of her body is on fire. I called 911, we got to the hospital everyone kept asking what happened and I couldn't tell them. The doctors didn't know if Zoey was going to make it."
Duncan pauses lying paralyzed, his lips tremble at the images replaying in his head. I ask, "What happened after that?"
Duncan huffed, "Mclean came with Dr. Hart, none of the doctors could explain how he did it but Zoey was recovering "like a miracle." Chris promised that Dr. Hart would continue working to fix her skin if I promised to work on my anger and not run away again."
We lie there in silence listening to the air whistle through the trees. I feel Duncan's heat return wilting the asters in the meadow. "If my word is worth anything I don't think you're a monster," I remark.
"Thanks."
"Why are our families so messed up?" I ask.
"We're just that lucky I guess," Duncan muses.
We let the silence surround us breathing it in saying nothing for hours. Slowly the sky shifts to a darker gray as the sun retracts back into the sky. I ask, "So how much trouble are we going to be for breaking curfew the day before school starts."
"A lot," he responds.
Duncan inquires, "You want me to take you back to school?"
"Why we're already in trouble might as well make the most of it."
Duncan sits up to lean over me, "Courtney Summers breaks rules who would have thought?"
"I'm not always following the rules and being good you know," I argue.
"Of course or you wouldn't be hanging out with me."
"You want to do something even more bad?" Duncan purrs he hovers closer to me staring into my eyes sending shivers down my spine. I nod in agreement.
He fishes in his pocket pulling out a cigarette on the end butt a familiar pink sparkles shines in the darkness. I sit up at the request does that have Roseate in it?"
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's a highly compressed powder that comes from these pink crystals that I electrify to make the Roseate. There's a deposit that grows on the school grounds in the caves by the beach, I harvest it."
"Why do people want it so bad?" I raise.
"Roseate doesn't just get you high it's bigger than that it's a power enhancer. Dangerous for any powerful Special power plays that took you months to master. Take enough of it and you can perform it by just sneezing," Duncan trails off in awe of what he had said.
Duncan sticks the cigarette back in his pocket, "You know after all that happened today I think it might me better to chill on the Roseate."
It's officially night the only light in the meadow is the moon that managed to break from the clouds. Duncan ignites a small fire in his hand for us to see. His face is illuminated by the warm flames of the fire and his eyes reflect an electric blue. There's only inches between us, the warm air from Duncan's nose tickles my face. His gaze shifts all over my face reading for something, I grin at his fumbling. Duncan remarks, "If you still wanted to do something bad… Kissing me would be pretty bad."
I chuckle, "You're right I'm sure kissing you would be awful."
I stand up letting Duncan review what he said he argues, "That's not what I meant."
"In your dreams Duncan,"
Duncan stands up walking to the car he sings, "Oh it will be. Your loss Summers now you'll never know the magic that are my lips."
Grimacing I reply, "Somehow I think I'll live."
Duncan opens the door to the passenger side then letting himself in I ask, "So how are we getting home I thought the portal you used was by my house?"
Duncan puts the car in reverse and drives us back out to the road he explains, "Yes and no I use to use that portal a lot, but the portals don't just exists in one space they exist wherever we need them. Duncan puts the car in drive sending the car hurdling down the road. In the distance circular haze appears jutting out electricity on the road. Duncan accelerates to 80 mph sending us jeering down the road my stomach is sitting in my chest and my hands are clawing into the upholstery. Bracing myself for impact a sultry voice whispers in my head, "If you hold my hand again I wouldn't judge you."
Before I can retort the energy of the portal consumes the car hurdling us through dimensions. The electric green and yellows consume the car pulsating in front of the window shield tumbling us through the dimension. In the commotion I feel Duncan's hand interlace with mine gripping from the force. My stomach curls from the violent shaking of the car, a bright light appears the far flies through it plopping on to the main path of the school.
Duncan drives down the path parking his car in the garage among the other vehicles. The clock reads midnight in the car, neither of us say a word or make any motive for moving he reclines in his seat gripping loosely on to my hand. Duncan's fingers repeat small intricate circles on my hand sparking electricity in my hand. My heart flutters in my chest despite my efforts, I'm determined to be the cool one in this situation. The garage is silent with the exception of the adamant buzzing of the fluorescent lights, I close my eyes content to enjoy the silence and electricity building in the car. The buzzing rocks me to sleep as I descend further into the darkness almost completely into sleep I lie there sitting between roads of asleep in awake thinking about our interlaced fingers.
A voice rips through the silence, "What are you lily livered hormonal excuses for teenagers still doing out past curfew?"
Chef's mug sits perched in the window of the car giving off a menacing scowl. At the sight of his face my body lurches completely sending me sweeping upward I knock my head on the ceiling of the car struggling for words I stutter, "Uh Uuuhhh."
Duncan sits perched coolly in his reclined driver's seat trying not to break out in laughter. Chef commands, "Y'all better uh uuhh to your rooms."
Duncan and I rip out of our seat belts scampering out of the car. Bolting out of the garage Duncan and I run out screaming in laughter. Chef hurries after us yelling, "Butts better be in beds in less than five minutes or I'll work y'all so hard in practice you're gonna wish someone would take your powers."
We stride through the school grounds at night breathing in the night air. My arms fatigue from running sending waves of heat down my joint to my limbs radiating between us. The moon gleams off our skin highlighting the ivory of his skin and the emerald of his hair. Bounding through the grasses Duncan shouts, "Was it worth it?"
"Definitely."
Charging through the building we slam through the doors thundering through the offices of the secretaries. Running quickly I accidentally slam into the first bookcase of the office. Books come pouring from the book shelf creating a waterfall of slamming hard covers. Aghast I cover my mouth in shock at the mess that lies across the floor. The only noise that follows the splat is the ticking of the clock hanging from the wall above the desk. My eyes turn to china bowls staring at Duncan in the dimly lit office. I watch Duncan stare back at me unsure of what to do with the mess I created succeeding this was the best thing that could have possibly happened. Duncan slides the paper and clutter from the desk slamming it into the floor smirking. . I laugh knocking over a potted plant, creating a pile of soil and foliage on the floor. His unibrow flies up in surprise knocking over another pile of paper sitting on the desk in response. We keep pushing over desk items creating as big of a mess as we can. After there's nothing left to knock over in our symphony of slams we take off escalating up feet generously making as much noise as we can. Swinging from stairwell to stairwell we climb higher leaving our fear on the ground floor. We reach my hall still drunk from excitement skidding to my door. In the hallway's light I can see Duncan and his slouched mohawk and grass stained clothes, I can only image how I look.
We gaze into each other's eyes still grinning from the adrenaline and trouble we had caused. Duncan raises his hand stroking away the mess my hair is in he yawns out, "Goodnight Summers,"
"Goodnight."
I watch Duncan saunter down the hall way to the stairs once he disappears from sight I open my door flicking on the desk light. Without taking off my clothes I flop into bed eyes drooping close. Before I drift into sleep I watch the ceiling its usual favorite of thick dark clouds have faded away into a clear night sky with a multitude of stars.
A.N
Shout out to me for getting a 5.9k chapter out in a week. So a lot of Duncney feels I hope this gives you guys some insight to why Duncan was so intense about Courtney controlling her powers.
Someone asked in the last chapter if Courtney is gay she's bisexual when I originally planned out the story it was not a love triangle and I will try my best to keep it from becoming that so I'm not sure how the love arc is going to work but at this point I think the end might have a few alternate ending chapters but I guess I'll figure that out later.
Terms
80 mph- 128.748 kmh
90 mph- 144.841 kmh
Much love do me a solid Follow, Favorite, and Review and I'll see you next update.
