Chapter 64: Not as Dumb as Perceived

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"Me? Challenge Ariel? Surly, you jest."


"Riley, I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think that you had the power to do it," David insisted.


"I can't take Ariel on, she'd kill me," Riley said. "I want to help Dakota I really do, but I can't take on Ariel. I'm-I'm not strong enough." She ran out of the apartment.


Kristopher started out the door but David stopped him. "David let me talk to her," Kristopher pleaded.


"No, I think we need to give her a minuet, just one minute."


Outside Riley stood on the roof and let the rain soak her. Goose bumps marched up and down her arms. She thought about Ariel and shivered. One of the strongest people in the world and I'm the only one who will even think about facing her, Riley thought. She pictured Dakota, helpless with Paul and Ariel in charge. This is his only hope, it's the only way to save him, but what if... She couldn't bare the thought.

Slowly she sunk to her knees, then laid on her back.

What if I can't defeat her, what if I lose? Then Ariel will be ten times angrier because I tried to take her place and who knows what she'll do to Dakota.


"And you were yelling at me for being on the roof."


Riley rolled onto her stomach and looked up. Bip sat on the other side with his feet dangling off the edge. "How long have you been sitting there?" She asked.


Bip cocked his head up and shut his eyes. "'Bout an hour. I go up here to think." He smiled to himself. "Contrary to popular belief I do think." He looked back at her.


Riley stood and sat down next to him. "What do you think about?"


Bip shut his eyes again. "My mom."


Riley put her arm around Bip's shoulders. "You miss her don't you?"


Bip nodded. "When she was in the hospital, I kept trying to find a way to help her," he sighed. "But there was nothing I could do. I was helpless." He raised his head, and looked at her. "You can save Dakota, you're not helpless."


The eyes he stared into traveled down, and the brows lowered. "How'd you know I was thinking that?" She looked up at him.


Bip smiled and squatted on the roof. "Two reasons, one: I'm not quite as dumb as I seem. Two: I hear everyone's thoughts, I just hide my power better than some." He stood, and before she could react, he climbed off the roof.


Riley stared straight ahead, her mouth hung open. The rain dripped into it and she licked her lips. She shivered and cracked her knuckles.

How did I not see that? She wondered.

Bip's had powers all a long. Riley stood up, and rubbed her eyes, then followed him. He's right, she thought. Bip lost his mom, he couldn't do anything about it, but I can save Dakota, so I will.


"Bip," Riley hopped down from the roof. He stood leaning on the door to her apartment talking to David. "How come you never told us you had powers?"


The corners of his mouth turned up and the cheeks dimpled. His shoulders raised and fell.

"I was surprised you didn't figure it out," he replied.


"But why didn't you tell us, that's an important piece of information," Riley said.


"I was trying to see if I had the power to hide it from people, apparently I can."


"Well we don't have time to discuss this," David said, and turned to Riley. "What have you decided to do?"


"Did you actually think I'd let Ariel scare me away?" Riley asked.


Kristopher raised his eyebrows. "Well, some people were getting worried," he said with a smile. "But I didn't give up on you."


"I'm going to ignore that comment," David said.


"So what's our plan of attack?" Riley asked, looking back an forth from Kristopher to David. "We do have a plan don't we?"


"Of course," Danny said as he rose from the couch. "It's really quite simple, we go to court."