I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew I woke to find a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Shifting slightly to get comfortable I wondered how I had ended up leaning against the wall. My mind was a little foggy but from what I could piece together I had wandered into this room and wound up on the floor. Blinking I looked around until I discovered I was in Berto's lab. But why had I wandered into here of all places? Managing to stand I wrapped the blanket around myself and walked into the hallway. Soon I found Max and Steel talking to Commander Forge. As I walked closer they saw me and waved me over so I joined them.
"So you're finally up." Max said and I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Heh you've been asleep for about five hours now." He told me and my eyes went wide in shock.
"He's right." Steel answered and I thought back to the last time I remembered being awake. When I still couldn't recall anything Forge shrugged.
"I'm not surprised since you looked like the world had come crashing down on top of you. " He commented.
"Since I have no clue what you're talking about, can you please fill me in?" I asked and they looked at one another, uncertain. "Guys?" I added and when they didn't answer me I started to worry. As luck would have it Berto showed up at just the right moment and asked why we were standing in the hall.
"They," I said, indicating Max, Steel and Forge "won't tell me what happened yesterday." I said as Berto got closer. That's when I saw his hand in a bandage. All of a sudden I felt woozy and I would have collapsed had someone not managed to catch me in time.
"Whoa! Hey you still with us?" Berto asked as I felt someone lower me gently to the ground. "Maybe we should take her to the Medical Bay."
"No...I'm okay." I gasped, holding my head as I waited for the dizziness to past. "Just felt lightheaded…for...a second there." Sitting on the floor I noticed Shock hovering in front of me, asking what I'd remembered. "Something about Dredd and Naught. Maybe a fight?" I answered as I tried to stand. Again I felt dizzy so I stayed where I was.
"Come on; at the very least let's find you somewhere better to sit then the floor." Forge suggested as I was helped to a nearby room. Soon I was sitting on a desk chair, trying to figure out why I had almost blacked out.
"Here this might help." I heard someone say as a glass of something was gently pushed into my hands. With a grateful smile I took a sip of what I assumed was water by the color and taste.
"Why did I almost faint?" I asked as I waited for my head to clear. "Because I haven't the foggiest idea what happened before I fell asleep."
"If you're sure you want to know…"Berto began and when I narrowed my eyes, he rolled his. "Okay then."
As he spoke I was shaken when I realized that Berto had a broken hand courtesy of Jason Naught and I felt my Turbo energy flare up as I got angry.
"That jerk. He's so getting a butt kicking when I see him next." I growled and I heard Berto laugh.
"I hear you. But I get first dibs on him." He said holding up his bandaged hand and I laughed, despite myself. "I have to say it's good that you're better." He added.
"Wasn't I alright before?" I asked him and he shrugged.
"Let's just say that you weren't yourself and leave it at that." Max told me. Realizing they were keeping something from me, I was determined to find out what at some later date.
"Fine. So anyway what did I miss?" I asked and Forge told me that after Dredd and Naught had attacked us in the canyon, they had vanished. I rubbed my face in frustration as my friends looked as fed up as I did.
"So they're gone again. Why us?" Steel asked and I sighed, standing. Berto stepped forward and went to take my arm, probably thinking I might pass out again.
"I'm okay. Thanks though." I said and he nodded, still wary. "Anything I can do to help?" I asked and Forge nodded, handing me my backpack. That's when I discovered that the Commander still expected me to attend school. Rolling my eyes in his direction I asked Shock to change me into my camouflage mode. The moment he did that I followed behind Max and Steel as they headed for the alleyway exit.
After we left Berto asked Commander Forge if it was wise to send Jessie to school after everything she'd been through.
"I know that you're worried about her. I am too so I thought that the best idea was for her to have a break from N-Tek for a while. Maybe you should too." Forge said and Berto looked down at his hand for a moment. "Not just because of your hand." He added and Berto looked up, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "Maybe you could meet her after school." With a shrug Forge walked away, leaving Berto to consider what to do next. At the same time Max and I had arrived at Copper Canyon High School.
"You sure you're okay?" Max asked me as I stared at the front door for a moment.
"I'm fine. After facing what I've faced, my second day at school's a breeze." I replied as I stepped through the door. The minute I walked inside I found Sydney and Kirby waiting for us.
"Good morning. " Sydney greeted me and Max. "I heard you're getting pretty popular around here."
"Really? So you weren't making it up." Max said and I frowned at him. "I'm kidding."
"Yeah it's pretty cool. First day and everything too." Kirby added and I grinned.
"Please stop before she gets a big head. Otherwise she won't be able to fit through the door." Shock said and I couldn't help but giggle, leaving Sydney and Kirby wondering what was so funny. Not able to tell them what Shock said I told them that it was a joke I heard from Max. I then hurried over to my locker, leaving Max to quickly come up with something funny to tell his two friends.
"That was pretty mean, Jessie. Pretty funny though." Shock said and I smiled. "So how are you now?"
"Not too bad. I guess I still feel guilty about Berto's hand even though I know it wasn't my fault." I told him as I reached inside my locker and grabbed a couple of books. Making sure I didn't hit Shock, I carefully placed them into the bag. Slipping it over my shoulders I closed my locker, only to find someone standing there.
"Butch! What do you want?" I asked and he laughed at me. When I tried to move past him, he stood in my way.
"What's with the attitude? I'm here to give you the chance to join me and my gang. I mean, you're popular and everything now." He told me and I looked over at his two friends, who waved at me. Looking back at Butch I glared up at him.
"Uh huh. After what you tried to do to my friend, why do you think I'd join you?" I growled and pushed past him before he could speak. Scratching his head he stared after me.
"Is that a no?" He asked when I was already out of earshot. The moment I rejoined my friends I smiled.
"Whoa two days in a row! You rule Jessie." Kirby said and I laughed, enjoying myself. I have to admit that I was doing a pretty good job standing up for myself and my friends without having to rely on my Turbo powers or Shock. Still I knew I'd better be careful in case my attitude got me or my friends into trouble.
"Thanks Kirby. So what class do we have first?" I asked. French was the first class, followed by Science. After that it was lunchtime so we all met up in the cafeteria. Before I had even gotten my lunch my phone began to ring. "I'll be right back." I said and after excusing myself I answered my phone.
"I wasn't sure if this is a bad time but its Berto." He said and I smiled.
"No its fine. How's the hand?" I asked and on the other end, he smiled.
"Not bad. I was just calling to ask if you were free after school." Berto asked.
"Yes I am, actually. Why do you want to know?" I replied and he went silent for about 30 seconds, making me think he'd bumped the phone or something.
"Sorry about that. Someone was in the room and I couldn't talk." Berto said suddenly and I instantly knew who. "So I called to ask if…oh no otra vez." He grumbled and the line went silent again. That's when I heard him say something and I listened closely. "Do you have to keep eavesdropping? I'm having enough trouble asking her out without you three listening in." When I heard that I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from cracking up. Finally Berto returned to the phone. "Yeah hi again. I kind of have company so I'll make this quick. Do you want to go out after school?"
"Of course." I answered, still trying to keep from laughing, knowing exactly who had listened in.
"Cool. So I'll meet you outside the school. See you." He said hurriedly and hung up. After putting my phone away I walked back to find my friends staring at me. "Um is something wrong?" I asked, sitting down.
"Who was that?" Sydney asked." You didn't tell us you had a boyfriend." The second she said that I couldn't help turning red. "
"Is it someone from this school?" Kirby asked me as I looked for a way out. To my horror Max gave me a grin and my eyes narrowed at him.
"He's not from this school." Max said and I just about buried my face in my hands. "Either you tell them or I will." He added.
"Fine. His name's Berto and he's a friend of mine." I told them, thinking they would stop asking. No such luck.
"So what's he like? Where's he from?" Sydney asked and, rubbing my eyes, I told them as much as I could. Without giving anything away about N-Tek, of course.
"He's smart, funny and he has the cutest brown eyes." I explained and Sydney grinned.
"How'd you two meet anyway?" Kirby asked, surprising me and Shock helped me by supplying an answer for me.
"Say you met in the park." He told me and so that's what I told them.
"Was that the day that monster showed up? I heard about that. Max Steel and those guys in green and white showed up and kicked its butt." Kirby asked and I nodded. "Awesome!"
"It's a good thing you got away when you did. Hey did you see someone else that day? There was another person in a suit like Max Steel. But it was green and white." Sydney asked me and I tilted my head, pretending I didn't know who she was talking about.
"I heard that Copper Canyon might have a new super hero." Max told us and everyone except me seemed surprised.
"Whoa, really? Who is it?" Kirby asked me and I shrugged. "Man that's too bad. I wonder if it's a girl. I bet she's cute."
"Who would you know that if she's wearing a helmet?" Max asked and Kirby grinned.
"I just know, dude." He answered and I laughed. "It's pretty cool having two super heroes."
"That is pretty awesome." I said. When the conversation changed to what homework we had, Shock commented on the fact that they knew there was another Turbo user in Copper Canyon.
"It's too bad that they don't know our names yet. Our super hero names of course." Shock said and I smiled.
After lunch we had History then Math before school let out for the day. As I was grabbing my books from my locker, Max walked over and told me that Forge needed to see him so he was taking off. Waving goodbye to him, I walked towards the front door. Standing nearby Sydney and Kirby asked me where Max had rushed off to.
"He said he had to go home. Something about a dentist appointment." I told them and Sydney shrugged.
"That's okay. Then we'll see you two tomorrow?" She asked and I nodded. I said goodbye to them and I was on my way outside when Kirby called out.
"Good luck on your date, dude." With a sigh I left and found Berto standing a few feet away from the front door of the school.