2

2

I wake up and resist the urge to punch my alarm like I used to, because I went through about five before I realized it wasn't going away, it wasn't some puberty thing no one told me about, that it was real. Some days, I still expect it to be my sixteenth birthday, still be the gangly kid who didn't save New York City on a regular basis, but its a year and a bit later, and I haven't woken up from this incredibly weird dream.

I sit up and groan quietly. I'm so sore. The city has started getting used to the frequent strange occurrences, so they've stopped canceling school, much to my dismay. I shuffle to the bathroom and pee, then turn on the shower and get in, even though its still cold.

Once the water is warm, it feels absolutely incredible on my muscles, like a personal masseuse. I wash sweat and crusted monster blood and ash off of my body, relaxing.

After my shower, I put the suit on except the mask, that I put in my bag, and then put on normal clothes over it, glad it's January and freezing out. I walk downstairs and sit at the counter, my mom slides over a bowl of cereal and I eat it ravenously. Dad sits next to me, reading the paper unhappily about how Guardian saved the day yet again.

“There'd be a lot less damage to clean up and pay for if he'd just stay out of police business!” He grumbles. Yeah, a lot more bodies, too. I think to myself.

“I know honey, I want him gone too, and I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same. What do kids in school say, dear?” Mom asks. “You're telling them not to encourage him, right?” I flash back to a scene from a few days ago when a guy from school was showing everyone a video he took on his phone of me, and I told him to put it online.

“Of course.” I say in the same instant, “They love him though. I suppose he does save a lot of people.” I shrug.

“He's an abomination! Inhuman!” Dad snarls.

“I gotta go, test first period.” I lie quickly, resisting the urge I have to fight everyday to show him the suit and give him the finger right back. I walk out the door and start my way to school. I mean, I'm a super hero, but I still haven't managed to pass my drivers test. The one test I'll always fail. Curse the world.

I reach the double doors of the school and walk into its warmth. The warmth that smells like sweat, Axe body spray, and Hollister perfume. I walk to my locker, my mind buzzing with all the mentions of my name, I can't shut it out though, in case someone actually does need help. I open my locker and grab my books.

“Hey!” I look up. My best, and only, friend Anna says, leaning up against her locker next to mine.

“Hey.” I reply. Anna is one of the most fangirling people I know about Guardian, I'm pretty sure if I told her I was Guardian, she'd strip naked right there. She's been my best friend since I was four, so that's not really something I planned on seeing.

“So, omigod,” And here we go... “ I saw a picture of Guardian in the news today, and you can totally see his abs through the suit! Ah! They're amazing.” I'm pretty sure Anna thinks I'm gay. She drags me into the discussions of Guardian's (my) abs all the time. Then she shuts up suddenly, and I realize I've zoned out.

“Good morning, Nerdstrom.” Zach says menacingly. My last name is Norstrom, and some genius came up with my nick name in seventh grade. Sadly, it stuck. I'm in such a bad mood today, I really don't want to put up with him.

“Ugh, not today. Rough night...” I say nonchalantly.

“What, with your girlfriend? Wait...” That joke is so overused.

“Nah, with yours.” I say, getting pissed now.

“You wanna say that again, Nerdstrom?” Zach says, pinning me to my locker and raising his fist.

“Really, I'm so not in the mood for this today.” I groan.

“Say it again.” In a flash I've swiped Zach's legs out from under him, and the instant he hit the floor, I picked him up by his shirt and pinned him to the locker, all within five seconds. Kind of slow...

“Not. Today.” I say through clenched teeth, then walk away with Anna.

“Oh! So that's who you were f*****g, little Freakazoid.” Zach always has the last word, I stop dead in my tracks and then whirl around with a punch right in the jaw.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I'm tired. Leave me and Anna alone.” I say sweetly, and then walk to class, leaving the hallway silent.

“What the crap was that?!” Anna exclaims. I shrug as we walk into AP English and take our usual seats in the back.

I usually don't let myself do that, just dodge the punches, take a few and get on with my life. But I'm so sick of him. If he knew, if everyone knew, he wouldn't. Once classes start, the constant ringing in my ears dies down. Then at lunch, I hear my name clear as day, from the middle school across the street. I go to the bathroom, lock the stall door, put my bag on the top of the toilet, take off my clothes and put on my mask, then stuff the bag in the mini empty trashcan, because no girls put whatever they put in there in the boys bathroom. Then, I open the window and crawl out, jumping onto a street lamp and launching myself across the road and onto the roof of the school. I track down where the voice came from, and I find it's location behind the school.

A twelve year old is being mugged by another twelve year old. I sit silently behind the kid being punched and the bully stops in horror. I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.

“Kid, when I hear my name, I really expect it to be something a bit more... dangerous, you know?” I say to the kid. His hair is ruffled and his glasses askew.

“Now, I'm not going to beat up a little kid.” I turn to the bully, “But little kids can beat up each other, that's perfectly fine, well, sort of. I'm not one for morals or lectures, so lets get on with this.” I say, jumping down from the top of the dumpster where I perched. I freeze the bully in place with my mind, then turn to my summoner.

“Okay, so I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself.” I notice his fists clenched like he was trying to punch, and I take one. “First of all, your thumbs go outside, otherwise you might break them.” I refold his hand to the proper position. “Then, don't always keep your arm straight, lift it up and unbend it at the same time.” I demonstrate in slow motion, then how I would if I were actually punching the kid, but I miss by two centimeters, like I knew I would. Genius, remember? “And then, and only if you are desperate, just lift up your leg and kick him in the crotch. But only if you're really desperate. It hurts.” The kid nods in agreement. “Now you try punching him, just once.”

The kid walks up to his attacker and lands a clear punch in his shoulder. The frozen bully 'oof's and then I let him go.

“Now, if this ever happens again, you know what to do. But if you're ever in real trouble, don't hesitate to call for me.” And then I jump into a tree above, and with no one seeing me, climb back into the boys bathroom and change back into Ryan Norstrom, instead of Guardian.

Such is the life of a super hero.

Author's Note

reviews please! I'm obviously not a guy, so is this how guys think? Like... I've only written in guys perspectives a few times, and they're usually in love at that point, or talking to the girl they will be in love with... so guys, this isn't too girly?

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I like this chapter. Good description of his friend. I like the way he handle the problem at school. This story had great possibilities. You have my complete attention. Thank you for a outstanding chapter.
Coyote

[janiksxxl]

I love how you solved the problem with little kid being bullied, it reminded me of “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. That was really excellent.
Stripping @ school in broad daylight felt a bit too of an over reacting (is there really such a person who would do that because of the mentioned reason...), but as this feels more like humorous than serious story, then it's probably fine. Otherwise Ann's description gave the point You were trying to give,at least in my opinion.
“...change back into Ryan Nerdstrom, instead of Guardian...” instead would totally hit nail in showing how much he isn't super hero and popular in his school life (if he isn't of course). And the struggle with being “weak” and “strong” at the same time is really great. And internal fight with parents too.
Washing monster blood and sweat only in morning felt a bit strange. What's the reason for him to not to do that when he returned from fight, is that some kind of strange habit he has. Well if you take into account previous chapter, then that could get clearer, but there is no hint about it being that fight and not just random day.
Just next awesome chapter from You. :D

[Sylvana]

"I flash back to a scene from a few days ago when a guy from school was showing everyone a video he took on his phone of me, and I told him to put it online." That made me laugh.
And anyways, I wouldn't stress about a girly guy, they can still be cool. But, Ryan seems perfectly fine, and he's hilarious in his mind and as a super hero. xD What he did when he noticed the middle schoolers. I mean, you gave him a great personality and all.
I think you can add a bit more detail in these chapters. The school, what Anna looks like, what Zach looks like, Ryan and Ryan's house, just stuff you've written about but didn't actually describe.
Other than that, believe this to be yet another super awesome book coming from you. ^-^