Chapter 69: 65. Morning School Flow

The temptation to mess with Frank was strong for Jay, but he figured the poor guy needed some time to acclimate. If anything, Frank had it the roughest out of all the Champions this past weekend.

Sacrificed his arm to save Kleo. Cut down his former training peers to protect Jay’s mom. Frank had been through hell and back and was now sitting in the farthest and darkest corner as the new kid. The Spook.

His ‘don’t-fuck-with-me’ eyes matched the black leather jacket he wore over a simple white tee. Like he was straight out of the movie Grease, but darker and angrier.

That vibe worked wonders on the girls. They couldn’t stop looking at him.

Brit gave Frank a few looks as well, though it might be more out of concern.

Jay wondered if she could perceive the stormy emotions hanging over Frank.

The first period passed eventually. Jay got his bonk as promised on his way out the door.

“Ow, that was -10 health,” Jay whined, rubbing his head after getting clocked by Brit. She definitely had 25 Strength or more.

“Can’t spare the rod, sugar,” Brit said sweetly. She strolled by his side through a hallway flooded with students.

Some seniors stopped whatever they were doing in surprise to see Rooftop Weirdo and Band Lead paired up.

“What’s your next class?” Jay asked, switching subjects.

“Same as yours,” Brit grunted. “Did you not pay attention last week?”

“I was probably drunk.” Jay shrugged.

Next up was Photoshop. As a Senior, most of his classes were electives. Brit was probably an average student like him, so she was on the elective bandwagon, too. Jay tried not to laugh at his own corny pun and refocused on gaining more magical knowledge.

“How do you do that? Disappear into the background?” Jay asked as they hit the stairs. “With or without the powers, you’re one of the most famous kids of Central High.”

“I’ve always believed in spirit and miracles before this Champion business,” Brit said. “Sometimes you put out the energy to be noticed. And sometimes you just withdraw, and people don’t notice.” She sighed. “I wish I could be more of the latter these days.”

“Same,” Frank muttered, stalking behind Jay and Brit like a tall and wraith-like shadow. But one that was more fiery than shadowy. Especially with his burning glare that turned away any person foolish enough to make eye contact.

His presence was a strange one. He didn’t quite fit with the zany, over-the-top energy of Central High and its occupants. Like he was from a different and more mature world. And it became very noticeable how he followed behind Brit and Jay, which stirred up the rumor mill. His nickname as Spook was getting passed around fast.

"Did Cabana put you up to this?" Jay asked Frank.

"She told me I needed to socialize more. Get to know my fellow Champions and crawlers. Be buddy, buddy." Frank loomed over Jay with a baleful glare. "I think she wants me to suffer you for her amusement."

"Probably." Jay waggled his eyebrows.

"And I thought I had it hard with my team of reckless antics and tomfoolery." Brit shook her head.

Along the way to third-period class, Jay saw Mike and Lilith walking together on the other side of a massive courtyard between buildings. Jay waved at them, and so did Brit.

The First and Second Nerds waved back. The urge to go over and join them came up, but Jay figured he could wait to see them at lunch.

For Frank’s comfort, the trio sat at the back of their next class. Since it was stacked with students, the class was organized with everyone facing forward in rows. Some kids hacked their way through the computer firewall and played games or watched movies on the computer as the teacher lazily clicked through a PowerPoint.

Frank shifted his keyboard and mouse aside and rested his head on his arm. Brit kept looking over Jay sitting in the middle and at Frank, her emotions blipping on Jay’s gravity radar. Jay gestured for Brit to change seats with him and sit next to Frank. She shook her head and returned to looking bored at the PowerPoint presentation.

“Did you guys catch the morning news?” Jay whispered, sparking a conversation.

“I was briefed. You’re an asshole on TV with another asshole. Killed a CWG agent, too. What’s new?” Frank muttered with his head still down.

“Ouch,” Jay said with a wince.

“I might’ve seen a little on the feed,” Brit said, furrowing her brow. “Emily looked like she wasn’t playing nice. Did y’all really kill an agent? Not an assassin?”

Jay shrank a little. “I should’ve stopped it. He pulled a gun. And Emily kept moving, and–”

Frank lifted his head. “What’s done is done. When loose cannons all abound, bullshit like this happens. We’re going to have a talk about this later.”

Frank emitted a low growl. His neck heated up to a slight orange before fading. He swallowed audibly, which made Jay curious about what the heck he had cooking in his profile.

This time, Jay decided to ask. “Can I check your profile?”

“Whatever,” Frank muttered.

 

Name: Franklin Stronghold, Rank 2 Class: [Starter Fighter, Level 15]  Health: 490/490 Stamina: 750/50 Mana: 499/500 Chance: x4/x4 Noteworthy Info: This human shares an allegiance with you under the same Godling and Pantheon. His Affinity is Dragon. Highest Attribute is 45 Strength. Most Signature Item is Kiddish Kobold Katana, Basic. Most Pivotal Skill is [Weapon Conflagration]. Most Particular Talent is [Dragon Boon]. Most Unique Title is [Baron of Pride].

 

The [Baron of Pride] Title caught Jay off guard at first. Then it dawned on Jay that the Title was fitting for the Dragon [Fighter]. Yeah, Frank could be a very angry guy, but it was his pride that upheld everything.

Still, looking at his Level 15 profile only highlighted how obscenely powerful Brit was as a Level 11.

Jay wondered if it would be a good investment to create a small tithe to keep feeding Brit extra attribute crystals. For some reason, he couldn’t help but find that funny. But he could also feel that might cross boundaries with the System. Just like how having too many Skills, Talents, and Titles could kill you. Maybe having unearned Attribute Points could do the same. The System was fluid and bendable, but it probably had defenses for the most stupid and classless cheaters.

Still, having an Attribute Crystal tithe for Brit was both practical and funny to Jay. He snickered quietly for the rest of class, ignoring Frank’s glares and Brit’s squints. Photoshop class ended without much issue, and the first lunch went to the seniors.

Jay felt incredibly excited about that. He even sang aloud as he frolicked merrily ahead of Brit and Frank. He could hear them talking but didn’t bother to comment.

“Has he always been this hyper?” Frank asked.

“In bursts and spurts,” Brit said. “I’ve heard about him. Seen him do his thing. But he was just another nicknamed student before the party. This is a little more out there than I recall.”

“He was like this the whole time during our crawl,” Frank said. “I tossed him off a small cliff.”

“You what?” Brit gasped.

“I know,” Frank said. “I should’ve tossed him off a bigger one. Won’t stick, sadly. He got that gravity thing.”

“Was he like a sore toothache and the nearest dentist is hundreds of miles away?” Brit asked.

“You have,” Frank said, “the aptest phrases.”

“Comes with the southern charm,” Brit said.

And just like that, Frank’s emotional gravity lightened some. Jay wondered if Brit could be that girl that helped the Dragon [Fighter] chill out. Or maybe she could be that for everybody–except the [Freak].

She might act harder with Jay since he was already one of the most chill people around. Which was unfair. He already had Frank on his case. Now Brit? On YoAnna, if Captain Casey started harping on him, too, Jay might flee for North Florida. And that was a last-ditch plan if North Florida was involved. 

“Lunch!” Jay cheered, arms spread wide.

Central High had two cafeterias since it was that freaking huge. The seniors got one cafeteria to themselves, so they could all congregate together at the same time before the fifth or sixth period. All the other students had to go to lunch at different blocks during those periods.

And, yes, the senior-only cafeteria was drop-dead fantastical.

Greenery hung from the alabaster rafters supporting ceiling window panes where natural sunlight beamed through. The greenery crawled down fluted columns on the sides, tucking behind a bunch of lush plants stationed all around the spacious atrium. Black, white, and gold banners with a roaring lion imprinted on the face adorned the perimeter walls, and the walls of the second-floor dining area propped up in the middle of the cafeteria on steel mezzanines. A dozen food stations offering local and foreign cuisine became gathering hubs at the start of lunch before everyone separated to their tables where their normal cliques waited.

It was mythical. It was ostentation (thanks, 30 Intellect). It was high school heaven. Jay was pretty sure nobody had it like Central High students in a public school setting.

Frank whistled.

“Ninth grade me was just gaping the whole time at the luxury of it all when I got a tour through here,” Brit said, “but this is a lot, ain’t it? How much did YoAnna pour into her queendom?”

“A lot. A lot, a lot,” Frank said. “Where she got the money? We believe she challenged the global market exchanges and won each and every time she played. There are rumors that world leaders with ties to the biggest bangs had to call and beg her to stop.”

Brit opened and closed her mouth, gobsmacked. She came from the ghetto. She probably couldn't dream of the amount of money YoAnna had.

“All of this for us, too,” Jay said.

“Not for me,” Frank muttered.

Jay smiled at him, his heterochromatic eyes twinkling. “Now it is.”

“Bah humbug.”

Despite his outward bad attitude, Frank’s mood was lightening. He even had an excited twinkle in his dark, smoldering eyes. Jay chuckled, happy to see Frank start to relax a little. Brit broke into laughter, which was one of the sweetest sounds you could hear.

It was probably touched by the Holy Affinity, but Jay didn’t blame her for that. Brit didn’t come across as manipulative. Unlike a certain godling on who Jay held the biggest crush.

“Band Lead! Yo, Band Lead!” called a girl standing with a clique of senior band geeks. She broke the levity for Jay, Frank, and especially Brit.

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Brit’s emotional gravity flared. Jay had been getting better at reading them. His higher Intellect matched the gravity wavelengths with the emotional pulses he could feel.

Jay was as empathetic as someone could get. He felt Brit’s anxiety, uncertainty, and something a little harder to figure out lying underneath.

It was solid. Dense. Jay could only imagine it was Brit’s Conviction… but she was holding it down for some reason.

She was afraid of letting her Conviction loose.

“I gotta go,” Brit said.

“But–” Jay started before she cut him off.

“They’re like children,” Brit said. “Even if you think they’re grown, they still need mothering. They won’t let me abandon them.”

Frank swiped his hand in front of Jay’s face before the [Freak] could argue. The two let Brit drag her feet for a couple of feet before she perked up and got into character.

The Holy [Medium] disappeared.

Brit the Band Lead, the Central High Crusader, came up to the forefront.

She cheered, palled around, and pretended she was still all about the band. Her bandmates ate it up.

“Why did you stop me?” Jay glared at Frank.

“Trust me,” Frank said. “You can’t convince people when they’re already in the bottle. She has to set that bottle down first. And walk towards you. Then let them have your support along the way.”

“But, but, but,” Jay stammered, feeling for the gravity of the situation. It was muddled. Confused. Something was supposed to happen, but things got redirected. “We’re supposed to do something.”

Frank looked at Jay hard. “And what will happen if we don’t do the thing?”

“It’ll be a missed opportunity,” Jay muttered, feeling sad for some reason.

“Then keep your head on a swivel and look for the next opportunity to fix it,” Frank said, pointing past Jay. “Look. Mike, Lilith, and the other knuckleheads are waving at us.” 

The other knuckleheads were Rick and Tim, the Central High Junker Twins.

***

Jay got Caribbean food–mainly jerk chicken. Frank picked up something Asian–with lots of spice. Lots and lots of spice.

As portions of Team FAAHI and Team Booty Bandits came together, Jay went ahead and spied on Mike, Rick, and Tim’s profiles. His left eye glimmered in bright silver-gold lights for each.

 

Mike:

Name: Michael Zhou, Rank 2 Class: [Initiate Mage, Level 12]  Health: 430/430 Stamina: 280/280 Mana: 820/820 Chance: x3/x4 Noteworthy Info: This human shares an allegiance with you under the same Godling and Pantheon. No Affinity. Highest Attribute is 57 Intellect. Most Signature Item is Amulet of Wise Kumat, Good. Most Pivotal Skill is [Mana Hype]. Most Particular Talent is [Owl Boon]. Most Unique Title is [Scholar of Magic].

 

Hm?

Jay didn’t think [Mana Hype] would be the most pivotal Skill. But he supposed when paired with [Owl Boon], a Talent that made Spells and magical Skills more efficient for Mike and allies, who were subjects of his magic, it could do a lot of good. And the new title [Scholar of Magic] was probably great for Mike serving as a de facto Champion wizard.

 

As for Rick:

Name: Richard O’Kelly, Rank 1 Class: [Starter Fighter, Level 10]  Health: 850/850 Stamina: 360/360 Mana: 200/200 Chance: x3/x3 Noteworthy Info: This human shares an allegiance with you under the same Godling and Pantheon. No Affinity. Highest Attribute is 60 Resilience. Most Signature Item is Big Pest Chopping Ax, Good. Most Pivotal Skill is [Hit Me]. Most Particular Talent is [Rooster Boon]. No Unique Title.

 

And Tim:

Name: Timothy O’Kelly, Rank 1 Class: [Starter Fighter, Level 10]  Health: 310/310 Stamina: 510/510 Mana: 600/600 Chance: x3/x3 Noteworthy Info: This human shares an allegiance with you under the same Godling and Pantheon. No Affinity. Highest Attribute is 50 Perception. Most Signature Item is Plague Hunter’s Bow, Good. Most Pivotal Skill is [Swift and Slick]. Most Particular Talent is [Dog Boon]. No unique Title.

 

Looking at the Junker Twins nearly shocked Jay as much as looking at Brit. Team Booty Bandits weren’t kidding about putting their eggs in Brit’s basket. Tim and Rick might be among the weakest out of all the Champions. At least for now.

Ranking up to Level 11 would grant them 24 AP overall, which was good for the Attributes. But they would be far behind Brit.

Jay figured that was okay with them. Other than Frank, the Junker Twins might be the only teens actually familiar with violence before [Omen Bearer of the Apocalypse] became such a big help in that area. Anyone that tried to pick on the ginger-haired, rough-and-tumble, lean, and springy boys would have to see the dentist later.

And it showed in their Talents.

Nobody would think much of Rick’s [Rooster Boon] Talent until they made the connection with cockfights. The bloodier, more brutal, and more boisterous Rick got in a fight, the more his Resilience, Strength, and Conviction got boosted.

Then there was Tim with the [Dog Boon] Talent–ambushing targets, tracking down targets, and/or attacking fleeing targets would boost his Agility,  Perception, and Discovery. Like a supernatural hunting dog, Tim would be a hard guy to escape from.

Those talents complimented their [Fighter] builds greatly–Rick serving as the Champion berserker, and Tim serving as the Champion archer.

Jay held back a smile as Mike, and the Junker Twins flinched from the [Freak]’s divine gaze. Maybe he should give them a heads-up like he did with Frank next time, but it was also fun to freak them out a little.

“Rooftop Weirdo!” called the grating voice of a bully Jay had put out of his mind. “Come on over here. We gotta finish our chat.”

Jay paused in front of the table with half of the Champions. He could easily sit down and ignore the basketball captain. The bully wouldn’t be brave enough to try a stunt with First Nerd and the Junker Twins at Jay’s table.

Lilith had helped tutor a lot of students, including a good amount of the football team. The Junker Twins were Junkside gangster royalty.

Jay could sit and feel protected with that alone. Frank being the smoldering, one-armed transfer student–Spook–was a bonus.

And Mike was Mike.

But sitting and ignoring the basketball captain wouldn’t be the best use of lunch. The gravity of the situation–the narrative–felt like it had a clear pulse here to Jay. It was rippling against his back, originating from the basketball captain.

But what for? Jay was unsure. He had to find out.

“I’ll be back,” Jay said, setting his tray down.

“Want us to tag along and show him a thing or two?” Rick asked jovially, leering at the basketball goons. Fuming silently, Tim tensed like a rottweiler ready to attack.

Frank, Mike, and Lilith looked at Jay questioningly. It was surprising to see Frank was willing to step in. Jay appreciated that.

“Hm." Jay stroked his chin. He had a sudden urge for rum, but none of that was around. “Wait here for a bit. I’ll see how this plays out. There’s gravity to this.”

Mike and Frank nodded knowingly. The others were curious to see the outcome.

Jay walked over to the basketball captain and his dozen male and female basketball goons. They were the tallest kids around, so they all looked down on him.

The [Freak] smiled.

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