Part 5: Beetle Block High School

In homeroom, all of the new students were being introduced. Roy noticed that three people that were waiting with him in the box in Hawaii were in his class.

He was called to the front to introduce himself.

"Yo. My name is Roy Kailola, and I'm from Makawao, Hawaii. Nice to meet you all or whatever."

He returned to his seat. Several other students came up to introduce themselves. Roy paid no attention to them, for there was something else on his mind.

("That hospital guy said something about a guy name Mellow... I wonder if he goes to this school...")

First through fourth period flew by like a regular day. No mention of their powers whatsoever. Just boring Math, English, Chemistry, and History. Also, the students seemed to be split based on the languages they spoke. The majority spoke English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Japanese so they had to split them into different classes.

Lunch came.

The cafeteria was packed with people waiting to get their lunch. Roy didn't want to bother squeezing through a crowd to get something to eat, so he left the building through the exit at the side of the cafeteria. He was told that they were not allowed to go out and buy lunch, but never did he care much for what any teacher had told him.

("I have no cash. Maybe I can use my student card to pay for stuff.")

Roy walked into a convenience store two blocks away from the school. He walked around the store looking at things that he might want to eat. He didn't really like anything there, but he decided he had to eat anyway. Nothing really caught his eyes, so he just picked up a frozen lunch to eat later and paid for it with his Student Card.

("Maybe there's someone at school that can heat this up...")

Roy walked back in the direction of the school, but decided to take a detour and look around. Three blocks away for the convenience stood another school. "Beetle Block Middle School" read the name on the front of the building.

("This is Gianna's school, huh? I wonder why they put me and her in the same house anyway. Are they trying to turn me into a rapist or something?")

He noticed some students leaving the building, heading in his direction.

("They must be headed out to eat as well. Wait, how come they can leave out to get lunch and we can’t?")

Among the crowd of middle schoolers, Roy spotted Gianna. He wanted to get her attention, but at the same time he didn't want to look like some type of stalking creep. So, he turned around and began walking back towards the convenience store.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Roy...?"

<p class="MsoNormal">His name was called and he turned around. There stood Gianna and one of her friends. Her friend was about the same height as her, but she was better developed in some places.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh, hi, Gianna."

<p class="MsoNormal">"What are you doing here?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well, I went to the convenience store and got lost, and then I ended up here."

<p class="MsoNormal">"How do you get lost when the school and the store are so close to each other?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Is this the roommate you've been blabbering about all day?" Her friend interrupted.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Eh, yeah..."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Why do ya; have a bandage on your face, eh? Is it some type of fashion statement?"

<p class="MsoNormal">The girl’s tone and mannerisms annoyed Roy a little, but he tried to remain calm.

<p class="MsoNormal">"No, I got in a fight last night."

<p class="MsoNormal">"And from the looks of it, you got your ass kicked, right?"

<p class="MsoNormal">He wasn't taking anymore.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Say something else and I'll kick YOUR ass!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"U-um, Roy calm down!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna moved forward to put distance between Roy and her friend.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Why can't you be nicer, Ellie?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Calm down, will ya’? I was just fucking with him."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy looked at his watch.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well, looks like I have to head back before lunch is over."

<p class="MsoNormal">He then remembered that he told Gianna he was lost to not make himself look like a creepy stalker.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Um, Gianna, can you walk me back to my school?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Sure. Later, Ellie."

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna and Roy walked off. As they were walking, she asked him about how his day at school had been so far, what he liked and didn't like about the island, and other questions of that nature.

<p class="MsoNormal">("Mellow...")

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hey, Gianna?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Have you heard of someone on this island named Mellow?"

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna stopped.

<p class="MsoNormal">"DON'T TELL ME HE WAS THE ONE YOU WERE FIGHTING!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"U-uh um, no, I just heard people at school talking about it."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh... well, he's a dangerous guy."

<p class="MsoNormal">("No shit...")

<p class="MsoNormal">"He's supposed to be in Special Block, but at night he breaks out and prowls around other blocks challenging people. He never kills them, but most of his victims are beaten so bad that they're too scared to even use their powers again."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Damn..."

<p class="MsoNormal">"If you ran into him last night, I doubt you'd be able to leave the hospital for a few months."

<p class="MsoNormal">"I doubt that..."

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna stopped.

<p class="MsoNormal">"...?"

<p class="MsoNormal">She faced Roy and began staring at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"What?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Promise me you won't go out late at night again! I don't want to see you hurt!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well... I won't make any promises, but sure. I'll try to stay inside."

<p class="MsoNormal">She looked down.

<p class="MsoNormal">"And promise me that you'll avoid fighting Mellow if you ever run into him."

<p class="MsoNormal">"... Sure"

<p class="MsoNormal">"That didn't sound a bit sincere!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Now why would I want to fight someone like that? C'mon now, Gianna. I’m not an idiot."

<p class="MsoNormal">She looked up at him with a smile and he couldn't help but turn his unworthy head away from that smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Alright! Then that's a promise!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"uh-huh..."

<p class="MsoNormal">Back in the cafeteria, Lucy sat at one of the 12 lunch tables with other girls from her classes. Her table was positioned next to a window in the cafeteria so that if she turned her head, she could see outside.

<p class="MsoNormal">"...?"

<p class="MsoNormal">Upon taking a glance out of the window, she noticed Roy standing with someone in front of him. After staring for about 5 seconds, she recognized that person to be Gianna.

<p class="MsoNormal">("She walked all the way over here to meet that jackass?")

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy waved as he walked off and headed towards the side exit of the cafeteria.

<p class="MsoNormal">"...Lucy!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Huh?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"You've been staring out of the window for a while now. Did that boy out there catch your eye?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hell no!"

<p class="MsoNormal">She began to mow down her food.

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy entered the cafeteria through the side exit and looked around to see if a teacher saw him. He concluded that they didn't and proceeded inside. He then remembered the grocery bag he was holding with the frozen lunch in it.

<p class="MsoNormal">He turned towards where Lucy was sitting and their eyes met. She turned her head and continued to talk with the girls at the table.

<p class="MsoNormal">("I doubt I'd get anywhere if I just went around asking people if they have fire powers, but oh well. I'll just go start with her then.")

<p class="MsoNormal">He approached the table and all turned but Lucy.

<p class="MsoNormal">"What do you want?"

<p class="MsoNormal">She said this without looking at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Nothing. I just came to ask my roommate a favor."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Roommate?" came one of the girls at the table.

<p class="MsoNormal">Lucy slammed her hands on the table.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You don't have to go around telling everyone that, you piece of shit!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Calm your nipples, toots. I just wanted to ask you what your power was."

<p class="MsoNormal">"You'd like to know that, now would you?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Come on, don't do this again."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Fine, I'll show you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Really?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"..."

<p class="MsoNormal">Suddenly, Roy began to feel hot. Unnaturally hot. He hopped back.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You..."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Is that enough? Leave me alone now."

<p class="MsoNormal">"This is perfect!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"...What?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"I was actually looking for someone that could heat up this lunch I bought from the convenience store."

<p class="MsoNormal">He pulled the box out of the bag and waved it in Lucy's face.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Is that all? If I do that, will you leave me alone?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Of course!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"...Fine"

<p class="MsoNormal">He placed the lunch on the table and watched as the contents began to defrost and heat up.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Ooooh!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Shut up."

<p class="MsoNormal">When she felt that it was heated enough, she stopped. When she lifted her head away from the table, she noticed that a crowd had gathered around her.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Tch."

<p class="MsoNormal">The temperature around the crowd began to rise. They all knew the cause and returned to their seats almost immediately.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Don't bother me again."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yeah yeah, thanks."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy went to sit at a table with some of the other boys that were in his class.

<p class="MsoNormal">School from then on proceeded normally. They had three more classes and then were dismissed. Some stayed back for clubs, but Roy left immediately out of the building.

<p class="MsoNormal">("I wonder when Gianna's school dismisses...")

<p class="MsoNormal">Before he knew it, he found himself wandering towards Beetle Block Middle School.

<p class="MsoNormal">As he suspected, they were dismissed at the same time as BBHS.

<p class="MsoNormal">However, he saw Gianna standing there as if she were waiting for someone. Roy felt that he should approach, but, again, he didn't want to look like a creepy stalker. He threw that thought out of his mind and walked towards her anyway.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yo."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh, Roy! I was waiting for you!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"...You were?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yeah, I figured you'd head here after school ended, so I waited here for you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"That's your power, huh?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hehe... I guess."

<p class="MsoNormal">("Seriously. How are me and this girl in the same Block?")

<p class="MsoNormal">"So, where's Lucy? Don't tell me you left her."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Like she’d want to walk home with me anyway."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Come on now. We're roommates. You're going to have to deal with each other every day."

<p class="MsoNormal">"I guess. But she should be on her way home already, so we should be on our way as well."

<p class="MsoNormal">They walked north, farther into the Eastern block where the city area was. It was 3:17.

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna had stopped at a convenience store to buy something to drink, and Roy stood outside waiting for her. He was offered a cigarette by some man that was also standing against the store. He refused, not because he didn't smoke, but because he didn't trust the man standing next to him. People can have anything these days. Gianna exited the store and Roy followed behind her.

<p class="MsoNormal">At 3:24 they reached the housing block. There, they saw Lucy sticking her key into the hole to get into the house.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yo."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hi..."

<p class="MsoNormal">She didn't know that the 'yo' came from Roy.

<p class="MsoNormal">They entered the house, and Roy threw his backpack and cardigan down on one of the couches in the living room and plopped his behind down on the other.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Where do you think you are? Pick your shit up!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Jesus Christ. You told me to leave you alone, and now you're bothering me. Can’t you give me a break?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"I don't care what type of slop you were before you came here, but you're not going to throw your shit around while I'm here."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Fine, damn it."

<p class="MsoNormal">He took up his belongings and started up the stairs to place them in his room. Next door was the bathroom. In it, he could hear the shower running. Gianna didn't want him leaving the house late, so it's doubtful that she'd leave him alone once she came out of the shower. If he wanted to leave, now was the time.