3 Superheroes #3
I guess I did. But I knew it didn’t have to be that way, either.
I remembered the time my brother Sonny came home with a black eye.
He said he got it playing football, and all of us believed him except for my brother Spencer, who kept pressing Sonny until he cried and admitted there was a classmate who wouldn’t stop bullying him.
Sonny had tried to have it out with him, and it hadn’t turned out well.
Spencer didn’t need any more details. He didn’t even care if Sonny had done anything wrong.
He just walked out, hopped on his bicycle, and took care of it.
I don’t know what exactly he did, but I know no one ever messed with Sonny again.
And even if Sonny never thanked Spencer, I knew how much it had meant to him.
Funny enough, Sonny started boxing lessons soon afterward, and he could probably pound Spencer into a paste now if he wanted.
Looking at Naya now, I remembered Spencer, and I didn’t care if the girl who’d been harassing her had any justification.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t like unfairness.
And I might not have been like Wonder Woman—I sure as hell didn’t look like her in that outfit—but I had to do something.
No one deserved to be treated like that.
“Wait here a minute,” I said.
“For what?” Naya asked.
“I’m going to get your things.” Ross wanted to come along, but I told him to stay with Naya.
“Sorry,” he said, “you’re not going in there alone.”
Naya hesitated, then nodded. The closer she got to the place, the more I could tell she was terrified, but she guided us inside.
She didn’t ring the doorbell, but no one seemed to care.
She guided us to the backyard. I saw her wet purse on the ground next to a tall, curly-haired girl who was smoking a cigarette, holding her drink, and laughing with her friends.
I recognized the necklace around her neck.
“Wait here,” I said.
Like Thor waving his hammer, I approached the girl. Everyone turned and looked at me. Ross was right behind me. The girl asked me, “Excuse me, were you invited?” She seemed to be chuckling at my rainbow socks and brown boots.
“No,” I said, crossing my arms. “But you invited my friend. Her name’s Naya. Maybe that rings a bell. And it appears that you’re wearing her necklace.”
With a quick glance at Naya, she replied, “So what? Are you her bodyguard? Because honestly, you’re not very scary.”
Trying to be the voice of reason, Ross asked, “Why don’t you just give the necklace back and this can all be over?”
A guy friend of hers walked over, short but stout and mean-looking, and said, “You know what, buddy? If you’re smart, you’ll get the fuck out of here.”
Ross didn’t look impressed.
“Why should I give it back?” the girl asked me.
“Because it’s not yours.”
“It is now. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Plus, this is my house. I can do what I want here. And honestly, this is getting boring. So why don’t you fuck off?”
“Not without the necklace,” I said.
Ross seconded me. “We’re not leaving without it.”
The short guy decided to jump in, asking, “What, she can’t speak for herself? If the dumb slut wants her necklace, tell her to come over here and get it.”
That was it for me. I nudged Ross aside, and he didn’t put up any resistance.
The short guy got ready to mock me, started to say, Ooh, I’m scared , but before he could get the phrase out, I sank my feet into the ground, twisted at the waist, wrapped my thumb around my fingertips, and gave it to him right in the nose. The same way Sonny had taught me.
I’d hit him hard. Hard enough to make my knuckles ache, though I wasn’t about to show that. The guy stumbled backward, covering his face, and said, “She just punched me, the psycho bitch!”
“Try me and I’ll do it again,” I told him. Then I turned to his friend. “Now hand over the necklace,” I said. She froze briefly, then took it off and tossed it to me. I could tell from Ross’s and Naya’s expressions that they couldn’t believe what I’d just done.
“Shall we?” I asked.
Ross grabbed Naya’s wet purse and they followed me out. I was scared we’d be followed, so I walked as fast as I could while pretending to maintain my composure. When we were outside, Ross said, “Man, you looked like Ronda Rousey out there.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal,” I responded. “You should see my brother Sonny. He was a real boxer. He’s the one who taught me how to throw a punch. This is the first time I’ve put it in practice, though. I’m going to have to tell him.”
I looked at my knuckles. They were glowing red.
Naya’s glum mood suddenly changed. “Holy shit!” she said. “That was incredible! I can’t believe you did that for me! Did you hurt yourself?”
“A little,” I said.
“I’m not surprised,” Ross said. “But you can move your fingers, so I assume nothing’s broken.”
“There’s an ice machine at the dorm,” Naya said. “I’ll get some ice for you. It’s the least I can do.”
We didn’t talk much on the drive back. Naya put on her necklace, I rubbed my knuckles, and Ross hummed along with whatever was on the radio. Naya thanked Ross when we arrived at the dorm and walked off quickly, presumably to bug Chris for ice, though I’d told her ten times there was no need to.
“Ross, thanks again for coming,” I said.
“I’m glad I did now that I know what happens when someone pisses you off, Jen.”
“Jen?” I said. “Is that what we’re calling me now?”
“Since five seconds ago, yeah.”
“I guess I’m OK with that. It can be our thing. Good night, Ross.”
He smiled.
“Good night, Jen.”