When The Facade Breaks 9

Looking at the future antagonist of this world, I could see the signs. As much as he tried to hide it, I could see that he was wearing baggy clothes to hide the fading bruises.

His overall physicality looked as if a gentle breeze would blow over Andrew. His cousin Matt, on the other hand, looked like the teenage version of the glasses kid from the Polar Express.

Seeing as they didn't look too busy, and I didn't exactly know the school, I walked over to them. Andrew was the first to notice me, and as I walked over, he seemed almost to want to get out of Dodge immediately.

Matthew, on the other hand, just seemed interested in why I was walking over to them.

"Hi, I'm new here. I was wondering if either of you guys could tell me where the principal's office is as I need to hand in some papers." the question was met with relative silence, as well as a bit of confusion as they were just slightly baffled that I was even talking to them.

Matthew was the first answer: " Well, I got a couple minutes before my classes start, so I'll show you around."

Andrew surprisingly asked, " What's your name?"

"Carter Davenport. My friends call me Dave if I did have any." My shoulders may have hung a bit low at that answer, which made Andrew slightly smirk.

" Welcome to the club, my friend. We have meetings daily and like to discuss why the world seems to despise us." Andrew, after saying this, gets up along with Matthew.

Andrew then holds out his hand for a handshake, which I take. " The name is Andrew. I have nothing more important to say, so that's all you're getting."

Matthew just shakes his head, and we follow him inside as we do so, all I can hear for the first couple of seconds, where our shoes squeaking across the floor due to them being a bit wet. Reminds me way too much of when I had to clean the restrooms especially, during the winter.

Luckily, the principal's office was only a couple of turns down the hallways, and after showing me to the office, Matthew asked, " So, do you know your schedule yet?"

" Yeah, apparently, I've got math and then English as well as my French class. Think I might be able to turn the romance on?" Matthew just gives me a pitying look.

" Carter, your chance of getting a girl based on being able to speak French is about as high as Matthews's chances with Casey over there." Andrew, while saying this point of thumb behind him, I see a teenage blonde girl who I could recall as being Matthews's love interest in the movie.

Matthew slightly shoves his friend for that comment as Andrew chuckles himself.

" Well, it seems we got a decent amount of classes together, Carter, I'll be like getting that hood of yours full of spit wad the firing squads always show up in the mornings. Andrew then hands me a small towel.

" I recommend putting this in that hood of yours so none of the spit wads fall in, as the last thing you want is to have your hair covered and snot and other people spit when you try to put that hood back on." Giving him a small nod and grabbing the towel. I placed it in my hood for safekeeping.

The two, then, noticing the time, give me a wave and start heading out, and after giving them my thanks, they're already gone. I then open the door to the principal's office and find the stereotypical, older white guy.

" You must be the transfer, right?" The principal asks, barely looking up from his computer.

"Yes, sir. I have my papers right here." I then hand him the papers the jump chain gave me, and after going through them, he places them in a file and hands me a map of the school.

"Well, you may only be here for a year. It's good that you don't get lost, oh, and I would recommend trying to avoid any of the cliques. Never seen so many badmouth and disrespectful kids in the same grade."

" Has anything been done about them?" I asked as the guy just shrugged.

" Not much we can really do the best we can do is just suspend them, but that's quite literally just added vacation time for them, and most of the bullies throughout the years are connected if you can catch my meaning." OK, this makes so much more sense now on why the bullying was so bad in the movie.

After he hands me my map, as well as my actual schedule, I give him a note of thanks, and he goes back to doing all of his papers. I can already tell that the drawback of bullying is most likely having an effect on the whole school board.

Because what's worse than indifference is realizing that there's nothing that you can really do without bringing harm to yourself. So, it looks like I will be dealing with any future bullies on my own.

I've already had enough of bullies in my other life, and I am not gonna be dealing with them in this one. As I think this, I walk into my first class and sit down in the back of the class.

In my other life, I would've been worried about not being able to see the board as my eyesight was quite terrible. Without the glasses, I used to have to wear.

But now, with only the basic body modification that I did, I can see perfect 20/20 and everything that was written on the board, even from the back of the class. My mind was already checking over everything that had already been recorded in my memory.

I wonder if this is life in easy mode, as people would call it.

My homeroom teacher hadn't even looked up from her computer as there were only a few students in here, with Andrew on my left side. Noticing me, he nods, and I do the same.

I don't want to come on too strongly, so I just leave them to his drawings. or whatever he's writing or drawing in his notebook.

Soon enough, the classroom began to fill with people, and within 10 minutes, there were at least 20 kids in my homeroom. One of the larger boys walked over and sat beside me.

As he said his stuff down, he looked behind him, and when he saw me, he gave me a very dangerous-looking grin.

" Well, looks like we got some fresh meat here, huh? You new?" I give him a nod, and as he reaches out his hand, I notice that he wants to get something from me.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hand it over." I continued to look at him as if he were some alien specimen.

" Do I need to be any more direct with you, dumbass? Give me your lunch money. I didn't have time to grab any from my house, and since you're new here, you probably should give some respect to your seniors."

I just looked down, closed my eyes, and waited for class to start, not wanting to entertain this guy. he didn't take that lightly, though, as he tried to reach around and grab my ear, but I simply lifted my left arm and grabbed his forearm.

Holding it in place, he tries to move it, even putting his other arm into it, but I've lifted probably quadrupled this guy's weight alone, so he just struggles, which I don't even emote to.

Some of the people on the other rows have noticed this, and we're looking over at me. Not wanting to continue this far, I let his arm go, and as he ripped it with his arm, trying to lessen the pain, he gave me a look that basically said we're not done here.

After that, the class began in earnest, but like most first days of high school, we just got a syllabus and a basic introduction from our homeroom teacher, who was an older lady named Mrs. Dotts.

Barely anyone was listening, as only Andrew and I seemed to be reading the syllabus, but I mostly did it to pass the time. Eventually, my boredom immunity perk kicks in, and the class proceeds to fast forward until the bell rings, signaling the period's end.

Placing the syllabus in my backpack, I go to get up from my chair and walk out into the hallway with Andrew following behind me as we had the same class next.

" How did you do that?" Andrew asks as I just smile at him.

" The benefits of working out, my friend. The kid could barely even put half the weight I usually lift on my arm." Andrew nods but looks at my arm, trying to see if he can find any muscles.

As we made our way through the hallway, I could already see the rumors and gossip starting to go up about how I was hanging out with loser Andrew. But I've already had to deal with things like this, so I just let it slide off me.

None of their opinions really matter, anyway. OK, I guess there's the Apex predator ego talking. Putting that amount of ego back down, Andrew and I walk into our next class.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful, to be honest, as Andrew was right about one thing: that same idiot was in one of my other classes and tried to shoot some spit in my hood, thanks to the towel. It never actually got wet.

I thanked him for it near the end of the day, but he just replied, " We outcasts just have to stick together, don't we?"

I knew he was joking a bit, but I was not, and I handed him back the towel. Matthew then appeared in the cafeteria, where the study hall was held, and sat down.

"Seems like you two got decently close. I'm surprised you two aren't kissing yet." Andrew just deadpans him as I make a disgusted face.

" Matt, you are my cousin and one of my only friends, but God's sake, the last thing we need here at this table are gay jokes. You really need to work on getting some better material." Matthew just smirks slightly and sits down.

" Well, you two being possible gay lovers aside, I heard there's a party going down after school. You looking to go?" Andrew almost looked like he was ready to throw up at the mirror mention of a social high school party.

Thanks to the awkward drawback, I felt the same as being around that many people just felt wrong. Matthew could probably read our hesitation from our faces.

"Look, it's our last year. It's the only time we'll ever actually be able to party without actually having any consequences. What's the worst that can happen?" Famous last words said before a disaster.

Andrew, however, looked like he was pondering the question, but eventually, with more prodding from Matthew, he agreed. The two then looked over to me.

" What about you, Dave? Are you coming, Remembering that this was the party that would lead to the three gaining their telekinesis? I gave them a nod.

Matthew gives me a slight slap on the back, while Andrew looks like he already regrets this. The rest of the study hall was just the three of us, finishing our first homework assignments, given by some heretical teachers who gave homework on the first day.

I even managed to get some brownie points for the two by helping them with some of the more advanced physics questions they had. After finishing, Andrew looked as if I was an alien in disguise, while Matthew looked like he was ready to worship me for helping him with his science homework.

Matthew then gave us the address for the party as well as the time it was going to start, seeing that it would begin around 5 p.m. We had two hours after school ended to get there.

As the study hall ended, the final bell rang, and Matthew and Andrew headed out. As they didn't have rides to the party so, they were going to need to walk to the place on foot, which reminds me that I should invest in a car one of these days.

As I watched them leave, I considered whether or not I should even allow those three to gain powers, but did I want to rob them of some of the best experiences of their life out of the possibility that one of them might go insane?

The whole idea of the jump chain was the fact that I had the choice to do so many things, but did I have the right to Rob such a choice from them?

A part of me was telling me just to cover up the hole and let them live their lives as normal as they wouldn't lose out on much if they didn't gain their powers. Sadly, I was finding myself agreeing with that part of me.

While in this deep train of thought, I was heading back to the alleyway where I could teleport back to my house and find the alleyway empty, and I did just that.

Laying down on the couch, I thanked the jump chain for the fact that the paladins were no longer hunting me down, and now I could basically teleport anywhere with impunity, and the freedom was positively liberating.

But for now, I need to deal with more practice for my telekinesis, as I would lift that 1 pound weight by at least the end of the week.

I did want to fly, after all.

And that was only the beginning. Super strength, a defensive aura, and so many more powers awaited.