Chapter 32

° In a Lecture Hall

Strangely enough, Matthew found the biology class to be quite...boring, despite the new environment and the charismatic professor leading the lecture.

Lucky for him, he had a partner in crime who kept him wide awake with strategically timed nudges and pokes. A role which Madison didn't mind doing at all.

The lesson itself wasn't all that complicated, just a simple interactive session that everyone was already aware of. The highlight, or disruption depending on ones definition, came when a student openly scoffed at the professors finishing words.

"Ah, Mr. Sinclair" the professor said with a hint of sarcasm "Once again, it seems you have an opinion to share?"

"I have the truth to share" the young man in a grey suit stood and proclaimed as he stood.

"Who's the dіck?" Amber asked Rick.

"D.A. Sinclair" Rick answered without turning around "He's here on a genius grant, and makes sure everyone knows it"

Everyone watched as D.A. Sinclair began his speech. Matthew already didn't like the guys before and his impression of him continued to grow negative as he listened.

"When you want to travel quickly, you don't run, you get in a car. When you need to fly to another country, you don't flap your arms, you get on a plane" he began.

"We're all aware how travel works, Mr. Sinclair" the professor replied, getting a good chorus of laughter from everyone around "Your point?"

"All human failings are simply engineering challenges" D.A. Sinclair continued "Crying out to be solved. We're machines, and the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we'll reach our true potential"

"Dramatic much?" Amber called out.

Madison giggled at her words.

"I'm sorry?" Sinclair said, his eyes turning to the group of teens.

"I'm not. You're being a jerk" Amber added.

Annoyed, Sinclair tried to approach the group to confront Amber. Mark and Matthew stood up in response but Rick came forward to deal with the angry genius himself.

"What's your problem, Sinclair?" Rick said, standing in his way.

"My problem?" Sinclair started and stared at everyone around him "My problem is this school of idiots"

His disgust radiated out of him that Matthew couldn't help but sense even from where he was sitting.

"MIT courted me. Yale offered me a lab--" the genius enumarated, showing off.

"Then you should take it" Rick retorted triumphantly.

Sinclair stared at the tall young man and exhaled, calming himself down. Then his eyes wandered around him, like a customer eyeing meat at a butcher shop.

At first Matthew thought that Sinclair was similarly attracted to Rick like William was, but the emotions he sensed made no sense. Instead of lust or attraction, all he sensed was curiosity and mild satisfaction before Sinclair spoke again.

"You're impressive, Rick" Sinclair said "Muscular. Assertive. Classic alpha male"

"Hey!" William stood to come into Rick's defense, then hesitated as the words registered "Don't say those... compliments to him"

"Mr. Sinclair" the professor cut in their conversation "You can return when you're ready to learn"

"Then I'll see you at exams" Sinclair retorted snidely then walked out the room, giving Rick a slight nod before doing so "Rick"

"Jeez" Madison breathed a sigh of relief "That guy was intense"

The professor, seeing him go, continued his lecture as he got hold of the class's attention once more.

Once the class was done, Madison looped her arm around Matthew left arm then dragged him away. Her eyes somehow never leaving her phone.

"Sorry guys!" she yelled "Some problem with the hotel reservation came up and we need to take care of it right now"

"Okay!" Amber replied "We'll text you guys later!"

Matthew quietly kept his mouth shut until they were out of sight before he asked.

"You gonna explain what all that was about?" he asked.

"What else?" Madison flipped her phone to his face "Your girlfriend wants to meet up"

***

° Campus Grounds

To say that Matthew felt good seeing his girlfriend again was not enough to fully define the joy that rose inside him to finally hold her once again, after a horrible week and a half.

Alicia smiled and giggled as her boyfriend held her in his arms and kissed her tenderly.

Madison watched the pair with a raised eyebrow and gave an amused look to Alicia's tag-along, a girl with short cut red hair tied behind her head and bright green eyes. Her simple outfit of a black strap crop top, light colored jeans, and black platform sandals caught Madison's attention almost as soon as she spotted her.

The red haired girl saw the look and shrugged.

Finally, the couple parted.

"Wow" Alicia said, almost out of breath "That's...one way to greet someone. A very nice way"

Matthew smiled "I missed you"

"Me too, Matt" Alicia tapped Matthew's cheek "But we should stop for now. We aren't alone, after all"

They both glanced at the two girls and Matthew embarrassingly smiled at them both, "Sorry, I got a little carried away"

Madison smirked "No, no. Don't stop on my account"

Alicia's tag-along gave him a mischievous wink as a voice sounded in his mind.

'We meet again. Nice to see that you and Ally are going strong. I'm impressed'

Matthew couldn't prevent the twitching in his right eye as he subtly suppressed his frustration at meeting her once again.

The girl turned to Madison and held out a hand "hi there! My name is Clarissa Vought, Alicia's roommate"

Matthew didn't let his surprise show as he shook her hand and introduced himself to the smiling Claire Voyant in her civilian disguise. Both by how he didn't know about her being Alicia's roommate or that they even went to the same school together.

Hey again, you. I heard you got hurt bad last week. You okay now?

I am, thank you for asking. And you're name's Clarissa? Not Claire?

Of course not. I'm not that obvious. What kind of idiot puts elements of their real name in their hero names anyway?

Matthew smirked and agreed with her sentiment, despite the obvious dig at some of the heroes he knew.

Alicia noticed his strange behavior and whispered "Is she talking to you? Telepathically, I mean"

Matthew lightly nodded "She started it"

Alicia glared openly at her roommate and the girl raised her arms to calm her friend down.

"Alright, only open communication from now on. Sheesh, you're so territorial Aly" Clarissa shrugged.

Madison watched the strange exchange and decided to ask Matthew about it later.

"Good" Alicia nodded and turned to the teens "Have you guys eaten yet?"

Both Madison and Matthew shook their heads.

"Awesome!" Clarissa clapped her hands "I know a great place that has some of the best pizza's and beer just around the corner!"

"Oh yeah" Alicia nodded "You guys are okay with drinking right? If not, it's totally cool--"

"No, we are" Matthew hurried agreed "We aren't that young"

Madison chuckled "Says the guy who doesn't drink coffee on principle"

Both college girls paused and gave Matthew an odd look.

"In my defense" Matthew quickly spoke up "I will say that I like the smell of it being brewed, but I just can't do with the taste. I prefer hot lemon juice with honey. Less potentially addictive and much more tasty"

"Seriously?" Clarissa asked.

"Oh, yeah" Madison answered "The one time we tried it he basically plastered my white t-shirt with saliva and coffee powder"

Matthew felt a mental tendril touch glossing over his thoughts at that moment and immediately knew who the rude person was. He closed his mind off, imaging a thick wall of white brick around his thoughts, and Clarissa blinked in surprise.

"Yep. I like the taste and I squeeze the lemons myself" Matthew proudly answered, smiling triumphantly.

Alicia blinked a few times then she smiled "Oh, that's good. I don't really like the taste of coffee that much either so I put in a lot of creamer when I buy one"

"Yeah. She does like it bright and sweet" Clarissa glanced at Matthew suggestively.

"...Okay" Matthew ignored her "So where's that pizza place again? I'm starving"

***

° Pizza Palace

The family-owned pizzeria exuded a warm and inviting feeling, the mouth watering aroma of freshly baked pizza lingering in the interior. The walls were adorned with old photos and the gentle buzz of conversation filled the room. A dozen or so students and faculty filled the other chairs and tables, giving the tiny store a busy air about it.

The 4 gathered around a booth, their table almost filled by the largest pizza Madison and Matthew had ever seen. Matthew sat next to his girlfriend, and Madison took a seat beside Clarissa.

"Oh my god" Madison said, holding out her phone to take a picture of the enormous serving.

"Right?" Clarissa smiled as he watched her "Give it a taste!"

Matthew did as she asked, picking up a slice and admiring it as it's melted cheese stretched all the way before putting it in his mouth. He didn't say a word after that. But he did pick up another slice and another slice after that.

The girls all laughed at him and they all fell into the enjoyment of eating good food with good company. Madison and Clarissa talked while the couple in front of them communicated using only with their eyebrows, with a bit of difficulty.

This went on until Clarissa suddenly talked to him through telepathy.

'Oh my god, your friend is so cute' she said as a smile crept up in the corners of her mouth.

Matthew glanced at them to see Clarissa's eyes focused almost entirely on Madison, and Madison doing the same. His best friend's body language told was clear for him to see.

Matthew nearly choked on what he was eating but Alicia was kind enough to offer him a beer to wash it down.

"Are you okay? You sounded like you were swallowing your own throat" Alicia asked.

Matthew cleared his throat loud enough to catch everyone's attention, "Y-yeah. I just got a little greedy because the food was so good"

Alicia shook her head "I know it's good, but you should still pace yourself"

"Yeah, sorry" Matthew looked squarely at Clarissa before he continued "I'll be careful next time"

Clarissa merely raised an eyebrow in challenge but said nothing.

"Anyway" Alicia started "How are you guys liking the college so far?"

"Oh it's amazing" Madison said happily "I honestly didn't know what to expect but so far...I'm seriously considering applying here sometime in the next few months"

"That's great!" Clarissa beamed "And you should. We have a lot of newly opened programs and facilities for everything. Have you chosen a course yet?"

"I..." Madison glanced at Matthew, who looked at her eagerly "Computer Sciences"

Matthew smiled "I knew it!"

Alicia and Clarissa looked at them both, taking the answer without much comment and waiting for further explanation.

"It's not like that-" Madison tried to protest.

"Your mom will still be happy to hear it, regardless of whatever reason you think of" Matthew answered "She always wanted you to choose to follow in her footsteps"

Madison had nothing to say to that and just quietly added a slice of pizza into her mouth.

"So your mom is like a programmer or something?"  Clarissa asked.

"No. She's...I mean, kinda?" Madison stuttered.

"She owns a company that specializes in tech development" Matthew helpfully said.

Both college girls finally realized the point Matthew was making and each gave Madison approving looks. Madison, for her part, accepted the compliments and kicked Matthew's shin under the table. Which of course did nothing but make the young man smile.

"I don't know much about that particular program" Alicia admitted "But I do know that a lot of students who are enjoying their new 'toys' with the recently renovated facilities"

"I know it!" Clarissa said, almost too eagerly "I know a lot of ComSci 2nd years, maybe I can interest you in a little tour after this?"

"I..." Madison mulled the offer over.

Matthew looked at the girl suspiciously and waited for Madison to reply, his mental probes on the former unable to get through the mental barriers in her mind. And, to his surprise, he couldn't get through Madison's mind as well.

That made him concerned for her, thinking that she might be under some mental control exerted by Clarissa. Matthew focused his mind on her, pushing through the barrier with every bit of mental power he could muster.

Clarissa flinched as she felt a massive surge of psychic energy flow from Matthew and her mental shields quivering from the force despite it not being entirely directed at her.

Madison and Alicia, on the other hand, felt nothing but a faint breeze flow through them.

Matthew, stop! What are you doing to her!?

Me!? What about you? Why can't I read her mind? What are you doing to her??

What? I'm not doing anything! And even I can't read her mind, dumbass!

Matthew calmed down then as Madison answered, the short exchange between the two telepaths entirely unnoticed by anyone else.

"I think I can...spare an hour. So yeah, why not?" Madison smiled at Clarissa and then at Alicia "And I really don't want to take up more of your time with Matt"

Alicia flushed "Madison, you don't have to do that"

"Nonsense" Clarissa put an arm around Madison "She already decided, Aly. I'll make sure to show her all the things she wants while you two go do whatever you want, sounds good?"

Matthew's eyebrow twitched at the brazen girl, but his calmed after seeing the amused and relaxed look on Madison's face.

Alicia looked like she wanted to say something but then shook her head "You're being ridiculous again, Clare"

Matthew sighed and put a hand over Alicia's.

Clarissa smiled as her plan was successful.

***

° Campus Grounds

Matthew and Alicia spent a few hours after the pizzaria on a walk, enjoying each other's company while Alicia showed him her most favorite spots around campus.

A bench near a water fountain, the coffee shop beside the Campus Library, the lower set of stairs filled with colorful graffiti, a taco stand outside the sports complex, and lastly under the shade of a particularly large oak tree near a large forest patch of ground not far from the dorms.

There, both of them sat and enjoyed the peaceful ambience around them.

"This is my favorite spot" Alicia said with a peaceful smile on her lips.

Matthew smiled as he closed his eyes, "It's a nice spot. Ever considering sharing it?"

Alicia laughed "Talk to me when you're accepted and we'll see. For now, you're my body pillow"

She put her head on his shoulders and leaned into him, sharing a silence that both enjoyed.

"But, I hope you do come here" Alicia admitted after a while as a sly smirk rose from her lips "Relieving stress will be very easy with you around"

Matthew was speechless, unable to reply at the innuendo. Just as Alicia intended.

"Having someone to lean on and talk to about something other than school stuff is definitely gonna be helpful" she rose and gave him a triumphant smile.

Matthew breathed in relief and chuckled at himself "Jesus, Alicia. Don't do that, you're gonna give me a--"

Alicia shut him up with a kiss, deep and tender. She somehow startled Matthew when she used her tongue to poke on his but soon both were intertwining and dancing around each other like horny slugs.

They parted after a good few minutes of making out.

Alicia flushed slightly with a small smile on her face, while Matthew was all red and bothered. Small sparks of lightning coursed through her skin and landing on Mattew, causing a faint tingle to course through his back.

"See?" Alicia said under laboured breaths "My stress is almost gone already"

Matthew caught himself "Only almost? Maybe another go at it will--"

A loud crack cut through their intense interactions as the loud screaming began to echo from nearby.

They both stopped and looked in the general direction of the sounds.

"Is that...normal?" Matthew asked doubtfully.

"Nope. Definitely not normal" Alicia said, her expression instantly turning sharp as she stood. Her skin taking on a bright yellow glow as electricity began coursing in more powerful arcs all over her, burning off her clothes and revealing the tight yellow costume underneath.

Matthew was already in his own costume after a quick change and he offered his hand. Alicia took it without question and softly settled into Matthew's arms as he took her in, then shot out of the trees.