Chapter Four

Two days passed from my third concurrence with Ghost. I was never really sure when he would just drop out of nowhere to have a chat. The suspense was sort of. . .thrilling. Some times I found myself wishing he would swoop in and save me from a boring lecture. He was such an awful person more than half the time yet a part of me was drawn to that nature. Our fleeting conversations were vexing. A stimulating interaction. After being with Dean for those few months, I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone. What better way to achieve that goal than spending time with a villain?

Then I remembered how much of an asshole he was, which brought me to think of a more courteous Vigilante.

Two Supers in one night was more than I ever expected to witness. I was still deciding if it were a good thing or bad. My conscience convinced me to think the latter, mostly from Vigilante's words. Since meeting the two of them, my curiosity has spiked off the charts at who they were under the mask. And, well, hood.

"Hey, Angel! Wait up!" Shannon was down the hall. Her voice managed to carry above the cacophony of students. I spun the dial on my locker to wait for her approach.

By the time she reached my spot she was gasping for breath and leaning fully against the lockers. Minutes passed. Shannon heaved big gulps of air. Waiting for her to catch her breath, I grabbed the books I needed for my classes from my locker. She was good at being dramatic.

"I just came from Mr. Johnson's room." She started, then paused once more. Several gulps of air followed her pause.

I sighed at her antics. "Shan, Mr. Johnson's room is just around the corner."

Shannon gained her composure completely by shaking her hair out to fluff the tendrils. "Stop interrupting! Anyway, you'll never guess who I met in there."

I shifted the books into my other arm. "Who?"

Gage, I thought.

"Gage."

What a shocker, I internally sighed.

"You can guess what went down in there." Shannon wiggled her eyebrows and winked.

My eyes widened at her implication. "You did that in there?!" I whisper-shouted so as not to draw in any unwanted ears.

At my assumption Shannon's grin turned into a look of disgust. "What? No! We just made out a little bit." She slammed her back against the lockers and checked her nails. "Do you think I have no dignity?"

"Even if it was making out, it's still a classroom! Where I have to go and sit in and think of you kissing some guy." I shoved her shoulder lightly and she giggled.

Shannon stood upright and gestured to her outfit. "What do you think of my new look?"

She had on a leather jacket with destroyed jeans and motorcycle boots. Shannon could pull off anything but even the jeans looked as if they had been fed to a shark. Most of her outfits were more forever-21-esque, all flowers and pastels and wide-brimmed hats. Biker chic wasn't her forte.

"It's very leather-y," I tried. She grinned.

"Gage thinks it's totally hot." Shannon wiggled her eyebrows once more at the mere name.

I wasn't beginning to like that Gage person. She was already obsessed.

With a frown, I tried to set her straight. "Shan, it's not right to change for a guy. He should like you for you."

She rolled her eyes excessively. "I'm not changing for him. It's just a look. Chill out."

She was denial. I nodded anyway. I wouldn't push her away just because she was trying to impress a boy, but usually the boys were chasing her. Which was another reason I was suspicious of her new friend. A red flag was raised the second Shannon confessed that she created a look for a boy. I didn't want her to feel the need to change her persona.

With the imposing silence, I contemplated sharing my secret of the Super humans with Shannon. A change of conversation. Perhaps it would free my train of thought of good guys and bad guys to talk about it aloud with Shannon? A way to make sure I wasn't delusional in a sense. Shannon was my best friend. We always shared everything together, and the excitement of rehashing the story since day one made my stomach flip.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

The bell rang just as Shannon was about to reply. She nodded lazily, already walking around me. "Catch you later. Then you can tell me anything."

While slightly annoyed by the timing of the bell, I couldn't help feel a little relieved. I didn't know exactly what I was going to say. How does one say, 'I met a new Super human the other day', without it sounding completely fake?

I started walking down the hall to my first period class, debating the best choice of words to use when the time approached.

Class was History. In Mr. Johnson's room.

Students filed into the room and took their seats. A vivid image of Shannon making out with a mystery boy on Mr. Johnson's desk came to my mind, and had me shuddering with unease.

Yes, I somehow knew that would happen.

The second bell rang. Mr. Johnson came walking in with another boy right on his heels.

At the sight of them I actually slouched lower in my seat. It was my favorite teacher with the blond haired boy, the one who sent his knee into my forehead the other day. The entire event unfolded before my eyes, a shuddering recollection.

The guy was just as tall as Mr. Johnson but had a slightly more muscular build. The silver watch was still attached to his wrist, accentuating strong forearms that were exposed due to the shirtsleeves of his deep green shirt being rolled up to his elbows.

His green eyes roamed the class. They brushed over my face, narrowing. A moment later his lip twitched upward ever so slightly, and that was when I knew that he knew. Hard to forget.

"Morning everyone. Today we have a somewhat new student joining us. I say somewhat because he has been here for a few days but just transferred to this class. So, welcome, Hunter Villanova." Mr. Johnson slipped his hands in his khaki pants and looked around the room briefly. Silence ensued.

"Hunter we're starting a new project today and I'm going to pair you with Angel. She is one of my more. . .responsible students." Mr. Johnson pointed my direction, and Hunter replied with a curt nod.

Mr. Johnson narrowed his eyes at a group of boys in the back of the room. I felt my cheeks beginning to warm up from the complement. The praise earned some looks from the other students.

Dean looked back at me from a few seats diagonal of mine as soon as Mr. Johnson finished speaking. He had a scowl on his face, obviously displeased that he wasn't mentioned by the teacher.

Another trait I didn't admire; Dean was a kiss-ass.

Mr. Johnson clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "You all know what to do. Better get started." He retreated behind the large rectangle desk at the front of the room and pulled out a book.

Everyone began shuffling out of their seats to retrieve laptops that were stationed in the back of the room. Hunter walked over to my seat in two long strides. He looked even more attractive when my vision wasn't blurry.

"Hey, I'm Hunter." He gave me a boyish grin, causing a dimple to appear.

I wanted to be sarcastic and remind him that the teacher had just introduced him but I was concentrating too hard on not drooling.

Hunter smoothly swung a desk around and slid right in, leaning forward on his elbows. "Angel, huh? Parents believe in the, 'up above'?"

"Vaguely. It mostly sums up the fact that I've just been a do-good-er since birth," I said smugly. "And on that note, we're supposed to research a country for this project. Any thoughts on which one? Or should I take the reins?"

The corner of his mouth turned upward. "Cocky. And presumptuous."

"I'm nurturing an A+ in this class and I don't want that to change."

"So you're just going to ignore the fact I almost knocked you out the other day?"

Ah, there it rose. With a small smile I used his own words. "No, you just killed a few brain cells is all. Better not harm my grade, though."

Hunter snickered and leaned back in the seat. "Again, I'm very sorry that happened." His face morphed from joyous amusement to completely sincere when he finished his apology.

"Hey, no, it's okay. I'm not dead." I laughed it off, trying to change the mood.

He glanced over at Mr. Johnson. "Is he always this. . .carefree?"

"You'd be surprised. One time he showed up for attendance then left after assigning the night's homework."

Hunter looked back at me with an exasperated look. "Really? Wow, and he wonder's why those guys back there aren't responsible." He jutted a thumb at the back of the room.

"Oh yeah, it's a good thing you were paired with me or you'd have never gotten the project done working with Jake and Omar." I nodded at two snickering boys in the far corner of the room that were currently throwing an empty juice box with 'A.I.D.S' written in black marker on the front at each other.

As if they didn't already have that disease.

Hunter leaned forward on his forearms, green eyes glinting in the light. "Not just good, but a great thing."

My smile faltered. I couldn't help but think of Ghost's words.

Not good, but great.

No, that didn't mean anything. It was just a simple word choice coincidence was all. If I found myself trying to decipher who Ghost really was under the hood, I would go crazy. Of all the people in the city there was no way he could be Hunter.

"You're not here for five minutes and already flirting?" I fixed the smile back on my face.

Hunter swiveled his head to look at the silver wristwatch. A lopsided grin formed on his lips before he cocked his head slightly to the side. "Ten minutes, Angel."

For some reason I found the remark funny, and a fit of giggles followed. It shocked me completely because I didn't even know I was capable of giggling. Snorting, definitely, but not giggling.

A second letter his wristwatch starting beeping. Hunter sat up straight. A brief look of panic crossed his face but disappeared within milliseconds. He quickly ran a hand over his short blond hair as if stressed about something.

He stood up and stared down at me with a torn look in his eyes. "I have to go. I trust you enough to choose a country." Hunter smiled at the last bit before turning and bolting out the door.

Everything unfolded so quickly. I found myself staring after him in his rushed wake. Mr. Johnson didn't even notice him walk right out of the room, and I almost got up to say something.

Almost.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The bell rang, dragging me from my daydreams and into the reality. All that I could think about was how Hunter ran out of History as if his pants were on fire. Of course that wasn't the case considering I might have watched his butt on the way out.

For once in the past few days I actually believed to be having a normal moment with a normal boy, but that thought went right in the toilet. Although, it was a better alternative than thinking about a certain Super human who still hadn't returned my undergarments.

"Angel! Hey!" Shannon's voice filled the crowding halls and I couldn't even pick out which direction she was coming from until she bounded into my side.

I teetered off balance slightly but Shannon grabbed my shoulders in a death grip. "Maybe if you stopped one-strapping that backpack you wouldn't be so off-kilter. Besides, the straps rub against your neck and they look like hickeys." Shannon grinned at the last part and added a wink.

"Hello to you too, Shannon." I sniffed and shifted my weight.

She smiled perkily and changed topic. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

My thoughts from earlier started gathering at the tip of my tongue. As soon as I opened my mouth Shannon's eyes popped out of her head and she started waving frantically.

"Shannon, you know the Super--"

"Gage! Hey, come here a second!" Shannon leaned to see over my shoulder and in the process shouted into my eardrums.

My ears rang. I shrunk away from her booming voice. She definitely had the loudest mouth of anyone I knew. Shannon shuffled around me to greet someone.

Lightly touching my ear, I turned to see the famous new boy toy of Shannon's. She had her arms around him in seconds. I awkwardly stood behind them.

I had to admit, he was a looker.

Gage was much taller than Shannon, and had about a good six or seven inches over me as well. Even though he was monstrously tall, Gage was filled out well with large biceps that lead to thick shoulders. He had soft-looking dark brown hair that stuck up in the front like a fauxhawk. Dark stubble was peppered along his strong jaw, giving him an altogether domineering look. Mysterious gray eyes met mine, something briefly coursing through them. He refused to look away first.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over me. I found myself breaking the gaze. He was handsome, but I knew that it wasn't right to stare. I was imposing on their moment.

An enticing curiosity pricked my system. I couldn't help but turn and look at him again. Gage was still staring down at me with those eyes. My face warmed.

Shannon pulled back from Gage and said a few words to him quietly. He nodded and she spun around with a grin on her face. "Angel, this is Gage and Gage this is Angel."

Gage bowed his head in my direction and I gave him a wave. Shannon seemed to think everything was perfect because she kept a wide mouth smile plastered on her face the entire time.

"So, Angel, you wanted to talk? You said something about soup or super?"

I shook my head and took a step backwards. "No, we can talk later."

Gage raised a brow when Shannon said 'soup' before blinking at me multiple times. I probably sounded like a weirdo to him now.

Not that it mattered.

Gage hadn't said a single word. Without saying goodbye I started walking down the hall, eager to put distance between me and the happy couple.