As the school bell rang out to signal the start of the day, Gabriel made it just in time through the school gates, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"You okay, Gabe?" Jai-Lee asked, her bright brown eyes full of concern as she fell into step beside him.
"I'm as okay as I can be," Gabriel replied, his voice full of sarcasm.
"Let's go before Miss Childs blows her casket."
The pair picked up the pace, sneakers squeaking against the newly cleaned floors. Students swarmed around them, voices echoing off lockers and polished tile. The usual chaos of the morning grind.
As they turned a corner, a leg popped out of nowhere, tripping Gabriel. As he went down, time slowed. He could hear heartbeats all around him—breaths inhaling like slow-motion whispers. It was like he was frozen in time… and he had the key.
But Gabriel's body moved like it had done this dance a thousand times before.
His hand shot out, breaking his fall, and he landed clean in a perfect press-up position—no stumble, no faceplant, just smooth control like he'd trained for it.
"What the—? That's impossible. I timed that perfectly. How did you do that?" said Harry, the school's star quarterback, standing there as confused as he was angry.
"Well, clearly not perfect enough," Gabriel replied, pushing himself up and dusting his palms. A smirk played on his lips.
"Thank God for that," Jai-Lee muttered, rolling her eyes.
"I see you haven't got rid of your pit bull," Harry sneered, eyeing Jai-Lee.
"And I see all the millions of dollars your father has couldn't buy you a new brain," Jai-Lee shot back.
The football team behind Harry burst into laughter, but it didn't last.
"Ouch," one of them whispered before Harry turned and gave them that look. They shut up quick.
Gabriel crossed his arms, unimpressed. He knew Harry's attitude was just a front, but it didn't make him any easier to deal with.
"Oh how original. Rich kid, athlete, no brain. How many times have I heard that joke before? Ahahaha, so funny," Harry laughed sarcastically, staring Jai-Lee dead in the eyes.
"But the joke's on you—I'm going D1. Every college around the country's begging me to commit. You got offers?" he asked, a smug grin spreading across his face.
He paused, then scoffed.
"Didn't think so. Nothing special. Nobody cares."
"So Gabriel, put your muzzle back on your pit and keep it on its lead," Harry snapped.
"She's not my bodyguard, Harry. She's just my friend. Friends do look out for each other, y'know. I know that's hard for you to comprehend, but they do," Gabriel replied.
"Well enough of the pleasantries—football trials are after school today, Gabriel. You gonna need your little friend to hold your hand there too?" Harry smirked, turning to give high-fives to his boys.
"Harry, I—"
"He'll be there, Harry," Jai-Lee cut in sharply.
"Well, I'll see you there," Harry said, slinging his arm around his teammates and walking off into the distance, still wearing that smug grin like a badge.
"Jai, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind? I can't go to football trials," Gabriel said, frustrated.
"Of course you can."
"You're forgetting something—the fact that I can't control my powers. We don't even know what triggers my transformation, and you want me to play full-contact football?"
"You're right… I didn't think about that. I just wanted to shut his arrogant mouth," Jai-Lee admitted. "After class, we'll just slip out the back. You'll be fine, don't worry."
They continued down the corridor, trying to shake off the tension. As Gabriel and Jai-Lee reached class, Miss Childs was just closing the door.
"Better late than never, Gabriel."
"Miss, Jai was late too, y'know."
"Yes, she was. A pupil who has never been late to my class shows up with a pupil who's been late more times than I care to count. Hmmm." Miss Childs stared him down.
"I guess I'll just take my seat," Gabriel muttered.
"Now that everyone is seated, today we'll be doing chemistry lab experiments in groups of two," she announced. "Pick your lab partner wisely. The person you choose today will be your partner for the end-of-term group experiment."
The students looked around. Gabriel and Jai-Lee paired up instantly.
As the lesson kicked off, Gabriel was zoned out. His head swirled with everything from the past few days—powers, danger, secrets. It was like his mind was running a marathon while his body stood still.
Meanwhile, Jai-Lee handled the experiment like a pro, measuring out chemicals and jotting down notes while side-eyeing Gabriel, who was just… staring.
Miss Childs, holding a science tray, walked around observing the pairs.
Then it happened.
She tripped over a backpack left out in the aisle.
Without thinking, Gabriel jumped to his feet. One hand caught the tray and—like a magician—his hand moved swiftly, catching every beaker in a cat-like motion. Then he caught Miss Childs just before she hit the floor.
The whole class gasped. Mouths hung open. You could hear a pin drop.
Miss Childs stared at Gabriel, completely stunned. "Thank you, Gabriel…" she said, voice soft and shaky.
Before she could say more, the bell rang—sharper and louder than usual, snapping everyone from their stupor.
Gabriel helped her to her feet, placed the tray down carefully, and speed-walked out of the room without another word.
As he walked down the hall, it felt like everything slowed again—except for his heartbeat, which was pounding like crazy. Students turned to whisper, their gazes bouncing off him like he was suddenly a stranger in his own skin.
Then—bang.
He walked straight into David, one of Harry's boys.
David's eyes narrowed on him, smug and mocking.
"Hey, Gabriel," he said, voice filled with sarcasm. "Looks like you're quite the superhero, aren't you?"
Gabriel's eyes locked onto his.
He didn't say a word—but deep down, he knew:
Trouble was coming.