The wind rushed past me, whipping my hair in every direction as I sped down the road. The city was just waking up, but I was already flying through it on my bike, weaving between cars like a shadow.
My flip-flops barely clung to my feet, and my half-buttoned shirt flapped wildly, but I didn't care. My backpack was strapped tightly to my back, just the way I liked it.
As I increased my speed, the wind made my eyes tear up.
Then, feeling a sudden urge, I let go of the handlebars.
Stretching my arms wide, I closed my eyes for a brief second, just feeling the wind against my skin.
The rush, the freedom… it was perfect.
I allowed the bike to cruise and noticed a school bus that I was about to overtake. The kids inside were staring out their windows, poking their friends and pointing at me.
I was sure they were amazed at my driving skills.
I grabbed the handlebars, looked straight at them, and pulled off a quick wheelie. The bike's front wheel lifted into the air, and I revved the engine for extra effect. I could hear the kids shouting and cheering from inside the bus.
A grin spread across my face, and I laughed loudly.
Bringing the wheel down, I rode closer to the bus and shouted.
"Who doesn't want to go to school?"
Immediately, the bus erupted with shouts of
"Me! Me!"
I smirked and retorted.
"Then why don't you grow up already? School's for kids!"
I laughed at my own joke and sped past the bus.
I really loved days when I could wake up early and ride my bike. There was something about those early morning rides that set my whole body on fire.
I increased my speed, rushing toward my destination.
Soon, I turned off the main road and into a quieter part of the city. The tall buildings disappeared behind me, replaced by small houses and tree-lined streets. The roads there were calmer—no honking, no rush, just the soft hum of my bike.
A little further ahead, I finally pulled up outside a house. Letting out a satisfied sigh, I brought the bike to a stop, the engine purring one last time before I shut it off. For a moment, I just sat there, stretching my arms again.
I glanced at the bike's side mirror and saw my green eyes staring back at me. My brown hair was a complete mess, tousled and frazzled.
"Eh, I like it," I shrugged, hopping off the bike and letting it lean against the curb.
I took a moment to stretch, feeling the cool morning air and letting my eyes wander over the quiet street. I closed my eyes for a brief second, just enjoying the stillness.
Then, I dropped down into a squat.
Squats—I liked them. I have always liked them.
Squats were simple but effective. Squats gave you power. Those who did squats were kings, and the rest were just peasants.
I rotated my neck a couple of times, feeling the stiffness crack away.
Took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill my lungs.
I blinked rapidly a few times, trying to shake off the last traces of sleep.
Slapped my cheek, hard enough to wake me up completely.
And finally I was wide awake, fully alert and ready to take on the day.
Today was finally the day I had been waiting for.
In front of me stood a typical house, two stories, clean white walls, a small porch with a few chairs lazily placed. The garage sat on the left, the driveway leading up to it, while on the right, a neatly trimmed garden stretched out. A stone walkway cut through the grass, leading straight to the front door.
I strolled up to the door, whistling as I rang the bell, my mind already jumping ahead to what was going to happen in just a couple of hours.
"I wish I could just time travel," I murmured to myself.
I rang the bell again.
Today was Awakening Day for my batch. Well... actually, it was Awakening Day for everyone graduating from any academy in the city.
My gaze drifted to the grass, and an idea popped into my head... what if I did a backflip right now? If I failed, it shouldn't hurt too much, right?
And so, I did.
I walked to the center of the garden, took a deep breath, and...
"Hiyyyahhh!"
I pushed off the ground, flipped backward, and landed perfectly.
Grinning, I clapped for myself as I walked back to the door.
I rang the bell again.
And then... I rang it again.
Finally, the door swung open, and there he was, exactly who I came for.
My best friend, the one I'd known since I first understood what a "best friend" was.
He stood in front of me in his white shorts and undershirt. His hair was a mess, his eyes half open. Come to think of it, I'd never seen him with his eyes fully open.
And, uh, a half-raised mast was poking out of his shorts.
"Yo, Good Morning."
I grinned, rang the bell again and watched as he frowned.
He stared at me with what I'd call a 25% frown. I waited for him to say something, but then he sighed and said.
"I hate you man."
Why had I even bothered raising my expectations?
"Oh, come on. Today's our graduation. Today's Awakening Day. I hope your half-asleep brain remembers that, at least. Show some energy brother. Come on, let's get ready to roll."
I pushed him aside and moved into the house. I threw my bag on his couch, turned around, grabbed him by the shoulders, and looked him dead in the eye, speaking with all the seriousness I could muster.
"Steve, I need your help. I need you to calm me down. I can feel my heart about to explode. My blood's running at the speed of light, and soon, it'll vanish from my body. As my best friend, it's your duty to save me from exploding."
And Steve did what he did best, threaten me.
"Billion, if I hear another word out of your mouth or even see you twitch, I swear I'm ending our friendship right here, right now.""
He stared at me with a look that said he might actually do it if I didn't do as he said.
And so I did.
That's what best friends do.
He slipped out of my grasp, my hands still outstretched. I stood there, frozen, like a statue, staring ahead into the abyss of friendship.
I heard him head to the first floor. I guessed he was going for a bath. He might not show it, but I knew he was excited for graduation too.
I mean, who wouldn't be excited? Today, we get the chance to unlock our path to level up and get powers.
Powers!!!!
Just thinking about it sent a surge of adrenaline through me, making my hands tremble, my heart race, and my blood burned with excitement.
I glanced at the stairs from the corner of my eye, making sure Steve was really gone. Once I was certain, I jumped straight into action—my energy bubbling over, pushing me to do something, anything, to burn it off.
I dropped into my first squat, trying to burn off some of this restless energy.
"One," I muttered, focusing on the movement.
Steve was my polar opposite. At least, that's what everyone said. I was too energetic for everyone, and Steve… too... what's the word I'm looking for? Energy-less? No, that didn't fit. He was just... low-key and low-energy I guess.
"Two," I grunted, pushing deeper.
People said if I was a walking dynamite, then Steve was... a sleeping mountain.
But I knew better, he was as much of a bomb as I was but just in his head. I was a bomb everywhere, but he was a bomb in his mind. I think that's why his eyes were always half-closed because half the time, he was living in his head.
I wondered if there was a secret behind his half opened eyes.
"Three."
What if he gained the power to shoot lasers?
"Four."
What if he opened his eyes fully and a laser shot out?
"Five."
Would his head explode because of his half-open eyes? Would he kill himself with his own laser?
My mind wandered to different ways Steve half closed eyes would kill him.
I could feel my squats getting faster, the energy buzzing through me like it was only building up. I wasn't calming down….not even close.
So I did the next best thing to calm myself down.
Push-ups.
I whipped my shirt off and tossed it aside, then got to work.
Push-ups, I liked them. They were good. They gave me power. Push-ups maketh the man.
****
Fifteen minutes passed before I heard his footsteps. I quickly stood up and struck the same pose he left me in, hands stretched forward.
He came down and stopped in front of me, glancing from the tossed shirt to me. But I didn't buckle under his half-intense stare.
He was wearing his black military uniform. Nearly six feet tall, with blond hair, blue eyes, a chubby face, and that lazy attitude.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're already 17 years old. Can't you mature just a little?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that comment. Mature? Never heard of that word.
But I didn't break. I stayed silent. That was my commitment to our friendship.
He rubbed his forehead, sighing.
Finally, a smile formed on his face.
"Fine. Fine. Go get ready. It's Awakening Day."
I smiled back at him and rushed upstairs, ready to rock the academy.
Soon, I was staring at myself in the mirror. Last I checked, I was 6'3", taller than Steve.
I had to be; I was the alpha of our two-man group. I had a good-looking face—handsome, chiseled jaw, sharp nose.
But who needed a handsome face when I was about to get superpowers?
I smoothed out the creases in my shirt and tucked it in properly. Finally, I was ready. No more delays. What was coming was coming.
"Let's see what the future has in store for me."