More Trouble! Read online

  “No problems!” Zeke said. “Want me to go with you?”

  “Nah, you’d better fly back to Dad’s lab. I’m sure they’ll have something fun for you there!” I said.

  Zeke and I parted ways. I didn’t know if I felt more relief from fighting off Paula or getting rid of Zeke. Yeah, Zeke might have been a nice guy but he was better in small doses. Very small doses.

  I arrived back at the pool and nobody had even noticed that I had left. On one hand, I was able to save the day without anybody missing me from my job. On the other hand, though, I had a job that really didn’t matter.

  Dear Diary: Okay, my job looks like it is going to be very, very boring. But, in thinking about it, I figure that with a new arch-rival and animals going berserk for no good reason, a little boring job could be good. Boring is normal. I need normal in my life. As well, I actually feel good. I handled angry bears and a super-powered Paula by myself. Okay, Piper helped with the mad animals but still, I guess it’s not bad to have new allies.

  A New Friend…I think!

  I spent the rest of my workday cleaning up debris from the area around the pool. On the bright side, at least I was outside. On the bad side, it was ridiculous how much trash people left around the pool. I didn’t have a chance to swim or save anyone, but I made the best out of cleaning up trash. Not quite sure what I had signed up for or hoped for, but sometimes you just have to take what you get.

  As I swept the trash, Mrs. Trompe appeared behind me. “Well, Ms. Strong, I am so glad you are such a good team player.”

  I sighed and forced myself to say, “Thanks.”

  “I know it’s not the most glamorous job, but keeping the pool clean is very important,” Mrs. Trompe said.

  I collected more trash in silence. I really didn’t know what else to say.

  “I also understand that Wendi and Patti can be pains in the behind. But they are good workers and mean well in their own way.”

  “If you say so. You are my boss,” I sighed.

  “True,” Mrs. Trompe said. “Believe me, kid, you are going to have to put up with people like those two all your life, so it’s best to get the practice in now. Learning how to deal with jerks is important.” She pointed to a piece of paper lying on the ground. “You missed a piece.”

  She watched me spear the piece and drop it into my collection bag before walking away. Yeah, what I was doing made watching paint dry seem exciting but at least I could collect my thoughts and relax. Of course, though, Patti came over and interrupted my alone time. Behind her was a tall girl with a curly ponytail who was jogging towards us.

  When she reached Patti’s side, Patti introduced me. “Lia, this is Brandi. She’s another assistant lifeguard, like you,” Patti said.

  “Hey, Brandi,” I smiled.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Brandi said and then laughed. “Hopefully most of it isn’t true.”

  “Agreed,” I said.

  Patti pointed to me. “Wendi wants Brandi to make sure you’re picking up all the gross garbage!”

  Brandi pointed to the smallest piece of paper on the ground. “You missed a piece,” Brandi said to me. She looked at Patti. “Yeah, Wendi was right, she must need glasses.”

  The two shared a laugh at my expense. I fought back the urge to drop them both with a fart. Suddenly my shift at work could not end soon enough.

  “Okay, I’d better get back to the pool,” Patti said. “There are some cute guys over there. Brandi, you make sure Lia doesn’t goof off!”

  Once Patti was out of earshot, Brandi said, “My, my…aren’t Patti and Wendi something!”

  “Yeah, they certainly are something but it’s not something good,” I muttered.

  Brandi laughed. “Yeah, I bet they both think their farts don’t smell.”

  “Believe me, I’ve been in a locker room with both of them and they really do smell,” I said.

  “Oh, you play LAX too?” Brandi asked.

  I nodded. “I do. I was third in scoring to Wendi and Lori last season. I think Wendi thinks of me as a threat.”

  Brandi laughed. “Ah, that’s why I’m safe. I’m a goalie. No threat to her. I’m pretty good too. My old team won the Capital City championship last year. I had two shutouts in the playoffs.”

  “Wow!” I said. “No wonder Wendi likes you.”

  Brandi smiled. “Sorry I have to give you a hard time. But I want to stay on Wendi’s good side. I hear she has a lot of power with the coach.”

  I sighed. “She does…”

  “Being new here, I need to fit in,” Brandi said. “Especially since I’m always the tallest kid in my class.”

  “I get it,” I said.

  “Plus, I don’t want to be picking up garbage and doing all the worst jobs around here,” Brandi added.

  “Oh, I so get that,” I replied.

  I actually felt torn. While I understood the idea of the new girl needing to fit in, the more people stood up to Wendi the less she would be so…Wendi.

  “Of course, when Queen Wendi isn’t around I’d like to be friends,” Brandi told me. “After all, I believe a person can never have too many friends…” She looked over her shoulder but Wendi and Patti were paying much more attention to a couple of boys in the pool than they were to us. She offered me her hand. “Friends?”

  Shaking her hand, I said, “Sure.”

  Brandi smiled. She pointed at a piece of paper about a foot away. “There’s another piece you missed.”

  I groaned. Maybe I’d made a mistake befriending this girl.

  Brandi walked past me. She bent down and picked up the piece of paper. She dropped it into my collection bag. She smiled at me. I smiled back.

  Dear Diary: I need this job. One…I need some spending money. Two…I want to do things a normal girl would do. Three…I figure I’ll be helping people. Yeah, I knew it wouldn’t be easy working with Wendi and her sidekick, Patti. But if I can fight off a super-powered super brain, surely I can cope with two spoiled brats. Who knows, maybe I can even become friends with Brandi.

  Another Surprise Encounter

  I decided to walk home from work. It had been a long day of picking up trash, fighting my possible arch nemesis, putting up with Wendi and Patti and even Brandi, kind of…sort of. I needed a nice normal walk to clear my head.

  Of course, after walking only a short distance, MAC beeped. “Ah, Lia,” he said slowly. “I really do hate to bother you…”

  “But?”

  “Ah, Jason and Zeke didn’t think I should bother you so well ah…they are trying to handle it…” MAC said.

  “Handle what?”

  “BMS Labs had some diamonds on a shipment, therefore Jason and Zeke figured this was their job….”

  I stopped walking and said, “Huh? MAC, for a device that is supposed to give information, you are not doing a very good job.”

  “Well, um, Jason and Zeke didn’t want to bother you with something so trivial. They thought they could handle this alone. After all, how tough can one super baddie named Large Marge be?”

  “MAC! What in the world are you talking about?”

  “Once a month, there is a diamond shipment to area jewelry stores. It’s usually pretty secretive and secure. But this month, as in right now, the shipment is under attack by a super being who calls herself Large Marge. She picked up the truck, turned it upside-down and started shaking out the diamonds. The security personnel tried to stop her but she basically ordered them to stand back and cower in fear; which they did. BMS Labs has some diamonds on that shipment. They plan to use them to create drills. Therefore, Jason and his team went to defend the supply.”

  “His team?”

  “Jason and Zeke….”

  “Not much of a team,” I said.

  “Well, Hana went too…”

  “And?” I asked.

  “I have nothing. Nada. I’ve lost all communication with them,” MAC said.

  I spun super-fast so MAC could activate my costume. Then I shot up
into the air. “MAC, lead me there!”

  Feeling so pumped up and angry, I arrived at the sight of the attack in less than a minute. It was a back road in the middle of nowhere. Looking downward, I saw a very large woman lifting up an armored car with one hand. She had ripped off the door and was shaking out the diamonds. I assumed she had to be Large Marge. All the guards and Jason and Zeke were either laying on the ground out cold or shivering in fear.

  Not wanting to give Large Marge a chance, I flew down and hit her with a high-speed uppercut to the jaw. My super punch sent her flying into the air. Marge came crashing down, leaving a huge crater on the side of the road. She pulled herself out of the crater. She licked a bit of blood from her lip. She said, “Took you long enough to get here, Super Teen.”

  “I just found out about this!” I answered defensively.

  Large Marge grinned and stomped over to me. She had to be at least fifteen feet tall. She wore a muscle shirt and white shorts. Her footsteps shook the ground. “I’ve been looking for a chance to go one on one with you!” she said. Flexing her arm muscles, she looked like her muscles had muscles.

  “Like they say, be careful what you wish for!” I told her.

  Large Marge clapped her hands together and the force of the clap sent me flying backward. I crashed into the back of the armored car, leaving a dent.

  “Look, kid, we don’t really have to fight. We’re doing good here,” Large Marge said.

  “Ah, how so?” I asked.

  “Well, the markup on diamonds is outrageous. Most people can’t afford them. So we steal them, sell them, and give most of the profits to the poor people,” Large Marge said.

  MAC spoke up. “I actually have to confirm what she says. Apparently last month in West Coast City, an armored truck was attacked and then the majority of the city’s poor population mysteriously ended up with extra cash.”

  Large Marge smiled. “See, little girl, we are doing good.”

  I had to admit being confused. I liked the idea of helping poor people. But on the other hand, I didn’t like the idea of stealing.

  “Is this some sort of royal we?” I asked Large Marge. “And I can’t let you steal stuff. No matter how noble your cause.”

  Large Marge licked her lips. “Well, I congratulate you for having guts. But this fight is going to be fun. You have to understand though, I am LARGE and in CHARGE!” With those words, Large Marge grew even larger. She had to be a good forty feet tall.

  I sighed. “You know I’ve fought giants before. Right?” I warned. “I always come out on top.”

  Large Marge lifted a leg and tried stomping down on me. Dodging to the right, I shot up into the air and punched her square in the nose. Her head shot back and a little blood started trickling down. Marge wiped the blood from her nose with her sleeve. She looked at it and grinned.

  “Not bad!” she told me.

  Hovering next to her face, I said, “That was just a warning shot. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m not sure I want to hurt you either,” Large Marge said. “But I do want to have fun with you. I’ve had so few challenges since I’ve become so super!”

  Large Marge swung at me with a right and a left; both of which I easily dodged. She exhaled on me and drove me to the ground. Her breath reeked of garlic.

  I hit the road, leaving another dent.

  “So sorry about the garlic breath. I just love pizza with garlic. Garlic is good for you!” she lectured.

  I shook the cobwebs out of my head. “Okay, lady, now you’ve made me mad.”

  Large Marge laughed. “Good, I had been hoping for a fun tussle.”

  I flew up at super speed. I hit Marge in the jaw at least ten times. I shot around and karate chopped her on each shoulder, twice. I flew back around and swatted her in the nose. Then I rammed into her left ear. Speeding around, I rammed into her right ear. I proceeded to punch her multiple times at super duper high speed, all the way down her body. I must have hit her a hundred times in three seconds. At first, she swatted at me like I was an annoying little fly but soon the swatting stopped.

  I flew back up to her face to see how much damage I had done. Her eyes were dazed and crossed. Her knees wobbled and she was barely able to stand straight. I had hurt Large Marge. I flew up to her forehead and gave her a tap with my little finger. She simultaneously shrank back to normal size and fell over backward.

  Landing next to her unconscious body, I said. “Not so large now, are you Marge?”

  I heard a voice behind me, “Hey, Superbrat, leave my mom alone.”

  I turned to see a tall, teenage girl hovering above me on a skateboard. She had bright green eyes, purple hair and a tattoo of a purple rose on her upper arm. She smirked at me confidently as she zoomed past.

  “And who might you be?” I asked.

  “The name is Jamer Ju!” the purple-haired girl said. “I’m warning you to run away now, or else.”

  “Or else what?” I asked.

  Jamer Ju aimed her arms and skateboard at me. My body started crackling with electricity. “I control all forms of energy!” Jamer Ju said, watching me squirm.

  “Your mom must be so proud!” I replied, shaking off her initial blast.

  I attempted to fly up into the air but I couldn’t get my feet up off the ground. It felt like I had the pressure of the world pressing down on me. Jamer grinned. “Oh, I can also control gravity too!” she told me.

  “Yeah, I kind of figured that out…” I groaned.

  “It helps me to fly,” she said, landing on the ground next to me.

  I fired my heat vision toward her. The red-hot beams stopped in mid-flight. They fizzled out.

  “Heat is a form of energy,” Jamer said.

  Even though I felt like I had a mountain on my chest, I still forced myself to move forward. Moving against Jamer’s power sent a shock wave back at her.

  “Impressive,” Jamer told me. “But I could hold a squad of tanks motionless if I wished.” She snapped her fingers. “Or I could crush them,” she said.

  I felt the pressure on me magnify.

  “Magnetism is also a kind of energy,” Jamer said. “Now I am hitting you with gravity from the top while increasing your magnetic field so the Earth pulls you back.”

  “Stop!” I ordered with my command voice.

  All the forces on me simply stopped. I took a deep breath. I could move and breathe again. I sped towards Jamer. She waved her hand and I saw an energy barrier appear in front of me. I smashed through the barrier. I felt the energy crackle and sizzle around me. I pushed through regardless. Extending my hand, I grabbed Jamer around the wrist of her tattooed arm.

  “Impressive,” Jamer told me. She grinned.

  I didn’t like that grin at all.

  A huge jolt of electrical energy sent me flying backward. I crashed through a couple of trees on the side of the road, knocking them down. The trees took the hit way worse than I did. Shooting back to my feet, I flew back to the spot Jamer had hit me. Both she and Large Marge had disappeared. I took that as a win. Looking around, I saw the armored car was also gone. I took that as not a win. Okay, we had fought to a draw. But I was outnumbered two against one and caught off guard. The latter wouldn’t happen again. Next time, I would be ready for anything. Actually, I should know enough to always be ready.

  Man, today was just a crazy day.

  With the disappearance of Large Marge and Jamer, both Jason and Zeke started to move. Jason sat up and looked at me. “Oh, hi,” he sighed. “The fact that you are here tells me Zeke and I failed.”

  Zeke stood up and looked around. “And I’m guessing we failed epically. It’s the one thing I am good at…failing big.”

  I tried to grin. I couldn’t. “Why didn’t you guys call me? I’m a part of the lab too!”

  Jason staggered to his feet. “We thought we could take out Large Marge by ourselves.”

  “We thought wrong,” Zeke said. “Is the Earth spinning extra fast or is that just me?�
� he asked.

  “Just you,” Jason and I told him.

  “I guess that’s good,” Zeke said.

  “How did Large Marge get away from you?” Jason asked me. “I thought you’d be too much even for a ten-foot-tall woman.”

  “She grew to about forty feet. Plus, she has a daughter who can control all forms of energy,” I said bluntly. “I took Marge out. But then the daughter showed up and got the drop on me.”

  “Wait, she can control all forms of energy?” Jason gulped.

  “That’s what she said. I have no reason to doubt her. As well, she flies on a skateboard.”

  “That is so cool!” Zeke said. “Is she cute?”

  “She’s pretty,” I said. “In a skater girl kind of way.”

  Zeke smiled. “I like skater girls. They’re cool. Think she has a boyfriend?” he asked.

  “The topic never came up while we were pounding each other,” I remarked.

  “Well, next time please ask,” Zeke said. “Come on Lia, think of your friends here!”

  Dear Diary: Great. Just what I need. Most of my super-powered friends are away and suddenly two new super-powered bad girls pop up. Well, I’m not totally certain they see themselves as bad girls. They see themselves as kind of super Robin Hoods, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. They might have a point. But they are still taking stuff that isn’t theirs.

  I’m sure we’ll clash again!

  BFFS or More!

  At home I found Mom, Grandma Betsy, and Shep waiting for me in the dining room. Mom had arrived home from work early to cook me a meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a lovely green salad. Mom knew what I liked. I guessed Grandma Betsy was there for moral support. Shep started licking me the moment I walked in through the doorway. Sometimes you just need your dog to lick you. That feeling of unconditional love is hard to beat.

  Mom asked me to wash my hands and then sit down at the table. I didn’t argue. I had the urge to take my shoes off, but I didn’t. Just in case my feet smelled. I didn’t want to ruin dinner for everybody else or have them fainting into their mashed potatoes.