Opening the door and going inside, Sky was headed straight to his room to take a shower when he saw Jake sitting on a dining chair studying. "Seriously dude? Studying after you came back from a party?" Sky asked as he stopped at the base of the stairs.
Looking up from what he was reading Jake answered Sky. "Yes, that's because I know I have exams that are starting soon and I'm not sure you do. Besides why are you just coming back?"
"What? It's not even that late, the time is just 11 O clock."
"Right. Because that's not late." Jake said.
"What's with that look on your face?" Sky asked him.
"What look?" Jake asked confused.
"That look. Even while saying all this totally boring stuff you have that look on your face. That look a guy gets when he..." Stopping halfway through his sentence, the realisation of what the look on Jake's face meant hit Sky. "Wait, hold on a second. Don't tell me you finally kissed Cat."
"Why would you think that?"
"You really did it didn't you? Wow. I didn't think you had it in you bro, I'm proud of you." Sky said tapping the spot where his heart was in his chest.
"What nonsense is this?" Jake asked. "Yes I kissed Cat but it's not a big deal. I've kissed girls before her so what's so special about this kiss?"
"What's so special?" Sky asked in mock horror. "Oh I don't know. How about the fact that she's the hottest girl among the whole second years. Tell me something Jake," Sky said now folding his arms, "these so-called girls you kissed before, are any of them as beautiful or as hot as Cat?"
"Well no but..."
"Exactly!" Sky interrupted Jake. "That is what's so special about this kiss. And that's aside from the fact that most guys at school would kill you if they found out about this, including that guy from before, Duke."
"Really?" Jake asked with a look of disbelief on his face. "We already dealt with him and gang of morons. Why would he come back for more?"
"Do you know how long he's been trying to go out with Cat, only for you to show up and ruin his efforts. And besides we only dealt with some of his morons, we didn't beat him up." Sky said with emphasis on the 'him'.
"True. We didn't beat him up, I did."
"You? When?"
"It was on the night of the first date I had with Catherine. I was coming home after walking her to her house then he showed up with two other guys and I dealt with them." Jake said casually.
"You dealt with three of them on your own?" Sky asked astonished. "Who are you? You dealt with three guys on your own, you put on some pounds of muscle surprisingly out of thin air, you even beat up a third year student which is supposed to be near impossible. Now what the hell is going on with you?" Sky almost shouted.
"Whoa relax bro." Jake said standing up. "Nothing's going on, you gotta take a step back and think about all this. I don't have an explanation to give you because I don't know what to tell you. There's nothing going on." Jake said again.
"You're right." Sky concurred calming down. "I gotta stop and think for a moment." Going to his room, Sky sat on his bed to think and put everything together properly.
After thinking about everything that had been happening and things he noticed about Jake, Sky finally came to a conclusion. "Something is definitely up. A second year who doesn't train, who has only been to the gym once, shouldn't be able to beat a third year who goes through all sorts of different training on different planets. And a normal person shouldn't be able to lift 30 and 40kg dumbbells consecutively or get muscles out of nowhere. Something's up with Jake, and I'm gonna find out what. The million-dollar question is how?"
Getting up and going into the bathroom, Sky was still thinking about how he can find out what was going on with Jake.
___
"This is not good." Jake said to himself pacing around his room. "Sky is suspicious. I think I managed to convince him nothing is happening but I don't know how long that is going to work. Maybe it's time to ask dad about that crystal I found up in the attic. Though that does make me wonder, where did that crystal come from. And if I found the crystal there maybe there are other things in there." Jake said looking up as if he could use his eyes to see past the ceiling into the attic.
*ring* *ring*
Hearing his phone ring, Jake picked it up and saw it was Violet calling. Answering it, he said "What's up?"
"Nothing much. I saw that fight between you and Billy at the party. You're pretty good for a second year." Violet said over the phone.
"Yeah I guess. But Billy was obviously more skillful." Jake admitted. "What exactly do you third years do that makes you guys become that strong?"
"We aren't that strong. You're making it seem like we are all-powerful or something." Violet said.
"Well when you compare yourselves to a second year that's not me, you guys pretty much are all-powerful. And I could tell he had a lot he could have done if I didn't end that fight fast enough."
"You might be right but how did you beat him?" Violet asked. "I mean, we all saw how you beat him but, for a second year to have strength on par with that of a third year is unheard of no matter how much the person hits the gym. And frankly you don't look like the type who goes to the gym?"
"Ouch Violet, that hurt. Though you are right I don't go to the gym."
"Exactly and I'm very sure you didn't take drugs either."
"What makes you so sure?" Jake asked her.
"I just know. So how were you able to beat him?"
"Do you really wanna know?"
"Of course I wanna know." Violet answered quickly.
"Promise not to tell anybody?" Jake asked her.
"I promise."
"Alright. I was able to beat him with..." Jake paused building the suspense. "The power of Love." he finished.
"What?" Violet asked.
"You heard me, I beat Billy with the power of love." Jake told her. "You see the girl he was harassing is a friend of mine and hopefully my soon-to-be girlfriend. So the anger of looking at him try that kind of shit with her in my presence is what I used to beat him up. You know what they say, 'Don't underestimate the power of love'."
"No one says that."
"Really? I'm pretty certain I heard that on the TV one day." Jake said actually trying to remember where he had heard that statement before.
"Look if you didn't wanna tell me you could have said so. Besides, it's not like I don't have secrets of my own."
"Well that makes things easier. So are you guys on a break or something?" Jake asked changing the subject. "I barely see any of you and today you all come out to party?"
"You could call it a break but it's more like a day off. One day off can't really be considered a break can it?"
"Fair point. Don't let me keep you up. Goodnight Violet."
"Goodnight Jake."
Hanging up the phone, Jake got into his bed and laid down to sleep. "I really have to stop using my full strength in public places. Now both Violet and Sky are suspecting something's wrong."
___
Lying down to sleep, Sky had figured out a way to get proof that something is going on with Jake. "I'll take a photo of him then when that strange thing happens where he gets some muscle and his face becomes better-looking, I'll at least have something to prove that's not the way he was. It's a stupid idea but it's all I got.