Dante stood at the entrance of the school, his heart pounding in his chest, trying to keep his cool.
It had been a week since the alley incident, and he hadn't slept much since. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes of lightning, felt fire crawling up his skin, or woke up soaked in sweat as if he had doused himself in water.
He'd learned to control it, kind of. At least, he hadn't set anything on fire recently, apart from a few clothes here and there.
But the power was still there, lurking just beneath the surface. He could feel it buzzing in his veins like it was waiting for the wrong moment to explode.
"Just get through the day," he muttered under his breath, gripping the straps of his backpack. "No one knows. Just stay calm."
He stepped inside, merging into the flow of students rushing to their lockers. His eyes darted around, watching for his usual tormentors. So far, nothing.
As he reached his locker, a voice rang out behind him.
"Hey, loser."
Dante froze. Of course, they were here. He turned slowly to see Josh and his group of friends, all grinning like wolves circling their prey. Josh, the ringleader, had that smug look on his face again.
"Nice backpack," Josh sneered, pointing. "Still carrying that thing from middle school?"
Dante didn't reply. He turned back to his locker, trying to ignore them.
"Aw, he's shy," one of the other boys said with mock sympathy. "Maybe he's scared we'll throw it in the trash again."
Dante's hands trembled as he opened the locker. He could feel that familiar heat rising in his chest, the same heat he'd felt when the powers first awakened. He bit his lip, willing it to stop.
"Look at him," Josh said, stepping closer. "What's wrong, Dante? You look like you're about to cry."
"Leave me alone," Dante muttered, but his voice came out weaker than he intended.
"What was that?" Josh leaned in. "Did you say something?"
"I said, leave me alone!" Dante snapped, slamming his locker shut harder than he meant to.
For a moment, the world felt still. The energy inside him flared, but he forced it back down. He couldn't lose control here. Not now.
Josh laughed, clapping his hands. "Oh, look at him! He's got some fight in him today!"
Before Dante could move, Josh grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him forward. "What're you gonna do about it, huh? You think you can take us?"
Dante clenched his fists, his pulse racing. The buzzing in his veins grew louder, the heat rising. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"Yeah, I didn't think so," Josh said, shoving him back against the lockers. The impact rattled Dante's bones, and he winced, biting back a cry of pain.
"Why do you keep doing this?" Dante whispered, staring at the floor.
"Because we can," Josh said, grinning as he stepped back. "And because it's fun."
The group laughed, but Dante barely heard them. His vision blurred, and the heat in his chest boiled over. He could feel the power building, like it was being drawn out by his anger, by his desperation.
"Fun?" Dante whispered. His fists tightened at his sides.
"Yeah, fun. You wouldn't know anything about that, though, would you?" Josh turned to walk away, but Dante didn't let him.
"Hey," Dante said, his voice low.
Josh stopped, turning back. "What?"
Dante lifted his head, his eyes blazing. "I said... leave me alone."
Josh smirked. "Or what?"
And then it happened. Dante didn't even think about it. The power surged out of him, more intense than it ever had before. Sparks crackled from his fingertips, bright arcs of electricity that leaped from his hands and slammed into Josh.
Josh screamed, stumbling back as the shock sent him to the floor, his body twitching from the jolt. The hallway erupted in gasps and shouts as people backed away, wide-eyed with shock.
Dante's breath came fast and shallow as he stared at his hands, still crackling with energy. He hadn't meant to do it. It just... happened.
The group of bullies scattered, some of them grabbing Josh and dragging him away, their faces pale with fear. No one said anything. No one laughed. They just... left.
Dante blinked, his mind racing. What had he just done?
He felt the stares from everyone in the hallway. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, people whispering to each other, pointing at him.
"Did you see that?"
"What was that?"
"Is he... is he a freak?"
Dante backed up, bumping into the lockers behind him. His hands were shaking uncontrollably now. He couldn't stay here. He had to get out.
Without another word, he turned and bolted down the hallway, pushing through the crowd and running as fast as his legs could carry him. The doors flew open as he burst out of the building, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He didn't stop running until he reached the park, collapsing onto a bench, his heart pounding. His head spun with everything that just happened. He couldn't believe it. He had shocked Josh. He'd used his powers—on purpose.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered, burying his face in his hands. He was shaking all over, the energy still humming through his veins.
He wanted to scream. To cry. But he couldn't do either. All he could do was sit there, trying to make sense of the chaos in his mind.
Minutes passed. The world around him blurred into the background, and all Dante could think about was the look on Josh's face as the electricity hit him. The way he screamed. The way everyone looked at him after.
He had wanted them to leave him alone, but not like this.
Now they'd fear him, maybe even hate him.
He was already the weird kid. This would only make it worse.