Chiara Marino, Excerpt #2: Real Life Superheroes

      

 Excerpt #2: Real Life Superheroes

      “So get this!” Zeke exploded as Chiara sat at their cafeteria table.
“Buckle your utility belts,” Mac warned everyone.
“Did you know,” Zeke said, punctuating all his syllables, “that there are real life superheroes out there?”
Chiara perked up. She watched Peter as he took his seat next to Zeke. She was disappointed that his muscles didn’t even tense.
“There are all these normal, everyday people who dress up and do vigilante work in their cities,” Zeke explained.
Chiara had come across this information in her extensive research, but she had never found any information on people like Peter.
“That is so exciting!” Mac exclaimed.
“Cool,” Peter nodded.
Chiara studied his reaction or lack thereof. She would be blushing and nervously avoiding the topic, if she were him. Maybe he had forgotten the previous night’s events just like the man had.
“I’m sure some have actual super powers,” Zeke speculated. “Mainly because I want to be sure of that.” Zeke ignored Cosmo’s eye roll. “But most are just average people. Like one guy’s a researcher, but for supernatural things. There’s another guy who does EMT stuff.”
“Dude, we should do this,” Mac bounced in her chair.
“Peter and I already do martial arts,” Zeke fed off of Mac’s excitement. “And Chiara could be like the researcher guy. Cosmo could, I don’t know, use science to make weapons and stuff.”
Cosmo sighed. “I don’t know about mechanics,” he complained. “I know mostly about the brain and physics.”
“Maybe you could hypnotize people!” Zeke said with wide eyes. “Mac too, since your mom’s a psychiatrist.”
Chiara caught Peter yawning. He noticed and smiled at her.
While the conversation continued, she leaned over and whispered, “You look like you stayed up late fighting monsters or something.”
“That’s not too far off,” Peter gave her a half smile.
“So you admit it then?” she prodded eagerly.
He shook his head, laughing it off and Chiara conceded. If he ever did reveal his secret, it wouldn’t be in the middle of a packed cafeteria.

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