Louis lee stood at back of the hall, clutching his cup of soda.
His heart beating fast as he stared at the party in front of him.
The academy's hall was decorated with banners and colorful lights.
The tables were filled with food and drinks.
The DJ blasting the latest pop hit, making the walls vibrate.
Everyone danced and seemed to be having so much fun.
Everyone except for Louis.
He slipped away from the shadows and moved to another quiet spot.
"Louis?"
He turned swiftly towards the soft voice and froze, nearly dropping his cup.
A young girl was approaching him.
Kathy Collins.
He'd had a crush on her since his first day at the academy.
Her wavy brown hair bounced with each step, her blue eyes were gentle. She had a smile that made everything feel brighter.
"Kate?" Louis replied. "Hey."
She smiled. "Are you hiding back here, or just scouting for a quieter corner?"
Louis glanced at the crowd, then back at Kate. "I guess… the crowd's a little much for me."
"I get it." She leaned against the wall next to him, sipping her drink. "You belong here, Louis. You're amazing."
Louis nearly choked on his soda. "Why… why would you say that?"
Kate's eyes were kind. "I see how hard you work. No one trains as much as you do. That takes real courage."
Louis's cheeks turned red. He dropped his gaze, focusing on the swirling soda in his cup.
"It doesn't matter," he muttered. "Everyone here are special while I'm not. By tomorrow, I'll just be regular kid. Maybe even less than that."
Kate frowned. "Don't say that. Louis."
Louis shook his head, feeling the same shame he always did. "Everyone expected me to be something more. My parents—"
Kate's became serious. "Your parents were heroes, but you don't have to live their lives. You get to choose your own story, Louis."
Kate reached out, touching his arm, and Louis felt his face get even redder.
"I'd like to see you again." Kate said, giving him a bright smile. "Even if you're not wearing a Defender's badge."
Louis sighed.
Then a shadow fell over them.
Jason.
He was taller than Louis, broad-shouldered, and muscular.
A senior student, famous for his sound-manipulation abilities.
Louis didn't know him well, but his reputation was enough.
Jason's icy glare looked from Kate to Louis. "What's going on here?"
"Just talking, Jason," Kate replied.
He ignored her, focusing on Louis. "You think you can steal my girlfriend, loser?"
Louis's heart skipped a beat. "Sorry, what?"
"You heard me."
Suddenly, the music cut out. The crowd fell silent, all eyes on them.
"Look, man," Louis said, "I never had any intentions to... "
Kate stepped between them. "Jason, stop. He didn't do anything."
"Stay out of this, Kate," Jason sneered.
Louis began to hear whispers in the crowd.
"Isn't that Louis Lee?"
"His parents were Earth Defenders, right?"
"He doesn't have any powers."
"That's pathetic. He's not even gifted. Jason will crush him."
Laughter echoed through the hall.
Louis swallowed. He couldn't take it anymore.
"I don't want to fight, but…" He raised his fist, driving it toward Jason. "But I'm not just going to stand here and take this sh*t."
Smack!
In a second, Louis was on the ground.
Jason had dodged his punch and landed one clean blow to his face.
"Pathetic," Jason spat. "Don't ever try that again."
Louis didn't know why he decided to start the fight.
Was it the pain, humiliation, or just seeing Jason trying to take the only person who was ever nice to him?
Louis got dizzy, and then everything went black.