shoulders, she’d choose that moment to turn around and say something to Aqua and Herc, who were seated behind us (and seeming to have a good laugh at my expense).
After the movie, we went to a nearby diner for something to eat. The waitress was kind enough to seat us at a big circular table that could easily accommodate large parties.
After taking our seats, the conversation turned surprisingly in my direction.
“So,” said Aqua, “tell us a little about yourself, Jim.”
“Not much to tell,” I said noncommittally. “I’m sixteen, I’m in high school, I like sports, yada, yada, yada.”
Everyone snickered a little at that, but Aqua was undeterred.
“There’s got to be more to you than that,” she said. “It’s not everybody who gets the best of Paramount.”
Nemesis leaned forward conspiratorially. “That was you? No way! I wish I’d been there to see it!”
I was a little surprised. “You’ve heard about it?”
“It’s all kids have been talking about today,” Rapunzel piped in. “Especially the girls.”
“Girls?” I said, shocked.
“Oh yeah,” Aqua noted. “In fact, a couple of them were a little peeved when Electra staked her claim on you for the rest of the afternoon.”
I looked at Electra, whose face was impassive. All of this was news to me.
“So, since you’re off the market,” Aqua continued, “I suppose the next question is: are there any more like you at home?”
“Hey!” Herc interjected jealously, smacking his palm on the table hard enough to rattle dishes, silverware and everything else. I didn’t even realize he was smart enough to be following the conversation. As I said, he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he obviously wasn’t the butter knife either.
“No, baby. It’s not like that.” Aqua rubbed Herc’s muscular forearm soothingly. “I have an identical twin sister,” she said in explanation.
“Really?” Electra finally joined the conversation. “In the two years I’ve known you I’ve never heard you mention her.”
“Well, we don’t really speak,” Aqua said, eyes cast down. Then she burst into a small fit of laughter that took us all by surprise. “Sorry,” she said, looking around the table. “Private joke.”
*********************************
Dinner was an interesting affair, with several people around the table demonstrating their powers. Rapunzel, whose hair was actually stronger than steel, used her locks to juggle a few utensils; she also bent a knife in two, then straightened it back out. Aqua, a practical joker, had a habit of making the water in each of our glasses disappear via evaporation just when someone was preparing to drink it.
After we finished eating, Nemesis offered to pick up the tab. (He apparently came from a wealthy family, and didn’t mind splurging on his friends.) While he settled the bill, I spoke with the hostess about calling a cab. After being assured that a taxi passed by the diner every few minutes, we all went outside. We were in the midst of saying our goodbyes - girls kissing each other on the cheek, guys shaking hands - when Electra suddenly became bright-eyed.
“I’ve got an idea,” she said. “Why don’t we go back to the League Headquarters and show Jim around? Give him the ten-cent tour?”
“No,” Aqua began, making me feel she was about to decline. “I think we’re going to–”
An odd
After the movie, we went to a nearby diner for something to eat. The waitress was kind enough to seat us at a big circular table that could easily accommodate large parties.
After taking our seats, the conversation turned surprisingly in my direction.
“So,” said Aqua, “tell us a little about yourself, Jim.”
“Not much to tell,” I said noncommittally. “I’m sixteen, I’m in high school, I like sports, yada, yada, yada.”
Everyone snickered a little at that, but Aqua was undeterred.
“There’s got to be more to you than that,” she said. “It’s not everybody who gets the best of Paramount.”
Nemesis leaned forward conspiratorially. “That was you? No way! I wish I’d been there to see it!”
I was a little surprised. “You’ve heard about it?”
“It’s all kids have been talking about today,” Rapunzel piped in. “Especially the girls.”
“Girls?” I said, shocked.
“Oh yeah,” Aqua noted. “In fact, a couple of them were a little peeved when Electra staked her claim on you for the rest of the afternoon.”
I looked at Electra, whose face was impassive. All of this was news to me.
“So, since you’re off the market,” Aqua continued, “I suppose the next question is: are there any more like you at home?”
“Hey!” Herc interjected jealously, smacking his palm on the table hard enough to rattle dishes, silverware and everything else. I didn’t even realize he was smart enough to be following the conversation. As I said, he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he obviously wasn’t the butter knife either.
“No, baby. It’s not like that.” Aqua rubbed Herc’s muscular forearm soothingly. “I have an identical twin sister,” she said in explanation.
“Really?” Electra finally joined the conversation. “In the two years I’ve known you I’ve never heard you mention her.”
“Well, we don’t really speak,” Aqua said, eyes cast down. Then she burst into a small fit of laughter that took us all by surprise. “Sorry,” she said, looking around the table. “Private joke.”
*********************************
Dinner was an interesting affair, with several people around the table demonstrating their powers. Rapunzel, whose hair was actually stronger than steel, used her locks to juggle a few utensils; she also bent a knife in two, then straightened it back out. Aqua, a practical joker, had a habit of making the water in each of our glasses disappear via evaporation just when someone was preparing to drink it.
After we finished eating, Nemesis offered to pick up the tab. (He apparently came from a wealthy family, and didn’t mind splurging on his friends.) While he settled the bill, I spoke with the hostess about calling a cab. After being assured that a taxi passed by the diner every few minutes, we all went outside. We were in the midst of saying our goodbyes - girls kissing each other on the cheek, guys shaking hands - when Electra suddenly became bright-eyed.
“I’ve got an idea,” she said. “Why don’t we go back to the League Headquarters and show Jim around? Give him the ten-cent tour?”
“No,” Aqua began, making me feel she was about to decline. “I think we’re going to–”
An odd
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