Chapter 4

I woke up bright and early. My bruised arm was still a bit tender, but the pain was less sharp now. I dressed and headed into school. I waited at the gate for Lisa as usual, but she didn't show. When it was getting close to the bell, I headed up on my own, wondering what had happened to my girlfriend.

When I sat down with the gang as usual, Charlie asked, "No Lisa this morning?"

"No she didn't show. Maybe she's sick or something."

"Unlikely just after MORFS," said Dave.

Vicky leaned closer and said, "How's the arm doing?"

"Better,"

At that point Lisa came charging into the room and slumped down next to me.

"Where were you this morning? I waited at the gate but you didn't show." I asked.

"Oh I met up with this girl Andi I met yesterday. We got chatting and I guess I lost track of the time." She shrugged.

The only Andi I knew, and then only by reputation, was a rather volatile fire elemental in Winston's gang. I had heard she had been a bit of an angry person even before she gained the ability to throw fireballs at people, but now she was much worse, arrogant and confrontational.

I wasn't sure I liked the idea of the two of them being chums. Then again, I knew I couldn't say as much. Maybe she needed to talk to others who had been changed by MORFS, I just hoped she realised what idiots those supers were. I couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't talk to Charlie or Dave, since they had both been through changes, too.

Obviously I wasn't the only one who had a low opinion of the supers and Andi. "She's a nasty piece of work," scowled Charlie.

"What are you talking about? She's great!" Lisa shot back.

"She's a bully, plain and simple," said Charlie, refusing to back down.

"Shut up! You wouldn't understand," Lisa sounded angry.

"Hey! That's no way to speak to your friends," Vicky said sternly.

"What would you know? Shut up, the lot of you!" she said glaring at Vicky.

"Hey, hey! Calm down," I said, trying to defuse the situation.

She slapped me across the face, "I told you to shut up! I knew you would side with them!" Lisa shouted and stormed out of the room without even waiting for the register.

I stared after her in shock, my face stinging from the impact of her hand. I couldn't believe she had just hit me like that. All of us were quiet and in shock, not sure what had happened.

We didn't see Lisa again till break and she came into the room looking very down and apologetic.

"I'm sorry guys," she said. "I was out of line. I shouldn't have gotten carried away like that. I'm sorry I hit you, Bert."

"That's OK, you're going through a lot right now," I said.

She came over and hugged me and gave me a kiss, being really gentle. While she was doing this I could see Vicky, who had a strange look on her face like she didn't think I should have forgiven Lisa so easily. She didn't say anything though, but I caught her giving me and Lisa worried looks every now and again when Lisa wasn't looking. For the rest of the day things were almost normal. Lisa was friendly, gentle, and fun to be around. We also seemed to patch things up as friends.

As we went our separate ways at the end of the day I found Vicky waiting for me a bit further down the road, as if she had left ahead of us, then waited till I was alone.

"I'm worried about Lisa," she said.

"She's just adjusting," I said.

"But she's so angry and aggressive. She's hurt you several times, and I'm concerned she might do it again."

"No, she didn't mean to hurt me. It's just she doesn't know her own strength."

She looked at me doubtfully, "I hope you're right Bert, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

We said goodbye and wandered off home. It was nice that Vicky was such a good friend and concerned for my wellbeing, but I was sure Lisa would be okay. She just needed time to adjust.

The next morning at school Lisa met me at the gate, but she seemed distant. I asked her what was wrong, but she didn't say anything. She just glared at me.

Eventually I couldn't take it and at break time I took her out to try and find out what was wrong.

She stared at me for a bit then said, "I saw you and Vicky talking yesterday."

I looked at her for a bit. Had she been following me for some reason? "She was just concerned about you."

"Then why was she talking to you!"

"I guess she didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"Hmm, I guess. I just got the feeling you and her were up to something behind my back."

"No way, Lisa! You're the only girl for me!" I touched her face gently.

"I'm sorry, Bert, it's silly of me to think such things, but I've been so up and down after my change."

"Hey, no need to worry. I understand. Now come down here so I can give you a kiss."

She looked at me with a little smile and said, "I've got a better idea!" Leading me over to set of steps round the back of the science block, she stood on the ground with me on the steps, equalising our heights a bit. We the kissed passionately for a good few minutes and returned to the classroom hand in hand, my worries about Lisa again quashed through my love and lust for her.

At lunch Lisa saw her new friends and dragged me over. "Hey, guys!" she said.

"Hey Lisa, how's it going?" the redhead Andi asked as she and her gang gave me dirty looks and not too subtle hints to get lost.

I would have taken their hints but Lisa had my hand and wasn't letting me go.

After a good five minutes of this dirty looks, and even the odd shove, I got sick of it and wanted to get away from them.

"Lisa, I'm going to go to the library to get some work done." When I saw from the look in her eyes that said she didn't want to join me, "I'll see you later."

"Okay," she looked almost annoyed with me.

I took my leave and left her with her new friends, glad to be away from those people.

Lisa didn't come to find me in the library and I didn't see her till our next lesson together. It was art so we had plenty of time to talk while we drew or painted or sculpted.

"Andi is so great! She's like a kindred spirit." said Lisa out of the blue.

"Really?" I asked noncommittally.

"You don't like her do you?" Lisa said with a tone in her voice like she was disappointed in me, "You're probably just jealous."

"Why would I be jealous of her," I said genuinely confused, "I just think she and her friends are a bit rude, what with all those dirty looks and the shoving."

"Oh you would say that. Mundanes always think the worst of us," Lisa said haughtily.

I couldn't believe she had just said that, used one of the many derogatory words that those supers used for people who weren't MORFS survivors.

"She's not very nice to anyone, even if they are MORFS survivors," said Charlie.

"Well you lot are all basically the same. With no powers you might as well be mundanes, so you wouldn't understand."

"What's gotten into you?" asked Vicky angrily. "You're insulting us, calling us names! Suddenly we're not good enough for you, is that it?"

"There's no need to get aggressive!" shot back Lisa, "It's just a fact of life, you lot are not anything special!"

"And you are?" asked Dave quietly.

"Of course! Getting pissy about it won't change the facts!" she said dismissively.

Everyone went quiet. For quite a while we just got on with our work, a tense silence stretching over the group.

Eventually the bell rang and Lisa turned to them. "You lot have changed. You should be happy for me now I'm strong and powerful. Instead, you're just jealous! You're not real friends!"

She grabbed my arm and hauled me out the room, pulling me along like I was a dog on a lead. "They don't understand!" she said.

"Hey Lisa, slow down," I tried.

"Well sod the lot of them! They can just take a long walk off a short pier for all I care!"

"You're hurting my arm!"

"Andi was right! Mundanes just can't understand us! We are above them!"

"You're going to pull me over!"

"Oh stop whining!" she shouted. Letting go, she shoved me in my chest, knocking me back a good couple of meters and over a wall, "Oh Bert I'm sorry, I was just so worked up."

She raced over and picked me up again, brushing down my clothes again, using more force than I was comfortable with, "I know you didn't mean it, sweetie. Just try and be gentler. You are so strong now," I pleaded.

"I'm sorry," she kissed me, then carried on walking at a more regular pace.

"So are you ready for our date this weekend?" I asked trying to get back on to more pleasant conversations.

"Oh no I forgot about it. I made plans with Andi," she said.

"What? But we were going to meet up," I said, a little upset. We had already made plans, now she was ditching me for some power mad super she had known for at most few days.

"Oh we can do it another weekend. Come on, Bert I want to spend some time with people that understand me, now more than ever after what just happened. Try to be understanding."

"Okay, fine," I said a little petulantly.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear," she said with a grin and gave me another kiss.

I grumbled, but she knew how to placate me with kisses, so I guess I didn't complain too much.

I waved her goodbye and headed off.

The next day Lisa met me at the gate and again we walked in together. However when we got to our classroom she pulled me away from Vicky, Dave, and Charlie, instead sitting at the back on our own. I felt torn, Lisa didn't want to sit near them and I wanted to sit near her but I still wanted to be with my friends too. I felt pulled between my friends and my girlfriend, I didn't know what to do so I gave them all apologetic looks and sat with Lisa.