Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2)(48)

“Aggh, how do you do this every day…”

“You want to be a hero, right? Come on, this is training!”

Jess lies face down on the floor.

“Here, look, bend your knees like this and push up once; this version’s easier—”

“No, I want to do the version you showed me. I can do that. I can do that… as soon as I get off the floor.”

“Okay, what about sit-ups?”

Jess rolls over, and Abby holds her feet and encourages her. Jess trembles as she sits up, and then wobbles, and flops back down.

Bells grins.

“Oh, come on, she’s trying!” Emma says.

“Yep, she is. Come on, Jess, you got this!” Bells yells.

Jess gives him a thumbs up and keeps going.

“—and five! Nice job, Jess,” Abby says.

“Eunh,” Jess says.

“One more, come on…”

Jess sits up once more, and then Abby pecks her on the cheek, and Jess giggles.

“Aww,” Emma says, slowing down and then turning off her treadmill. “I’m gonna take a break.” She flops on the couch and pulls up her messages.

“Oh, okay.” Bells is still running at a steady pace. He tries to zone out, but Jess and Abby have dissolved into soft whispers and quick kisses and giggling.

“You know, we’re right here,” Bells says.

They break apart; Jess blushes furiously. Abby doesn’t look bothered, just raises her eyebrows at Bells, who shrugs back at her as he continues to run.

“All right, why don’t you go cool down and walk a few miles or so,” Abby says, nodding at the treadmill machines. “I’m gonna continue my set.”

Jess nods and gets on the treadmill near Bells, who gives her a look.

“What!” Jess says, turning on the machine at a slow pace.

“I didn’t say anything,” Bells says, teasing.

Jess starts walking, moving her arms about. “This? This I can do. I’m not a running, weight-lifting kind of girl. I can hike because it’s just putting one foot in front of the other, that’s what I’m good at—”

“You’re good at lots of things,” Bells points out, and Jess sticks out her tongue at him.

He laughs at her, and ups the pace on his treadmill. He’s worked up a good sweat and he wants to keep it up.

Abby does pull-ups, lifting her entire body off the ground. Bells is impressed; he can do a few, but he probably couldn’t keep going for—how many reps is that?

Flomp.

“What in the—Jess!”

Bells turns off his machine to rush to Jess’ side, where’s she’s fallen off the treadmill. She sits up. “I, ah, I was distracted,” she says.

Bells laughs. They get back to their workouts, but during the whole afternoon he can’t help but feel left out between the in-jokes between Jess and Abby and Emma’s messaging.

“I think you guys have got this,” he says, turning off the treadmill. He jerks his head at the machine. “This is great, Abby, but I’m kinda set on my own routine.”

*

“You should just move to Andover,” Bells says, one afternoon when Christine is visiting him. “I think we even have a prep school. I mean, probably not as cool as yours, but…”

Christine laughs. “Nah, it’s not a big deal to come over here to hang out. Plus, I like the drive. All that desert scenery. You know how weird it is that we have all this public transport and most people just stay in the town where they live?”

“True,” Bells says. “I guess it’s easier if your town has a hovertrain. I mean, you could be in New Bright City in less than a day, if you can afford the tickets.”

She yawns. “Eh, it’s overrated. Vegas is interesting, but not so much if you’re not an adult who likes to gamble and drink. Plus, partying can get boring, you know? There’s only so much shopping and dancing I can do.” Christine grins. “Now, Andover may be a little off the path, but you’re here.”

Bells smiles back at her. This is the third time she’s visited him in the past two weeks. He’s been debating whether he wants to introduce Christine to his friends, especially since she knows the truth about the League and what they’re trying to do. She’s smart and has a lot of resources, but he doesn’t quite want to bring her in. It’s not that he doesn’t think they’d get along. Emma’s warm personality usually wins people over immediately, and Bells has no doubt Jess and Abby would get along with her. But right now she’s just his friend, and it’s nice hanging out when he doesn’t have to compete for time and attention.

Christine flicks him on the nose.

“Hey!”

“Moving to Andover, there’s an idea,” Christine says, laughing. “So thoughtful, thinking of my preppy needs.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m done with high school; graduated early. Taking a year off before I go to college. I was gonna travel, but I didn’t feel like going abroad.”

“That’s great,” Bells says. “You ever thought about hero-ing, you know, before all that?”

Christine leans back, playing with one of Bells’ socks. It unravels in her hands. The threads curl around her fingers and then become something entirely different: A round lump, and then two ears sticking out, and then a face stitches itself—a cat yarn ball.