Jonas' POV
8th grade

It's not easy to balance being an athlete, having good grades, and hanging out with friends. Somehow I've managed it, though.

But the universe wanted to see me juggle super powers on top of that. Splendid.

I'm not entirely sure why I have powers. It's rumoured that you have to have parents that are supers in order to have them too. There's also a rumour that it's just built in our genes by freak accident.

You're a mutant, Jonas.

I haven't told a single person that I have the ability to read minds. How does one bring that up casually, anyways?

"Hi, I'm Jonas, and I can currently read your exact thoughts. The answer is yes, you should see a doctor about your athlete's foot. That's really gross." If only I could say that out loud. Nick Michaels really needs to get that checked out.

"Jonas!" I turn around to see my two best friends Della and Ash come running up to me in the hall. Oh boy, middle school girl drama. They only make a point to find me during the day when they need a guy's opinion on something. Turns out, being able to read anyone's mind makes it really easy for me to give advice. They should take me more seriously.

"Yes?" I turn on my heel once they've caught up with me. We all have Algebra 1 together this block.

Ash is wearing her usual colorful skinny jeans. Today they're bright blue, paired with a black top and black Vans. Della is sporting her typical Nike sweatpants and a white fitted t-shirt. Meanwhile, I'm wearing black gym shorts and I have a bright blue shirt on with matching blue shoes. Ash should be proud of me for having some color coordination for once.

They look to each other. Della's the one to speak up, "I'm thinking about asking Josh Reid out."

I roll my eyes, "He already has plans this Friday."

Ash and Della stop in their tracks. I turn around to see them staring at me like I just sprouted another arm. What did I say? Do I have something on my face?

Someone put a 'kick me' sign on my back again, didn't they?

"What?" I ask, baffled by their stunned silence.

Della blinks a few times, "How did you know I was going to ask him about Friday?"

Oh.

Jonas Coleman, you are hereby deemed an official idiot.

I shrug my shoulders, "You always ask us to hang out on Fridays. I figured that was your go-to free day." Good save.

Ash crosses her arms over her chest, "But you never talk to Josh Reid. How do you know he's busy on Friday?"

Mentally, I groan. Seriously? I'm pretty sure Ash is going to grow up to be a detective.

"Jonas? What's going on?" Della steps closer to me.

Ash suddenly begins to smirk and that's when I become worried. He doesn't want Della to date Josh because he likes her.

"No!" I exclaim, appalled by Ash's mental accusation. They both give me a curious look. I've seriously messed up. This secret has been mine to keep for five months, and I let it slip as easily as this?

I clear my throat, "I happened to overhear Josh say he had plans, that's all." My forehead is all sweaty now, I can feel my hair being drenched with it.

Ash isn't buying my story. "Plans to do what?" She switches her weight from one leg to another.

I bring my hands up to wipe my face. "He's going to see a movie." I'm in too deep with this. The fact of the matter is, I'm not lying about any of this. I overheard Josh and his friends in the locker room saying they were going to see some new movie. The only part of this whole situation that makes me squirm is Della caught the mention of Friday, when she hadn't even said what day of the week. Big oops.

"Are you okay?" Della asks, but I spin and walk towards the end of the hall. I'm done talking for the day. It's only going to get me in more trouble.

Della grabs my shoulder, whirling me around to face her. "What's going on with you?"

Maybe I should just tell them. Wouldn't it make my life a little less complicated? It would be one less thing I'd have to worry about. Keeping a secret this big from your best friends adds an overwhelming amount of stress that you wouldn't believe.

The late bell rings. I sigh, resting my hand on the door knob to the classroom. My shoulders slump down as I realize what I need to do.

"Meet me at the backside of the gym during lunch." With that, I enter the classroom with them following behind me.

***

On my way to the gym, I try not to make eye contact with any teachers. So far, I'm making it outside of the school without a hitch.

Once I get outside, I spot Della and Ash. They're already here? They're both leaning against the brick wall and wearing sunglasses. Ash cracks her knuckles.

"You're not going to shank me, are you?" I'm only half joking.

Ash shrugs, "Depends on what you're hiding from us."

Della rushes up to Ash, placing a hand on her shoulder. She whispers to where I can hear, "Can we speed this up? We've got a gang initiation after lunch."

I'm not sure if I should mark today - October 18th, 2014 - as the day I told my best friends about my powers, or the day I forfeited all hope in them.

I close my eyes, wondering what I did to deserve such wonderful friends.

"Guys, for once, I'm being serious. This is a huge secret and you can't tell anybody." I glance at each of them with a serious expression.

"What is it?" Della shows some concern, Ash just stands there looking skeptical.

With a deep breath, I finally begin to reveal my secret. "You guys always come to me, asking for my opinions and advice. Somehow I'm always able to tell you truthful things and it ends up working out." They both look to each other and nod with a nonchalant shrug.

"And this morning when I knew what day you were going to ask him out, it wasn't just a coincidence. I knew what day before you even said it," I close my eyes, taking another gulp of air before I spill my secret. "Because I have the power to read minds."

There's a beat of silence before Ash busts out laughing. "Yeah, okay, right. What am I thinking about right now?" She puts her hands on her hips.

So tell me what you want, what you really really want

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want

"You're just singing Wannabe by the Spice Girls." I rub my fingers over my temples. When isn't she singing that song?

Ash elbows Della, "Girl, that's freaky. You try."

"Actually," Della nervously rubs her arm. "I believe him. I have my own secret to share."

Ash and I both look at her curiously. She clears her throat, "I have super powers too."

I groan out loud, "For real, I'm trying to be a good friend here and share things with you guys, and you're making fun of me?"

Della chuckles, "No, Jonas, I'm being honest." The next thing I know, she's turning invisible right before my eyes. Ash jumps back and I screech in fear.

When Della reappears, she has a proud smile on her face. "I'm a speedster, too."

I roll my eyes, "No one likes a show off, Del." She playfully punches my arm, but she doesn't show us her speed.

"So... This is cool and everything... I mean, I kind of feel left out now," Ash tucks her long black hair behind her ear, "But now what?"

Della quietly inputs her opinion. "We should train with our powers before we jump into the super world. I don't think we're entirely ready for that level of heroism yet." 

The town needs to see more superheroes, not villains. Now that I know Della and I can take on the responsibility, I think we could finally show the town that there's nothing to be afraid of anymore. Red Raven can't terrorize us forever.

While I disagree with Della's decision to stay under the radar for a bit, I know you can't coerce Della to do anything she's not up for. This has to be her decision. When she's ready, I'll be ready.

I smirk. Fighting bad guys alongside my best friends. Wearing spandex and hiding my face with a mask. This could be one heck of an adrenaline rush, and I'm all for it.

Although, with Della's skill set, I'll probably end up being her sidekick.

A/N

First of all, THANK YOU FOR 90K READS!!!

It was really fun writing this part of the story in Jonas' POV, but I'll be honest, this is the first time I've written a chapter in a 14 year old boy's POV. I realize it was kind of silly how he revealed his powers, but this is Jonas we're talking about 😂

Let me know if you liked this chapter!

Thanks for reading!
Always, Sunny