🍌 The Banana King
Chapter 2: Superpowers and Hidden Faces
Arnold's younger sister, Mervill, thirteen, with short black hair and chocolate skin, was watching TV in the parlor.
Arnold, in a sour mood from the tiny portion of food he had eaten, stormed out of his room. Mervill was glued to the news on the channel called Flash, covering Cameroon's number one hero, Pear Man a man whose superpower was the force of pear and who hailed from Mbouda.
As a child, Arnold had dreamed of being like Pear Man. Now all he wanted were Superpds (superpowers) of any kind.
He left the house, hands in his pockets, carrying his weekly salary of 500 FCFA.
I need to buy some garri, he thought.
On the way, he saw a group of boys harassing a girl in a dark corner.
"You're beautiful, my lady. Give me your number… come play with us on the bed."
"Please, I'm not interested. Let me go!" she pleaded.
Arnold stepped forward, his face set in a deadly serious expression.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
Three boys surrounded the girl.
Boy 1: "Who's this guy?"
Boys 2 and 3: "Let's finish him!"
Arnold moved with terrifying speed. Two of the boys were already groaning from the beatdown. The third froze. Meanwhile, the girl ran to safety.
Thirty minutes later, Arnold lay on the ground, grinning.
"Today… I was a Superpds man," he said, his smile stretching all the way to his eyes, like in cartoons.
The next day, Arnold arrived at school with a Joker-like face that terrified the other students. Even though he hadn't eaten breakfast, he strutted into the classroom confidently. He was the second student to arrive.
The first student, eyes locked on Arnold's twisted grin, smirked.
"I see you didn't eat before coming," he said.
Arnold tilted his head, adopting the face of a thousand-year-old grandmother.
"How do you know?" he asked, voice dripping with mock suspicion.
A tense air settled between them.
"Stop the face. I have something important to tell you," the student said seriously.
"Okay," Arnold replied, sitting down.
The student introduced himself as Mei, a mad webnovel writer with white hair, pale skin, and milky white eyes that looked blind. His hands moved as if writing in the air, and his excitement was palpable.
"In this world, magical fruits exist that grant superpowers. And the next hero could be… you," Mei explained, leaning forward as if about to kiss Arnold.
Arnold raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Is this real, or just one of your webnovels?"
Mei smiled knowingly.
"Do as I say. You will become a Superpds human. Eat bananas while reading my book, do push-ups, and send me powerstones. And remember… the Banana King…"
Those words echoed inside Arnold's head:
The Banana King… a king…
Interest sparked.
"Okay," Arnold agreed, the two nodding in unison.
Meanwhile, a giant girl entered the school unusually early. She walked straight to the cafeteria and devoured a 500 FCFA bread in seconds, leaving Arnold and Mei stunned.
"Sh… she finished a 500 FCFA bread in a few seconds?" Arnold whispered in disbelief.
The girl, now aware of their gaze, blushed slightly. Arnold's mind raced:
She always acts like a model student at meals, eating politely. Now I see the truth… she's a devourer!
Her name was Odray, fifteen, fair-skinned, long braided hair, round glasses, and easily twice Arnold's height. A top student and an intimidating presence in class, she now had their attention for reasons unrelated to academics.
Mei tapped Arnold's shoulder.
"Everyone has a hidden face. Now you know hers," he said.
Arnold nodded, still trying to wrap his head around it. Odray wiped her mouth and walked past them, smiling but terrifying even at rest.
Arnold shook his head.
"How can my junior sister make me feel scared… and she's a girl? Girls are really evil," he muttered.
An hour later, the math teacher entered.
"Good morning, students," he greeted.
"Good morning, sir!" the class replied in unison.
"No success without discipline. Honesty is our workshop. Sit down."
Seconds later, a hand shot up.
"I have a bad feeling… did I forget something?"
"Yes, Banky," the teacher said.
Banky stood, pointing at Arnold.
"Sir, there was homework, and Arnold didn't do it. He was also punished to clean the toilets."
The teacher looked at Arnold.
"Is that true?"
Arnold stood slowly. It's not the first, not the third… maybe the 1,555th time. This girl… this girl… He hid his boiling anger behind a normal smile, struggling to contain himself.