Excerpt From Future Kid Sensation Novel

Working on the Smokescreen book gave me a lot of ideas about things I could incorporate into future Kid Sensation stories. With that in mind, here's an excerpt from a future Kid Sensation novel (and, as always, the usual caveats apply):

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“Are you going to go?” I asked.

“Are you?” Smokescreen shot back.

“I was only planning to if you were.”

“And I was only going if you were planning to.”

We sat there silently for a moment, each focused on our own thoughts. Smokey and I were currently in the teen lounge area of Alpha League headquarters, sitting across from each other in a booth at the back of the room. The lounge served as a break room for members of the League’s teen affiliate, and at present there were maybe a dozen of our peers in the room.

Movement near the entrance suddenly caught my attention. Glancing in that direction, I saw Electra strolling into the lounge. I raised my hand and waved, catching her eye; a second later, she began walking towards us

Turning back to Smokey, I declared, “Well, I’m not going if you’re not going.”

“The only way I’m going is if you’re going,” he stressed.

I simply stared at him for a moment, thinking that our conversation was starting to sound like a comedy routine. However, before I could say anything else, Electra reached our table.

“Scooch,” she said to me, at the same time gesturing with her hand. I slid down as requested, making room for her on my side of the booth. A moment later she flopped down next to me.

“Okay, so what are you two yakking about?” she asked.

“Smokey’s ex, Sarah, is throwing a party,” I explained. “We were trying to figure out whether or not we should go.”

“Oh yeah,” Electra said. “She mentioned that to me when we were out shopping.”

Smokey’s eyes went wide. “You went shopping with her?”

“Yeah,” Electra replied, nodding. “I like Sarah. Just because you two broke up doesn’t mean I have to stop being her friend.”

“I didn't mean to imply that you did,” Smokey told her. “I just didn’t know the two of you were still hanging out.”

“She’s fun, so yeah – we are,” Electra commented. “Anyway, what’s to figure out in terms of her party? I mean, why wouldn’t you go?”

‘Don’t you think it would be awkward?” Smokey inquired. “Especially since I have another girlfriend now.”

“So bring her,” Electra offered. “Sarah told me it’s fine if you do.”

“She’ll be out of town on the date of Sarah’s little shindig,” Smokey noted.

“In that case, wouldn’t a lot of awkwardness be avoided?” Electra asked.

“Are you kidding?” Smokey almost demanded. “Going to my ex’s party without my girlfriend sends a bad message – like maybe I want to get back with her.”

“You’re overthinking this,” Electra told him, then turned her attention to me. “Anyway, what’s your excuse for not going?”

“I just want to show support for my best friend,” I answered.

“Really?” she uttered skeptically. “’Cause it sounds a lot like you’re picking sides.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I shot back.

“Only if it’s true,” Electra chided. “But I get it: when couples break up, their friends often have to pick which of the two they’re going to stay chummy with. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I mean, look at the two of us, Jim. We broke up, but Smokey has managed to stay on good terms with both of us. Sometimes he hangs out with you; sometimes he hangs out with me. And it’s fine.”

“That’s because you and I stayed on good terms with each other,” I insisted. “It might have been different if our breakup had been toxic. Then he might have decided that he could only hang out with me.”

“Seriously – you think you’d be his choice?” she asked. But before I could respond she added, “Nevermind, I’ll just ask him.” Turning to Smokey, she said. “So, assuming the breakup between me and Jim had been really bad and you could only hang out with one of us, who would it be?”

Smokey, who been silent during the exchange between me and Electra, suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He stared at Electra for a moment as if she’d asked him to drink octopus ink, then turned his gaze to me, then looked back at Electra.

“Man look at the time,” he suddenly uttered, glancing at his watch as he slid out of the booth. “I gotta get outta here…”