Free The Trials of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell Page A

sharp zap of static electricity when I touch it that sends my nerves racing. “So, what do you want me to call you now?”
    “Kat, of course. Geez. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
    But it feels like a big deal. When we were making out in my bed on Friday, she was Kat. Now she moves away and talks to some other guy, and suddenly she has a new name, like she’s a different person. Like that time I caught her making out with my best friend Pete and she’d shapeshifted to look like someone else.
    Maybe Sarah was right. Maybe I do still have trust issues.
    “Katie is still short for Katherine,” she says, sounding defensive. “It’s just another version of the same name.”
    Just another version of her. One that feels really far away all of a sudden.
    “Damien, you’re my boyfriend.”
    “I know that, but does Tristan?”
    “Oh, my God, will you let it go?”
    “I just don’t get it.”
    “It’s not my fault if guys flirt with me.”
    But that doesn’t mean she has to change her name every time one of them does. I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I waited all day to talk to her, and now I don’t know how our conversation got so derailed. “Imagine how you’d feel if it was me. If some girl started calling me by a new name and I just went with it.”
    “Uh, you mean like when Sarah named you Renegade X? I don’t have to imagine it.”
    “That was totally different.”
    “You’re right. It was worse. You weren’t even supposed to be a superhero. You were supposed to be a villain, with me . She shouldn’t have been the one helping you pick out a name. Plus, I know you made out with her. And I know we weren’t together then, but don’t pretend it doesn’t mean anything. And you still see her all the time.”
    “She’s my friend.” And just because I’d never want Sarah and Kat to be in the same room at the same time doesn’t mean they can’t both be important people in my life.
    “She’s your sidekick. Face it, Damien, if I was running around doing villain stuff with some guy I’d made out with, you’d be going nuts.”
    “No, I wouldn’t. I would very calmly— very calmly; I really can’t emphasize that enough—and methodically destroy him, piece by piece. Look, Kat, I know I didn’t get into Vilmore and that our plans for the future got thrown out the window, but that doesn’t mean I don’t—”
    My phone beeps again, reminding me for the millionth time to plug it in, except it’s actually about to go dead this time. “Hold on,” I tell her, grabbing my backpack off the floor and scrambling to find my charger.
    “It’s okay. Tasha and Liv are back. I really should—”
    “Wait, hold on. Don’t go yet. I’m sorry, I just—”
    I plug in the phone, and the wall socket lights up. Sparks fly out of it and burn my fingers a little. The wall socket goes dark almost as quickly as it lit up, and then all the lights go out and Amelia’s TV turns silent.
    “I just miss you,” I finish, even though she can’t hear me because my phone has gone completely dead.

Chapter 6
    THE POWER’S BEEN OUT for less than five minutes before Amelia knocks on my door. I debate answering it, since that means getting up and risking my life by walking across the floorboards. There’s one in particular between the bed and the door that I don’t trust, since it sort of sagged under my foot earlier.
    But then Amelia calls out, “Damien, I know you’re in there. And I know you’re awake—I heard you talking.”
    Wow, and here she thought she inherited the power to teleport stuff to her. But her power must actually be super hearing if she could pick up anything above her blaring TV.
    “Damien?” she calls again, and this time she sounds kind of freaked out. Like maybe she’s watched one too many horror movies and thinks everyone in the house might have disappeared along with the electricity, leaving her completely alone.
    I groan and, wonderful half brother that I am, get off the