"Barry, are you ready?"
"I can't move! My body's not listening to me!"
Maria was freaking out.
"Chill, Maria. I'm the one controlling your body right now. Once I handle this mess, I'll give it back to you."
"You ever play video games? Think of it like I'm carrying you through a tough level. Got it?"
Maria mumbled weakly, "I don't play games."
Barry switched up his analogy.
"You know Spider-Man 3? That big movie? It's like you're Venom, and I'm Spider-Man. You watch, I fight."
"I heard it came out last week. I haven't seen it yet," Maria said, catching the last part. She got that Barry was stepping in because she was totally dropping the ball.
Even though she wasn't entirely clear on what was happening, Maria chose to trust him.
"What do I need to do?" she asked, suddenly aware of how useless she felt, wanting to step up.
"Just watch and learn," Barry said.
"Okay, got it," Maria replied obediently, like a student ready to take notes.
"Uncle Barry's class is now in session."
It felt like a long time had passed, but in reality, Maria had only zoned out for a few seconds.
When two consciousnesses share one body, communication is lightning-fast and super efficient.
"Hah!" "Heh!" "Lol!"
The mocking laughter around her and Maria's frozen, terrified expression made Mark feel good. Real good.
He was the school's sports star—supposed to be on top. Maria? Just a pathetic little nobody who didn't even dare fight back.
That thought made Mark grin even wider, not a fake smile but one straight from the heart.
Because, man, he loved doing this.
But he couldn't block the aisle forever—it'd hold up everyone else trying to get on the bus and probably get the driver to yell at him.
Feeling like he'd had his fun, Mark decided to pull his foot back, generously letting the poor loser pass.
Just as he was about to move, he noticed Maria snap out of her daze.
Oh, I'm not done messing with her yet.
Mark kept his smug grin, his eyes teasing.
Then he saw Maria smile back—a smile that sent a weird chill down his spine.
The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by a sharp, unfamiliar intensity.
[Maria, pay attention.]
[Lesson one: Don't cower when trouble hits. That just shows how weak you are.]
"The aisle's meant for walking," Maria said out of nowhere.
On the school bus, the "Maria" controlled by Barry flashed a wicked smirk, lips curling like some righteous superhero.
"Maria" raised her leg and, without hesitation, kicked out with the casual ease of shooing a stray dog off the street.
"What the hell!" Mark yelped, instantly chickening out. He yanked his foot back just in time, or it might've been lights out for his leg.
He glared up at Maria, furious, swearing he'd teach her a lesson today.
"You on something? How dare you—"
Feeling humiliated, Mark shot up like an enraged bull, yelling nonsense.
[Lesson two: Use your smarts. Don't let people spew garbage at you.]
"Slapping someone? Gotta aim for the face."
"Maria" said it like it was obvious, like she was stating a fact.
Then, she swung a quick, heavy slap right across Mark's face as he leaned forward.
The slap was so fast and hard, it didn't feel like something a small girl could pull off. Mark felt like a grizzly bear had swatted him.
WHAM!
A loud thud echoed.
The whole bus jolted, everyone startled by the sudden noise.
All eyes turned to them.
"Maria" calmly explained, "There was a mosquito buzzing around. I was just helping a classmate out. Pretty normal, right?"
Meanwhile, Mark, who'd taken the hit, slid past his seatmate, his swollen, red face pressed against the bus window.
Blood trickled from his nose.
Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing?
Mark was out of it, totally dazed.
He wiped the blood from his nose, then exploded into a fit of rage.
Roaring, he lunged at Maria.
"Maria, I'm gonna flatten—"
[Lesson three: Use your strength. Life's not a stage full of spectators. Drop the hesitation and go for it!]
"Elbow strikes? Gotta hit with the elbow."
As she said the third line, the crowd was half-confused but quickly caught on.
Facing a furious Mark, "Maria" threw a sharp, precise elbow strike right to his face.
The next second, Mark flew back faster than he came, collapsing into his seatmate's arms.
Mark, out cold!
"No, Mark!"
"Bro, wake up!"
"Mark, you okay?"
Mark's three buddies weren't having it. They jumped up, charging at Maria.
"One elbow!" The closest guy saw stars and crumpled, landing in Mark's seat.
"Two elbows!" The second guy clutched his chest, stumbling back, nearly out of breath from the hit.
"Three elbows!" The third guy was holding up his buddy when everything went black, collapsing onto the second guy's back.
Finally, "Maria" shot a cold glance at the still-conscious second guy. He scrambled back to his seat, dragging his knocked-out friend with him.
The aisle was clear.
The aisle's for walking, after all.
"Maria" strolled to her seat, next to a motionless Lily.
As she sat, she could sense it—after elbowing four classmates, everyone was scared of her.
Fear, confusion, panic—all coming from the same people who'd been laughing at her earlier.
The ones who'd openly mocked her now didn't dare breathe too loud, terrified they'd be next.
Nice guys finish last, and good horses get ridden.
Showing a bit of edge can save you a lot of hassle.
Right now, not a single person dared to play hero and call out Maria for being "wrong."
They stayed quiet, silent spectators, only sneaking glances.
"What're you staring at? Never seen classmates helping each other out?"
Barry didn't like their gawking. His stern face scanned the bus.
"Keep staring, and I'll help you next."
Man, Maria's scary today!
At that, every gaze dropped. Everyone sat up straight, eyes forward.
"And you, driver," "Maria" called out.
"Why aren't we moving? Don't let a little thing like this hold up the kids getting to school."
Mark and his three buddies: We're cool with that.