Justin Strikes Deleted Scene
Book One: Chapter 30 [extended scene]
*Passage behind room 108*
“I’ve got candy!” Eliza announced as she strode into the room, three bags of candy held aloft above her hand.
“Awesome!” Justin exclaimed, reaching over her head for one of the bags.
“Uh-uh,” she said, hiding the bags behind her back and using her free hand to wag a finger at him.
She gave him a slight smirk as she tossed one of the bags to Simon, who caught the bag and gave her a wide grin.
“Thanks!” Simon said, ripping into the bag.
“Oh, come on!” Justin groaned, suppressing a giggle.
“You can have it,” Eliza began. “If you can get past me.”
With that, she tossed one of the candy bags behind her and gave Justin a daring look, silently begging him to try and fight her to earn his treat.
Justin laughed lightly and opened his left hand. He heard Simon stifle a giggle as Justin’s portal formed beneath the bag of candy and teleported it to the one above his outstretched hand. Eliza’s eyes widened as the bag of candy plopped into his open palm.
“Well played, Strikes," she nodded approvingly as he sat beside Simon on the floor of the passageway.
“Thanks, I was inspired by the portals Simon used on Bobby," Justin turned to Simon. “By the way, that was awesome!”
“Yeah!” Eliza agreed. “It was genius! Trapping him in an everlasting loop? Brilliant! I was battling a sheet while you were able to calculate an actual way to keep Bobby caught for more than two minutes!”
“It was nothing…” Simon mumbled, a blotchy pink blush rising in his cheeks. “Besides, we would have lost a lot of time if it hadn’t been for Justin’s shield!”
“Maybe…” Justin shrugged. “But my shield was just to buy us time so Eliza could get the sheet for her idea.”
“Yeah, which was a fantastic idea,” Eliza nodded. “Until he set the sheet on FIRE!”
“How were you supposed to know he could light things on fire?” Justin asked.
“It’s not something you’re supposed to be prepared for yet.” Simon agreed. “But I guess that’s just something to keep in mind for the future: be prepared to react to unexpected abilities.”
“Still…” Eliza sighed dramatically. “HE LIT THE SHEET ON FIRE!”
