I DON’T KNOW HOW THE WARRIORS DO IT. After walking three miles on the Lakefront Trail on the hottest day on earth, I’m sweating like a pig, even with the cooling assist from Lake Michigan. Every inch of my body is a moist, stinky mess, and I hate even thinking the word “moist.” What is the point of wearing moisture-wicking workout gear if you still end up looking like you just crawled out of the world’s most polluted ocean? Heroes don’t have this problem. They could emerge from a burning building, carrying multiple victims on their backs, and barely drip a drop, able to save lives and be camera-ready seconds later. It’s so freaking amazing. I love them so much.
“Claire, are we almost done here?” my best friend, Demi, asks, wrestling a tangled web of dog leashes attached to a pack of five panting pooches. I told her I’d help with her dog-walking business today but didn’t exactly mention how far I planned to go. “I don’t think the dogs can make it much farther in this heat. And honestly my shorts are beyond wedged up my butt.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I say, watching an English bulldog drool all over the Lakefront Trail and melt under the blazing sun. It’s only the first day of summer break, but Chicago weather can never just ease into a new season. It’s either freezing cold or unbearably hot, with little to no in between. “Just…five more minutes? Please? I really need to make this happen today, or else they might not pick me. And then my life would be over. You don’t want to end my existence, do you?” I bat my lashes, giving an innocent smile.
Demi groans, sitting down as she pulls out yet another water bottle from her custom-designed dog-walking vest to quench the pups’ thirst. She’s a one-stop shop for doggy needs, with treats, poop bags, tennis balls, and more tucked into those meticulously planned pockets. “Ask me again when I’m not responsible for the well-being of all these rich people’s dogs.” From another pocket she grabs cooling towelettes, which she rubs on the dogs’ bellies, much to their delight. I kind of wish she would offer one to me, but I already know I’m pushing my luck. “Why couldn’t you just get a normal internship that doesn’t make you jump through all these hoops? I would’ve hired you full-time this summer.”
“Because normal is boring,” I say, wiping my face with my shirt. “Heroes are never boring, and neither are we.”
She sticks her tongue out at me, and I teasingly mirror the expression. In a world full of superpowers, us nobodies must work extra hard to stay in the game. Not that I’d consider myself a nobody, but I certainly can’t crush concrete with my bare hands or jump ten city blocks in seconds flat. I used to dream I’d wake up one day and suddenly be able to scale walls with suction-cup fingertips or zap opponents with a literally withering stare, but my origin story is sadly void of any supernatural plot twists. The average hero’s powers develop during childhood, and since I’m seventeen, I guess that ship has sailed. I could cry about it (and, okay, I definitely have), but eventually, you have to make the best of the hand you’ve been dealt. It doesn’t mean I’m a nobody. It just means I have to go the extra mile to be somebody.
Which is why I’m out here today, dripping sweat in humid air that’s so thick, it feels like breathing in clam chowder, all to make a lifelong dream come true. Last week I found out I was in the FINALS for a Warrior Nation summer internship, and the interview process has been grueling. Not only did I have to submit a background check and application (complete with six letters of recommendation and three essays on what heroism, service, and community mean to me), but I’ve also undergone countless aptitude tests in logic, problem solving, cognitive ability, and more. While each test has been thrilling, they’ve all been completed remotely, with no in-person assessments or interviews yet. Just seeing official Warrior Nation correspondence in my inbox has been enough to make my heart explode, but I’m ready to take it to the next level.
What at first seemed like an impossible goal is now so close I can taste it, and every bar I clear, every test I ace, brings me that much closer to connecting with the greatest, most