The OK Team by Nick Place

work through meals.’
    â€˜That would be good,’ I say.
    â€˜You know what else?’ Liarbird continues. ‘I’m close personal friends with lots of Triple A Heroes so I can get us all sorts of advice and introductions.’
    â€˜That’s good enough for me,’ I say.
    â€˜Yep,’ says Torch.
    â€˜You bet,’ says Cannonball.
    Still fuzzy, I shake her purple glove. ‘Congratulations, Liarbird, you’re in.’
    â€˜Oh no,’ she says, smiling.
    â€˜You do realise that everything she just said, about money and contacts and free food, were lies, don’t you?’ Yesterday scowls.
    â€˜Yeah. Whatever,’ her brother says. Torch just grins like an idiot.
    Yesterday shakes her head sadly. ‘You guys are truly pathetic.’

CHAPTER 14
THE OK TEAM
    D own a back street of Northcote we walk, side by side, united as a team, the sun glinting off our magnificent costumes. The yellow and red flames of Torch, then velvet, slinky, purple Liarbird, my silver and the light blue of Yesterday. Black helmeted Cannonball is stalking along on the outside.
    I can’t help but smile happily. I have no idea if we are any good but at least I have a team.
    â€˜Did you know that in Vietnam, they have dogs with eight legs that can chase nine balls at once? They keep them in igloos made of mud.’
    â€˜Fascinating, Liarbird. I’m sure they do,’ says Yesterday. We’ve all come to know that Liarbird’s habit of telling interesting facts allows her power to shine.
    â€˜And the Great Wall of China was built in three hours!’
    â€˜Interesting,’ Yesterday sniffs. ‘Now, back to the matter at hand. What about the Fantastic Five?’
    â€˜It’s kind of almost taken,’ I say.
    â€˜The Brilliant Five?’
    â€˜We don’t know if we’re any good yet, Cannonball.’
    â€˜So your idea is that we should call ourselves the Untested Handful, is it?’
    â€˜No, but I don’t want to oversell ourselves. If we call ourselves the Amazingly Super Duper Incredibly Great Team, and then we don’t win, we’ll look like idiots.’
    â€˜I’m with Focus,’ says Torch quietly. He rarely offers an opinion, too insecure to voice his thoughts. ‘I think we should just hope that I’m OK and you’re OK when it matters.’
    â€˜Have you read that book?’ I ask him.
    â€˜Huh?’
    â€˜ I’m OK – You’re OK .’
    â€˜No,’ says Torch, looking mystified. ‘Sorry, boss. Should I?’
    â€˜Hey, who says he’s the boss?’ Cannonball wants to know.
    â€˜The Hopefully Not Too Bad Team?’ says Yesterday. ‘I sense that will be great.’
    â€˜Oh yeah, wonderful,’ says Liarbird.
    â€˜I agree, Liarbird,’ I say, edging closer to her. ‘It’s no good.’
    We all stop. Unconsciously, we gather into a loose circle.
    â€˜What do we, in our heart of hearts, want to be?’
    Cannonball asks. It’s a good question.
    â€˜We don’t want to suck,’ says Torch finally.
    â€˜Yeah, but we can hardly call ourselves that. The “We Hope We Don’t Suck Team”.’
    â€˜We want to do OK,’ I say.
    We look at one another.
    â€˜The OK Team,’ says Yesterday.
    â€˜I don’t agree,’ shrugs Liarbird.
    â€˜Not that my opinion matters but I like it too,’ says Torch.
    â€˜Nicely understated.’
    â€˜I sense we might have our name,’ Yesterday says, fingers to temples, eyes shut.
    Cannonball is staring at us, disbelief all over his face.
    â€˜People! You’ve got to be joking! The OK Team? Just OK?
    We’re superheroes. Some of us have capes! We have powers – well, not Yesterday, but you know –’
    â€˜Hey!’ says Yesterday.
    â€˜If we aim low, we’ll end low. What about the Cannonball Squad? Aiming for the sky.’ Cannonball strikes a pose, and