Maybe I’m just oversensitive to this because I know what he knows.
When the bell rang, he grabbed his books and walked through the crowded halls to the library to study for his math test. I can move objects through the air, throw flame, and run faster than the eye can see, but I can’t get out of my damn math tests.
He sat down at his usual table—the one he once shared with Quinn—and pulled his math notebook and workbook from his backpack before setting it on the chair next to him.
“Hi, handsome,” Ravone said, setting her backpack on the table. She pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.
“Hey,” Blake said tentatively, looking up at her. He perceived a renewed sense of determination about her, but he didn’t know why. I don’t really want company right now.
“How’ve you been?” she asked playfully.
Blake sighed and looked at a red book on the bookshelf next to him. Then, he looked at Ravone. “Are you spying on me for Quinn?”
Ravone’s eyebrows narrowed. “How dare you. If you ever ask me whose side I’m on again, I’ll punch you in the dick, capiche?”
Blake’s eyes popped open in surprise at her answer.
“I am friends with both of you, but I like you, Blake. I’ve always liked you.”
Blake noticed her voice trembling as she spoke. He blinked, unsure of what to say, but she filled the silence and continued speaking. “I know you’re a loner and things are…tough right now…but they don’t have to be.”
“I don’t want your pity,” he retorted.
“Good, because I’m not offering it. The last thing I need is a relationship with a wounded puppy.”
Blake sat back and stared at her. A relationship?
“What do you want, Ravone?”
“I’m asking you out, Blake.”
“Oh.”
A memory stirred in Blake’s mind…
❖
“Do you date, Blake?” Victor asked nonchalantly as they waited for the finance officer to return with the BMW 8’s final sale paperwork.
He shrugged. “Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Uh, I never had time, I guess. I’m either at school, track, or work. If I’m at home, it’s to sleep or shower. Otherwise I’m at…I was at…Quinn’s house or hanging out with other friends.”
“And no guys or girls caught your eye?”
“Well, yeah, but…I just…didn’t get around to it,” Blake answered, shaking his head. “And, it would be girls.”
“Ah, I wasn’t sure.”
“Seriously?” Do I give off a gay vibe or something?
Victor rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. You are very accepting of Quinn, so I thought perhaps, maybe, it was because you were also gay.”
“Oh. No. I just, always knew about Quinn and it pissed me off when the bullies picked on him for being gay. It’s so stupid.”
“Understood. I applaud your conviction about bullies; it will serve you well in The Order. But, back to the topic at hand; Dr. Madison and I think it would be healthy for you to date someone your age.”
“On top of everything else? Wait, you two have been talking about me?”
“Of course. Like you so adeptly reminded me during one of our last conversations, you’re still in high school and we want what’s best for you—that means doing normal high school things whenever possible, including dating if you’d like. A well-rounded superhero will serve the world better than one who is inexperienced at worldly matters.”
“Oh.” I’m glad you’re taking my ideas seriously.
“We’ll consider it part of your training.”
“What? A girlfriend would be part of my training?” Blake asked, dumbfounded.
“Well, no…of course not. Sorry, that came out wrong.” Victor looked at him strangely. “She would be someone you could be a boyfriend to. Of course, your involvement in The Order and our existence would be off-limits to whomever you dated. Is that something you would like?”
Blake shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it, to be honest. Like I said, I never had time.”
The woman with the BMW paperwork returned to the small office, her heels clicking on the tile floor.
“Think about it, and let me know,” Victor said, reaching for the pen on the table as the representative sat down and opened the folder of paperwork.
❖
“So…” Ravone said softly.
Blake smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat. “You want to go on a date with me?”
She nodded.
Blake felt an unusual giddiness bubble up in his heart as the corner of his lip curled upward of its own accord. Wait, do I actually want to do this?
“Well, I…”
“Great.”
Blake stared at her. “I didn’t answer.”
“Just say yes.”
Blake chuckled. “You don’t think it would be weird? We have been such close friends; wouldn’t it be like dating a brother for you?”
Ravone rolled her eyes. “Blake, if I’m asking you on a date, it’s obviously not a problem for me. Is it a problem for you?”
Blake shook his head. “I don’t think so, but it’s a surprise to me, that’s all. I kinda thought you might like me but with everything I have to do…”
“I do like you, Blake. A lot.”
“Oh.”
Blake sighed. “Okay, I’ll go on a date with you.”
Ravone frowned. “Could you maybe say it in a way that doesn’t sound like a chore?”
Blake frowned with her. “The last thing I need in my life right now is another person telling me how I do something wrong. If you really want to try this, you take me where I’m at or walk away right now and we stay friends.”
Ravone regarded him with surprise and then smiled. “There’s my badass boy. How does an afternoon stroll through Prescott Park work for you? I’ll text you details.”
Ugh, why do we have to do what Quinn did on his first date? He nodded. “Remember, it’s a date. We’re not dating, yet.”
“I got it,” she responded, picking up her backpack.
“Are you going to tell Quinn?”
“No, not yet. See ya later.” She winked at him and turned around.
Blake watched Ravone walk away from the library, following her figure as she moved. Then, catching himself staring at her, he shook his head. This is going to be really weird…she’s been like a sister to me. I have to get my head in a different game if this is going to work out. It’s not like close friends can’t become something more, right?
3 | You Make Me Feel Like Loving You
Quinn
A knock at his bedroom door startled him. “Time to get up, Quinn,” Daddio said through the door.
“Five more minutes,” Quinn pleaded, rolling over and pulling the covers over his head.
“No, you’ve already overslept. Did your alarm not go off?”
Quinn poked his head out from under the covers and stared, bleary-eyed, at his alarm clock. “Dammit it, I forgot to set it last night.”
“Breakfast is almost ready and you have to be at work in forty-five minutes. And, if you didn’t already, don’t forget to pack your track stuff for your race this afternoon.”
“Okay, I’m up.” That’s right, the final home races are today.
“Also, Mark and John’s wedding is tonight, too. You need to pick out which tie and shirt you want to wear.”
“All right,” Quinn answered. He threw the covers off and stretched. A moment later he dropped to the floor and cranked out one-hundred push-ups and sit ups before grabbing his towel from the hook on his door and making his way to the bathroom to shower.
After he dressed, packed his gym bag, and picked out a shirt and tie that would match his suit for the wedding, he joined his fathers in the kitchen for a quick breakfast.
“Did you pick out a shirt and tie?” Dad asked.
“Yep, I hung them on my door knob.”
&n
bsp; “Why don’t you take the SUV to work today so you can head to school right after your shift ends. Daddio and I will be coming to your race this afternoon.”
Quinn looked up at his father, smiled, and spoke through a mouthful of eggs. “Thanks. I know how much you hate sports.”
Dad laughed. “I’m thankful it’s not football. I actually don’t mind running, as you know. I just prefer to get my miles in before anyone else has gotten out of bed.”
“The race cannot run over, or we will be late,” Daddio commented.
“Races rarely run over, Daddio,” Quinn said. “Don’t worry, I’ll let Coach Tomlin know I have to leave.”
“Thanks. I wouldn’t normally care if you’re a little late, but the wedding and the reception is on the Thomas Laighton. If we’re not on board when it leaves, we’re screwed.”
“Oh, that’s right, it’s on the ship.”
“Yup. So, we will all have forty minutes to shower after your race and get ourselves on the boat.”
“Okay,” Quinn answered, trying to remember all the important details while still only half awake.
“Next, last, and most important question: will you have time to text Keegan the details or would you like one of us to call him?”
Quinn laughed. “I’ll text him on the way to the shop.”
“Not if you’re driving, you won’t.”
“Right, sorry, I will text him before I leave. Can he meet us somewhere? Will that be easier than trying to meet at the boarding area?”
“That was my next suggestion,” Daddio said.
“I will make sure he meets us, so we can all leave on time and get to the ship before it leaves,” Quinn said, winking as he took several bites out of his toast.
“Good boy,” Dad said, chuckling.
❖
The first two hours at Breaking New Grounds were brutal. Coffee-starved customers stormed the mid-morning hours, ordering eccentric coffee beverages that took time to make, seriously delaying the checkout process.
Fifteen minutes before Quinn’s shift ended in the afternoon, the line extended out the door and Quinn became frustrated, wondering if he would have to stay later to get through the rush, which he couldn’t do because of his race. Matt, his boss, had been approaching his coworkers and speaking with them. When Quinn checked out a customer who ordered four beverages and several pastries, Matt pulled him aside.
“You have a game or something today, right?”
“Yeah, I have a race. I really need to leave on time today.”
Matt nodded. “Why don’t you get out of here now then, if you get stuck in this line you’ll be late. Go Clippers!”
Quinn grinned from ear to ear. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I thought you were going to ask me to stay later.”
“Don’t sweat it. Cassie will to stay on until the rush ends.”
“Thanks, Matt.” Quinn turned and walked to the back room. He punched out, grabbed his gym bag, and made his way to the parked SUV.
❖
The starting pistol fired, and Quinn was off, running with his teammates at the last race of the season against Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester high schools.
It was hard not to slip into super speed, but Quinn had made the decision not to cheat to win races, even if it meant not doing as well as he could have. Still, today he was in the zone and he led his team by holding third place, with Dover athletes leading the race in first and second place.
Minutes later, he noticed the school bully, Darien James, trailing behind him in fourth place, followed by a mix of runners from all four teams. Blake’s attendance had been sporadic, and today he blew off their final race, annoying his teammates and Coach Tomlin.
Somewhere in the distance, with his super hearing, he heard his dads cheering him on. A third, familiar voice surprised him and he smiled, recognizing it straightaway as belonging to his boyfriend.
Keegan came to my race to surprise me!
Although he couldn’t scan the crowds for his parents and boyfriend, the resulting rush of adrenaline pushed him into second place. Now, he ran between two Dover athletes and raced toward the finish line. His legs burned and his heart pounded, but his super powers involuntarily regenerated his strength quickly. As they rounded the last corner on the track, everyone sprinted, determined to earn another trophy for their school. In the bleachers, fans from both high schools cheered them on and yelled wildly as the racers approached the finish line.
At the last second, the green-clad Dover athlete raised his hands and broke the tape as he crossed over, signaling a win for Dover High. The crowd exploded into wild cheers and applause as maroon-clad Quinn crossed second, followed by the rest of the racers. He slowed to a walk and put his hand on his side, pretending to be out of breath. He briefly shook hands with the first-place winner and congratulated him.
I’ll settle for my first second place medal today.
“Watch out,” Darien yelled, but Quinn sidestepped with a small burst of speed, foiling Darien’a attempt to knock him over. The bully ran past him, surprised. Quinn scowled and kept going, knowing full well not to instigate an incident in front of the large crowd.
What an idiot.
Quinn shook his head and sighed, then shook hands and congratulated the third-place runner as the rest of the racers ran past the finish line. He scanned the bleachers and found his dads, who were excitedly jumping and waving at him with the crowd. Keegan was next to them, cheering and waving both hands high above his head.
He’s either mortified and playing it cool, or hanging out with my dads doesn’t bother him in the least bit.
Quinn waved at them and after stretching his legs and back, he made his way to the award podium to be medaled with the Dover athletes. Members of the Portsmouth track team congratulated him along the way until he reached Coach Tomlin, who shook his hand and congratulated him. “You have a new confidence and zest about you, McAlester,” Coach said. “I’m happy to see it’s playing out in your athletic career, as well. Too bad this is the last run of the season.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
“Come on, let’s get your silver medal.”
After several remarks and accolades were made for each winning athlete, the medaling ceremony began. Minutes later, a silver metal hung around his neck and Quinn waved to the applauding crowds with the gold and bronze winners. As photographers took pictures for the local papers, Keegan and Quinn’s dads walked across the field to congratulate him.
When Quinn stepped off the second-place riser, Keegan advanced and wrapped his arms around him. “You did great, babe!”
“Wait!” Quinn exclaimed, laughing as his arms became trapped in Keegan’s embrace.
Keegan quickly let go and backed off. “Eww, you’re all sweaty and gross.”
“I tried to warn you,” Quinn said.
“Yeah, I’m not hugging you,” Daddio said, his face contorted with disgust.
Quinn extended his arms and smiled wickedly, causing his dad to shriek and back away. Dad and Keegan laughed as Daddio ran away from them, desperate not to be touched by his sweaty son.
“Congrats, Quinn. That was a great run today. I’m so proud of you!” Dad said.
“Thanks,” Quinn answered, abandoning his chase.
“I’ll give you a congratulatory hug after you’ve cleaned up,” Dad added, chuckling.
“Me too,” Daddio chimed in.
Quinn laughed and checked his watch. “Sure. So, I’m ready to go. Hopefully, I’ll have cooled off by the time we get home so I can shower without getting all sweaty again.”
“Oooh,” Keegan said, smiling devilishly.
Quinn blushed. Not in front of my parents!
Dad rolled his eyes and ignored Keegan’s comment. “Okay, since you two each have a car, we’ll meet up at the house and get ready. We have less than an hour to be at the dock so don’t dilly-dally, okay?”
“Yup!” Quinn and Keegan answered together.
“Drive safely, boys!”
❖
“It was really nice of your dad’s coworker to allow me to come to the wedding with you,” Keegan said, leading the way to the aft railing of the open-air upper deck of the ninety-foot long Thomas Laighton ship.
Quinn nodded and took Keegan’s hand in his. “I can only guess why, but I’m sure when Dad told Uncle Mark at work that I came out and we started dating, he and his new husband John insisted I invite you.”
Keegan laughed. “Bonus perks of being a same-sex couple at a gay wedding?”
Quinn laughed with him. “Probably.”
“So, I thought Mark was your dad’s coworker, but you call him uncle?”
“Yeah, he and John are those adult friends of your parents who aren’t biologically related, but you grow up calling them aunt or uncle.”
“Ah, okay. Makes sense.”
Around them, a number of couples snuggled for warmth in the cool air, momentarily escaping cocktail hour to enjoy the sunset over Portsmouth and Dover as the ship headed out into the open ocean toward the Isle of Shoals.
“I’m cold,” Quinn said, shivering.
Keegan stepped behind Quinn and wrapped his broad arms around Quinn’s shoulders, linking his hands together over Quinn’s chest. “I’ll keep you warm, babe.”
“Mmm, thanks.” Quinn sighed, comfortable in Keegan’s embrace.
A camera clicked to their right, and the boys looked toward the sound. Daddio, grinning from ear to ear, had just taken a picture of them snuggling.
“Daddio!” Quinn exclaimed in surprise. Keegan quickly let go and stepped aside.
Aren, or Daddio, waved his hand dismissively. “It’s okay, Keegan, we don’t mind if you two snuggle. But that’s all!”
Quinn felt himself blush. “Daddio,” he repeated in a low toned, embarrassed.
Daddio pocketed his phone and stepped up to the rail. “It is our sovereign right to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend.”
Dad slid in behind his husband and rested his head on Daddio’s shoulder. “That’s right, embarrassing our children is line-item three in the parental job description. I can show you the legal contract if you’d like to see it.”
The Rise of Dark Flame Page 3