“I second that,” Tim said.
Blake’s world stopped for about a minute as he cried on their shoulders. When the emotions let up, Tim and Aren released him and Blake wiped his eyes, which immediately fell to Ravone, who half-smiled at him and offered a flimsy wave.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “I was so mean to you in the park that day.”
Her smile grew. “Well, at least you remember how much of an ass you were to me.”
Blake chuckled as he cried and wiped his face. Ravone hopped off her seat and embraced him. “I’m just glad we have you back and the nasty chip in your head isn’t making you do horrible things anymore.”
Loren got up and hugged him next. “I’ve missed your moody and pouty face at school.”
Blake smiled and noticed her eyes expressed happiness and peace. “Thank you.”
When they separated, Blake looked over at Keegan, who had crossed his arms over his chest.
Quinn’s boyfriend shook his head. “I’m not ready to hug you. The last time you put your arms around me, you kidnapped me.”
“I know,” Blake stammered, dropping his hands to his sides. “I’m so sorry.” In the corner of his eye, he saw Quinn frown.
“Just keep your distance for now, okay?” Keegan said.
Blake nodded. “I understand.”
Blake watched Quinn walk over to his boyfriend. Keegan didn’t move, and Quinn didn’t attempt to touch him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how hard this would be for you.”
Tim and Aren quietly observed but didn’t offer to soothe him.
That’s probably smart on their part. This sucks. I can’t believe I hurt him like this.
Keegan shrugged. “It’s not your problem. It’s mine.”
The oven beeped, and Aren clapped his hands with delight. “The pizza bites are done, anyone hungry?”
“I am!” Ravone and Loren answered together, breaking the tension a little.
“Me too,” Blake said. Yay, more pizza. I’m starving.
“Do you guys want us to stay in the kitchen with you?” Tim asked.
“You can stay,” Keegan replied before anyone could answer.
“Okay, no problem,” Tim replied with a smile.
Keegan cleared his throat. “Actually, um…Quinn, I’m sorry. I need to go home. I know you wanted the best for tonight, but…I’m not ready for this.” Keegan made a beeline for the hallway and a surprised Quinn followed him out. Ravone and Loren pursed their lips with concern but didn’t move.
“Shit,” Blake exclaimed. What I did was really traumatic to him. He stared at the floor and wiped his cheeks. “This really sucks.”
“He’s going to be okay,” Loren said.
“I hope so,” Blake squeaked out as another wave of emotions overwhelmed him.
This time, Loren reached out and took his hand. “We’re glad to have you back, but…”
She hesitated.
“But what I did was unspeakable,” Blake responded. “I know. Believe me, I know. I’ve been saying it all day.”
Behind them, Quinn’s dads silently set out pizza bites, chips, and a few other finger foods for them to enjoy. A moment later, Tim pulled out an assortment of sodas and bottled waters.
The front door opened and closed, and a moment later Quinn returned to the kitchen alone. He looked unusually sad.
“Everything okay, bud?” Aren asked.
Quinn shook his head. “No, but it will be. I underestimated how shaken up Keegan is about the whole…kidnapping thing.”
I would be, too.
“A lot of people are going to be upset and confused, especially when you return to school. We all saw what you did at the holiday assembly,” Ravone said.
“I might not be able to return to school,” Blake said. “I may have to take the GED exam instead.”
“How do you know that?” Tim asked.
“It came up in the first interrogation session with the DHS and the military this morning. They started asking me what I wanted to do with my life and they made it clear I would not be returning to high school, at least in Portsmouth.
“That sucks,” Quinn said, appearing despondent. “So, we won’t get to do senior year together, let alone finish this one?”
Blake sighed. “I don’t think so. Maybe they’ll let me return next year when things cool off…I’m not really sure. I’ve missed way too many days to finish this year, anyway.”
“What happened?” Ravone asked.
“With?”
“Everything,” she replied. “I know what Quinn told us, but I want to hear it from you.”
“Like, what I did in the park?”
She narrowed her eyes. “And the high school, to Darien, the incident on the freeway, the battles with Quinn. What happened? How did you end up believing such bullshit?”
“Victor was a snake oil salesman,” Blake responded. Then, he proceeded to explain his story to his captive audience. As he spoke, they popped pizza bites and snacks into their mouths.
“That’s insane,” Ravone said. “So, the chip made you hear voices?”
Blake tilted his head back and forth with uncertainty. “Sometimes. It wasn’t like I was hearing other voices…but like my angry, unfiltered responses would trigger impulses and I’d come up with specific actions to do. Sometimes, it would be to hurt someone really bad, like when I pushed Darien in front of the truck.”
“Wow. So, voices?” Ravone pressed.
Blake shook his head. “They weren’t voices at first, as much as they were distinct impulses I almost had no control over. They grew stronger with time, I guess. That’s how I’d summarize how it changed over the past two months.” His friends and the McAlesters dads stared at him. He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’ve been interrogated for the past…ten to twelve hours. Can we just…stop for a while? Besides, I really need some more pizza bites.”
They laughed and Loren pulled the plate off the island and handed it to him. “Eat up,” she said, smiling.
“Do you guys want to play a game or watch a movie?” Quinn asked.
His friends nodded and Quinn’s dads feigned yawns with exaggerated stretches.
“Oh, well, would you look at the time, Aren,” Tim said.
“Oh, wow, it’s late,” Aren replied, shutting off the oven and wiping his hands on a towel. He tossed it onto the counter and smiled. “Time to go read before falling asleep.”
“Yeah, it’s bed time,” Tim responded. “I’m exhausted. Have a great night!”
“See you later, Quinn. You got the dishes, right?” Aren asked.
Quinn nodded. “Good night.”
“That was weird. What’s their issue, don’t like boardgames?” Loren asked.
Ravone rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“They’re going to…you know…boink or whatever,” Quinn said. He tapped his extended index fingers together and giggled.
Blake burst into laughter and Loren looked mortified.
“What, they’re a married couple. They do that, believe it or not,” Quinn said, grinning.
“But it’s your parents! That’s supposed to gross you out.”
Quinn shook his head. “Maybe that rule only works with straight parents. I’m glad my dads are still in love and get it on. It’s a good sign.”
“Okay, enough. Let’s go pick a game,” Loren said.
“How about the Game of Life?” Quinn suggested.
“Nah, what about Pandemic?” Ravone said. “That’s always fun with a group.”
Blake groaned. “Too close to home with global disaster. How about something simple like Uno or Skip-Bo?”
“Yes!” They all shouted enthusiastically. Minutes later, Quinn handed the double deck of Uno cards to Blake, who shuffled and dealt.
“I’ve really missed this,” Loren said.
“Me too,” Ravone chimed in, smiling as she tapped her cards on the table.”
“Me three,” Quinn added, grin
ning from ear to ear as he checked out the cards in his hand.
“So have I, guys,” Blake replied as he set the cards in the middle of the table. Sorry for being such a jerk to all of you.
❖
Quinn
Quinn called Keegan and threw himself on his bed. A moment later, Keegan answered.
“Hey.”
“Hi, I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m okay.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this would be traumatic for you.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t know. I didn’t either.”
Quinn sensed the shortness of Keegan’s responses.
“Um, are we going to be okay now that he’s back?”
“I don’t know. I realize you’re going to be friends with him and boyfriends with me. In the normal world, the three of us could hang out without giving it a second thought. But in this crazy, mixed up superhero world. I don’t know how I feel about hanging out with him right now.”
“I get it.”
“No, you don’t. I feel like I’m forcing you to choose between him and me. But don’t worry, I’m not going to make the same mistake I made when I learned you were Blue Spekter. I love you too much.”
“And I love you, too. No, you’re not forcing me to choose between you. Sometimes our plans might conflict, but you are my boyfriend and he is my best friend. I’ll have a lot of time with you, and I’ll have time with him. Of course, one day I hope we’ll all be able to hang out when this is over.”
“That’s just it, I don’t know when this will be over. He fucking kidnapped me and held me hostage, Quinn.”
Shit, Keegan doesn’t swear much. He’s really pissed off.
“I understand, Keegan. I really do. I waited three months for him to come back to me. I’m patient.”
“You are, and that’s why I love you.”
“Thanks, babe. I love you too. So, um, have a good night?”
“Yah, you too.”
“It’d be better if I could snuggle with you. I could fly over in about ten seconds,” Quinn quipped.
“As much as I love cuddling with you, I really need to sleep well tonight and clear my head. We’re going to have a long night tomorrow night.”
“That’s right, it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow!”
“Yep. I can’t wait to spend the night with you.”
“Me too,” Quinn said. “All right, I love you. Have a good night.”
“I love you too, Quinn. Bye.”
Quinn disconnected the call and set his phone into the charging dock on his nightstand. Then, with a satisfied smile, he climbed under the covers and fell asleep.
❖
Blake
Blake idly circled over his parents’ home in the Atlantic Heights neighborhood of Portsmouth. He hadn’t seen them since he moved out and signed on with The Order, but he wasn’t sure if now was the best time to pay them a visit. After all, it’s not like they knew he had died, but something in his heart told him not to wait much longer. Unfortunately, neither his mom’s nor his dad’s cars were in the driveway.
Nearby, he saw the spot where he surprised the criminals in the middle of the Hislop Park outfield. There was the street where he was jumped, and on the other side of the Piscataqua River Bridge, the spot where he tossed the two thugs into the river and let fate decide if they should live or die. Further out, on the other side of the Memorial Bridge, he remembered his first taste of power, when he burnt the two creeps who would have assaulted his schoolmates.
He shuddered.
Those things happened before I was chipped. Those are one-hundred percent on me. I need to be careful not to let my anger get the best of me, or I’ll be walking in the shadow of Dark Flame forever. I can’t do that, not anymore.
He was about to fly off when he spotted his mother’s car driving up the street, and a glimmer of hope filled his heart.
At least my dad isn’t home and I won’t have to deal with his bullshit.
Stella, his mom, pulled into the driveway and walked to the trunk. When she opened it, his heart sank. She began hefting the all-too-familiar cardboard boxes that were filled with fresh handles of cheap booze she had purchased from the liquor store.
He glowered at his mom.
Nothing ever changes. Why did I think this was a good idea?
He shook his head as he circled around once more and then headed home to his condo.
5-13 | First Night
Victor
“COMMENCE PRIMARY IGNITION,” VICTOR SAID, speaking into his ear comm as he flew south to Portsmouth. A trail of red light streaked behind him in the cold air of a clear winter’s night.
“Standby firing controls,” Miguel announced. Victor could hear the whine of power surges reverberating through the walls of the facility through his ear comm.
“System lights are green,” Arik reported.
“Fire the weapon now,” Victor ordered. “I only need a thirty-minute burst.”
“Acknowledged. The weapon will be deployed for thirty minutes.”
Victor’s face twisted into a vile smirk.
❖
Quinn
Quinn and Keegan listened to dance music and laughed together as they preened in Keegan’s bathroom for their black-tie New Year’s Eve dinner with Portsmouth’s elite at SALT, an upscale restaurant at the historic Wentworth by the Sea hotel famous for its exquisite gala events. His dads had no trouble securing an additional ticket for Keegan, and the boys had picked up their tuxedoes earlier that day from the dry cleaner’s. Even though Quinn hoped Keegan’s parents could have come, Keegan clearly didn’t mind not having his parents at the event.
“I can’t wait to see what you look like in a tuxedo,” Quinn said, smiling as he applied deodorant to his underarms.
Keegan smiled as he worked pomade through his hair. “It won’t be that much different from the suit I wore at the homecoming dance and your uncle’s wedding.”
“On the contrary. A tuxedo always makes a man look so handsome. Think about it, James Bond always looks his best when he’s dressed to the nines. Besides, since you’re already handsome, this will be a handsomeness overload.”
Keegan chuckled. “Well, I’m excited we’re going to the event with your dads and your uncles. I had so much fun at their wedding.”
“It won’t be as fabulous as their wedding reception on the Thomas Laighton, but no one will give us a hard time for being together.”
“That’s what I like,” Keegan said. “The world is becoming a better place and I’m grateful to live in an area where people don’t really harass us for holding hands or anything like that.”
Quinn nodded. “We’re lucky, but equality still has a long way to go. There are still assholes like Darien James and his cronies Kyle and Tony. There are lots of kids like us who get picked on in school. In a world where not being normal and embracing your dreams is the trend, you can get bullied for doing just that or simply being different. It doesn’t make sense.”
Keegan stared at him. “I thought Darian had changed sides and was nice to you now?”
Quinn shrugged. “Eh, I don’t trust him. Something’s up.”
“I think you’re being crazy,” Keegan replied, grinning.
“I find it hard to believe somebody can change overnight like that.”
“Well, hasn’t Blake changed overnight?” Keegan asked. “He was like…the bad guy for months and now he’s good and you’re okay with that, right?”
Shit, he has a point. Quinn shrugged. “Yeah, but I know Blake. We’ve been best friends forever. I also know Darien, he’s my arch-nemesis in school because he’s picked on me forever. Besides, Blake had a microchip in his head controlling him. Darien doesn’t have that.”
“You think,” Keegan retorted.
Quinn chuckled. “Truth.”
Keegan finished fussing with his hair. “There, my hair is perfect.”
Quinn glanced over and smiled. “Babe, your bedhead is pe
rfect. Your I-just-showered-and-my-head-is-sopping-wet hair is perfect. Your every-day styled hair is perfect. Now, you’re simply more perfect and adorable.”
“Ha, thanks, babe.” They kissed and walked into Keegan’s bedroom. After they dressed, they helped each other straighten their bowties and then pulled on their tuxedo coats. Then, they went downstairs and took obligatory photos with Keegan’s parents. Mrs. Miller made a fuss about how handsome they were and that everyone would be jealous of their good looks at the dinner party.
“Can you take a picture with our boyfriends rings?” Keegan asked, flashing his silver ring with the yellow, red, and orange squares. Quinn flashed the coordinating ring that had the green, blue, and purple squares.
“Of course,” Mr. Miller replied. “Did you choose the ring with those colors because you are Blue Spekter?”
Quinn smiled. “Guilty as charged.”
Keegan looked at him with astonishment. “I never realized that!”
The boys shared a laugh and then stood together and showed off their matching boyfriends rings.
“Those are adorable,” Mrs. Miller said snapping a picture with her smart phone.
“Just like the guy who gave it to me,” Quinn said, smirking as he poured on the cheesiness.
Keegan rolled his eyes and laughed.
“Aww,” Mrs. Miller said, clasping her hands in front of her and grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so happy you guys found each other.”
“Me too,” Keegan replied. Quinn flashed a smile at him.
When the picture taking session finished, the boys made their way to the front hall and pulled on their winter coats.
“Be careful tonight,” Mr. Miller said. “There will be a lot of drunk people on the road.”
“We won’t be one of them,” Keegan said to his dad.
“I know, and I appreciate that. But other people won’t be looking out for my boys,” Mr. Miller said.
Quinn smiled. I like how he includes me as part of the family.
Moments later, Quinn held Keegan’s right hand with his left as they drove to the famous hotel on New Castle island.
❖
Quinn and Keegan made small talk with Uncles John and Mark at SALT. Their tuxedoes and perfect hair acted as camouflage that blended in with the rest of the well-dressed guests who gathered for the New Year’s Eve dinner and festivities. The boys held glasses of sparkling cider while the twenty-one and up crowd enjoyed champagne or cocktails before dinner.
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