Being Invisible

by Penny Baldwin

  Some of our friends blocked the road, so that any cars trying to drive through would have to take a detour.

  As soon as the horn from someone’s sound app blared, we were off. I sprinted as fast as I could as our little crowd cheered us on. Even though I didn’t look Colin’s way, I could tell he was close. I’m sure I had a smile on my face the entire run. I loved the feel of the wind, the sound of my friends yelling for me, and knowing that when it was over Colin would rub my sore feet and tell me he was lucky to have me.

  As soon as I reached the finish line, made up of rolled up towels, I glanced over at Colin for the first time since we started the race. He was next to me, watching me with an evil grin on his face. I looked at Annie in question. Her mouth, which was gaping open, told me everything I needed to know.

  “I’ll be damned,” Annie muttered before yelling to the crowd, “A victory for the underdog! Colin takes the win!”

  I would have loved to have a recording of Colin’s reaction so that I could watch it on a continual loop whenever I wanted, but James deleted the video as soon as the race was done.

  Colin gave me a look that I could only assume meant, “Look who the loser is now.” Before I could return his look with my super-glare, he picked me up and swung me around, and kissed me on the lips. Then he put me down to give all of his friends high fives. They took their bottles of water and poured it on him in true champion style.

  The whole thing was hilarious. He won one race, and he’s ready to be the next Olympic hopeful.

  As a joke, Liz put a pretend microphone in Colin’s face. “So now that you have finally beaten Lucy, the greatest runner of all time, what are you going to do next?”

  Colin played along, looking every part the contender. “That’s a great question, Miss Mollohan. Now that I have beaten the greatest runner of all time, I am going to take that runner home and make her give me my reward for winning, like all the “rewards” she always makes me give her when she wins.” He gave the crowd an exaggerated look of distress over the things I “made him do.“ Everyone laughed, while I rolled my eyes.

  “Then I will thank her for being the most amazing person of all time. My win wouldn’t mean as much if I didn’t have to work so freaking hard to be as good as she is.” To finish his “speech”, he pretended to throw the mic on the ground and added ‘peace,’ before turning to me and winking.

  I ran up to him, jumped into his arms and kissed him. All of our leftover adrenaline seeped into the kiss, and by the time we pulled away, all of our friends were whooping and hollering.

  I finished the kiss by whispering in his ear, “I love you, Colin. And I am so proud of you. So enjoy your moment, cuz that’s never happening again.” He laughed and kissed me again before pouring his water bottle over my head.

  The sound of “It’s only Life” shakes me out of my thoughts. I put it on the playlist because he played it for me when I started freaking out about going into Journalism. I told him that I never wanted to be on TV, so why was I going into broadcast journalism? He assured me that it was because I knew deep down I would be great at it, but my nerves just hadn’t caught up with me yet. So until then, I was going to be the greatest researcher there was out there.

  I pull myself out of the hot tub before I pass out and Colin finds me floating amid the bubbles. After quickly drying myself off and throwing on some yoga pants and my favorite OSU sweatshirt, I take my glass of wine along with my phone out to the living room, where I can continue to listen to music and think.

  I can’t help but believe that there has to be some way to make this work. I have no idea how, though.

  I wish I could just see him. If we hadn’t made that stupid compromise, where I can’t be within a hundred foot radius of him while he’s doing invisible things, I could have gone with him. Then I could have dropped him off and gone to a coffee shop or something. Then at least I would have a little more time with him.

  It’s somewhere between the songs “Into the Ocean” and “Madness” that it comes to me. A possible answer to our prayers. Okay, so it could also be one of the worst ideas I have ever had. But who knows? I think there is only way to find out.

  I’m strong. I’m fast. I know how to defend myself. The only thing I have going against me is that I can’t become invisible. Why can’t I be where he is? Not that I would be where the danger is or anything. I’m not stupid. But why couldn’t I be, like, across the street? I could watch from afar, and see what he does… well, see the result of what he does, since I can’t see him.

  Really, is it a fair assumption on his part that he needs to worry about me the whole time? Yes, there was the one time at Insomnia where I stood frozen in place by fear while he took down a gun-toting criminal, but that was over a year ago, and I was caught off guard.

  Maybe if he could see that having me nearby isn’t going to ruin his plans, he will be happy to have me close.

  That sounds logical, right?

  Okay, maybe it sounds more crazy than logical, but I’m sick of sitting in this cabin all day. And I am sick of thinking. And if I want to get dinner at the pub in town, I see nothing wrong with that. I can’t help it if it happens to be across the street from Lee’s Diner.

  And yes, I know that I am treading into Bruce Banner territory with Colin, but he’s not willing to save less of the world, so he can’t really get upset that I want to see just a little more of it tonight.

  By the time my playlist ends, I am convinced that there’s no harm in checking out the situation from a safe distance, while enjoying some hot wings.

  It doesn’t take long before I’m good to go. Casual outfit for dining out. Boots that go great with my corduroy jacket, but are also good for running...just in case. A baseball cap, to show my love for the Buckeyes, and also to maybe hide myself, to make sure Colin doesn’t notice me before I have a chance to tell him how this is actually a great idea. And last, but certainly not least, a cab to take me to my night out.

  As I open the door to wait for the cab to arrive, I am startled to see someone on the porch. It takes me a second to realize that it’s Liz standing in front of me.

  I grab her and pull her into a hug. “Liz, what are you doing here?”

  “Well, you said to go see my people, so here I am.”

  “You have no idea how happy I am to see you." I hug her again, wanting her to know how much I appreciate her being here.

  "I just couldn't sit around while you were in this place by yourself, questioning the end of your relationship." Before I have a chance to respond, the cab pulls up.

  "Oh, shoot. Cab's here. If I tell him I don't need him any longer, can you drive me somewhere?"

  "Uh, sure. Why? Where are we going?"

  “Into town. I’m really in the mood for some wings.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Songs For Stake Outs

  "Are you crazy? Do you understand how bad this idea is?”

  I gave Liz the story on the way to the pub, and based on her looks of horror, coupled with the fact that she has interjected every few of my sentences with words that would make a sailor cringe, I don’t think she’s entirely on board with it.

  “Well what other choice do I have?” I take a sip of my water, before continuing. “You know what? I don’t think we are going to make it. I don’t. And before this trip, I was ready to marry the guy. Being a superhero is his life. If I can’t be part of that life, even from afar, I don’t know how else to be part of his life at all. I know it’s crazy...but it’s all I have left.”

  Liz let’s out a breath before shaking her head. “I still think Colin is going to completely freak, but... I understand where you’re coming from. Just promise me you won’t try to do this shit by yourself ever again. Use the damn buddy system. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  For being a Saturday night, the pub is pretty empty. A few regulars are at the bar talking about baseball, but other than that there are only a few of us here. According to our waiter, the bar pic
ks up around 11:00, because that’s when karaoke starts.

  We are sitting at a table near the front where the windows span the length of the bar, and there is a perfect view for watching the restaurant across the street. Lee’s looks quiet. It’s a small restaurant with a few windows covered by drapes.

  We’ve seen a handful of guys go through the front door, including a couple guys who Liz says look like a “couple thugs.”

  I start to get a little nervous when I see two kids exit a car, followed by their parents. The kids look to be around six or seven. My gasp causes Liz to turn toward the window.

  “Oh, that can’t be good.” Liz voices my thoughts.

  One of the kids, a boy with sandy blonde hair and glasses reaches for the door, but it doesn’t open.

  His dad tries the door also. When he can’t open the door, he retreats back to the car. I breathe a sigh of relief. I can’t help but think that Colin had something to do with that.

  “This is stressful.” Liz takes a long drink of her root beer, then goes back to her basket of fish and fries.

  “No kidding. After this we’re gonna need to pick up another bottle of wine.”

  “That, my friend sounds like an excellent idea. I think we should…”

  “Liz, no way. I know that guy.”

  “Huh?” Liz squints her eyes, trying to see who I am talking about.

  Standing outside of Lee’s is a man in suit pants and a long sleeve button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His dark sunglasses conceal the color of his eyes, while his goatee barely covers his chin.

  “I mean, I don’t know him, but I saw a picture of him. Colin was looking through a bunch of profiles, and I saw his picture. I wasn’t really paying attention, but I remember him because Colin said they call him The Exterminator because when he’s around, people drop like flies. He also said that if they could get these guys tonight, they might get some information out of them that might lead them to The Exterminator. I’m pretty sure he’s the last person they’re expecting to see.”

  “Seriously, Lucy. You brought me a place fifty yards away from a guy called The Exterminator? You think you could have given yourself like, a second to think this through?”

  I ignore her comment, and concentrate on the guy across the street. “Why do you think he’s here? Do you think he knows something is going on?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t think of that. You think it’s a setup?”

  “I have no idea. I wish there was a way I could give Colin a heads up.” I’m getting a bad feeling about this whole thing, and it makes me wonder if this is what it’s like to witness this part of Colin’s life- constant worry and stress.

  “Can’t you just text him?” Liz asks, her eyes still glued to the man across the street, watching while he smokes a cigarette.

  “I never text him while he’s invisible. He’s afraid that even on silent someone might hear the vibration. He keeps it with him in case he needs to make a call, but he leaves it off until he’s somewhere where he can become visible.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “I guess for now, we’ll just have to wait.”

  “Hey ladies, can I get you anything else?” The sound of the waiter causes us both to jump.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

  “Oh, you didn’t. We were just in a deep conversation and didn’t see you.” Liz says.

  “Yeah, You’re fine.” I add. “I don’t think we need anything right now.”

  As soon as the waiter leaves, we both let out a breath.

  “We need to get better at recon.” I say while grabbing a handful of Liz’s fries.

  “In my defense, I usually do my stalking in an unmarked car. This is my first time staking out at a pub.” Liz adds an eye roll, and I throw one of the fries at her.

  At first I think that she’s taking a personal offense to being hit with a fry, until I realize her confused look is directed behind me. When I turn around to see what has caught her eye, I notice that a second guy has joined Exterminator. The new guy looks like he could be around our age. He is wearing designer jeans and a Knicks t-shirt. With that and his backward baseball cap, he looks like he could be heading to a game after he's done selling drugs.

  By their gestures, they appear to know each other. Knicks looks like he's explaining something serious, while Ex-as Liz’s name for him, is stone faced, occasionally giving a single nod.

  "What do you think is going on?" Liz asks in hushed tones.

  "No idea. Maybe we should record it. Give Colin a visual of the new guy."

  Liz pulls out her camera and starts to record the interaction.

  They talk that way for a few minutes before Ex shakes the guy’s hand. Just as Ex takes his free hand and pats it on the other guy's shoulder, Knicks doubles over like he's in pain. Ex says something to the guy then throws down his cigarette and walks toward the back of the diner.

  "What the hell just happened?" I ask.

  "That was weird." Liz agrees.

  "Ex didn't have anything to do with what happened to that guy right?" My brain is trying to catch up with my eyes.

  "I don't think… I mean he just put his hand on him. He couldn't have." Liz is just as confused as me.

  "But the guy was fine before, and now he's..." I look at the guy who is still on the ground, doubled over in pain. His eyes dart around the lot as if he's afraid someone will see him. Then he takes a few deep breaths before pulling himself up.

  After a few seconds, he stumbles to a car. A few minutes later the car roars to life, and he pulls away, tires squealing.

  "He just stole that car didn't he?" Liz asks.

  "I think that would be a fair assumption." I say, still baffled by the whole thing. "That thing, with Ex, with the hand on the shoulder? Was that some kind of ninja trick?"

  Liz thinks for a moment before responding. "I'm thinking Vulcan death grip."

  "Okay, I need to see that again. I move my chair closer to Liz so we can watch together. We play the video twice, trying to find some kind of clue.

  "I don't know," Liz shakes her head." He just pats the guy on his shoulder. Maybe it was a coincidence."

  "But Ex doesn't look surprised by it. He looks like he knew it was going to happen."

  "True." Liz looks perplexed. "Hell, I don't know. Let's watch it again."

  Part way through reviewing the video, I see something.

  "Holy shit!" I practically yell it, which causes everyone at the bar to look at me. "Sorry, I spilled my dipping sauce."

  Liz stops the video then looks at my full container of ranch. She raises her eyebrows in question before adding, "Yeah, she loves to dip her chicken."

  The crowd returns to their conversation, and Liz gives me a pointed look. "What was that?"

  "Rewind it. Watch the part where Knicks first gets hurt."

  She does as I ask, and right before that part comes up, I reach over and pause it.

  "Now watch, behind him there's a flower bed, keep your eyes on it."

  "Oh-kay." She seems unsure, but continues to play along.

  "Holy shit! You weren't kidding." Luckily, Liz learns from my mistake and says it under her breath.

  "So, at the same time Ex puts his hand on Knicks' shoulder, Knicks doubles over, and the flowers immediately die?" Liz pauses the video and looks at me for some kind of explanation.

  I cover my mouth with my hand, and simply shake my head slowly. I don't want to believe it, but I think I know.

  "Liz," I pause trying make sense of my own thoughts. "I think, maybe Ex might have superpowers too.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Songs That Say Goodbye

  "Shit. Damn it. This is bad. This is so freaking bad."

  As soon as we put two and two together, we paid the bill and headed straight to Liz's car to regroup. And by regroup I mean freak the hell out. And by that, I mean I’m freaking out while Liz listens to me rant.

  "What the hell do I do?" I turn to Liz w
ho looks hopeless.

  "I have no idea."

  "If he can kill flowers by just being near them, what's he going to do to Colin? Colin can’t get sick. It screws with his invisibility."

  "Should I call Drew?" Liz holds up her phone, ready to call.

  "I think...." I pause, because honestly I'm just as curious to hear what I’m going to say as Liz is. "I think you should call Drew..." She starts to dial his number, but I stop her.

  "…On your way back to the cabin. Call Rob first. Tell him to come right away. Then stay in the cabin until Drew gets there."

  "What is all this 'on your way back to the cabin' shit? Where are you in this scenario? What did I tell you about the buddy system?"

  "I have to find him, Liz. I need to warn him."

  "The hell you do. Do you want to die tonight? In the off chance that you don't get killed by The Exterminator, Colin will surely take care of it when he finds out you showed up." Liz is full on yelling at this point, and I am a little afraid she might be ready to kill me herself.

  "What the hell do you want me to do? He could die. If I can stop that from happening, I have to try."

  "How are you going to find him? He's invisible."

  "As soon as he sees me, he will be in front of me faster than you can say 'The Vapor's soon to be ex-girlfriend.'"

  "So you realize he's going to flip out and dump you?"

  I take deep breath and let it out, trying to calm my nerves. "Probably. But he's willing to lay his life on the line for strangers, why can't I do it for him?"

  Liz sits in the driver's seat, clearly at war with herself over what to do. "Damn it, Lucy. If you die tonight I am going to be so pissed at you."

  “I know you are. But I am just going to go in, get Colin, and leave. No heroics. As little stupidity as possible. Zero crime drama."

  "Fine. Go get this ridiculousness over with. I'll call Rob, and scream at him until he comes here and gets you guys out."

  I nod my head and leave before I have a chance to think about what I am doing.