“I’m sure you have a lot of people who support you.”
“Most people who know me as The Vapor are really supportive of me. There are always those that have devoted entire Facebook pages to Vapor bashing, but most people are great.
“What about people who don’t only know you as Vapor?”
“I try to keep my life as Vapor completely separate from my life outside of the superhero. But, yeah. I have amazing people in my life who have seen me at my worst and still stick by me. Sometimes they are the only thing that gets me by.”
“What do you think would happen if you lost your superpowers? Do you think you would lose friends?”
“Not my real friends, no. They don’t care if I’m a superhero or if I scrape gum off the bottom of shoes for a living.”
“You must be a pretty amazing person to have those kind of people in your life.”
“Or I just got lucky and found really amazing people to surround myself with.”
“Or maybe it’s because there is so much more to you than being invisible.” I try to sound like I am teasing, but start to get nervous when Colin doesn’t answer right away.
After several seconds, I finally hear his voice. “Nah, I think it’s the luck.”
“That’s probably true,” I laugh. “But still, it must be nice to know that no matter how confused you are, no matter how mad or frustrated or exhausted you get, you have people who love you no matter what.” I hate not being able to see him. I can tell he’s feeling hesitant, but I don’t know to what extent.
“Yeah. It is.”
I know he gets worried about talking about his personal life, so I decide switch to easier questions.
“Do you ever use your invisibility for evil? Girls in locker rooms kinda stuff?”
He gives a light laugh, and I can tell this is an easier topic for him. “Locker room stuff? No. I would never disrespect a woman’s privacy like that. A few innocent pranks? Now that’s...well that’s between some college buddies and me.”
My eyes wander to Drew whose eyes are looking everywhere but my direction. How did I not know this?
“Anyway... There are a lot of stories about you from women who have claimed to have not only met you but say they have seen you when you are not invisible. Any of these alleged stories true?”
“Nope. None of them. If a woman tells you that she knows what I look like, she’s lying.”
“Huh. I guess you can’t believe everything you hear then, right?”
“You can’t believe most of what you hear, at least when it comes to me.”
“What do you think the biggest thing is that you’ve heard about yourself that isn’t true?”
“Hmm… probably that I look like one of the Avengers. People who know me tell me that I actually look a lot more like Chuck Norris.”
“So you’re in your seventies?” I ask, biting my lip to keep from laughing.
“Oh, no. But I look like I am. Turning invisible for so long doesn’t fare too well for the skin. I’m really only in my sixties.”
“So have you found love after all this time as a superhero?” I wasn’t planning on asking him about his love life, but I kinda want to know how Chuck Norris answers this.
“Of course, I find love all the time. I remember that girl who named me Vapor. I wish I could have turned visible for her. She was really into me. If you’re out there honey, I never forgot about you. I hope you like ‘em distinguished.”
I so hope that lady watches this.
“So I guess it’s safe to say there was never one true love in your life?” I roll my eyes, knowing he is going to give a ridiculous answer.
“Actually, yes. There was one. Back when I was a younger man, I found my soul mate. She is one of the greatest people I have ever met. The first day I saw her, I wanted to marry her. I don’t think she knows that. She’s one of those people who is so beautiful, you just know there is no way she could also be a good person. But then you talk to her, and you find out that she’s a great person. She’s smart and funny and incredibly caring. I fell in love with her before she even knew she liked me. The first time I told her I loved her, and she told me that she loved me too... That’s the first time I ever really felt like a superhero. Because if you can get a girl like that to love you, you can do anything.”
It takes me a few seconds to realize that we are still taping, and I am not saying anything. I try to recover and think of what to say next.
“So, uh what happened to her?” I have to ask; because that’s the question anybody in my position would want to know.
“What? Oh, she moved… to China. Haven’t seen her since. I heard she got married and had five kids, so no chance of her ever being in my life again.” Looks like I’m not the only one who’s trying to recover.
“Well that’s...sad.” Not really the happy ending that fans want to hear, but what are you gonna do?
“Looks like we have time for one more question.” Shoot, my mind just went blank. One question. That’s all I need. Just one….
“Boxers or briefs?” I can’t believe I just asked him that.
Colin chuckles. “Who needs either when you’re always invisible?”
Nice visual, Colin. Now I can’t stop picturing Chuck Norris naked.
“Okay, on that note, thanks for talking to me, Vapor. Anything you want the world to know before you get back to your superhero stuff?”
“Appreciate what you have. You never know when it might be gone...or move to China.”
“Words we can all learn from. This is Lucy Sayre from Channel Ten news.”
As soon as it’s over, I simply turn and walk away, with Liz and Drew close behind. I pause a second before getting in the car, pretending to tie my shoe but actually giving Colin enough time to slide into the back seat. As soon as everyone is in, Drew speeds off.
Colin remains invisible just in case anyone is nearby, but he grabs my hand and holds it in his lap.
“I can’t believe you freaked out when I went on one date. You kept in touch with your ex-girlfriend even after she moved to China and had a bunch of kids.” I jokingly punch him in the arm.
“Ow.” Colin pretends like I hurt him, but I know better.
“I can’t believe you think you look like Chuck Norris,” Drew adds.
“You’re right. I actually look more like one of the Avengers. I was just trying to throw the ladies off, so they’ll stop throwing themselves at me all the time.”
“I think you had it a little more accurate when you said you caused them to move to China.”
Liz looks back at me from the passenger seat and mouths boys while shaking her head.
I nod and roll my eyes.
The rest of the car ride home goes on pretty much the same way.
The closer we get to home, the more my emotions get the better of me. As soon as we get back to the apartment, Colin is going to turn right around and leave me again. It doesn’t help that I have been this close to him, and haven’t been able to see him since we left to go to the interview.
I really need him right now. I unbuckle my seatbelt and sit on his lap. I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes.
He kisses my head, and begins stroking my hair. Every once in awhile, he kisses my cheek or the top of my head, occasionally pulling me into a tight hug. By the time we get to Colin’s house, I have fallen asleep in his arms.
“Hey, Lucy?” Liz wakes me up. “I’m going to stay here with Drew. Colin, do you mind following Lucy home to make sure she makes it okay?” I appreciate what she’s doing. I know she wants Colin and I to have some time alone, and she knows Colin would never say no to making sure I’m safe.
“Sure. No problem.”
Colin heads into Drew’s place so he can make himself visible again. Since he left Drew’s house while invisible, anyone who sees him leave will just think he’s been here the whole time.
The drive doesn’t do anything to improve my anxiety. The adrenaline of the day is weari
ng off, and it’s giving me time to absorb what I just did. I already emailed the video to Alex on the way to Drew’s, so there’s no turning back now.
Ruth is going to kill me. Everyone is going to see me on TV. From now on, I am going to be associated with The Vapor.
What have I done?
The truth is, no matter how freaked out I get or how much backlash I receive, I won’t regret doing it. I will do anything to protect Colin.
By the time I’m home, my nerves are spent.
“Hey, hon. Doing okay?” Colin reaches around me from behind and kisses my cheek.
“I’m relieved it’s over, that’s for sure.”
I head into my family room. I’m still cold, so I sit down on my couch and throw a blanket around me. Colin sits beside me and grabs the remote. He starts surfing through the channels, but stops when he sees us on the news.
“Wow. That was fast.” I sit up straighter to focus on the story.
“No kidding.” Colin sits beside me on the couch and leans forward to watch with me.
We only catch the tail end of the video before the station switches back to the news anchors.
“That was one of our very own staff members here at Channel Ten News, getting the lowdown on The Vapor. Can you imagine what it was like to be the first person to get an interview with him?”
“First time on camera too. Talk about your big breaks.”
I flip the channel, already starting to feel uneasy about the whole thing.
“You okay?” Colin asks.
I nod. “I will be. I’m just trying to absorb it. Tomorrow’s going to be crazy.” I curl up to Colin and wrap the blanket around both of us.
“I wish you didn’t have to go back to being my ex-boyfriend in a few minutes. Everything is so much easier to deal with when you’re with me.”
“I know. I don’t want to leave you again either. It keeps getting harder every time.”
“How much longer can you stay?”
Colin sighs likes he’s torn. “I know that people are going to be looking for Vapor everywhere now. I need to keep a low profile. And I really need to find Nagy. I’m afraid it might be a long time before we see each other again.” He pauses like he wants to say more. “Tell you what. How about if I stay here tonight, then leave really early in the morning. I’ll have to go to sleep soon, but…”
Before he can even get the rest of his sentence out, I jump onto his lap and hug him tight. “I’ll take you for however long I can. I don’t care if you are awake, asleep or somewhere in between.”
“It’s a deal.” Colin kisses me, then grabs my hand and leads me to my room. After getting ready for bed, we snuggle up and talk. Both of us purposely avoid talking any more about Vapor. Instead, I tell him about the new music I’ve downloaded, and he tells me more about the day we met.
He really did tell Drew that I was the girl he was going to marry, the day after my party. I admit to him that we were never planning a party, and that the whole thing was to get him to come back. He, of course, loves the fact that he was the sole reason for a party.
Even though he said he needed to go to sleep early, we talk for two hours before the exhaustion takes over, and we both fall asleep. We stay close that night, his arms and legs wound around me, his hand resting on top of mine.
When I wake up, he’s gone.
I grab the pillow he slept on and hold it close to me. It still smells like him. I close my eyes and breathe it in. When I turn over, I notice that he left me a note.
“I don’t know when I will be able to see you again, so I wanted to remind you that I love you more than life. And even though I can’t be with you, I’m still fighting for you every single day. Don’t worry though, I plan to wear my ‘what would Lucy do?’ bracelet everywhere I go, so I’ll be sure to make good decisions.
Thanks for being you. I love you, Colin.
I throw myself back on the bed and try to rub the emerging headache from my temples. This day is going to suck.
Okay. Let’s get it over with.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
My ‘You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry’ Mix
“Was this your plan all along? Listen to me talk about my research for months while I work day and night to get Vapor, then just scoop him right out from underneath me? I thought we were friends, Lucy.”
This is the kind of week I’m having. Alex has been harassing me since the day after I sent him the interview. He wants me to do a whole segment on Vapor, find out where he eats, what makes him tick, does he dress like Chuck Norris or just look like him? I don’t suppose telling him for the eleventh time today that I don’t know where he is will do me any good.
I get about thirty Facebook requests a day from people I haven’t seen since high school who, I’m sure, want to know every detail about my encounter with a superhero. I had to eat my lunch in the copier room three times this week, just to get a few minutes of peace and quiet. My phone won’t stop ringing and people keep ‘stopping by’ my cubicle so often that I’m going to need a secretary.
Which brings me to now. Ruth has finally stopped giving me the silent treatment long enough to tell me I am pretty much the worst person on the planet. Of course in her mind I have ruined her chances to have any kind of career on television.
It doesn’t help that a small crowd has gathered, consisting of an intern, a couple pages and our mail guy. I can’t say I blame them. Watching Ruth slam staplers and pencil holders while yelling at me from the other side of the room is something you don’t see every day.
“What? You never seen me straighten my desk before?” Ruth snaps at the spectators, which breaks the crowd up in a hurry. “You know what, Lucy? I’m going to feel bad for you when Karma catches up.” Ruth turns her focus back to organizing and starts stabbing news articles onto her cubicle wall with thumbtacks.
It doesn’t matter that I have told her all day for the last eight days that I just ran into him, that I didn’t plan to scoop her, and that I would do anything to have her there instead of me. All she sees is that all of her hard work is down the drain because of me. I don’t blame her. I just don’t know how to make things right.
To top it all off, none of us have heard from Colin since he left my apartment over a week ago. I know he said he is going to lie low, but we need something from him so that we know he’s okay. I’m either going to be really worried about Colin, or totally pissed at him. I just won’t know which until I find out what’s going on.
While Ruth is unleashing a week’s worth of pent up rage on me, I get a text. I really want to see if it’s Colin, but I wait anxiously until Ruth is done yelling to check the screen. As soon as she’s done, she storms off before I get a chance to respond. Finally, I check my phone. It’s Liz.
Wanted to warn you. Careful coming home. Seedy reporter guy snooping around our apt. Might “accidentally” run him over with my car soon.
That’s it. That’s my snapping point. I can’t deal with any of this right now. Until I know that Colin’s okay, anyone who gets in my way is going to learn exactly what I mean when I tell them, “I am not in the mood for this shit.”
On the way to Alex’s office, I run into Ruth. She starts to say something, but I interrupt. “Ruth, I am so sorry. I really am. I will do anything to make it up to you. I wish I could talk to you more, but something came up. I really have to go.”
I don’t even wait to hear her response before I head to Alex’s office.
“Hey Lucy, I’m glad you’re here. I was just thinking that…”
“Alex. I can’t talk. An emergency came up at home. I have to leave. I might not be back for a few days.”
“You can’t do that. Not when I need you to...”
“Then fire me.” See? Seriously not in the mood.
On my way home I call Rob. “I need a couple favors..”
“Sure. Anything. What’s up?”
“There’s a reporter hanging around outside my apartment. Can you please get rid of him
?”
“Consider it done. What else?”
“I need you to tell me that Colin is okay. I haven’t heard from him, and I can’t relax unless I know he’s safe.”
“He’s not with you?”
“What do you mean he’s not with me? Was he supposed to be with me?” Now I’m worried.
“I don’t want you to panic, but Colin was hurt. Nagy showed up at a sting, and Colin was there. He managed to escape before any serious damage was done, but he got a nasty headache. I was worried about him flashing, so I told him I would work on getting Nagy. I figured he would have come to see you.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from him in over a week. Something’s wrong, Rob. I know it.”
“Okay calm down. I’m going to find out who the last person to see Colin...I mean, who knows where Colin was, nobody sees him. We’ll go from there.”
“I’ll help you.” He better not even suggest that I stay out of the way, or so help me…
“I think you should stay home. Colin wouldn’t want you endangering yourself. I’ll take care of this.”
Yep, he went there.
“There is no way in hell that I am not helping you find Colin. I don’t care if you think that Colin wants you to tie me to a chair and hide me in a closet to keep me away. I am doing everything I can to get Colin back in one piece. So, if you think I am going to stay at home while you and your boys track down Colin, you obviously don’t know my superpower- the indelible steamroller I am about to turn into, and the superior strength that comes with it.
“Okay, okay, fine.” Rob sighs. “You can help. Colin’s going to be pissed, but frankly I’m more scared of you right now. But you better make sure that I don’t suffer Colin’s wrath. When all this blows up, and it will, the Indelible Steamroller better take full responsibility for all this.”
“I promise. His wrath is all mine. Just tell me what I can do.”
After talking to some guys on the force, Rob finds out that when Colin’s headache got bad enough that he was having trouble driving, he went to a doctor in the area. Marc, one of the detectives, tells us that Colin wanted something to dull the pain enough that he could drive to my place. That was two days ago.
Being Invisible Page 18