Reality Hero

by Ashlynn Monroe

  “El, you aren’t a freak. Both you and Zane are amazing, and you should be proud of your abilities. You help countless people.” Oh my God, does Zane really think of himself as a freak? I’ve been such an idiot! “It’s been hard for me watching you live your normal little life while I have to live each day knowing that if my control slips, I could turn into a puddle at any moment. For Zane, it’s the same. He’s been worried you don’t want to be with him because of his mutation. We’re not normal, and he’s afraid you don’t want to have little mutant babies with him or that you’re embarrassed to be with someone with his kind of handicap. You might see it as power, but he sees it as a disability. If he were in a wheelchair would you turn your back on him?”

  “Oh no. I wouldn’t do that. I love him no matter what happens to his body because I love who he is. His sexiness is just a bonus.”

  Ella sighed. “Well, do you see how what you’re doing is the same thing? It’s as if you were rejecting him because of a club foot or third eye? You’re rejecting him because of his ability. You see him as a hero. He sees himself as damaged. Our parents threw us away and let monsters torture us. How can your rejection of the result of that torture make him feel about himself?”

  Dina gasped. She’d never thought about it that way. “What am I going to do about the show? Ervin and those girls are counting on this. At least three of them only want the face time to launch careers in show biz. Others only want the money, and I’m sure one or two of them actually want to know the man behind the mask. I just can’t say ‘Sorry. Go home. I changed my mind.’”

  Ella was quiet a moment before giving her reply.

  “Talk to him and see what he thinks. If Zane suddenly announces he’s fallen in love with you or that he can no longer participate in the show, you’re off the hook. If you don’t want the exposure, he can announce that he’s in love with a mystery woman. It could be a great two-hour special instead of a six-week program. You would still be a hero to the network for breaking the scandal,” Ella offered.

  “That might actually work. Do you know where Zane is now?” Dina felt hopeful for the first time in weeks.

  “I’ll try to find him. Just get some rest. I’m sure he’ll be dropping by later. You know how he is.”

  “Ella, thank you so much. I’ve missed you.” She spoke warmly from her heart.

  Ella was quiet for a moment. “I’ve always been here. I’ve missed you too. Let’s not let this many years pass by again before we have another heart-to-heart, okay?”

  “I agree. Goodnight. And when you find Zane, tell him he owes you one.”

  “You both owe me one, just don’t make me wear a hideous bridesmaid’s dress, and I’ll accept that as payment.”

  “Don’t go jumping the gun, sis.”

  Ella was laughing as she hung up the phone. Dina put hers on the charger but couldn’t stop staring at it. Did I pull away? Maybe she’s always been waiting for me to return?

  Patiently, Dina waited for Zane to call, and then impatiently Dina waited. Hours passed and still no word from Zane. Picking up her phone, Dina dialed Zane. It went to voicemail so she hung up. Then she called her sister again. No answer. Frustrated and feeling out of sorts, Dina lay back down and closed her eyes. When sleep came, all she dreamt of was Zane. Each time she reached out to him in her dream, he disappeared.

  Chapter 11

  Dina woke up before her alarm went off. As soon as she opened her eyes, the previous day’s worry returned. Picking up her phone she noticed no voicemail and no text messages. The only thing she had were a bunch of emails from Ervin, the public relations coordinator, and the media. Her head ached. She wasn’t going to reply to any of them now. Frustrated, she jammed the phone into a pocket in her planner.

  She got an early start editing the footage they’d already collected. The contestants were up and ready for Zane’s arrival. When he was late, Dina became almost frantic. Sneaking away to call him again, she felt frustrated when his phone just rang and rang. She left him another message. His voicemail would be full if she kept it up. Dialing her sister, she waited through the annoying call tone song. The line went to voicemail.

  They both had their phones on, so she wasn’t sure why they hadn’t picked up. For all she knew, there was a disaster in the city. She was glad the “no internet” ban didn’t extend to her. She pulled up a web browser and checked the news. Nothing. At least the city wasn’t burning to the ground while she was away.

  Where the hell is he? Peeking around the corner, she noticed how irritated the contestants looked. Several girls were whispering. Others had their arms crossed over their chests. Most of them just stared into space with bored expressions.

  Dina put on her best game face. The camera followed her as she walked over to the group. “Ladies, thank you so much for your patience. Unfortunately, it seems that Mind Man is not available, and I don’t think he’ll be making an appearance today. Saving the world must be his first priority. As his girlfriend, you’d have to expect a lot of waiting and worrying, which is a segue to the next game. You are going to sit in separate soundproof mini rooms built just for this experiment. You won’t have anything with you. The walls are white, there is nothing but solitary confinement. When you can’t take any more of it, you’ll be able to push a button next to the door to alert us that you want out. The last girl still in her room wins the round.”

  “We’ll film a few other things and resume with what we planned for today at a later date. You’ll have a bit more time to relax, so enjoy. I’m having a lovely meal catered in, and several movies and outdoor theater equipment, so please enjoy it.” She hadn’t really been planning dinner and a movie, but it seemed like a good idea.

  The women clapped, and happiness replaced the grumpy expressions. Dina gave herself a mental slap on the back for saving the day. They seemed to perk up at the news. After the contest had begun she was able to leave the hillside where the rooms had been erected. The cameramen and an assistant took care of the rest for her.

  She didn’t know if she should be worried or angry, but it was time for a Plan B. She went back to her RV and sat down on the mini sofa. Opening up her planner, she laid it on the foldout table and began to flip through countless notes and ideas until she found what she was looking for. “Hot diggity dog, I still have it,” she exclaimed. Great, now I’m talking to myself. Not a good sign at all.

  Picking up the Post-it note, she looked at the number. Her friend of a friend that worked as an agent to a very good, small modeling agency was the number she’d been looking for. At a dinner party months ago, the woman had written her number on the little piece of yellow Post-it. Dina had forgotten all about it until her moment of Eureka. GiovAlexi Vincent was a flamboyant woman who loved her job because she loved men. She was very good at spotting talent and that eye really helped build the agency, according to the mutual friend. If anyone had a stud just laying around waiting for a television reality show, it was GiovAlexi.

  On the third ring, she heard the husky voice. “Hello, Silver Plated Modeling Agency. Is today the day you follow your dreams?”

  “Hi, GiovAlexi, this is Dina Dell from Cassidy’s dinner party.” She paused to give the woman a second to remember. “I need some talent, and I thought of your agency. Do you have someone who would like the exposure of reality television?”

  “Do you want a man, woman, or other?”

  “I’m not even going to ask about other, but I would really like a man—a very good looking man—for the show. He’ll have to compete against Mind Man, so he needs to be confident and delectable. We’re filming on location right now—”

  GiovAlexi interrupted her. “I saw a blurb about it watching the entertainment news. So how will my talent work with this superhero thing?”

  “Well, I’ve a secret twist. The girls will get a chance to know a nice, regular guy. And the woman Mind Man selects will actually have to pick Mr. Regular Guy or Sexy Superhero.”

  “I love it! Yes, I know of at
least three tasty treats I could send your way, and they could all use the face time. This will really give us a boost getting them jobs. Thank you, Dina.”

  “I’d really like a guy who works a day job too, something blue collar and fantasy worthy. He also has to be discrete. Do you have a guy like that?”

  Pausing, GiovAlexi made a little humming noise. “I have the perfect guy for you. He’s twenty-three, buff, tan, and tall. His dark blond hair and sexy, brown eyes make him beautiful, and a contrast to Mind Man. He works with a construction company. I have no idea what he does exactly—he could pick up the garbage for all I know—but when you say construction women immediately think of huge, sweaty muscles. At least I do.”

  The woman laughed. Dina had to hold the phone away from her ear. She was so relieved, she didn’t even care about the hearing loss associated with holding a conversation with the agent.

  “I’ll come and pick him up tonight if he can be ready by then. Give him a call and call me back when you know his availability. We have to work quickly to keep the media out and to keep my girls unsuspecting. His surprise appearance after the second episode will practically guarantee him a lot of tabloid time. It should really make your agency some money.”

  “I do love money. I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Don’t find anyone else in the meantime. My boy will do the trick for you.” GiovAlexi hung up.

  Dina rubbed her temples. The woman gave her a headache, but if she delivered, it’d be worth it.

  After trying to call Ella and again getting no answer, Dina slammed the phone down, frustrated. When she tried Zane, she had the same experience; it was getting to be very annoying. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she let out a huff of irritation and flopped back on her mini couch. She sat like that for only a few moments when her cell rang. Awkwardly, she fumbled, reaching forward to grab it, hoping it was Ella or Zane. She should’ve expected GiovAlexi, but it still left her feeling deflated when she saw the caller ID wasn’t her sister or lover.

  “He said he’d love to do it.”

  “Great. It’s a three-hour drive for me into the city, so tell him to meet me in front of your agency in five hours. What is his name?”

  “I just think of him as Yummy, but you should probably call him by his Christian name, Mateo Lee. He is absolutely going to make your girls go gaga.”

  “Thank you, and I’ll be sure to have a thank you blurb to your agency in the credits.”

  “Oh, that’d be wonderful. Thanks again, and if you ever need talent, please call me first.”

  They hung up and Dina got up and grabbed her purse. She didn’t tell anyone, except Vinny, about the new direction she was taking the show. He loved it and promised to be ready with the camera to get all the girls’ surprised reactions, especially anything that looked catty. She took a studio-owned car and left, drawing as little attention to herself as possible.

  It felt horrible to plan for the worst, but if Zane backed out, her career was over. She was also using her trip as an excuse to look for her MIA heroes. So much could happen to them.

  Pasturelands and woodlands zipped past, but she didn’t pay the scenery any attention. The long drive made her edgy. Her phone lay on the passenger seat, mocking her with its silence. She drove non-stop without taking any kind of a break. Her mind wandered.

  They’d been squatting in an abandoned building for months. Dina had gotten them all enrolled in school and, with the help of a few homeless adults she’d befriended, it now looked like they had a normal childhood, at least on paper. Bridget came running in, she was bleeding. Aaron was right on her heels, and he was supporting Zane. Ian carried Ella.

  “What the hell happened?” Dina cried, her eyes went wide and she felt a little dizzy. Seeing the people she loved hurt was horrific. It brought back all those years in the dungeon. She shivered.

  “We—there was a robbery and we couldn’t just let the old lady in the store die. She’s the one who lets us shop for free. Some bastard was trying to rob her. We stopped him, but it got a bit ugly. It wasn’t until we started using what they did to us that we kicked the guy’s ass. We can’t go back to the store, she saw what we are,” Bridget said.

  Dina’s heart ached. Her friends had exposed themselves to help Mrs. Chang. She was glad they’d helped the sweet, elderly lady, but seeing them hurt made her ill. She rushed over to where Ian was laying Ella on a ratty blanket. His eyes met hers. “I tried to protect her, for you. I’m sorry.”

  “This wasn’t your fault. Just tell me the other guy looks worse,” Dina replied as she started to check her sister for injuries. Ella’s eyes fluttered open and Dina hugged her close.

  “He does,” Ian confirmed.

  Zane and Ella were only human, even if they could do some amazing stuff.

  When Dina saw her exit sign, the city limits were a beautiful sight.

  She parked in a loading zone in front of Ella’s apartment then ran up the stairs. Adrenaline fueled her flight. By the time she reached the fifth floor, she was sweaty and breathless. The door was locked, and there were no signs of a break-in, so that made Dina feel a little better. She stood knocking for fifteen minutes, and only roused a next-door neighbor, a cranky, old man named Herb.

  “She isn’t home. Stop it,” he shouted.

  “Herb, do you remember the last time she was here? It’s important. She could be hurt.” He was the nosiest person in the building and had lots of free time, so he was a good resource.

  “With the crazy hours she keeps, you expect me to know when she was home last?”

  Dina glared at him in annoyance. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll call the cops. I’ll tell them you keep track of the building and they’ll get a warrant to search your place.” She was bluffing.

  He scowled. “I’ll get my book.”

  She was glad the bluff had worked. Dina had always suspected he kept a record of the comings and goings of the other residents in the building and their visitors, but she was still a little creeped out when he confirmed it.

  “Okay, that one was here on Tuesday morning. She left and then came home for a few hours, and left again Tuesday afternoon. She hasn’t been back since then.”

  “Thanks, Herb. But you know that is really kind of creepy? Maybe you should look into starting a neighborhood watch, go out into the fresh air, and keep watch of the whole block instead of just these people.”

  He grumbled something indistinguishable and went back inside his apartment. Dina looked at her watch and shouted, “Hey, Herb, mark me down as leaving at 6:31.”

  He didn’t reply, but she hadn’t really expected him to.

  When she returned to her car, a parking ticket waited for her. Biting her lip, she shoved it in her purse. “Great. When you need a cop, they’re never around, but leave your car some place posted as no-parking for a few minutes and you end up on America’s Most Wanted,” she grumbled to herself.

  Fast Fry was the small diner Ella waitressed in. She’d worked there for years. Her boss, a scrawny, greasy little mouse of a man named Benny, always leered at Dina, making her feel dirty. Ella mentioned once that he had a very sick fantasy about twins.

  “When was the last time Ella came into work?”

  “Ain’t seen her. I’d hate to fire her. She’s never pulled a no-show for her shift. If she doesn’t find a replacement, she works sick. I kinda thought she found a different job. Damn, I’d hate to lose her ’round here. She’s one of the few good ones, plus she’s got a great ass.”

  Yuck.

  Clearly, he liked her sister because she was a good worker and he was a pervert. Dina left. The moment she was in the fresh air, she took a big breath, glad to be away from the smell of old cooking oil, and little rat-faced creep.

  Her trip to Zane’s building was quick, because it was only a few blocks away. She circled his place trying to see any sign of him. She parked correctly, unable to afford a second ticket, and rushed upstairs with her heart beating a million miles an hour in her chest. No bloo
d, gore, or broken doors, which was a good sign he was okay. Pounding furiously on his door, she waited, but there was no answer. Again she pounded on his door until her hand hurt, but there was no sound, and she knew there was no way he would’ve let her make that much noise if he was home. His sweet cat-lady neighbor, who always baked him the cat-hair cookies he didn’t really eat, opened her door.

  “Sorry, Ms. Smyth, I hope I didn’t disturb you. I’m worried about Zane. Have you seen him?”

  “Oh dear, no. He’s usually working in his home office all day, but he hasn’t been back to his apartment for quite some time. He was in and out and, then, just out. I think he might have found himself a girl.” She looked delighted as she said it. Her sweet little voice raised an octave. “Good for her, he’s such a nice boy. Those buns of his make me wish I was forty years younger.”

  Dina covered her laughter with a delicate cough. “Thank you so much. I’m sure that must be what happened to him. If you see him, please tell him that he needs to finish the job he started for his friend Dina.”

  “I will, dear. Goodbye.”

  Dina gave her a quick wave. She hurried to her car, checking her messages as she went. Nothing but more email. Ervin was getting angry that she was ignoring him. Looking at her phone’s clock, she realized there was only an hour left before she needed to pick up her distraction, Manny or Maxwell, or something that started with an M. She was glad that she’d written it down in her planner. Miguel? Then she remembered Mateo. The name sounded exotic and sexy—perfect.

  Looking in the direction of the hospital, she bit her lip. It felt both terrifying and embarrassing to go in and ask after her sister and the man she loved, but she was running out of options and getting scared.