Page 52 of The Not So Super Hero
Zane bit his lip with such ferocity that it bled, not that he noticed.However, a moment later, his lip was tenderly pushed away from the pain.Blinking, Zane found Bailey leaning over the bed, his hair dripping wet, to press his thumb against Zane’s bottom lip.Then Bailey wiped away the small trace of blood from his mouth.
“Are you ok?”he asked.
That was a surprisingly tough question to answer, so Zane didn’t answer it at all and instead said, “Give me your phone.”
“Uh, sure?”Bailey questioned his decision, but, honestly, when wasn’t he?
He retrieved his phone from the coffee table.Ruffling his wet hair with a towel, he tossed Zane the phone.If Bailey stopped blushing after his shower, then it didn’t last long because he was definitely blushing again while Zane seemed to put in his phone number.So he could text him or call him without worry that he was bothering him?Because normally if you give someone your number, that means you want to talk, right?
“Here.”Zane returned Bailey’s phone.“Call me if you need me.”
It was a sweet sentiment, if not for the nagging suspicion in the back of Bailey’s mind why Zane said that.After what happened on campus, though, perhaps he was only worried?There was a lot going on, villains around every corner, it seemed.With Bailey’s luck, he would run into much more before the police really got a handle on things.
“Ok.”Bailey agreed, even if his mind was screaming at him to argue and ask why.“You’ll do the same, though, right?”
Zane hesitated.His mouth opened, then shut.He looked away, snapped the hair tie on his wrist.That felt like a trick question because if he said yes, it felt like he was implying something, but if he said no, then he would sound like an asshole.Wait, when did he start to care if he sounded like an asshole?That was his full-time occupation, after all.
“Nope,” Zane teased, peering back to Bailey, whose lips had fallen into a scowl.“Why would I bring catastrophe itself to an already troubling situation?”
“Fuck you.”Bailey took his spot next to Zane, regardless of the man’s annoying snickers.
With the movie about over, Zane changed.Bailey had made himself comfortable in bed, or was trying to.His feet kept getting tangled up by all the extra fabric of his pants.Zane rolled his eyes, watching Bailey wiggle beneath the blankets.After about five minutes of struggles, he settled.Zane joined him, sleeping on the outer edge while Bailey took the wall.The warmth beside him lulled Bailey into sleep.Feeling Zane’s back pressed against his caused his body to relax.Much like the first time Bailey slept over, the boy whispered quietly, “Goodnight, Zane.”
Zane didn’t hesitate to reply, “Night.”
Bailey wasn’t sure how much time it took for him to fall asleep, but he was sure it wasn’t much.However, Bailey found himself in a similar situation, one where he “awoke” within a dream, only this time he knew it was a dream.
Bailey rested on a red velvet couch by a warm hearth.There was something different about this dream.It didn’t leave Bailey with a lingering feeling of fear, replaced by an overwhelming sense of curiosity.
The fire danced within the hearth, cracking softly while casting a warm glow across the room.Sitting up, Bailey took in the massive, two story room around him.Spiral staircases moved up either side of the room, leading to the second floor.The second floor mirrored the first, with books reaching from floor to ceiling.Even the shelves couldn’t hold them all, with stacks of books being sat on side tables and even the floor.
A shimmering chandelier hung at the center that screamed luxury with shining golden accents and crystal clear gems.It certainly wasn’t a place Bailey had ever seen, nor did he ever expect to see.The room belonged to that of a mansion, the hardwood floor giving off a luxurious feel.Its deep brown color matched the shelves and went beautifully with the rich red walls.
“Where am I?”Bailey whispered.
He stood, spinning on his heel to take in the unfamiliar environment.There were a few more armchairs, some desks spread out through the vast room, yet it was completely empty save for him.
Bailey’s mind was foggy, almost like he was in a trance.Each step he took felt shaken.Any moment his legs were going to give out, or even the floor.There was an odd softness to the air.Everything felt and looked distorted.Regardless, Bailey moved about the unfamiliar space, examining the table he found that was strewn with papers and books.Someone had been studying.Books on mathematics, literature, and history sat open and clearly read, with notes scribbled on paper lodged between the pages.It looked like a child’s frantic writing.Bailey could barely make out the chicken scratch, snickering at it while remembering how he used to take notes.However, his chuckles died down when his eyes took in the name at the top of one worksheet; Zane Vixen.
A sudden chill traveled down Bailey’s spine.He probably would have looked through the papers all day if not for the sound of a familiar voice coming from behind him.Bailey perked at the noise that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Looking over his shoulder, he found a pair of sliding oak doors with golden handles on the far side of the room.They were slightly ajar, the occasional sound coming from the other side.Thinking that perhaps the voice belonged to Zane, Bailey moved towards them with little thought.
“Stop acting like my mother!”came a voice that Bailey swore was Zane’s, yet it was much softer, child-like even.That made sense, judging by the papers.Perhaps the question was no longer where was he, but when?Was Bailey, somehow, seeing into Zane’s past?
Before Bailey could get an answer to that, an ear-splitting scream so terrified and painful rippled through the air.The fear Bailey felt during his own nightmare returned with a vengeance.His entire body shook to its core as a woman’s scream echoed through the air...
Then everything went black.
Bailey knew when he opened his eyes that he had returned to the present because he gazed directly at Zane’s wall.The world around Bailey felt real, unlike the one he had been dreaming of.Reaching out, his fingertips grazed the wall, cool and hard to the touch.The warmth that was behind him when he fell asleep was nonexistent, though.
Curious, Bailey turned to check on Zane, only to find that he was missing.Bailey sat up in time to hear the toilet flush.Zane stepped out of the bathroom, hair slightly damp as if he washed his face.When Bailey’s eyes met Zane’s, he wasn’t that shocked to see exhaustion.
“Something wrong?”Zane asked in a hoarse voice.Clearing his throat, he moved towards the bed, planting himself back in his previous spot.
“No,” Bailey answered, moving over to give Zane some more space.Unlike Zane, Bailey kept his eyes locked on him, waiting and looking for a reaction.“Just woke up and saw you gone, thought maybe something was wrong.”
“Needed to piss.”
