Page 8 of The Not So Super Hero
Zane hummed.He sat uncomfortably, back rod straight and hands white-knuckling the wheel.He bit his lip, then squirmed.Though his discomfort could also have to do with how Bailey smelled; a mixture of beer, rain, and vomit.
Silence fell over them after that.Bailey might have tried to speak if he wasn’t so tired.Seemingly in a blink, Zane had driven them to the dorms.He wouldn’t have realized if the custodian hadn’t cleared his throat.Zane’s blue eyes focused on him, narrowing in a manner that said,get out.
Nodding, Bailey slipped out of the car, only to yelp when hitting his head on the roof.Zane pinched the bridge of his nose.With an embarrassed laugh, Bailey finally got out.He turned around and was about to lean in to give another thanks.However, Zane leaned over, grabbed the door handle, and slammed the door shut.Bailey retreated and Zane peeled out of the lot.
He tapped his fingers against the wheel, shaking his head at himself for helping the walking catastrophe.By doing that, he was basically asking for trouble.He grumbled the entire drive home, threatening the very universe’s existence if it ever forced him into a similar situation with Bailey.He just wanted to avoid the kid at all costs.
Sure, it was hilarious watching him get into trouble, but getting dragged into it?That wasn’t on Zane’s to-do list.Bailey was a magnet for trouble within a ten-mile radius.How someone could survive such a life was beyond Zane.He couldn’t even handle the few times his mail got switched with his neighbors and they came over to drop it off, smiling and wanting to talk like Zane had any interest in them.With a firm nod, Zane vowed to stay away from Bailey, even if that meant moving to another continent.
Zane finally made it home, eager to get a beer into him and ready to binge watch movies until he passed out.He kicked off his shoes, dropped his beer into the fridge, got a shower, changed, and was about to start a movie when a knock sounded at his door.He elected to ignore the knock, flopping down on his futon with every intention to stay there.Whoever it was would leave.He was busy and by busy he meant he was drinking and watching horror movies.
“I know you’re in there, Zane,” a familiar voice said.Groaning, he kicked his legs like a petulant child.He was just aggravated now.After his encounter with Bailey he wanted sweet freedom but someone bothered him again.See, Bailey was contagious.Zane knew it.He was infected.
Huffing, he tugged on a pair of sweats and lethargically shuffled to the door.He opened the door enough to reveal one of his eyes peeking out of the darkness of his apartment.
Christopher Walker, a man well into his 40s with short black hair growing grayer each passing day—but don’t let him hear you say that—and russet brown skin stood in the hall.Though shorter than Zane, he had a far more intimidating stature, thanks to his broad shoulders and a rough leather jacket that he always wore.Regardless, Chris always had a charming smile, one that made people realize he only looked scary.
Okay, so Zane knew Chris could be scary, seeing as he was the man who raised him from the age of sixteen.Zane moved out at eighteen; two years didn’t seem like much but, it was enough for Chris to understand Zane to an extent, and enough for Zane to respect the man more than he let on, so it wasn’t at all shocking that Zane let him in.
“Shouldn’t you be busy tonight?”Zane asked, opening his fridge to offer Chris a beer, which he took.
“Detectives don’t mess with dumb, drunk college kids,” Chris replied with a proud smile.He followed Zane to his futon, where he took a seat as if he owned the place.Zane plopped onto his own side of the futon and flipped on the TV, searching for whatever he wished to watch.
“Oh, what do detectives do then?Sit around on their asses all day eating doughnuts?”Zane got a whack to the back of his head for that.
“Real funny you are, kid.”Chris left his hand on Zane’s head for a second before roughly ruffling his hair.He shut his eyes and let it happen because Chris was an old man, so why the hell not?At least, Zane constantly told him that to piss him off because it was funny.“Thought I would come by for a visit.See what you’ve been up to.”
“You were here last week,” Zane reminded him.“Going senile, old man?”
Chris’ grip on Zane’s scalp tightened until the poor boy cringed and kicked out his left leg like he wanted to fight back, but knew better.
“I am 46.I am not old,” Chris growled.
“Sounds like senility to me.”
Chris put Zane in a headlock that he didn’t bother to fight out of.As if he had the energy to do so.When he released Zane, he added, “You know, you should be out tonight too.”
Zane’s smile disappeared in an instant.He ignored Chris, keeping his eyes on the TV as he attempted not to reply.
“It’s Halloween.You live in a college town with people your age.Zane, come on, go out, make friends…go on a date?”
“I don’t go out.”Zane grunted, deciding not to say anything about those other two suggestions, most specifically the last one.
Zane didn’t date.Caring about another person sounded exhausting.Putting effort into a relationship was the most troublesome thing on the planet.Zane was down for a one-night stand, but he sure as hell wasn’t ok with committing to anyone.That was troublesome.
Chris frowned, then brought his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck.“I worry about you, Zane.”
“I know.”
Zane got up, having finished a beer far quicker than expected, mostly because of the conversation.He knew Chris didn’t just worry about his social life.There were a lot of things to worry about.It was why Zane desperately wished to inhale another beer, then another, then another.
Zane noticed Chris was nearly done with his beer as well, so he grabbed him another.He lingered by the fridge, hand on the handle, hesitating to open the door.Although he was sloth-like by nature, it was clear he was doing it as an act of avoidance.He always avoided serious topics.
“I’m fine.Really.”But to him, fine wasn’t actually fine.He simply had low standards.
Chris’ face scrunched up in a mixture of worry and annoyance.Rather than continuing to pry, he nodded slowly and asked, “You best not be lyin’ to me, boy, but everything is fine, right?”
Zane kicked his fridge closed and lied; “Yeah, everything is fine.”
