Don't Call Me A Hero

Chapter 3

I sat a couple rows back from where my sister and Ms. Stevens sat in the front. They were speaking in hushed voices that I couldn’t understand, not that I was even trying to. I was searching my mind for any explanation as to why that invite ended up on my door. No one should have been informed that I had come back into the city. Not my mom, not my sister, no one. 

“We are just going to wait about fifteen minutes,” Ms. Stevens said, twisting around to look at me, “and we’ll move this funeral along, alright?”

I nodded and she turned back around. I watched Sara wrap an arm around her slim shoulders as they continued their quiet conversation. I turned my eyes toward my feet and tried to calm my breathing. I couldn’t be in any danger. The awful man was dead. He had gotten a life sentence but, because his crimes were against kids, didn’t last a week before the other inmates turned on him two years ago. 

He was dead. He couldn’t hurt me. 

He was dead. He couldn’t hurt me. 

He was dead. He couldn’t hurt me. 

I jumped at the sound of the doors slamming shut behind me. I turned back and my breath caught in my throat. I used to know these three better than I knew myself. We had all been an inseparable group throughout school. I missed them, though I doubted they missed me. 

There was Charlie, though he had gone through major changes since the experiment. He had always been a burly kid. Other students had often made fun of him for his weight until he threw a punched Jacob Seigns in fifth grade. No one really bothered him after that. He still had the same broad shoulders and strong stance, however, it wasn’t muscle anymore. Now, it was rock. It wasn’t just smooth rock either. It was as if someone piled rocks together to try and make a human form and was just kind of successful. Seeing what the experiment did to him reminded me that I couldn’t really complain. At least I can hide what happened to me. He wore a suit over his bumpy figure but no shoes. I doubted that he could find a pair big enough for them. 

To his right stood Amanda. She remained the most unchanged. She was still tall and standoffish but her hair was cut short and dyed a sky blue. She was wearing a short cocktail dress with heels that were sharp enough to kill. Her fair skin was tanner than it used to be. She had a muscular figure but I doubted it was from the powerless sports like it used to be.

Maria stood to his other side, holding his massive hand as they started down the aisle. She was as beautiful as the day we all separated. She was a bite sized example of latina perfection that always left all the boys breathless. Well, straight boys. She never, however, had eyes for anyone but Charlie and it looked like that hadn’t changed. Her long dark hair fell in waves down her back. Her long dress covered her shoes and her dark olive skin tone matched her dark brown eyes. Something was different about them though...wait, they were cat eyes. She had a pair of cat ears to match and I could even see a dark tail twitching back and forth behind her as they moved. 

The three walked past me without a word or a glance in my direction. Perhaps they hadn’t noticed me or maybe they didn’t want to notice me. The last time we had spoken, Charlie had put the blame solely on me for the events that changed him into the rock form he is today. I should have seen it coming, or so he told me. 

Either way, I watched them walk up to my sister and Ms. Stevens. Awkward hugs were exchanged and hushed voices interrupted the quietness that had fallen over the room. I watched their interactions and debated getting up to go up with them. What would I even say?

“Did you guys get an invite too?” I heard Sara ask.

“Yes,” Maria answered, “were we not supposed to?”

“No,” Ms. Stevens replied, “I only sent them to close family. I wonder who thought of giving them to you.”

“You got one too?” Amanda asked, turning her attention to my sister.

“Not me specifically,” she shrugged, her gaze turning toward me. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she scanned over where I was sitting and slowly looked around the rest of the room, “Alex got it. I came with him.”

“Alex is here,” Charlie asked, his voice low and threatening. 

“Yes, he’s…” Sara trailed off as she looked around the funeral home. The others did that same and I frowned as I waited for them to spot me. I resisted the urge to wave my hand and noticed how dark it had become around me. I groaned as I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and counted to ten as I tried to clear my head. 

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

I stood as the room got just a little bit lighter. I stepped out from the pew and offered an awkward wave. They all looked a little shocked to see me, especially when it looked like I had just materialized in front of them. I often forgot about my powers until I got worked up. 

“I’ll be damned,” Charlie said but I couldn’t tell if he was displeased or happy to see me. 

“Alex?” Maria stepped forward with a half smile on her face.

“Hello,” I muttered as I walked up to the front pew and plopped myself down. My heart was racing and I wanted nothing more than to run out of there. I couldn’t bring myself to look at any of them. As I mentioned before, I knew Charlie blamed me. I didn’t know if they all did. I know I did. He was right. Arthur had been my best friend. I was supposed to know him better than anyone and yet I didn’t. Looking back, I couldn’t find anything unusual about his behavior. He had always been a little weird. It was as if it was his quest to stand out no matter what. He just wanted to be extraordinary even though there was nothing special about him. I just hadn’t realized he was willing to go so far and he was willing to drag us all down with him. 

“Is that how you are now?” Amanda asked as she plopped down next to me and copied my slouched position, “ugh, woe is me…”

“No,” I muttered defensively as I straightened up. Maria chuckled as she sat down on my other side. 

“Yes,” Sara spoke up, “I’ve only seen you for these last two days and you are definitely mopey as hell.”

“I am not!” 

“Yes, you are,” she said, a wicked smile stretched across her face, “except for when you spoke about your cute roommate. I met him this morning just as we were walking out.”

“Is he going to be your new quest, Sara?” Charlie asked, a ghost of a smile on his rocky lips. I couldn’t stop the small giggle that erupted from my throat at the shock on her face. Everyone knew about her reputation in high school even though she was ten years older than we were. She had had a different boyfriend every month and yet she never brought them home. My mom had thought they were fake attention grabs but I knew Sara just didn’t want to sit through the awkward interactions. My mom could be quite vindictive when she wanted to be. Sara had never had a good relationship with her. I had been the golden child, well, until I wasn’t. 

“Maybe,” she said with a chuckle. She didn’t seem ashamed of her high school self. I wondered if that was also her adult self. She waved her hand dismissively and continued, “I would if I were his type.”

“Oh, come on,” Maria said, “you’re gorgeous.”

“I wasn’t my ass he was checking out when we left,” she said, eyeing me as she folded her arms, “perhaps Alex should make him his quest instead.”

“No thank you,” I said with a shake of my head. I could already feel my face heating up.

“Oh my god!” Maria giggled and grabbed my face with both hands, “you still blush over everything!” 

“Stop!” I complained as I pushed myself away from her. Amanda laughed as I leaned against her before jabbing a finger in my side. I jolted away from her before jumping to my feet. I could hear Charlie's low, rumbling laugh as I bumped into him in my escape attempt.

“It’s so good to see you kids,” Ms. Stevens spoke up from behind us. We all visibly flinched when we turned to face her. She wasn’t crying anymore. She seemed almost content, “you made me remember a time before the whole fiasco. I can’t apologize enough for what happened. I should have noticed something. I should have done something.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Charlie told her. No, I rolled my eyes, it’s mine, “we were all just kids. I doubted he really knew what was going to happen.”

“Your son thought he was helping us,” Amanda spoke up as well, “he wasn’t happy as he was and I suppose he thought we weren’t happy either.”

“In the end,” Maria sang as she hooked an arm through mine and Charlie’s, “this did end up bringing us together again.”

“I’m glad,” she nodded as she left to talk to the priest. I unhooked my arm from her and sat down once more as silence fell over the group. Maria sat beside me and I could feel her eyes on me as the small service began. 

I couldn’t focus on Ms. Stevens words or those of the Priest. My mind was still spinning. It only took a day for someone to find me. I had thought it may have been someone from the center but someone found all of us. Someone wanted all of us here. Who would bring us together like this? Who had the means to?

My eyes narrowed at the closed casket. Arthur always had been one for surprises. Maybe this was his last trick. I leaned back against the hardwood and shook the thought out of my head. Remember, I told myself, don’t be overdramatic. It’s only a funeral and he’s dead. It didn’t matter if he did this or not.

I couldn’t, however, let it go. Whoever was able to figure out the day I was coming and where exactly I was going meant someone had access to my file. The state promised secrecy. They should not have told anyone about my departure from the compound. Maybe my mother? 

“Alex?” Maria stood in front of me. Everyone else was already walking toward the exit. 

“What?” 

“Are you okay?” she asked as we followed everyone else. I took a deep breath of the warm afternoon air. We had been in there longer than I had thought. 

“Do I not seem okay?” I replied.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, “I don’t think I can judge that anymore because it has been so long.” 

“I’m fine,” I promised, “I just have to get used to living on my own free will again.”

“Really?” she tilted her head, “can you tell me where you went? We never heard anything. Amanda thought they had killed you for the longest time.”

“I was in a compound for troubled youth upstate. There were mostly kids who went crazy because of their powers or simply can’t control them. The abilities I got are considered highly dangerous so they wanted to make sure I was in control and sane.”

“I bet your mom was worried sick.”

“Oh, our mom didn’t care,” Sara snapped as we joined the group, “she gave up custody of him as soon as she could.”

“What?” Amanda asked.

“I guess she couldn’t handle what happened.”

“She couldn’t handle what happened to you?” Charlie scoffed, “to you?”

“Charlie,” Maria growled. 

“No,” he laughed bitterly, “I won’t sit here and let you give us some sob story. My entire family didn’t even recognize me. Most chairs can’t handle my weight so forget any theme parks. My football scholarship went out the window because no one wanted a rock dude on their team. My whole life got turned upside down, okay? You don’t get to complain.”

“He wasn’t,” Amanda snapped, “I know you’re pissed at the world but it has never been his fault!”

“We probably shouldn’t be doing this here,” Maria complained. 

I didn’t wait to say goodbye. Sara hurried after me as I bounded down the path. She sighed as she followed me through the city streets. I had no idea where I was going. I just knew that I needed to be moving.