Don't Call Me A Hero

Chapter 19

“So,” Peter said as we all stood around a small table inside a smelly motel room. I couldn’t figure out what the smell was or where it was coming from. It seemed like a mixture of cigarette smoke and something else that I couldn’t distinguish. The television set had a long c***k down the middle and I was afraid to lift up the comforters for fear of what I might find. The comforters matched the maroon-colored walls. The abstract paintings were more horrifying than comforting and did nothing to liven up the room. 

“So?” Charlie asked as he went silent. Peter let out a sigh and glanced back at him. The table held a map of the university. The whole property, however, wasn’t a part of it. Maria had done her best to sketch out where the other buildings were that were left out of the official map. 

“Sorry,” he shuddered, “the smell hit me again. What have we learned?”

“Can’t trust the authorities,” I said, frowning as Peter looked back at me with almost a look of disbelief. He looked like he was about to say something before he sighed and looked back at the map.

“Can’t trust anyone associated with Arthur,” Maria pointed out. We all nodded and I shared a glance with Charlie, thinking of Pedro and his crazed chasing of the two of us. I wondered if that was something he could always do or if it was something brought on by Arthur himself. 

“My father has something to do with it,” Kendra brought up, “which is the very basic assumption. I think he might even be in charge.”

“We also know that it has something to do with the science department,” Charlie said.

“Yeah,” I nodded, “but we don’t know how many other people in the college are connected. We also can’t trust anyone with connections to the college, like the staff and stuff.”

“Yeah,” Maria smiled, “heaven forbid we stop you from talking to your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I grumbled.

“But you want him to be,” Charlie said, a wide smile on his rocky face. I shoved at his shoulder as I rolled my eyes. Maria grabbed my hand and held it out as she looked at the number.

“You can always use my phone,” she offered.

“Enough,” Peter snapped and we all grew quiet, “we have more pressing matters to deal with, remember?”

“Arthur wants Alex more than us,” Maria added after a moment of silence. Everyone grew quiet for a moment as they all looked at me for a brief moment. I rolled my eyes as I folded my arms across my chest. 

“So, rule number one,” Peter said, “don’t trust anyone.”

“Rule number two,” Charlie said, interrupting whatever Peter was going to add onto it, “do not take any unnecessary risks.”

“Agreed,” Peter nodded, “we need to check out that storage building Maria brought up at the library.”

I stepped back as I felt a buzzing in my pocket. Peter continued on as I pulled out my phone and slipped out of the motel room. The parking lot was just about empty except for a large man leaning against a big truck. I leaned against the wall beside the door and pulled out the phone. A number I obviously didn’t know beeped on the bright screen and I sighed as I pressed the green button.

“You answered,” the familiar voice said as soon as I picked up. 

“Yep,” I shrugged, “seemed kind of rude to ignore the man that gave me the phone.”

“You’re fine with Kendra staying with you, right?” he asked, “I just...want to make sure you’re okay.”

“She’s fine,” I shrugged, “but tell me. Why is she so eager to betray her dad?”

“Oh, that isn’t a story for me to tell,” he explained, “I’m sure, though, that if you ask her she’ll tell you and I mean only you. She doesn’t care much for your friends.”

“Why?” I asked, immediately defensive, “my friends are fine.”

“I’m sure they are,” he chuckled, “she’s just wary is all. She did tell me, however, about a cute roommate?”

“Oh, so she is a spy?” I groaned as I leaned my head back.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked and I swear I could hear the grin on his face.

“No,” I grumbled, “nothing’s there.”

“Sure there isn’t,” he said.

“There isn’t,” I insisted, “I don’t even have time to try anything!” 

“I hear that,” my dad-shadow master- chuckled, “I’m sorry, son, I have to go. A chef called in. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” I said with a nod even though he couldn’t see it. He hung up and I pulled the phone away from my ear. I glanced down at the screen and noticed the number written out on my hand. I smiled softly as I opened the text messaging app. I froze for a moment as I typed in his number as Arthur’s words came back to me once again. I shook the thought out of my head before I could even register them.

You’re playing with fire, Alex, I told myself as I typed out a brief greeting. I watched the screen for a moment before turning to go back inside when the phone buzzed multiple times in my hand. I glanced down and smiled at the message he sent me. It wasn’t anything special or meaningful. There were misspellings and emojis but I didn’t care. I was stupidly excited to be talking to him. Maybe because I knew I probably shouldn’t be doing it? I typed out my response quickly and hit send before stepping inside. 

“Where did you go?” Peter asked. Everyone all stood exactly where I left them. I slid the phone into my back pocket and shrugged.

“I wanted some cool air,” I said, “I figured you guys didn’t need me for your plan since you don’t want me leaving this motel room.”

“Alex,” Charlie groaned, “you know that Arthur wants you more than any of us. We need to protect you.”

“Amanda’s more important than me,” I snapped as I walked toward one of the two beds. 

“Alex,” Maria started but I didn’t listen as I fell face-first into the bed farthest away from them. I rolled over and pulled the comforter with me, hiding my body from their view. I pulled out my phone and unlocked the screen as I gazed over mine and Owen’s conversation.

                                                                                                          Hey, Owen, this is Alex. Your old roommate?

Alex! 

U txted me! ;)

I missed u!

I was worried about u. U just left w/o saying bye

:(

                                                                                                          I’m sorry. It was for both of our safeties. 

R U safe now?

                                                                                                          Relatively.

I’m glad :)

I couldn’t stop the stupid smile that etched itself across my face. I frowned as a new message popped up and the frown deepened as I read it. I wanted to peer out from under the blanket to make sure no one was paying attention to me. It wasn’t, however, like I was doing anything wrong. They all seemed happy to think that I’d maybe have someone. I moved to type out my reply before I sighed and let the phone fall onto the sheets. I had already pulled Owen into my mess that was my life. I didn’t need to pull him into it more. 

“So,” Kendra said as she pulled the blanket off me. She plopped down on the bed beside me and pulled the blanket up over our heads, “what was it like? Meeting the shadow master?”

“Anticlimactic,” I said, “I expected something more, I guess.”

“You were expecting the villain,” she nodded, “not your father.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I guess I thought I’d see him and realize what a monster he was.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No.”

“Because he isn’t,” she said, “you know of what he did, right? The amount of damage he caused?”

“Obviously.”

“How many people died in his attack?” she asked.

“None,” I said, “because of the responses of all the heroes in the area.”

“No,” she shook her head, “your dad can kick any of their butts. You think what you can do is cool but you have barely even started using your abilities. Your dad made sure to attack on a Sunday when most of the businesses in that section of the higher district were closed. He made sure not to obstruct the roads he knew emergency vehicles were going to enter the district from. Your dad meticulously planned that attack so that no one would get hurt.”

“Why?”

“He grew up in this part of the city,” she said, “he saw the damage that was caused in this part of the city because of the local authority's refusal to acknowledge it. He wanted to show them what could happen if they left it the way they did.”

“Did anything come from it?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged, “it’s still a shithole but you have a cops station actually based in this part of the city. The other districts may have the superheroes but we have the most of the cop power here. Several shelters have opened up, that is run by rich citizens from better parts of the city, that offer housing and food for those that can’t afford anything. He did make a difference even before he did his big show, or that’s what he called it.”

“Did he tell you all of this?”

“No,” she shrugged, “his older employees that were there told me. They trusted him and he made sure none of them took any heat for the attack no matter how much they were involved. When they heard he was out, they all flocked to him again.”

“How did you get involved with all of them?”

“My dad is not a good man, Alex,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “I...I ran away two years ago and tried to make it on the streets. If I had stayed in the upper district, the heroes or the cops would just drop me back off at his house. I came to the lower district and found out how bad it was. Kelmer, your dad, found me before anything too terrible could happen. He and his employees took me in and showed me what it was actually like to be part of something. He saved my life, Alex, and that is why…”

“You’re protecting me,” I said, “you feel like you owe him.”

“I do” she nodded, “but when he announced the necessity of it, I couldn’t let anyone else go. I have to prove to him and myself that I belong there.”

Silence fell over us and we both laid back. I stared upward at the blanket, however, I hardly noticed any design on it. My mind was preoccupied with the mesh of emotions that was flowing through it. I rolled over as I heard my phone buzz from beside me. I glanced over at Kendra but she didn’t seem to notice. I pulled it toward my face and opened up the message. I groaned as I saw it and instantly wished my life was a little less complicated. 

“Did I hear a phone?” Kendra asked softly from behind me. I blushed as I moved to hide it but she was already peering over my shoulder. She snatched the phone out of my hand and rolled away from me as she read through the few messages we had sent back and forth. I rolled toward her, reaching for the phone as she held me back with a sharp elbow.

“Dude,” she muttered as she tossed it back toward me, “that’s a date. He wants to go on a date with you, Alex.” 

“No,” I shook my head as I glanced over the messages again, “he just wants to hang out.”

“And buy you lunch,” she shook her head, “And why wouldn’t he want to date you? You’re cute...in an awkward sort of way. Why not go for it?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” she asked, “aren’t you gay? Oh my god, did I totally read you wrong?”

“No,” I said, “I am definitely gay.”

“Do you not find him attractive?” she asked.

“Of course I do.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked, “You like him and he seems to like you. What’s holding you back?”

“Everything,” I shrugged, “I’m not exactly a safe person to be around, Kendra, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Didn’t he, like, hit the superhero jackpot with his abilities?” she replied, “he should be fine. Life is too short for you not to shoot your shot, dumb dumb.”

“They aren’t going to let me go.”

“Don’t worry,” she giggled as she started sliding off the bed, “I have a plan. Wait here.” 

I sighed as I rolled over and opened the texts once again. I read over them and my cheeks heated up on my face as I thought about her words. 

What if it was a date?