Blue Masked Hero

by Dee J. Stone

  She stares at my hand. “As in, fly?”

  I nod, too vehemently for my own good.

  She shifts from one foot to the other, biting her lip.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “I kind of have a problem with heights.”

  I don’t know why I find that adorable. Holding out my hand again, I say, “I won’t let you fall. Trust me.”

  She looks at my hand unsurely.

  “Please?” I ask. “I swear you can trust me.”

  She stares at me for a bit, her face slowly changing from uncertainty to confidence. “Okay.” She slips her hand in mine and I gather her to my chest. I wish I were buff. It’s kinda embarrassing to be such a small guy. I don’t want Nicole to think I’m a wimp.

  Her face is close to mine, lips only a few inches away. What would it be like to feel them against mine?

  “Okay,” I whisper in her ear. “I’m going to lift in the air. You can close your eyes if you want, but I recommend keeping them open so you can see everything.”

  She inhales deeply, then lets it out. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  As I rise, I keep my eyes on her because I want to see her face shine with amazement. She looks around, frantically clutching my shoulders, but as she gets used to it, her body relaxes and a smile breaks out on her face. “This is amazing!”

  “I thought the same thing when I flew for the first time.”

  She rests her head on my chest as we head toward school. I tighten my hold on her, breathing in her Nicole smell that I love so much.

  Nicole. Nicole. Nicole.

  “What are you doing?”

  I snap out of whatever trance I’m in. “Huh?”

  “Are you smelling my hair?”

  My face feels hot and my body numb. “Uh, no. I mean, was I? Sorry. That was totally rude of me.”

  She turns around in my arms to face me. “I think it’s sweet.”

  “Sweet that I was sniffing you?”

  She laughs, lightly punching my shoulder. “I think it’s sweet that you like me.”

  “Am I that obvious?”

  “I don’t know a whole lot about guys, but I do know they only give a girl the time of day when they’re interested in her. You wouldn’t have offered to fly me to school if you didn’t—wait a second.”

  I freeze in place. Oh no. Does she recognize me?

  “How do you know what school I go to?”

  Words should come to my head, but they don’t. My brain is flat, like the lines of an EKG machine.

  She punches my shoulder again. “Have you been stalking me?”

  “Depends if that creeps you out.”

  She laughs. “I don’t mind. Like I said, it’s sweet.”

  Could this girl be any more perfect? I’d think she’d yell at me for being so obsessed with her, but she’s not. She’s cool with it. I didn’t think it was possible to fall even more in love, but this is proof.

  We’re a few feet away from school. I hate that I’m going to have to let her go and return to being lame, loser Nick.

  As we approach the building, a crowd starts gathering, staring up at us in wonder.

  “Is that Nicole Watts?” a girl asks another. “With the Blue Masked Hero?”

  Nicole waves her hand, queen style, and has a large smile on her face. More and more kids gather, a few cheering. It gets louder the closer we get to the building. Many take pictures.

  “Looks like you’re pretty popular,” I say.

  “No, not really.” A complete lie. She’s the most popular girl in our grade.

  “Want me to lower us or do you want to fly around some more?”

  She looks around, still waving at all the kids. “I still have, like, ten minutes before school starts. Let’s fly around.”

  “Sure.” Anything to spend more time with her.

  As we fly, the crowd follows us. I smile and wave at everyone. This is the first time all eyes are on me, the first time I’m not invisible to my classmates. It’s one of the best feelings ever. Sure, they don’t know it’s me, but I don’t care.

  I’m still smiling and waving when I catch someone scowling in the crowd. Her black hair is tied in a messy ponytail and her blue eyes are so sharp they could saw someone in half.

  Maddie.

  Her glare makes the smile vanish from my face. Why’s she so mad?

  “What are you doing?” Nicole grabs hold of me. “Your hands are so loose you’re going to drop me.” She pushes herself closer to me and I hold her tight. Or try to. Because she’s so close I’m tingly all over and I’m sure I’ll lose feeling everywhere.

  “Sorry,” I say.

  “Are you going to have to go to school soon?” She frowns. Wow. Nicole Watts actually wants me to spend time with her. She doesn’t want me to go. This has to be a dream.

  “Blue?”

  I snap into it. “Yeah? Oh, yeah. Soon. Let’s just circle the building. Do you want me to go fast?”

  She presses her face into my chest, making my heart nearly catapult out of my chest. “Can we go slowly?”

  “Sure.”

  There’s a high chance I’ll be late to class, but that’s not important.

  We float around the building. The crowd surrounding us hasn’t lessened. In fact, more kids have joined. They’re not worried about being late to first period. I kinda wish they’d leave because I want some privacy with Nicole, but I guess that’s not going to happen.

  “I wish you went to my school, Blue,” Nicole says as I start to descend. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I do, but I hold back. Maybe I’ll tell her one day. No, I’m sure I will, but not now. Especially not in front of everyone.

  When my feet hit the ground, I gently lower Nicole. “Can you see me later?” she whispers, her eyes on the crowd that’s rushing toward us.

  “After school?”

  She nods, then quickly presses a soft kiss on my lips. My lungs tense up and I can’t breathe. Nicole Watts just kissed me. Me, Nick McGuire, the most uncool kid in school.

  My lips tingle, feel hot and cold at the same time. My whole body is a furnace.

  “Bye,” Nicole says before running over to the crowd. Some bombard her with questions while others dash toward me. I shoot in the air, but hover a bit as I look down at Nicole. I smile to her and she smiles back. My heart beats at an erratic pace. I still can’t breathe.

  Does this make Nicole my girlfriend?

  I wave to her and the crowd, then zoom off. I go invisible, slip into the school bathroom, and get changed. I leave the bathroom and almost collide into Maddie as the bell rings. She’s still got that pissed-off look on her face. We hurry to class along with everyone else. I nearly get squished to death because all the kids are in the halls at the same time, due to the show with Nicole and Blue.

  Nicole and Blue. It’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

  ***

  “Okay.” I set my lunch tray on the table and sit down next to Maddie. “You’ve been giving me death glares all day. What’s up?”

  Her gaze shoots to Nicole, who’s at the center of attention, answering questions about her and the Blue Masked Hero. She’s always had a nice amount of fans, but it’s quadrupled.

  “Maddie, come on. Why are you being like this?”

  She tears a fry in half with her teeth. “Like what?”

  I give her a look like she knows exactly what I mean. She shrugs.

  “Nicole kissed me,” I whisper. “She kissed me.”

  Maddie sighs, shaking her head. “No, she kissed the Blue Masked Hero.”

  “Shh!” I look around. The last thing I need is anyone discovering he’s me, especially now that Nicole and I are—well, I don’t know what we are yet.

  Maddie shrugs and sticks another fry in her mouth.

  “So what if she kissed him and not me?” I say. “He’s me.”

  “Well, I don’t think you should be hanging out with her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she ca
n’t be trusted.”

  “Mads—”

  “How do you know she’s not using you because you’re famous? She’s a bad person.”

  “You keep saying that, but I don’t see it. She’s a good person and she’d never use me because I’m famous. I went to her house last night and we talked for a bit. She even convinced me not to give up the whole superhero thing.”

  She’s quiet before muttering, “Oh, so she convinced you.”

  “Maddie, don’t get upset.”

  She throws her hands up. “Why shouldn’t I? I called you over and over last night because I thought you were still bothered over what happened with that little girl and I wanted to know if you were okay. I tried communicating with you through your mask and I even went to your house and threw rocks at your window. I figured you were sleeping so I left. But you weren’t bothered. You were with her.” Her eyes flick to Nicole again.

  “Mads, sorry. I was having such a good time and—”

  “Forget it.” She collects her tray. “Look, Nick, if you’re going to hang out with her, then we’re done.”

  I gape at her. “What are you saying?”

  “That if you want to keep our friendship, you end things with Nicole.”

  I get to my feet. “What’s this about? What do you have against her?”

  She shrugs, avoiding my gaze.

  “Maybe if you told me what she did to you, I’d understand.”

  “No.”

  “Mads—”

  “Are you going to end things with her or not?”

  End things with Nicole? The girl of my dreams? The girl who’s been nothing but sweet to me? Yet, how could I lose Maddie, who’s been my best friend since forever? We’ve been through so much stuff together. I can’t choose one over the other.

  I reach for her hand. “Maddie—”

  She pulls away. “I got my answer. Have a nice life.” She walks off.

  “Maddie. Maddie!” But it’s no use. She doesn’t turn around.

  As I watch her leave the cafeteria, a wave of anger washes over me. Maddie has been my best friend for years, but she doesn’t get me. Not like she used to. It’s like I’m committing the world’s biggest crime by wanting to get closer to Nicole. Whatever Maddie’s problem with her is, it doesn’t concern me. Nicole is such a sweet and nice person. Maddie doesn’t see that, for whatever reason. She’s forcing me to choose between the two of them? Does a good friend do that? Why can’t Maddie be happy for me?

  Fine. If she doesn’t want to be friends anymore, then we won’t be friends. I mean it hurts a lot, but she’s left me no choice.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Maddie is serious about this. Even though I said our friendship is over, I don’t stop trying to reason with her. She doesn’t look at me all day, doesn’t answer my notes or my texts that I sneak to her during class. I guess I’ve got to give her space.

  Pushing all the pain aside, I tell myself to cheer up because I’m going to be spending the afternoon with Nicole. She should be expecting me soon.

  As I head to my locker, I pass Nicole, who’s at hers, talking with her friends. “Yeah, he’s going to meet me after school.”

  “And you don’t know how he looks like?” one of her friends asks.

  Nicole shrugs. Her friend lightly slaps her arm. “That’s so not like you.”

  “What if he’s ugly under there?” her other friend asks.

  My heart skips a beat as I wait for her answer. It seems like forever until the words leave her mouth. “Doesn’t matter what he looks like.”

  I swear my jaw reaches the floor. Can she be even more amazing? I don’t care what Maddie says. She’s totally wrong about Nicole.

  Her friends shake their heads like they don’t believe her, then they leave the building.

  Nicole doesn’t care what Blue looks like. That means there’s a high chance she won’t care that he’s me. I’ll definitely tell her. But not yet. Not until the time is right.

  I put on my uniform and soar toward Nicole’s house, my heart beating excitedly. As I’m flying, it hits me that I don’t have Maddie to help me with this whole superhero thing. How am I going to know who needs help?

  Nicole’s waiting in her room, her head sticking out of the window. She waves and smiles.

  “No way!” a voice says. Two boys’ heads are sticking out of another room on the second floor. They must be her brothers. They look nothing like her, except for the blonde hair.

  “Hey, guys.” I hover outside. “I’m Blue.”

  The older one, who looks around nine or ten, gapes at me. “When Nicky said she met you, we didn’t believe her. Whoa. You’re so cool!”

  “Can we have your autograph?” the younger brother, who’s six or seven, holds out a paper to me.

  “How about we invite Blue inside?” Nicole says. Her brothers cheer. She opens the window and I climb inside. Her brothers are already in her room, the younger one shoving the paper in my face.

  I take it from him. “What are your names?”

  “Charlie,” the younger one says.

  “Tommy.”

  I write encouraging messages, then sign my name. “Here you go.”

  Tommy looks at me with awe. “Did you really take Nicole flying?”

  I laugh. “Yeah. Was fun.”

  “Can you take us?” Charlie pipes up.

  Nicole pats him on the head. “Maybe when you’re older.”

  They grumble.

  Nicole looks at me and smiles. “Sorry, my parents had to go to this thing, and they stuck me with babysitting duty.”

  “That’s okay. Uh…” I look toward the window.

  “What?” she asks.

  I rub the back of my neck. “Nothing. It’s just that I go flying after school every day, looking for people who might need help.”

  Nicole nods, but seems disappointed.

  “Can we come?” Tommy asks.

  She and I exchange a glance. “That’s not a good idea,” she says.

  They grumble again. Charlie says, “But we’ll behave and we won’t get in the way and Nicky will watch over us. Right, Nicky?”

  I love that they call her Nicky. It’s so much better than when Matt calls me that.

  “Plus,” Tommy adds. “It’ll give you a chance to spend time with him.” He gives her a toothy smile. Are we that obvious?

  “Okay, okay,” Nicole says. “But we’re going to stay out of Blue’s way, okay?” She faces me. “If that’s all right with you.”

  Not really, but I don’t want to let her down. “Sure, maybe for, like, an hour or something.”

  The guys cheer.

  “Go get dressed.”

  They zoom to their rooms, leaving Nicole and me alone.

  She laughs. “Maybe I can get Sally or Lucy to babysit later and we can spend more time together. Maybe I can even help you help people.” She frowns. “That sounded funny.”

  I laugh. “Sure, I guess. If you want, I mean.”

  She wraps her hands around my neck. “I want to be with you.”

  “Why?” I blurt before I can stop myself. Her eyebrows knit. “I mean, I want to be with you, too. You’re such a nice person.”

  “You’re nice, too. You do things for others without getting anything in return and you’re not a jerk about it, you know. Like you don’t demand things or think you’re better than everyone else.”

  She gets me.

  I tug her toward me and press my lips to hers. Then I pull away, completely embarrassed. It’s not like me to grab a girl and kiss her. Even though she already kissed me.

  She smiles and bends forward to return the kiss.

  Chuckles come from a few feet away. Both Tommy and Charlie stand in the doorway, laughing at us, although Charlie’s also making a disgusted face.

  “Ready?” I ask.

  As Nicole helps them into their jackets, I peer at my phone. I’m still not sure why I’m expecting Maddie to text. She doesn’t want to be my friend anymore and Maddie’
s not one to change her mind so quickly. Is it really over between us?

  “Blue?” Nicole says. “Are we going?”

  “Yeah.”

  We leave Nicole’s house and I lift each one of them in the air. I’ve never used my telekinesis to raise four people, but I’m pretty sure I can do it. The boys laugh in amazement at their floating bodies.

  “This is so cool!” Tommy swings his arms around.

  We fly. I keep my eyes on the three of them and also around me to check if there’s anyone out there who’s in trouble. The kids are having so much fun as I spin them around. That makes Nicole laugh, and she keeps giving me huge smiles.

  I really think she likes me. Me for me, not because I’m famous, like Maddie claimed.

  “There!” Charlie points down below, to what looks like three guys in a brawl. The shortest guy is getting pummeled from all over.

  I descend, making sure to keep Nicole and her brothers far away. “I’m going in,” I tell Nicole. “You stay here where it’s safe.”

  I head over to the guys and try to break it up.

  ***

  Nicole and her brothers watch me do my thing for the next hour and a half. It’s weird to have an audience and it makes me feel insecure, but I kinda like it, too. I like being a good role model to her brothers, I guess. The same way I want to be a role model to Kaylee.

  “I think it’s time to go home,” Nicole tells Tommy and Charlie.

  They groan. “But we wanna hang out with Blue,” Tommy says.

  I ruffle his blond hair. “You can hang out with me anytime.”

  “Like tomorrow?”

  “Uh…” Of course I want to hang out with them again, but between helping people and hanging out with Nicole and doing homework…how’s a guy supposed to handle it all?

  “I’m sure Blue is very busy,” Nicole says.

  They frown.

  “I can make time, no worries.” I smile to reassure them. They return small ones.

  Tommy shifts from one foot to the other. “Can I ask him?” he whispers to Nicole.

  “Ask me what?” I say.

  He looks at her, and she nods. He steps forward. “I’m supposed to bring someone I admire to school and talk about him. I was gonna ask my dad—he’s a scientist—but I think I want to bring you.” His green eyes light up. “And then maybe after, we can have an assembly and you could talk to the entire school. Everyone will know you’re my friend and everyone will wanna be my friend.”