Blue Masked Hero

by Dee J. Stone

  She cheers. “You’re the best big brother in the world!”

  I laugh, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach. I’m lying to her. To the whole world, too, but it’s worse to lie to my little sis.

  “Did you finish all your homework?” I ask.

  She nods quickly, an obvious lie.

  “Can I see it?”

  She shakes her head.

  “You know Mom and Dad are gonna find out and they’ll blame me.”

  She shrugs, playing with one of her doll’s hair.

  I don’t want to say my next words, but it’s the only ammunition I’ve got. “They won’t let you go to the Blue Masked Hero’s show.”

  “So don’t tell them!”

  “I won’t have to. Your teacher will.”

  She frowns.

  “Want me to do it with you?”

  She’s only in first grade and her homework is pretty much a joke. I know that the only reason she’s not doing it is because she’s lazy.

  “I can do it myself.”

  “Okay. I’ll finish up my homework, too, then tuck you into bed.”

  “It’s only seven.”

  “Yep. And you’ll be in bed by eight. Remember, you need to be a good girl if you want to go to that show.”

  She leaps to her homework.

  As I walk to the door, I feel bad for getting her all excited. But I just don’t have time to argue with her. I’m very behind in school and I need to talk to Nicole later.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Once Kaylee is in bed and my parents are preoccupied with whatever parents occupy themselves with, I slip out of the window and make my way to Nicole’s. We have no way to communicate, since I don’t have a phone for Blue. It’s only nine and hopefully she’s awake. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person to go to bed early. The thing is, I still don’t know much about her. I can’t wait to learn more. Okay, and to kiss more. A lot more.

  “Hey,” she says, opening her window and leaning out. “I wasn’t sure of you’d come tonight. You kind of left suddenly.”

  “Yeah, I had to do something.”

  “Save someone?”

  I wish. “Homework,” I say lamely.

  “Really?”

  I shrug. “They don’t cut superheroes any slack,” I joke.

  She laughs. “Want to come in?”

  “Yeah. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  I climb into her room and we sit on her bed, facing one another. She wrings her hands in her lap. Do I make her nervous? She definitely makes me nervous. I’m sweating in this uniform.

  “What do you want to talk to me about?” she asks.

  I hold out my hand and she puts hers inside. “I was watching the news this afternoon and they were talking about me, and about the speech, and about you.”

  She nods, her eyes confused. “Okay, so? Did they say something wrong?”

  “No, but they showed many pics of us. Of us flying together, hanging out in your backyard. I’m really sorry to drag you into this and display your whole life on TV. I swear I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  Her forehead knits. “I don’t see the problem.”

  “What do you mean? Your life is everyone’s business now.”

  “And do you know how wonderful that is?”

  “What?”

  She gets up, a huge smile on her face, as she walks around her room. “I’m sort of a celebrity now. Out of association. Like, everyone’s calling me for interviews. Many people have stopped by the house. It’s fun.”

  I stand and go over to her. “It’s dangerous.”

  “No, it’s not. I love it. I really do.”

  I gape at her. “You serious?”

  She nods, her face animated. “It’s the best thing to have ever happened to me.” She flings her arms around me. As she hugs me close, a thought hits me. Is Nicole using me?

  She draws back and gazes into my eyes. They’re so pure and innocent. Nah, of course she’s not using me. We met and fell in love before all the media got in her face.

  I nearly choke. Fell in love?

  Does she love me?

  I love her, so she’s got to love me back. Right?

  “Thank you,” she says.

  “For what?”

  “Everything.” She presses her lips to mine. All my doubts fly out the window and I focus on the kiss. On her. This girl means the world to me and I know I mean the world to her, too. I can feel it.

  She runs her hand over my mask, then pulls me in for another kiss. Would this be a good time to reveal myself to her?

  Maybe not. We’ve both been through a lot today, plus I’m worried she’s not ready for the truth. Also, I want to make a big deal about it. Maybe plan something special. I need to put a lot of thought into it.

  “Tommy can’t stop talking about you,” she tells me as she lies down on her bed. I lie down next to her and reach for her hand. She locks her fingers through mine.

  “He’s a fun kid. Both your brothers are.”

  She sits up on one elbow. “He hopes you’ll hang out with him more in the future. Maybe make some more speeches and things like that. Also, some reporters have been asking me how to reach you. A few magazines want to get in touch with you, too.”

  My head spins. I don’t want it. Kinda just want to keep to myself and do what I’ve been doing. I get that people want to know who I am, but I can’t handle any of this. I’ve never been good with being in the spotlight.

  “What’s wrong, Blue?”

  I shake my head. I don’t want to disappoint her.

  She strokes the skin where my mask meets my lower cheek. “Something’s bothering you.”

  I pull my hand out of hers and sit up. “I know you’re just trying to help and I know it’s important for people to get to know me, but I can’t do any of those things you said. It’s just…it’s just not me.”

  “I can come with you, if you want,” she says. “Blue, many people look up to you. If my little brothers do, then there must be many more kids who do, too.” Yeah, like Kaylee. “And you don’t want to be distanced from them, do you? You need to be someone they can count on. Not just someone they see on TV or flying in the sky. You need to connect with them. And the adults, too.”

  She’s right. I know that. Everything is moving so quickly I can’t keep up.

  “I have a biology test on Friday,” I mutter.

  She giggles. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

  “I can’t fail ninth grade.”

  “Well, I can help you…” She twists her nose. “Actually, no I can’t. I suck at bio. But I can try.”

  I kiss her. “Thanks, that’s sweet. I’ll manage.”

  She smiles. “Does that mean you’re going to make all those public appearances and do interviews?”

  “I guess so.”

  “I can be your manager.”

  I lift a brow. “Really?”

  She nods. “I’ll organize all those things for you and you can focus on school and saving the world.”

  Like I said, can Nicole be any more perfect?

  ***

  After days of interviews and public appearances, it’s nice to hang out with Dad at the movie theater. We’re trying to figure out what to watch. Action is always a good choice, but Dad kinda gets protective, thinking they’re too violent. Romance—forget about it. Kiddie movies? Safe, but boring. So yeah, this is going to take a while.

  I didn’t do any shows like Kaylee hoped. Only because I couldn’t be at two places at once. I asked Matt if he was willing to take her, but she refused to go with anyone but me. So I made the decision not to do any shows.

  I’m hoping all the attention will blow over soon so things could go back to the way they used to be. Sort of, anyway.

  “Ah.” Dad points to a science fiction movie. “What about that one?”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  He pays for our tickets, we get some food, and enter the theater. We’re a bit
too early, and I know we’re going to be forced to talk. Not that I wasn’t expecting this. When a parent asks you to hang out, it’s usually because they want you talk to you about something.

  “So…” he says.

  Here it comes.

  “What have you been up to lately?”

  I shrug, taking a sip from my Coke. “Nothing much. You?”

  “Same old, same old.”

  “Cool.”

  Quiet.

  Dad turns to me, then away, then to me again. “I haven’t really seen you lately. You’re still spending a lot of time at Mad—”

  “She’s not my girlfriend. We just hang out. Mostly do homework. Dad, can we maybe stop the whole Maddie thing and talk about something else?”

  There’s got to be something other than girls.

  “Sure. We can talk about anything you want.”

  I nod, waiting for him to pick a topic, but he doesn’t. He must be waiting for me. “Uh…” I run my hand through my hair. “So, uh…”

  “Have you changed your mind about football?” Dad asks.

  I want to groan, but I hold back. Again with football? “Dad—”

  He lifts his hands. “I’m not talking about playing on a team. I was thinking the two of us can hang out some more. Maybe throw a ball around.”

  “Sure, but you know that’s not my thing.”

  “What is your thing?”

  Now that he mentioned it, I don’t know what my thing is. It used to be video games. Now it’s kinda helping people and hanging out with Nicole.

  “Not really sure,” I say. “You know, this is fine. We can maybe make a weekly thing of it, if you want.”

  That brightens his face and it makes me feel bad for shutting my family out of my huge secret. But I can’t tell them, not when things are going well for me. What if they want me to quit?

  The movie starts. My hand is on my armrest. Dad puts his on top of mine. Maybe I can’t be completely honest with them—yet—but the least I can do is make time for them. I’m going to try to spend more time with each family member. Except for Matt. It’d be safer for the two of us to keep our distance from one another.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Nicole’s even more popular in school. The school paper is doing a feature on her relationship with the Blue Masked Hero and many reporters and writers wait for her outside the building so they could learn more about the two of us.

  I don’t get how she does it. The cameras in her face, the constant talking to people.

  When I dropped her off after flying around the building, they asked us to take pictures. It took half an hour until they were satisfied. The students are no different, each taking a turn asking me questions.

  “He’s shy,” Nicole told them when I couldn’t get any words out. These are the kids who’ve been ignoring me my whole life. I couldn’t talk to them freely like I was some big guy on campus. Because I’m not. I’m just Nick McGuire here.

  Now I’m in bio, waiting for Mr. Vasquez to finish up grading our papers. He wants to go over them, since apparently no one did well. I’m hardly concentrating on anything because all I can think about is Nicole and how I can’t wait to see her after school. I’m still working on “the big reveal.” It’s got to be perfect.

  Maddie, who’s sitting on my left, has her nose buried in a book. Although it’s been days since we’ve spoken to one another, I feel like it just happened yesterday. I still miss her, a lot. Seeing her like that, how lonely she is, I figure I don’t have anything to lose. So I tap her arm. She slowly drops her book and glances at me.

  “Hey,” I say with a smile.

  Her eyes go to Nicole, then back to me. They narrow. She resumes reading.

  “Maddie, come on,” I hiss. “Can we talk about this?”

  She drops her book again. “Talk about what? I’ve seen the news. The two of you so snuggly together. So enjoy it.” Her head is buried in the book again.

  “Mads, please.”

  She’s still ignoring me. Fine. I need to accept that she’s not interested in being my friend again. I go back to watching Nicole talk about herself and Blue. The girls around her giggle when she talks about making out with him.

  “He’s such a good kisser,” she says in a dreamy voice. “So perfect, the best guy I’ve ever kissed. He transports me to another world.”

  My cheeks burn. I feel the same way.

  Maddie’s eyes go to them, and she snorts.

  Mr. Vasquez is finished grading the papers and begins to hand them back. Each time he gives one to a student, he tells them how they could have done better. When he reaches my desk, he twists his nose.

  “Nicholas McGuire,” he says, his voice louder than it needs to be. “I’m disappointed. The lowest grade in the entire class.” I look at the paper. A fifty four? I’ve never gotten such a low mark on a test.

  The room erupts in laughter, including Nicole. Maddie is the only one not chuckling. She actually seems sorry for me.

  Why’s Nicole laughing? It hurts right in the heart.

  She doesn’t know it’s you, the voice in my head says.

  Does that matter? She’s laughing at you.

  So what?

  I can push this aside. Besides, all this is going to change when I tell her the truth. Not sure when yet, but it’s going to be soon.

  “Excellent job, Madeline.” Mr. Vasquez has a large smile as he places Maddie’s test on her desk. “Highest grade.” He walks to the head of the room.

  “Good job,” I whisper to her.

  She flips through her test, once again ignoring me.

  “I want you to have your test papers signed,” the teacher says. “Those who won’t will get points deducted.”

  I glance at my paper, my throat getting tight. I’m already failing his class.

  “And I won’t allow extra credit.”

  I try to swallow the lump, but it’s impossible. I’m going to need that extra credit, which means I’ll have to get my test signed. I bang my head on my desk. My parents are going to flip out. I’ll probably get grounded and I won’t be able to see Nicole again.

  ***

  As much as I want to go to Nicole’s, I have to get this whole getting my test signed thing over with. I enter my house and scan around. It’s quiet, which means no one is yelling at one another. Mom’s not stressing with Kaylee, and Matt and Dad must not be home yet. Good. Getting Mom alone would be better because she tends to be more lenient than Dad.

  She’s in the kitchen, working on dinner. Looks like it’s going to be lasagna tonight. Kaylee must be playing in her room.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hey, honey.”

  “Need help?”

  Her face fills with surprise. “Sure. Layer the lasagna while I prepare the salad.”

  I get to work. Mom smiles at me and I return a small one. My heart pounds in my head. In just a few minutes, she won’t be smiling.

  “Hey, Mom?”

  “Hmn?”

  I swallow. Feels like a golf ball is lodged inside. “There’s something I need to, uh, talk to you about.”

  She cuts some tomatoes. “I’m listening.”

  I open my mouth to tell her, when the door opens and Matt and Dad walk in. Although he’s grounded, Mom and Dad would never let Matt skip practice. He still needs a scholarship for college.

  Dad kisses Mom and asks her how her day was. He asks me the same. Mom tells Matt to check on Kaylee and Matt sulks upstairs.

  “My day was good,” I lie and spread some sauce on the lasagna noodles. Dad wraps his arms around Mom’s waist and nuzzles her neck.

  Both parents seem to be in a good mood and I don’t want to mess it up, but I’ve got no choice.

  “So, uh…”

  They both look at me.

  I swallow again. “So we had a bio test on Friday and got the results back.” I wipe my hand on a towel, scared to face them. I hate disappointing them. It sucks.

  “And?” Dad asks.

  �
��We’re supposed to get them signed.” I make my way to my backpack and pull out my crumpled test paper. Puffing my cheeks, I hand it to Mom. She opens it and her face falls. She doesn’t say a word as she passes it to Dad. His face fills with disappointment, too.

  “Nick, sit down.” Mom gestures to the table.

  I sigh and sit down. Dad joins me. Mom puts the lasagna in the oven before lowering herself next to Dad, across from me.

  Mom starts, “We’re very concerned. I’ve talked to you about this and you assured me that you’re okay. I want to believe you, I really do, but I can’t.” She takes my hands. “What’s going on with you? You know you can tell us anything and we won’t judge. We love you and want what’s best for you.”

  “I noticed things were off with you when we went out on Friday,” Dad adds. “At first I thought it was because you felt uncomfortable going to the movies with your old man. Or maybe it was because you were bummed about your test. But I don’t think it’s either of those things.”

  I lean back in my chair, rubbing the back of my neck. All this is because of one reason. A reason I can’t tell them.

  Mom’s grip on my hands tightens. “Please tell us, Nick.” Her eyes are so sad and concerned. It hurts me that this hurts her.

  “Nick,” Dad says. “I can see you’re having an internal battle, wondering if you should tell us or not.”

  “Are you in some sort of trouble?” Mom asks. “You’ve been missing class and failing your tests. I can only imagine what you’ve gotten into…” Though she tried to say that in her tough voice, I see her lower lip tremble.

  “Maybe we need to get him some help,” Dad says.

  Help? As in, a shrink? Or one of those schools for problem kids?

  I’m on my feet before they can say another word. “No, I’m not in any trouble. Nothing’s been going on with me. I mean, something has, but it’s not what you think.”

  They look at me, their eyebrows lifted. I puff out my cheeks. I’ve only got one choice now. “The truth is.” I take a deep breath. “This is gonna sound crazy. But, uh, I’m, uh.” I shut my eyes. This is harder than I thought it’d be. Mom grabs Dad’s hand.

  I can’t tell them. Can’t get the words out. “I’m going to show you. Be right back.”