by Ekeke, C. C.
Baz who? Hugo looked as delicious as in that weird dream the day Mumu had dumped dad last year. He’d appeared when Brie was trapped in a crowded and colorless school hallway, kissing away her fears. The vision had driven her to Hugo’s house, where she’d found that Presley skankbag at the door…
Brie snapped out of her daze.
“YES!” younger Brie cheered.
Briseis’s body yearned for Hugo as much as her heart. “But…what about Jodie?”
“Not important.” Hugo’s dark eyes burned. “This is.”
Brie ran a hand up the length of Hugo’s six-pack…no, eight-pack, and that beautiful chest. “God, I’ve missed you.” She sounded throatier than expected. His rock-hard abs beneath her fingers got Brie all tingly between her legs. Hugo was who she wanted…had always wanted. Now he was here in her bed.
Then the image of Jordana burst through the thick mental haze.
Brie yanked her hand off as if Hugo’s flesh was scalding. Guilt landed instantly. “We shouldn’t.”
Hugo looked wounded, which knifed through her. The last thing she wanted was to hurt him again.
Younger Brie bristled. “Why not?” She gestured at Hugo. “He’s right there!”
Every cell in Brie’s body ached. “I promised Jodie—” she began fuzzily.
“Fuck Jordana!” Younger Brie’s green eyes flashed with terrifying wrath. “She mocked you for being friends with Hugo, then dates him behind your back. Just like Spencer.” Those last words stung.
Brie looked away. She’d wrestled with those truths, even after rekindling her friendship with Jodie. Still…
No…fuck! Brie shook her head. “That doesn’t mean I should do the same thing.” Caring only about herself no matter what had hurt people. “Jodie’s my best friend.”
Younger Brie rolled her eyes petulantly. “And you’ve forgotten who you are,” she sneered. “You’re Briseis Nefertiti El-Saden. Everyone at Paso High wanted you as a friend or a fuck. And you loved it!” Her lips stretched into a cruel smile. “You loved every second of it.”
Brie flinched. She could lie to friends and family, but not herself. The power she’d wielded over her classmates had been exhilarating…and toxic. “I remember how awful I was to so many people.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Because they were beneath you,” Younger Briseis threw back. Cruelty somehow made her more beautiful. “Stop shrinking yourself to please your so-called friends.” She let her arms drop. That callousness melted away, revealing a soft and youthful desire. “If you wanted, Hugo could be yours. You saw how he looked at you on Bishop Peak…how he still looks at you.”
Hugo was watching her with such love, like before. Her heart threatened to burst. My Hugo…
A cruel smile pulled at younger Brie’s lips. “There you go. Welcome back.”
Brie grabbed Hugo’s throat, dragging him down. Her vision blurred around the edges. Their lips touched…
Jordana… She shoved Hugo away, backing up on her elbows. “I can’t.” Her resolve steadied with each breath. “I won’t.”
Younger Brie shook her head, disgusted. “You’re a sad shell of your former self.”
Brie pushed silky locks out of her face. Had she always been this nasty? “I see why people hated us.”
Younger Brie sighed in exasperation. “Fine.” She approached, climbing onto the bed behind a saddened Hugo. “Since you have no guts…” Younger Brie grabbed his neck from behind. He gagged.
Brie gasped. Abruptly, her younger self swelled into a gargantuan creature covered in the midnight-blue armor of a medieval knight. The beast peered down at Brie. Its glowing blood-red eyes pierced through flesh and bone, reaching right into her soul.
She flattened herself against her headboard. Never had she known such deep-rooted terror.
And Hugo, despite his amazing powers, was getting choked out by this nightmare warrior. “If you won’t have him,” the creature rumbled. “Then I will!” The beast drew its other arm back, then rammed forward. A big, curved blade exploded out of Hugo’s chest, spraying blood on Brie.
Hugo arched his back, the life leaving his eyes as if switched off.
“HUGO!” Brie felt like she’d been speared through the heart—and woke up screaming.
She swiveled her head around. No sign of that beast. No blood on her shirt.
That was Brie's second dream about that…demon. Only this time, its name lingered in her thoughts. Knightmare. Brie trembled as she sat up.
Grace Misawa lay curled up and dozing at the foot of the bed. Inky hair pooled around the dancer’s head.
Her presence mystified Brie, until she remembered. They’d scheduled a study date since both shared the same Spanish teacher.
“Must’ve passed out.” Brie slumped back on her bed, calming herself with deep breaths.
She pushed up on her elbows and stuck out her bare foot to prod Grace.
That was when Brie spied the shiny blade tip to her right.
Where did that come from? She reached out cautiously to finger the bloody tip, one tank top strap slipping off her shoulder.
Her throat tightened. This matched the blade that stabbed Hugo in her dream.
Shaken, Brie tossed it away. Now blood stained her fingers. “What the hell is wrong with me?”
Chapter 50
Hugo observed San Miguel’s financial district from several miles above. Between those corridors of steel-and-glass high-rises, a large crowd cheered.
“Are we ready?” Hugo shouted above the wailing winds.
“Launched this morning,” Annie Sherwood confirmed.
Hugo smiled in satisfaction. Today had been bittersweet. His charitable site, The Shield Foundation, launched to help patients afford life-saving surgeries. But his friend Reggie Palmer’s window for a heart transplant had shrunk considerably. Hugo’s hospital visits weren’t enough.
“Are you sure about this?” Annie asked yet again. “This could backfire.”
“Or not.” Hugo’s plan was nuts. So he had to do it. “Guess we’ll find out.”
Annie sighed in amused frustration. “Fine. Johnny will have choices for the Paragons logo ready by tomorrow.”
“Cool,” Hugo replied. “Loba’s, Cherry Blossom’s and Polymer’s new costumes will be ready in three to four days.” Ms. Ortiz had agreed on this during their long conversation a few days ago. But as the Paragons established themselves, he wouldn’t allow them to become some Disneyfied product like the Extreme Teens.
Annie brightened upon hearing about the costumes. “Great. Those three are in serious need of fashion upgrades.” She then switched topics. “BTW, some people want to say hi.”
“Hey, Hugo,” a familiar voice greeted.
“Bonjour, mon ami,” another woman added in French.
Hugo’s heart sang. “Quinn! Therese! How are you?”
“Great,” Quinn replied. “Therese is getting stir-crazy.”
“Am not!” Therese jeered. “Quinn and I are finding plenty of adventures in Berlin.”
Quinn made a rude noise. “Hopefully those adventures don’t become a thing!”
“You soooo want it to become a thing,” Therese teased.
Hugo chuckled. “You can always come back. San Miguel misses you.”
“Depends on Ms. Bauer,” Therese chimed in.
“Whatever,” Quinn snarked.
Hugo loved how they sounded like an old married couple. “Love your Q-Talk podcast, Quinn.”
“Thanks, Hugo,” Quinn replied, noticeably flattered. “Annie says you’re doing something reckless?”
Hugo rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna pick a fight. With Blur.”
“Please…” Quinn implored. “Shut that pipsqueak up.”
“Quinnie!” Annie gasped. Therese laughed uproariously in the background.
“Gladly!” Hugo ended the call smiling. The financial district was a sea of cheering humanity jam-packed within Sinsheimer Square.
Hugo zeroed in on a stage at the r
ear of Rockwell Financial Center with a massive billboard-like movie screen. Onstage, the Extreme Teens were in full force. Sunrider, Vendetta crouched and brooding, Cyberpunk, smoky-haired Starchylde, rock-skinned Roadblock. And last but not least, the speedster, Blur, in his costume tattooed by sponsors.
“Oh right.” Hugo remembered this was an advanced screening of the Extreme Teens' new live-action film, Extreme Justice. All monies were being split between Seattle and Atascadero.
Before the film started, the Extreme Teens were indulging in spirited Q & A from VIP crowd members. Blur currently had the mic, ranting again about Aegis. “That Titan imitator saved Atascadero. But he needed help. Me?” The speedster pointed at himself. “I could’ve smoked the Forces of Nature easily.”
“Why didn’t you?” the young girl who’d asked the original question demanded.
Blur scowled. “Next question.”
“Here goes nothing.” Hugo plunged farther toward the massive gathering.
Within moments, several attendees pointed and marveled. Onstage, the Extreme Teens eventually noticed something was drawing attention from them.
Hugo slowed to a halt, hovering above ground like he stood on an invisible floor. The crowd erupted around him with an “AEGIS! AEGIS!” chant.
Hugo forced himself not to react at the insane cheers and women begging for Aegis to impregnate them. Wow. He locked eyes with a startled Blur.
By the time Hugo reached the stage and stepped onto it, Blur was barricaded off by four burly male bodyguards and his teammates.
Blur stepped forward from across the stage and waved his entourage away. “It’s alright.” Then he moved faster than comprehension.
A half-second later, Blur was in Hugo’s face. The crowd oooooohed in scandalized anticipation.
Hugo never flinched, snatching a mic from an approaching Johnny Truelove. That excited the riled-up audience further.
Unlike his public debut, Hugo felt more relaxed in the spotlight. “Got something to say to me…boy?”
Thunderous cheers shook the gathering. Truelove was enraged. Cyberpunk and Roadblock exchanged angered stares. Sunrider was clutching her sides, howling. Starchylde turned to hide her delight.
Blur turned brick-red, until he suddenly relaxed. A smirk pulled at his lips. “You think you’re the next big thing? Whatever.” Blur pointed his finger in Hugo’s face. “But acting like you’re faster than me? Bullshit. I’m the world’s fastest hero!”
The audience went crazy as Blur had fallen into Hugo’s trap. “I never called myself faster than you. But that sounds like a challenge.”
Blur glanced at Roadblock and Cyberpunk in smug amusement. “You don’t have the balls to race me,” the speedster retorted.
Hugo leaned in so they were eye to eye. “If you wanna race, then you got it!”
Now he could barely hear himself think. The crowd’s reaction shook the surrounding buildings. Blur stopped smiling, no longer so confident.
Hugo raised a hand, and the crowd quieted. Jesus, that was awesome. “On one condition,” he added. “If I win, all donations go to charities of my choosing. If you win, the donations go to your favored charities.”
Blur looked up at Hugo as if he’d received the best birthday gift. “If I win? When I kick your ass, those coffers are coming to Big Daddy Quick, baby.” He spread his arms, playing to the raucous crowd.
Hugo watched the speedster and shook his head. All that power wasted on a group of famewhores. “If you spent a fraction of this passion on being a hero,” he remarked, “you’d be the greatest hero ever.”
A cringing oooooooh rippled across the ocean of humanity beyond the stage as if a powerful punch had been struck. And it might as well have been.
Blur’s cockiness vanished, leaving the expression of a young boy chastised by his betters. The rest of the Extreme Teens all got offended about the very true observation.
But Hugo had made his point. “My people will be in touch with yours.” He tossed the mic to Johnny Truelove and flew off to the sounds of thousands chanting his name.
Now miles above the city, bathed in golden sun, Hugo banked left toward Paso Robles. Not a bad way to promote his charity.
Later in the day, Annie sent him stats from the overwhelming site and social media traffic to the Aegis Foundation. Donations were rolling in like an avalanche. Craziness. Annie’s husband, Johnny Sherwood, would manage the day-to-day functions until a permanent site manager could be hired.
Hugo then received some alarming texts from Abbie Dunleavy.
AbbieD: FYI. Spencer wanted me to go public with our summer fling.
AbbieD: I said no and promised to deny it all if she ever said anything.
Hugo sucked in a horrified breath, gathering his thoughts before replying.
ME: Thank you.
AbbieD: I’m keeping my promise to AJ.
AbbieD: And you never slutshamed me like everyone else.
After a long patrol and then training with Lady Liberty and the other Paragons, Hugo changed into civilian clothes and headed to Jodie’s house.
She looked sensuous in a gold trench coat-like top and matching belt, black pants, and heels, the J.Lo-style hoop earrings swinging as she sashayed. Her hair was up in a tight, sleek bun.
Once at downtown Paso Robles, they walked around holding hands. The streets were bustling with pedestrians enjoying Paso’s many sights, sounds, and succulent tastes. But Hugo was more interested in Jodie as they discussed his meeting with her parents earlier tonight.
“Thanks for the stay of execution, Malalou.” Jordana gazed up gratefully.
Hugo remembered how scared he’d been before talking with Jodie’s parents about not leaving San Miguel before she finished at Paso High. The respectful yet fervent debate went how Hugo had wished.
“Like I said.” He snuck in a kiss. God, Jodie smelled good. “I’m not ready to lose you yet.”
“Yeah…” She flushed and turned her head, more out of shame. “What do you think of that Aegis vs Blur race? I mean, Aegis is crazy fast. But Blur’s gonna smoke him. Brie felt the same way.” Jordana wrinkled her nose. “She isn’t a big Aegis fan.”
Hugo snort-laughed. God bless Brie for maintaining the “I dislike Aegis” act. “I won’t count Aegis out yet.”
Jodie eyed him with a sexy smile. “Well, I wouldn’t mind someone beating Blur so he’ll shut up.”
Hugo guffawed and draped an arm around her shoulders. He glanced at a billboard connected atop the clocktower broadcasting the evening news. Apparently, Jair Tentoria, President of Brazil, had died in a helicopter crash. How…sad. Hugo tore his eyes away, catching the time. 7:17 PM. He turned back to Jodie. “So we got an hour before the movie. Wanna get food?”
To his surprise, Jordana pulled away and stopped in front of him. There was a sudden shift in the energy between them. “There’s something I need to get off my chest.” She wrung her hands, heart thrumming fast. “And if I don’t say it now, I might lose my nerve.
A growing dread crawled up Hugo’s body. “Okay.”
Jodie blew out a loud breath. “What happened with Spencer last summer hurt me. And I wasn’t sure we could move forward.”
Hugo’s heart plummeted. But he kept calm. “I understand.” He barely recognized his own voice.
Jodie shook her head. “No, you don’t.” She forced herself to meet his gaze, looking so stricken. “When you and I were working on us, I met someone from church. And we’ve been dating for weeks.”
Memories of the Morro Bay Carnival filled Hugo. “The guy from the carnival.”
Jodie gawked. “Damn, you are observant.” She gave a puzzled smile. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Hugo kept his face blank while his heart cracked to pieces. “I’m in no position to get mad. And I figured you’d tell me if it’s serious.” He paused, studying Jordana’s growing discomfort. “Which I guess it is.”
She nodded with such guilt, as if she were in the wrong. “Things escalat
ed so fast.” Her voice wavered as the confession grew emotional. “He’s sweet and attentive and wants to be my boyfriend. My parents LOVE him. He checks so many boxes it’s like I created him at a build-a-boy shop.”
Hugo swallowed hard. All he wanted in this moment was to run far, far away. Or just shut down emotionally. Somehow, he pushed down those selfish, cowardly urges and stayed present while Jodie spoke her truth. “Now you want to be with him?”
“I wasn’t sure,” Jodie admitted, fixated on the ground. “I wanted to talk about it after the carnival.”
Hugo waited for her to put him out of his misery. “But?”
Jordana looked up at Hugo with dreamy eyes. “But…he’s not you.”
Hugo blinked, hearing but not processing. “Huh?”
A smile slashed Jodie’s face. “The way you make me feel safe and loved when we’re together. How you fought for me tonight. And you can unbraid hair.” She took his large hands in her own. “I won’t settle for anything less.”
Waves of euphoria nearly knocked Hugo on his behind. She chose me. After everything he’d done to self-sabotage, Jordana had chosen him. There was no sweeter sensation.
Jodie pulled him closer, biting her lower lip. “You wanna be my boyfriend?”
“Hell yes,” Hugo admitted before she even finished.
Jordana exhaled in relief, her shoulders sagging. “Good. As long as there’s no one else.”
“Not anymore,” he confessed. No more Taylor. No more J-Tom.
“Same here. I love you.” She stood on her tiptoes expectantly.
Hugo kissed her lovingly. Nourishing warmth spread throughout him. For a brief moment, he felt connected to everything. “I love you too,” he said upon stepping back, hand over his thudding heart. “Jesus, you gave me a heart attack.”
Jodie punched his arm. “You kinda deserved it.” The couple kissed again, briefer but as passionate.
Hugo spotted SLO Grill Eats, one of many food trucks littering downtown Paso. His mouth watered. “This stand has some killer grilled cheese sandwiches.” He eyed Jordana to gauge her interest.
She nodded eagerly. “Let’s do it, papi.”
