Magic Children

Chapter 21 Button Rock Lyons, Colorado---14 years earlier - Aurora

"Why're you so rotten to Sam lately?" I ask, following Angel down the path, my hand content in his. It's dark, and warm out here tonight, and the woods are soft with insects and night birds. But no other people. Our secret's safe tonight.

"I'm not," Angel says, shaking his head. His dark lovely hair is getting a bit long down his neck. I'm surprised they haven't shaved it again. They shave the boy's hair every couple of months.

"Your hair's long---here just stop," I say, "Enjoy it."

"What's it?"

"Tonight," I say, tugging him closer to me. I put my hands on his face, petting his soft hair, "Why haven't they cut your hair?"

"Someone broke the clippers."

"Is someone you?" I ask, amused.

"Not this time actually. It was Sam. They cut Arthur last time, gouged the back of his head and he cried. So of course the shithead went and broke literally everything in the room. They haven't sent us more and even my safety razor's getting dull," Angel says, rubbing his cheeks which aren't very well shaved. They don't even let him do that; someone shaves him now every couple of days. I don't mind. I think he looks nice with a bit of stubble. More and more like a man.

"Why are you so mean to Sam lately? You always seem annoyed with him," I ask frowning.

"I'm---I don't know. He's weird," Angel says, shrugging, "I don't want to talk about him."

"They're your friends; they help you get out like this. And you're calling them school girls earlier and the other day you didn't even stop when he stumbled," I point out. I would much rather just kiss him here like I know he wants, but I don't like the boys fighting. I do love Angel. But Sam and Arthur are my friends too. Arthur is sweet and gentle despite what happens to him, and Sam is just so quiet. He's too quiet and lonely. He could use Angel to be a big brother to him but Angel just seems annoyed by him.

"He's just ---been weird. More so lately----it's just creepy is all. I think he's queer or something," he mutters the last bit.

"Really?" Sam doesn't strike me as queer. He might be. There's a boy in my class who is or who the others bully because they think he is. I don't know; it is weird.

"He acts strange around Arthur---always sitting next to him, picking stuff out of his hair any excuse to touch him. He's just off," Angel says, shaking his head.

"I think they just act like that because they've never had anyone else; all the adults around are horrible and Arthur is littler than him," I say, frowning. They've always acted like that. Like a pair of kittens to afraid to venture far from the other. I always put it up to the fact that they've known each other since they were little and had to look out for one another.

"That's what makes it gross. I don't know," Angel says, shrugging, "That's all. And Sam's an ass about coming out here; he never wants to bother. And I want to see you."

"I'm sure he's afraid of being caught," Angel has an unhealthy lack of regard when it comes to being caught. He doesn't care how much they torture him. He just goes and does whatever it is again. They've been caught sneaking out multiple times. Then they get thrown on the chair or shocked in their cells. I've gone so far as to beg them not to after seeing their scars. Horrible lumpy burns on poor little Arthur's arms. He's about as bad as Angel so far as not minding getting caught. Sam is the only one with a general sense of self-preservation.

"Whatever, I don't want to talk about them."

"Well, get along, okay? They're the only family you have," I say. He won't last half as long if he alienates them. And so what if Sam is gay? Does it really matter? I mean, it's not like he could do anything to the other two. As I understand he's the weakest of the three.

"I've got you," Angel says, kissing my forehead.

"You're always going to have me," I say, kissing his lips and stepping a little off the path. I unzip my shorts then start working on the stupid jumpsuit. Someday I'd really like to tear normal clothes off of him.

"I'd better," he says, kissing me and picking me up stepping well off the path.

"You'd better hope Arthur is keeping watch," I mumble, my mouth on his.

"If he's not, I'll just set whoever gets near us on fire," Angel says, unconcernedly. Fire is his contingency plan for everything. It's really not good. I've tried to suggest that maybe people who interfere don't technically have to die especially considering we have extensive proof Arthur can just wipe minds. Angel doesn't care. I know people have done such horrible things to him; he doesn't see a reason why he shouldn't be horrible all the time. But still. I want him to see parts of the world aren't that bad.

"Or we could hide," I laugh, kissing him again.

"Or fire," he laughs a little. His skin is really warm. It's always really warm. Like there's fire burning up under it. It glows in his eyes. "You sure about this here?"

We typically try to find more protected places than the woods to have sex. My favorite place being the school. While it's raining. We broke in. Arthur went right to the library. Sam followed him. Angel and I hid in a lab. Rain splattered the windows. And he held me down against the teacher's desk. That was our first time, two years ago. Since, our liaisons have gotten decently frequent. Every month or so, anytime that we can slip away without the others. The last time was in my room. We climbed up the tree by my house just like I do every time I sneak out. I locked the door and we lay in my bed for hours, kissing. I was terrified after that. I was so sure it would smell of him, that my mother would know. In retrospect, I think she did. She probably sensed those sheets were a bit too mussed, my face too flushed with happiness the next morning. They can't figure it out because no one from school ever comes around. Hopefully they never do.

"Yeah, kiss me," I say, kissing him back despite all my senses screaming to tell him. My period is three days late today. But that's stupid. I'm not pregnant. I can't be pregnant. And I don't see good telling him and worrying him now would do. Not when I don't know. I'm sure I'm not. I was sick the other week with the flu I gave it to all three of the boys unfortunately. That's all that's wrong with me.

"I love you, you know," he says.

"Yeah, I'm fond of you too," I laugh, a little, pressing against his warm sweaty skin on this hot summer night. On summer nights nothing is allowed to go wrong. Not ever. It's simply not allowed.

It's forty five minutes before we're back dressed properly and pretending to be normal, walking back down the trail, Angels arm still around my waist. Knowing that Arthur is reading my mind and knows for a fact we just had sex is weird, but since he's polite about it I'm living with it.

"Have a nice walk?" Sam, who probably would not be so polite reading minds, looking at Angel very intently like he knows for a fact what we've been up to.

"Yes, yeah," I mutter tucking my hair back because I feel like it's still a mess from his hands.

"Lovely, all quiet out here," Arthur says, standing up. He looks like he's been sleeping; his pudgy cheeks are red and there's dirty on his sweater. "Some walkers but they went the other way."

"Good," Angel says. He's never the one to suggest they go back.

"It's late, Aurora has school and we're intended to be awake at 7," Sam is always the one to suggest they go back, I think he frightens Angel because he can make good decisions and is the adult all the time.

"Yeah," Angel says, kissing my hair once more, "See you in a couple of days yeah?"

"Yeah, you boys be careful," I say, not dreaming that I won't ever see them again.