Falling for a Superhero

Chapter Thirty-"Listen to My Enemy?"

I paced in my bedroom, back and forth.

Who was Proliator? Everything was so...clear now...well, clearer.

I knew for a fact that the Proliator had to be Dastan or Mateo. Judging by the generally pleasant aura coming from Mateo, it was more likely to be him since Dastan was...well, Dastan. I know that Mateo acted like he didn't know me, but when we touched, his eyes produced the same hazel as the Proliator's when we touched. The only thing absent was the electrifying feeling and his English accent that was clearly a fake; no wonder why he never really used British terms...just the change in pronunciation.

Suddenly, there was a body at my doorway and I hoped it to be the Proliator even though I knew his entrance was forever through the window.

"Can I talk to you?" Sebastian's quiet voice asked.

"Of course," I muttered. I hadn't really talked to Sebastian over the last few days. When we were in Frankford, I let him enjoy his time with his friends, but then when I found about his confrontation with the Proliator long ago, I couldn't accept that his heroism was a fraud this whole time.

He entered my room and sat down on the opposite side of my room as if we were distant acquaintances opposed to siblings.

"What happened in Frankford?" he bluntly asked.

"What do you mean...?" I asked, playing it cool. He knew. He totally knew about what Kenneth told him. And by extension, he probably got Kylie to spill the beans about me and Proliator. I was going to die by disappointment to my brother. He was going to hate me. And I was going to die for it. I knew it. It would be by him or by the Proliator, himself.

"With you and Kenneth..." he clarified with a nervous voice. He was acting timid because I think he assumes I'm hurt about it.

"Same as how we've been up until now," I shrugged. There was just...a few kisses and a proclamation of  apparently-platonic love...oh, and don't forget to mention the fact that he told me you were a fraud because of someone who I've been somewhat involved with.

"Meaning what?" he asked. I shrugged once more. "Doesn't that upset you?"

"Do you want it to upset me?" I asked confused as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"You two don't even know how you are and yet y'all still settle for just that little," he answered. I sighed. I can see what Kenneth meant when he said Sebastian was stressing over guys, yet they were only the guys that had something to do with me.

"He has Jaime and I have Hayden, so there. It's settled and we know that much," I told him, bluntly. He shifted positions. I guess he didn't know about Kenneth and Jaime? "I don't know why you're so obsessed with it when it has nothing to do with you."

"You're my sister," he reminded.

"Yeah...so...then act like my brother," I pled. He slightly looked down. and held his jaw firmly. "Sebastian, I love you, but sometimes you just get way in over your head—"

"Wanna know why I care so much?" he asked suddenly. I nodded, even though his gaze was aimed at the floor. "I care about you and who you date because you never seem to realize the obvious, Ang. You didn't realize how much Kenneth loved you especially in the last couple of years and you don't realize that Hayden isn't the right one for you and you don't realize—"

"That my brother is being a complete hypocrite right now because he doesn't even realize that I know more than he thinks I do," I interrupted. There was a brief silence. "You don't think I knew Kenneth loved me before now? I knew but I waited for him to man up and see if he would fight for me, even if that meant him fighting himself out of his comfort zone. And Hayden? You're not the first person to tell me that about him. I hear it every day! From you and from Nik and Dastan and even Pr—"

"Why don't you listen to him then?" he asked in an intelligent tone.

I was glad he cut me off because I was about to make the biggest mistake by listing Proliator.

"Who do you mean?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Nik. He's a bit abrasive, sure, but at least he's genuine and you never have to question his motives...unlike literally anybody else here," he asked. I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the same time. Was he kidding? "Don't act like I'm lying...Actually, maybe I am since I listed Dastan and you damn sure care about what he thinks for whatever reason. You talk to him so much and act like you're friends with him even though-- "

"Are we talking about the same Dastan? Dastan Vega? He's a spoiled, arrogant narcissus that doesn't give a damn about me or what I do," I yelled, feeling a tang of guilt for my lies. Right now, I was trying to build a wall between me and Dastan because I didn't want Sebastian ever connecting the dots between me and Dastan and Proliator at all. "He cares about his best friend's stupid reputation that I shouldn't be a part of. The only reason he would ever listen to me is when he's constantly ignoring me and I'm desperate enough to ramble on and on to him!"

"And you still don't think that means anything?" he suddenly asked with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. What? "You say all this shit about him and swear that you're enemies with him in front of Hayden and your friends, but oh no, when it's Saturday and I find you and him out with Jeremy and then find you balled up in his lap asleep at home alone, it's a completely different story."

I couldn't respond to him because he was right. I wasn't like Mickie. I couldn't just put up a front and lie about Dastan Not to anyone and especially not to Sebastian. The feelings were too obvious.

I tried to hate Dastan from the beginning because I was sure he extended that distain towards me, but then something grew inside me. It started as reluctant forgiveness that budded into attraction and hope amongst other lightness. I wanted to hate him now more than ever especially for driving me into all of the danger...but I couldn't find it within myself. The only thing I loathed about him was his absences from school and in my life that left a hole in my chest and told me I favored him instead of Kenneth or Hayden this whole time. 

The thought of that reality scared me though. Especially with Sebastian sitting right here, using all these words only to imply how naive i was about this while still pushing me to admit my feelings for Dastan despite what he or Nik or Hayden told me about him. Which didn't make any sense to me. He wanted me to be upset over Kenneth, but proded about my relation to Dastan--someone he constantly feuded with only slightly less than Hayden. 

It made me wonder. If Dastan was the Proliator that Sebastian probably clued into, shouldn't they be aligned with each other? The Proliator gave Sebastian heroic fame and Sebastian kept the Proliator's secret. They should be the most allied people on the planet and forever indebted to each other by now. They sure as hell acted like each other, I thought especially when Sebastian abruptly announced he needed to go out tonight. In my confusion, I tried apologizing, but he told me to forget it. 

I only sat on my bed texting Hayden the entire night. I still found myself waiting for two other things to happen, though I'd be satisfied with either: Dastan to text me back and the Proliator to step through the window.