Superhero, Superqueer

Full-Blown Mega-Nerd

I stand up and turn around as a twig snaps, eerie as an echoing gunshot. I was prepared to bolt, but when I see Crew, I instantly relax. "Oh, it's you. How did you find me?"

Crew taps his temple. "You were thinking pretty loudly, my friend. I can hear thoughts a mile away. All I had to do was follow your general direction to hear you."

I groan. "Great. That's great. So what now, are you going to stone me?"

Crew looks genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

I laugh coldly. "Well, you could hear my thoughts, and they weren't exactly unfiltered. Don't tell me you haven't figured it out. I'm sure you've already known. This is just the icing on the cake."

Crew remains quiet for a short moment. "I.... yeah. I know."

My heart thumps anxiously. "So go ahead. Say whatever is on your mind. You already know what's on mine."

Crew frowns at me. "Collin, I don't think anything. Stop with this Edward-Bella shit. We are not Twilight characters. You aren't confessing to vampire-ism or anything truly drastic in the middle of the woods. You like boys. That's it. I told you before, you aren't as alienated as you think."

I blink. "Twilight? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind," my telepathic friend groans. "The point is, I'm not going to stone you. I'm not going to out you. I'm the only one who knows. I promise you, no one else will find out."

"And just how do you expect me to believe that?" I scoff. "I've known you for only a few days. That promise virtually means nothing."

"Well," Crew says, looking hurt by my words, "you don't, but I won't. I know you're scared. You think I'll blackmail you or something terrible like that, but I won't."

His brown eyes meet my blue ones. Something about them is so compelling. They welcome you with open arms, warm and ready to comfort.

"So you don't hate me?" I ask quietly.

"Of course not," Crew says, his face softening. Leaves crunch under his feet as he walks towards me. "Come on, now. Let's go back to the facility."

I take a step back. "I don't really want to."

"Collin," Crew says, "You're going to have to face Taner. He's a super, like us. Not to mention, he's apart of our first line of fighters. If you choose to stay, you're going to have to work by him."

I open my mouth to argue, but Crew beats me to it. "Oh no you don't. Don't let him make the decision for you."

"But he's an ass," I say, though both of us know I don't mean that. "He used me. He probably thinks I'm lame. Now that the cat's out of the bag... I mean that he was using me. Not the, uh, other thing. Though it is for you, I guess."

I feel awkward admitting it out loud to him, but Crew doesn't notice. "Trust me, he's not as shallow as you think. He genuinely likes you as a friend," Crew says. "Though if there is one thing you should do..."

Crew pauses, debating on whether to continue or not. "Just tell me, Crew. I can take it."

His eyes are sad when they look at me this time. "No, you can't. He's your world. You've never looked at anyone else the same way you look at him."

I gulp. "Crew, just say it."

"Collin, you need to move on," Crew gives in. "It's a lost cause."

Something swells in my chest. Anger? Hurt? Sadness? "No," I say. Denial?

Those damn eyes. "Collin, you know it's true. If anyone knows it, it's me."