HERO

48 / Unwelcome Visitors

"About time you got here."

A tall boy, with thick, swept back blonde but yellowing hair was handing out small pieces of paper to the other children in the room.

"Tyler," Alex said with a smile.

The boy smile and nodded back, passing a note to a skinny girl with her hand outstretched. Her hand closed over the scrap of paper and Thomas noticed she had nails half the length of her fingers. They were white enough to appear glowing next to her dark skin. She looked emaciated, as if her last meal had been when she was about two years old, but her stance was strong and confident. Looking at the three newcomers to the room, she smiled a broad, and decidedly skeletal, grin.

Eddie and Alex smiled back but neither spoke and the girl moved away, reading her slip of paper. Thomas thought that none of the gathered children appeared happy with what their notes were saying.

"Are you going to tell them about the mirror?" he whispered to Alex.

Alex glanced at Eddie, who shook his head.

"We'll leave it for now. Let Oscar sort it. None of our business."

"How can you say that?" Thomas hissed. "Don't you think they should know?"

"Oscar is dad to most of us. He's untouchable. We don't want to spoil that," Eddie added

"Everyone is meant to feel safe here," Alex added. "Plus, Oscar likes to keep things private. He'll tell 'em if he wants 'em to know."

Thomas nodded. He didn't like secrets being kept, in particular potentially important ones, but he'd only just joined this family. He'd yet to learn its rules and ways. Until he did, he'd allow himself to be led by the pair.

"Here you guys go," Tyler said, offering his clenched fists out. "Take your pick."

Alex laughed.

"You know I don't like games."

"Yet you still always play."

"That's only to keep you from being your usual miserable self."

"That's only around you, ya lump. Everyone else keeps me bouncing. It's only you who burst my bubble."

"I can do that to your nose too, if you like," Alex said, tapping Tyler's right hand.

Thomas couldn't help smiling himself at the exchange. He was so used to being the brunt of everyone's jokes and jibes, it felt good for two obvious friends to be swapping banter lightly disguised as insults. He wondered if he'd be able to be that comfortable – and liked – himself.

Tyler turned the selected hand over and Alex took the enclosed piece of paper.

"Looks like this one's for you, Eddie," he said. "I hope you like it."

Eddie took the paper, allowing his hand to linger on the others for a few seconds longer than necessary. Both boys blushed and Tyler hastily turned and walked over to talk to a group of older children. Eddie stared at the floor for a moment before returning his attention to Alex and Thomas.

"I've already told you, you should ask him out," Alex said quietly.

"Yeah, and I said I will," Eddie responded. "But what if he says no?"

"Look at the way he always saves you till last. Yeah, and the way he watches you when he thinks you're not looking. Just go for it."

"What do you think I should do," Eddie asked Thomas.

Surprised to be asked, Thomas didn't answer immediately. Being only ten, he hadn't expected to be included in personal conversations about relationships. Both Eddie and Alex had been speaking to him as an equal, despite being older, but some things were more age relevant and he'd not had a great deal of experience in such matters.