Love Story

We're Dead if They Knew

The afternoon sun shone through the leaves, casting the park in an ever-shifting dappled light. The smell of kettle corn and cotton candy floated on the breeze from the state fair just down the street. The sounds of laughter and excited cries were muffled this far away, but they still made Morgan anxious to get going. The tickets were burning a hole in their pocket. Full access to all the rides and shows. There was just one thing missing. Alex.

The teen sighed and sat on the edge of the fountain, waiting for their partner to arrive so the festivities could begin. Life at home had been more strained, lately. Their parents were becoming more impatient by the day, as Morgan continued to decline the roll of sidekick. The pressure was beginning to get to them. Their only moments of respite were these dates.

Pulling out a penny from their pocket, they rolled it over their knuckles a few times, before closing their eyes. With all their heart, they wished for their family to leave them alone, and just let them be their own person and love who they wanted to love. Gripping the coin, they gave it a little puff before flipping it into the fountain.

Apparently, one cent was not enough to make that wish come true.

"There he is!" Chad's voice was like nails on a chalkboard as the larger teen approached his brother. "Little Morgan!"

Morgan rolled their eyes, glaring at the coin through the clear water, as if this was its fault. Maybe if they just ignored him, he would go away.

"Morgan! It's me, Chad, your brother!" The hero called, standing beside the other now.

There was a time when Morgan found their brother's ridiculous introduction endearing, but those days were long past. "What do you want, Chad? ...I'm busy."

"Too busy to talk to your brother?" Chad asked with an overacted laugh.

"Yes." Morgan hissed, turning to glare up at the other from their seat.

Chad just laughed again and shook his head. "You know what I want, Morgan." He said, setting his fists on his hips in a ridiculous pose. "When are you going to finally agree to be my sidekick?"

Morgan made a show of looking at their watch and humming in thought. "Hmmm... Probably a few days past never."

The quip made Chad sigh a bit, though he tried to stay positive. The tension in the house was getting to him too, and he was beginning to resent his brother for not just playing the part like everyone else. "Mom and Dad aren't going to wait forever, you know."

"Well, that sucks for them, doesn't it?" Morgan growled, turning back to the fountain.

Chad was beginning to have trouble controlling his temper. The young hero wasn't quite as poised as he would someday be. Without thinking, they just said what they knew would cut the deepest. "Come on, Morgan. We both know it's your calling. You were always meant to be in my shadow." Chad knew he had gone too far when Morgan turned an angry glare at him, but his teenage hormones were in control at the moment, and they wouldn't let him back down.

Morgan stood, fists clenched as they glared up at the other. They knew they couldn't win this fight, but that might not be enough to stop them from trying. "Well, how about you take that calling and shove it up your ass." Suddenly, Morgan's eyes locked on something behind Chad and their whole demeanor changed. They started shaking their head, subtly at first, but becoming more obvious as their brother continued to yell.

"You're being ridiculous!" Chad snarled, heedless to his brother's sudden fear. "Just give in before mom and dad do something drastic—" He cried out as something gripped his shoulder painfully tight. When he tried to jerk away, he found himself trapped, a problem he hadn't encountered since he'd gotten his powers.