Us Mutants Prefer the Term "Special"

x16x

I woke up to knocking on my bedroom door. When I actually woke up, I saw Zaine walking in with a tray of food on a tray. I sat up, smelling the deliciousness that probably took him forever to make.

"Oh no. You're a morning person," I teased as he set down the tray on my window sill.

"Actually, I'm a 24/7 person," he replied. "What part of 'I don't sleep' don't you understand? PTSD has its perks...well, for you, I guess."

"That's not funny."

He plopped down on my bed and grabbed my jaw as if he'd stroke my tear-stained cheeks once more, but he only let his hand rest there.

"But your bed hair is," he smiled simply before running a hand through it and making me feel all kinds of embarrassed. I instantly rushed over to my bathroom, realizing that the guy I liked so much it hurt was in my house, seeing me at my most vulnerable and repulsive time of the day. I combed my hair and started to brush my teeth when he came to lean on the open doorway, drinking orange juice.

"That doesn't go too well with orange juice," he said, taking a drink of the orange juice, himself.

"I don't drink orange juice," I informed. Apple juice is where it's at.

"Hmm...then it's no match for you," he surrendered. "However, I guess that means I can't kiss you."

I paused and held in the toothpaste I wanted to spit out until he rolled off of the door way and left. Kiss me. He was thinking about kissing me.

And here you are with toothpaste all on your mouth, putting down his efforts at making you breakfast. Way to go, you romantic you.

Thanks.

"So since your parents are at work and apparently your district is out of school today, you can go to Kiely's for a while," he said from my room. I was done brushing my teeth, so I returned to my room to see him eating a piece of bacon and stretched out on my floor. I shook my head playfully and planned to step over him, but he grabbed my ankle and before I came tumbling to the floor, he rolled to cushion my fall.

"I can't get hurt," I reminded.

"Who said I wanted to hurt you?" he inquired. "Maybe I just wanted to be close to you for once."

I rolled off of him and looked over at the youthful, playful Zaine Union.

"What's wrong with you? Are you smoking my brother's weed?" I asked, after all, he's staying in Wib's room and the kid tested out that crap in eighth grade. I meant it as both a concern and joke, but his smile faded away and he looked down.

"I promised you that when I got us out safely, I'd prove that I like you," he recalled.

"Yeah, but—" when I was about to tell him how childish and boyish and yet cute way he was acting as if his prior personality had gone, he stood up and left my room.

And the good ole, hostile Zaine Union is back.

***

"You ready to go?" I asked Zaine, entering Wilbur's room that he resided in.

"I thought you were walking to her house," he frowned. I guess he did listen every once in a while. I had mentioned Kiely lived down the street, when we had passed her house on our way here.

"Yeah..." I confirmed. "So are you ready to go?"

"If you're walking, why do I need to drive you?" he asked, confused. Huh?

"You're not. You're walking with me..." I said.

"Not that I don't want to, but...why?" he asked, standing up and stepping into his shoes.