Chapter Text
The school hallways had always been a labyrinth of hormones and teenage drama, but it was in that moment, in the midst of a monotonous chemistry lecture, that it all seemed to explode right into my face. I couldn’t help myself; I stared for too long at the valedictorian, Alex Stewart.
The classroom was stiflingly quiet as if Mr Wise’s slow, droning voice had cast a spell, lulling everyone into a hypnotic slumber with his outdated equations. My eyelids felt heavier than dumbbells slammed against my face, but I couldn't resist the urge to scan the room. That’s when it happened. A sudden, golden glow that had always emanated from the back left corner, captured my attention like a moth to a flame. I couldn't look away, fixing my gaze on that intriguing spot.
Then, it happened. Those eyes. Those black, snake-like slits flickered in my direction, punching the air out of my lungs as if they had stuck me physically. I flinched falling backwards into the wall next to my seat, my heart was racing as I realised I had been caught amid the curiosity and danger of their sharp gaze.
Mr. Wise's irritated voice snapped me back to reality. 'Sterling, pay attention...' he muttered, turning his attention back to the lacklustre PowerPoint presentation.
'Sorry,' I sighed, hastily clambering back into my seat, my heart still pounding erratically in my chest. I attempted to focus on my chemistry textbook, but the words seemed to swim before my eyes, forming a nauseating dance on the page. I should've just followed everyone else's lead and dozed off during the presentation, but here I was, wide awake, avoiding the sharp glare of our future valedictorian, who might as well be the future number-one hero of the universe.
'Alright, class is over. Enjoy lunch,' Mr. Wise groaned, massaging his temples in exasperation. Without wasting a moment, I shot up from my desk, slipped out of the classroom, and made a beeline for my locker.
The hallway buzzed with the energy of a thousand conversations, and I tried to blend into the crowd, my mind still fixated on those mysterious eyes at the back of the classroom. As I reached my locker, I couldn't help but wonder what they thought when they caught plain green eyes staring them down mid-chemistry. I groaned outwardly as I bashed my head into the hard metal of the lockers, the sting distracting my thoughts from chemistry to the potential bruise that would appear on my forehead.
That cocky voice echoed in my ears, and my head felt strangely numb. 'That looked like it hurt,' Alex remarked, their tone dripping with sarcasm. 'You know it will bruise, right?' They stood there, casually leaning on Barnaby's locker, their face stretched into a smug, shit-eating grin.
'What do you want?' I hissed in a whisper, shooting them a withering glare.
'Oph, you wound me!' They dramatically feigned injury, leaning even more of their body weight onto Barnaby's locker. 'You don't want to talk to me?' They chuckled, raising an eyebrow as their golden eyes appraised me from head to toe.
'Why would I want to talk to you?' I quipped, opening my locker door with an exaggerated flourish as if dismissing their presence with the action.
Alex's smugness oozed from every word as they retorted, 'But everyone wants to talk to me; I'm like a god to these people.' Their eyes gleamed with a teasing spark, as if conversing with me was just a game.
'Because I don't buy into your bullshit,' I snarled, locking eyes with them as I slammed my books into my locker. Their gaze intensified, and they moved closer, looking deep into my eyes.
'What bullshit, Morgan?' They inched even closer, their voice low and taunting. 'Care to fill me in?' Their chuckle filled the air, analyzing every nuance of my expression.
'Congrats, you know my name,' I exclaimed, throwing my hands up as if it were their birthday, causing Alex to flinch back slightly. 'But I'd rather not be associated with you,' I said, my tone growing colder as I fixed them with a piercing glare and a false smile. 'Sorry!' I added with a mocking sweetness, slamming my locker shut and deftly slipping through the bustling crowd on my way to the cafeteria.
As I navigated the throng of students, I couldn't help but feel the lingering weight of Alex's intense gaze. It was a confrontation I hadn't anticipated, and it left me with a strange mix of irritation, and curiosity; a lingering question that I didn’t dare utter. ‘Why would they talk to me?’
XX
In the bustling cafeteria, I scanned my eyes over the sea of teenagers, my gaze eventually locking onto a pair of unmistakable dumb-looking glasses. I maneuvered swiftly through the crowded tables, deftly swerving past cheerleaders and jocks who gathered in the gaps between seats.
Finally reaching my destination, I greeted Barnaby with a relieved smile. 'B-Bout time you g-ot he-here,' he stammered, a grin spreading across his face as he spotted me weaving through the crowd.
I took a seat beside him, my heart still racing from the encounter with Alex. 'You won't believe what just happened in chemistry class,' I began, leaning in to share the tale of my unexpected confrontation. Barnaby's eyes widened with interest as he listened, his glasses slipping precariously down his nose.
Ohio James' laughter echoed through the cafeteria, drawing attention from nearby tables. He clutched his stomach, still chuckling. 'How you fell out of your chair like a dumbass because you got caught staring?' he gasped between fits of laughter.
I sighed, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. 'It wasn't that funny,' I deadpanned, rolling my eyes at Ohio's antics. Barnaby, sitting beside me, shot me a questioning look as if to say, "What did you do this time?" But my response was to quickly avoid his gaze.
Barnaby turned to Ohio, a look of genuine curiosity on his face. 'Wh-What did Mo-M-Morgan do this t-t-time?' he asked, leaning in closer to hear the gossip.
Ohio, still chuckling, wiped a tear from his eye. 'Oh, you're going to love this,' he said, relishing the role of the storyteller. 'Morgan here decided to make quite the impression in chemistry class today. They got caught staring at none other than the one and only Alex Stewart.'
Barnaby's eyes widened, and his glasses nearly fell off his nose in his excitement. 'Th-The valedictorian?' he stuttered, clearly intrigued by the drama unfolding. 'Wh-What happened next?'
Ohio couldn't resist the chance to add his own twist to the story. 'Like I said, someone noticed they were being stared at, and Morgan basically toppled out of their chair!' He announced with great pride, smirking in my direction.
Barnaby looked slightly disappointed. 'I-is that all?' he questioned, his curiosity undeterred.
I leaned in even closer, knowing they were hanging onto my every word. 'Well, let's just say Alex decided to grace me with their presence at my locker. It was... an interesting encounter.'
'WHAT?' They both exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with anticipation.
As I recounted the locker confrontation, Barnaby and Ohio hung onto every word, their curiosity piqued. 'I- I told you that st-staring h-habit would get you i-in tr-trouble one day,' Barnaby sighed, his lips forming a sympathetic expression.
'No, you said that about the kleptomania,' Ohio argued, trying to provide a diversion in his own unique way. 'Which did get you in trouble,' he added quickly, glancing at me with a sly grin.
Barnaby shot back, 'W-ell I th-thought it s-so, s-so it c-counts.'
Laughter echoed from our corner of the cafeteria, and for a moment, the tension from my earlier encounter with Alex melted away in the warmth of my friends' support.'I'm still dead, aren't I?' I strained, my voice tinged with a touch of anxiety.
'Oh, 100% my friend,' Ohio quipped with a sickly sweet voice, earning a chuckle from Barnaby.
Even though my friends were there, and the cafeteria had returned to its usual buzz of teenage chatter, I couldn't shake the feeling of a lingering gaze following my every move as we talked.
It didn't make sense until it did. I turned around for a brief moment and locked eyes with those golden, glowing irises once again. It sent the same familiar chills up my spine, and my heart skipped a beat. The enigmatic valedictorian, Alex Stewart, seemed to be everywhere, a constant presence in the background of my high school life today.
'This has to be some sick joke,' I whispered hurriedly to myself, my gaze briefly flicking to Alex before I shot them a short, annoyed glare. I could practically feel their cocky smirk from across the cafeteria, and it irritated me like a sharp needle poking at my patience. I tried my best to ignore them and focus on the conversation at our picnic table.
I let out an audible groan. 'What do we have next?' I pleaded, smushing my face into the cold metal of the picnic table.
Barnaby, likely looking down at me with friendly disgust, replied, 'W-we have Sp-sport, Morgan.'
'Not sport. I hate sport,' I complained, lifting my head and fluttering my eyelashes in a dramatic plea. I directed my gaze at my friends as if they could be swayed by puppy eyes. ‘Can we skip, please?’ I pout.
'N-no,' Barnaby cut me off, unmoved by my theatrics. Ohio chimed in, starting a speech about how being fit and enjoying sports was important, to which I responded with an irritated scoff and a well-placed middle finger.
'I'm fit enough,' I argued half-heartedly.
'Mhm, yeah right,' Ohio teased with a smirk.
'Just let me skip!' I groaned, resisting Ohio's attempts to drag me away from the table by the scruff of my jumper. My butt slid across the floor, my shoes squeaking in protest as I refused to walk.
'A-attendance is a part of t-the grand M-Morgan,' Barnaby pointed out as he followed along.
I poked my tongue out at him in defiance, feeling like a toddler who didn't want to leave the playground. My face must have turned red from the struggle. I scanned the room once more, aware that eyes were gaping at our weird little display. Then, I spotted Alex's eyes, still sparkling with that cheeky glimmer. They raised their arm, and I knew what would happen next. Everyone knew what happened when they snapped those godforsaken fingers.
I heard a faint click amid the cacophony of voices in the cafeteria. Suddenly, I found myself in a silent but dingy confined space that reeked of mould and the not-so-sterile cleaning supplies. I looked around the dimly lit janitor closet, my arms aching from being wedged uncomfortably between multiple buckets and cleaning supplies. The space was damp and cool, but it was also the perfect hideout to skip a dreaded sport class. So, thank you, Valedictorian Alex! Sport class was for losers anyway. I jeered in my head, feeling half proud and half like my stomach was about to twist so tight it would spring out of my body. But why would Alex do this? We had our first conversation today! Sure, I knew of their existence beforehand, like everyone else did, but they seemed to know me and find me interesting. What was going on in that enigmatic, dumb-smart brain of theirs? I sighed audibly, leaning my head back against the rough plastic surface of the mop bucket.
And then, as if summoned by my thoughts, there they were. Speak of the devil. Alex looked down at me with that teasing spark still in their eyes. 'What's got you upset?' they asked, standing above me, and maybe even floating a little.
'I thought you would be pretty happy about getting out of sport,' they continued, a mischievous grin playing on their lips.
'Well, I am,' I admitted, trying to maintain my composure. 'But... I'm just confused.' Their expression immediately shifted to curiosity.
'Confused?' they echoed.
'Yeah, confused,' I replied. 'We've talked once, and now you're helping me skip sport. What's up, pretty boy?' I grabbed the collar of their shirt, pulling them down closer to me.
'Pretty boy?' Alex stuttered out, clearly caught off guard.
'Oh, don't act like you don't know,' I retorted, my smirk mirroring theirs.
'Oh? Do I now?' Alex teased, earning themselves a light cuff around the ear from me.
'Geez, don't hit me,' They exclaimed with an exaggerated pout, and the tension that had been building between us seemed to dissipate into laughter.
'Okay, now answer the question,' I snapped, my face falling.
'You know... curiosity, I guess?' Alex replied, sounding somewhat hesitant.
'I guess?' I pressed, not entirely satisfied with their vague response.
'I mean,' they sighed, struggling to find the right words. 'I don't think you realize it, but for someone so plain, you're kind of interesting,' they finally admitted, their voice sounding slightly strained as if it were difficult for them to acknowledge.
I couldn't help but sardonically comment, 'So what you're saying is that I made eye contact with you once, and now I'm the most interesting background character you've ever seen?'
Alex's face scrunched into an annoyed expression. 'Eh, kinda,' they shrugged casually, and I shot up from my pile of buckets, a mix of frustration and curiosity coursing through me.
'Wait, what do you mean "kinda"?' I demanded, my voice tinged with annoyance. 'Have you been keeping tabs on me? That's creepy, dude.' I threw my hands up in exasperation as if my day couldn't get any weirder. Alex stayed silent, save for the slight click of their tongue.
'If you're going to stay silent, I'm leaving,' I declared, my frustration evident in my tone. I smiled and waved them off as I reached for the doorknob. 'See ya.'
Before I could make my exit, Alex caught my hand, their grip gentle but firm. 'Slow down, I was thinking of a response that didn't make me sound like a stalker,' they explained, taking a moment to choose their words carefully. 'Okay, so I'm pretty sure we have the same... feeling about heroes Morgan.’
My blood froze as my brain stopped, how did Alex know my doubts. I had never even uttered it out loud or even thought of it for more than a passing though. I had never even considered rebelling against the societal norms, yet here they were, telling me to my face that they had noticed it. It was baffling.
'What do you mean, "the same"?' I questioned, my scepticism evident in my tone.
Alex finally elaborated, 'Let's just say we're on the same side in this society, okay?'
I couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and intrigue, and I demanded more clarity, 'We're in a janitor's closet; out with it already.'
Alex smirked and continued, 'I don't think either of us are really suited to being heroes.' They scanned me up and down. 'Or sidekicks, for that matter.'
Their words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I pulled my hand free from their grip, the weight of the revelation sinking in. It seemed that I had stumbled upon a kindred spirit in Alex, someone who shared my doubts about the role society had assigned us, and the implications of this connection were only beginning to dawn on me. They knew more about my insecurities than I had ever spoken about.
'Do you have to be an ass about it?' I snapped in response to the sidekick remark. 'Just because not all of us are super powerful doesn't mean we can't rank.'I growled getting in their face.
'So I was right?' Alex asked, their tone more inquisitive than confrontational.
'So what if you were? What are you going to do about it?' I challenged.
'If you were actually listening to me, you would know we are on the same side, Morgan,' Alex explained, their voice steady.
'Same side? What would that be?' I questioned, still skeptical.
'We both want nothing to do with the whole hero business,' Alex replied.
I sighed, the weight of their words sinking in. 'And I'm supposed to take your word for it?' I countered, my doubts lingering. 'You have your whole life set out for you with those powers of yours, and you intend to give that up? Bullshit.'
Alex's patience seemed to wear thin as they implored, 'Stop arguing with me! Just take my word for it.' They extended their pinky, a gesture that held a surprising sincerity given the circumstances.
I let the tension melt from my shoulders, my hand hesitating before I extended it. My mind raced with the myriad possible interpretations of Alex's words. 'I still don't quite understand this... But I promise not to argue,' I finally said, looking up at them. Their eyes seemed to soften with relief, their gaze akin to those emotive anime characters, albeit with distinctive snake-like eyes. A faint "thank fuck" escaped their lips as our pinkies interlocked, sealing an unspoken pact between us.
I flicked my gaze away from them for a moment, clicking my tongue against my teeth, ready to continue our conversation. However, before I could utter another word, the bell blared down the hallway, cutting through the air.
'Well, that's time up,' Alex remarked, a familiar cocky smirk on their face. They rose from their seat and headed towards the door, the rustic burgundy wood creaking as they exited. Suddenly, the sounds of mice in the walls and the bustling of students in the hallway flooded back into my awareness. The residual tension from our argument clung to my mind as if Alex were still there in the janitor's closet with me.
I stood there, realizing that Alex had left, leaving me with more questions than answers.
That Motherfucker…