I tried to focus on Mr. Hutchinson’s exuberant voice, science got him quite excitable, but I could feel my head going in circles over Xander’s actions. Sometimes he would stress how much of a great friend I was, but then other times he would pull a stunt like this – touch starvation only went so far.
I wasn’t sure if he liked me or not. Would he constantly touch me like this if he didn’t? He didn’t get enough affection from anyone else, so, maybe. Despite his popularity, most people kept him at arm's length.
I sighed, resting my left hand lightly on the arm around my waist. My other hand scrambled to finish writing my notes, and to catch the last vestiges of Mr. Hutchinson’s lecture before the bell rang.
Xander turned over his hand and laced his fingers through mine. He didn’t move even when the bell rang, waiting patiently for me to complete my sentence. With a click, I returned my pen to my pocket and shut my notebook – sliding it back into the pocket of my textbook.
We both made to get up, but it was too late. We were surrounded by people vying for Xander’s attention.
“Xander… I saw in training the other day. You were so hot! And so good at fighting!” chimed one girl with strawberry blonde hair. Xander smiled at her in thanks, eyes creasing in the corners in a perfect mimic of a real smile. He had gotten much better at making his smiles seem real from when we were kids.
The others nodded their heads in agreement with her words before a guy interjected.
“Ya, I’m in your training class and that last move you pulled to beat Cadman was awesome! That guy is so scary! I’m glad you’re stronger than him. Well, it’s not surprising they call you Mars.”
Xander laughed and ducked his head, a blush coating his cheeks.
How did he do that? Just pretend to be something else.
I would never be able to.
“Aw guys, you know Mars is just my codename. I’m just plain old Xander,” Everyone shook their heads vehemently at this statement, “No really! I am! And come on guys, Cadman is great. He’s so nice. I promise.”
A girl with brown hair, and skin almost as dark as mine spoke up next. “Nuh-uh. He’s always so cold. And he never smiles!”
There were various nods of assent to that too.
Xander opened his mouth to continue the argument, smile etched perpetually on his face, when a different boy cut him off. Xander’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but nobody noticed. Only me.
“Come on Kamille, who do you agree with? Did you know Cadman? Is he actually ‘nice’?” He trailed off for a moment before adding in a quieter voice, “Did you even see the fight?”
The first boy spoke again. “Ya Kamille. I never see you in training. Like ever.”
Suddenly all eyes were on me, and I felt Xander’s oppressive grip on my waist grow marginally tighter.
I swallowed, curling my fingers on the tabletop and addressing my lap. “Oh, I’ve been excused from training…” Because Xander wouldn’t stop beating up anyone who tried to train with me.
“Oh, why?” The boy asked innocently, unaware of the danger right in front of him. I quickly rushed to think of a proper excuse.
“I’m just a little weak, and since I already have my sidekick permit the school doesn’t really care,” I said, laughing weakly at the end.
I couldn’t help but remember the real reason I was pulled out of training class.
I had just arrived at class, changed into my costume, and got ready to spar when they teacher call me over.
“Kamille, the principal wants to see you.” He handed me a note asking me to go to the principle’s office at the first available opportunity.
“For me? Am I in trouble?” I asked hesitantly, taking the slip with shaking hands.
Fear entered my training teacher’s eyes before it was quickly wiped away. However, I still caught the look he sent to Xander who was stretching on one of the mats.
“You’re not in trouble, but I think you should head there soon…” His voice trailed off as I nodded and grabbed my stuff. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be returning.
At Principal Kieran’s office, I was ushered in immediately by the receptionist and made to sit in a plush chair. A glass of water was thrust into my hands and I looked across the bureau to see sweat beading down Principal Kieran’s head.
“I’m sorry Kamille, but there've been a few incidents with Xander and the other boys. You’re not in trouble!” He was quick to reassure me of this. “But, the school can’t keep sending so many students to the hospital because Xander is a little too exuberant in his protection of you. For now, I have no choice to pull you out of training…”
His next words washed over my ears as I clutched the cool glass in my hand and nodded my head silently. It wasn’t important what he said. What was important was that I couldn’t practice my powers with anyone else other than Xander anymore. I wondered if Xander had done all of this on purpose so that I could only turn to him to train me. So that I would remain dependent only on him. I pushed that thought out of my mind. Xander was just over-protective.
A loud voice shook me out of my memory.
“Guys who cares about training class? I’m just here to say, Xander, your new costume is so sick!”
Now that Xander had gained his superhero permit, he received a new costume befitting the name Mars. His undersuit was black, except for the red arms, and he had scarlet boots and a burgundy cape clasped with a gold button. The cape encircled his throat with a small opening where the clasp was. On his chest was a golden “M” crest, stark against the black. Around his waist were red faulds, made of a titanium-gold alloy that was supposedly unbreakable. They encircled his waist, giving him a likeness to a Roman soldier. However, most notable about Xander’s new costume was his golden shield with a red “M”. The shield wasn’t necessary, and neither was the armoured faulds, but HUL had insisted. Since Xander’s powers were so similar to the Roman god of war, Mars, it became his trademark to look as similar, and as menacing, as a blood red Roman soldier.
A large hand fell to rest on my shoulder and I realized that everyone had already left while I was daydreaming. Xander was looking down at me with a quirk in his eyebrow, and a kind smile on his face. I knew I had to answer him. That was non-negotiable. A few tresses of golden hair fell out of his tight bun and into his eyes. Brushing them back would mean loosening the grip on my waist and shoulder, though, so Xander ignored the annoyance. I reached up and brushed the hair behind his ear instead.
“I was just thinking about your new costume. It is really cool.” Xander’s eyes lit up at my words, and he crushed me to his chest, my face mashed against his collarbone. His broad arms encircled me, vice-like in their happiness. However, I knew that no matter how tight Xander squeezed, he was only using a fraction of his real super-strength. It was that reminder that relaxed my muscles even as other parts of my body perked up at his proximity.
“I’m so glad you like it Kamille. If you didn’t, well, I’d just scrap the whole thing.” Xander’s breath tickled my ear, and his chest rumbled against mine. One of his arms migrated to my hair and began to gently caress the black, tight curls.
“Xander, you know I don’t like when people touch my hair,” I said, my voice muffled and quiet. Xander nodded slightly and moved his hand down to caress my neck instead. After a few moments, Xander reluctantly detached himself from me.
The rest of school passed by in a blur. I just wanted to get home and tend to my plants. I missed them and their comforting reassurances. However, I didn’t know if Xander wanted me to come over to his house today. We would be all alone, and I would out of reach of my plants for even longer. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought.
“What’s wrong Kamille?” Xander’s soft voice washed over me as his hand caressed my tapered afro. I reached up and held his hand in my own to stop him from ruining my painstaking crafted hairdo.
I gulped, because I knew he wouldn’t like what I had to say. But I decided to reply honestly anyway.
“I just miss my plants.” As I spoke I kept my head down and played with Xander’s long, broad fingers. Xander’s hand convulsed in mine, and I quickly looked up dreading what I would see.
His eyes were hard, like blue as the sky and cold as ice. Fear engulfed me and I tried my best to stem it before he noticed.
But it was too late.
“Kamille. What did I say about being afraid?” The question was asked in a kind, almost nonchalant voice, his smile ever present. But Xander was far from happy. His grip on my hand was tightening and I quickly spoke to rectify the situation.
“I’m sorry Xander,” I said, smiling up at him, “I just don’t like it when you’re not happy. But, I really miss my plants, and um, if you want, you should come over and we can hang out in my garden!”
His grip gentled until it became almost feather-like, eyes softening at the invitation.
“I’d love to Kamille. Why don’t we hurry so you can get back to them?” He began leading me forward with his hand, walking eagerly to his car in anticipation of spending time with me. I exhaled a silent breath of relief. I had dodged that bullet, no, that minefield, successfully this time.
Soon we approached his sleek, red, BMW. He opened the door for me and I slid in, his leather seats sticking to my bare arms. Then, we were off, cruising out of our school’s parking lot. Xander gestured at the radio and I moved forward to put on some music. I hooked up my phone to the auxiliary cord and picked a song at random. It was one of my favourites by Heather Dale, The Maiden and the Selkie. Her rich voice filled the car and I began mouthing the lyrics. I knew all of them.
Xander smiled at my quiet singing and joined me, his soft baritone complementing the music. Xander didn’t listen to music, and only knew the songs I played. He claimed to have no interest or taste in music. He had said before that he liked what I liked. I just thought he didn’t care.
It didn’t take much time to pull up to my house. I wanted to throw the door open and rush to the backyard, but I waited patiently instead for Xander to come around and open the door for me. Stepping out of the car, the smell of greenery and fresh air hit me, and my excitement rose. I grabbed Xander’s hand and tugged him after me, almost running in my haste to get to my garden.
After a few paces, the colour green enveloped me, and I was home. Vines grew above us, clinging to trees and weaving an intricate pattern. Flowers and weeds alike bloomed and flourished while trees of all kinds swayed in the breeze.
This was my sanctuary.
This was my home.
It had taken me years to grow and plant everything to my liking, and even now, it remained incomplete. The best thing about plants was that they were always growing, changing, and evolving. Nature was fascinating. There was something occurring around every flower bud. Bees collected pollen, while monarch caterpillars drank from milkweeds. Nature was never still and remained rife with excitement day and night.
I grabbed a chair for Xander off the veranda, but before I could ask if he needed anything, he waved me off.
And off I went.
The first thing I did was greet each of plants by brushing my fingers lightly against them and calling their names.
“Brassica oleracea,
Betula lenta,
Gossypium,
Asclepias…”
Their names passed through my lips for what seemed like hours, and my voice reverberated through the garden. The plants sparked to life and turned towards me like they were seeking the sun.
Like I was their sun, and not just a boy with an affinity for plants.
Eventually, once I had finished and greeted them all, they called back.
“Salix… Salix…” they said in whispers carried by the wind. I laid down on the grass, felt my cheeks tickled by the blades. I waited patiently, and they began to tell me the stories of their day.
The buttercups were infuriated by the raspberry, who kept growing into their space. I told them I would do my best to explain to the raspberry the importance of peace and harmony in the garden. The trees feared the weather next spring would trick them into budding early before releasing the last vestiges of snow and kill their buds.
I was immersed in their tales, and would’ve stayed there for hours had Xander not approached, footfalls light and silent against the grass despite the tray he carried in his hands. I smiled at him from my prone position, eyes lit green and bright.
Xander smiled back, and with one hand, reached down and pulled me up to sit. He slid gracefully next to me, long legs splayed past my own, and placed the tray between us. He handed me a glass of lemonade from off the tray.
“Your mother gave me this and told me to tell you to drink. Contrary to what you want, you can’t actually photosynthesize and generate your own food. You’re only human.” And with that, he picked up his own glass and sipped from his straw.
The ice cubes in my lemonade clinked against the side of the glass as I watched Xander drink. His lips were plush against his thin straw, and red from the cold lemonade. When he swallowed I watched the long column of his neck as his throat bobbed. It was mesmerizing.
“Kamille,” my eyes snapped guiltily to his, “Drink.”
I wrapped my lips around my straw and leaned my head onto Xander’s shoulder. We sat in silence, sipping until our drinks were empty, as the world unfolded around us with the whispers of nature giving their secrets to me.
But I would soon find out, that this kind of peace would not last long.
It would not last long at all.
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