Marc was tired. Usually on a weeknight it was only one or two little crimes or emergencies that JD had to intervene. But tonight had been different; a series of three fires each had engulfed multiple apartment buildings. While JD flew around saving the day for more than 16 families (pets included,) Marc had been not only taking the photos, but also was paying attention to the police and fire fighters as well. Even to someone untrained the fires were obviously set by an arsonist. At each location was a spray painted “signature.” At first it looked much like Vigilante’s V with a circle around it, but really it was an M with the circle bisecting the letter leaving the V shape inside the circle and the legs of the M outside the circle. Either way the similarities had the police questioning if their vigilante hero was a target.

Marc lay on JD’s bed waiting for him to finish his shower. They had always planned to stop the super hero antics somewhere between graduation and going off to college. It was worrisome to think that JD was becoming a target though. While Marc was able to avoid attention, JD was in the spotlight with a combination of criminals, police, and journalists all trying to be the first to find the real person in the colorful costume.

He rolled from his side to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling. It was from this position, he recalled, they had shared their secrets all those years ago. JD had moved next door early on in 7th grade, and they had become inseparable pretty quickly. The first weekend Marc had come over for a sleepover. They played games inside and out all day, and when told to turn the lights out, they stayed up talking for hours. Marc had shared his issues with his mother’s recent divorce, and the strange phenomenon of people forgetting him. JD shared about his sleeping dreams of flying and how they had come true, and about stopping the bus that almost hit his baby niece. He explained it’s why they moved in with his sister and her husband. JD’s mother wanted to hide him and his new found abilities.

A different night, though, he remembered confessing to JD that he’s gay. He had been so scared he’d lose him, but he also knew he couldn’t lie about it. JD had been getting love notes from some girls and had been asking Marc his thoughts on each one. It was obvious Marc was nervous about saying it, but JD only punched him playfully on the arm and laughed, “I guess you have no opinion on them, then?” JD put the letters down one by one after carefully scrutinizing them. He took a moment then looked back up at Marc, “I knew it, by the way. Don’t be scared. Friends don’t sweat this kind of stuff.”

Marc still teared up at the memory. Coming out to his mom and step-dad had actually been the catalyst for their divorce. Well, it was the catalyst for his step-father to beat the crap out of him, which led to the divorce. He had hidden it from then on out of an interest of self-preservation. The worst part, though, was the blatant homophobia that ran amok at their school. The kids that did come out publicly often found themselves the center of some very unwanted attention. Marc refused to join them. He was simply not that brave.

The shower turned off and soon JD came in no longer smelling of smoke and sweat. Marc sat up suddenly and threw a bottle of lotion at him. JD caught it but still protested, “C’mon, man! Can’t a brother come in his own room without being assaulted?”

“Your mother is going to yell at you if you’re all ashy in the morning, I am just saving you from having to hear it,” Marc smirked.

JD wrinkled his nose, “You should shower too. The smoke is clinging to you too.”

“Bah, I was almost asleep too,” Marc lightly protested as he got up to grab his bag and hit the shower.

JD took his time with the lotion. He’d had a girl ask him to the party at the end of September. She was a cute white girl from his calculus class. She had big green eyes and her hair was a soft brown that hung in big curls around her face. JD didn’t really date, but was getting the idea from some recent dreams that now might be a good time to start. Marc was no help with girls, but even Dylan and Connor didn’t know her (really those two only paid attention to the cheerleaders.) JD had said yes to her, Melissa, and even asked about getting a tie to match her dress. She blushed during the whole conversation, but JD still felt something was lacking. Either way, he shrugged in his thoughts, it’s a date.

When Marc returned towel drying his hair, both laid in JD’s bed as they always did on sleepovers. Both were exhausted but it didn’t stop them from talking.

“I got a date to ‘The Inclusive Party.’ Melissa from calculus asked me earlier today,” JD told Marc.

“Oh, her? That’s kinda surprising. You know she’s a band geek, like me, right?” Marc jabbed JD with his elbow.

“No, I didn’t. What’s she play?

“Guess.”

“Clarinet?”

“Enh, wrong.”

“Flute?”

“Wrong again.”

“Oh no, is she one of the saxophones you complain about?”

“We have a winner!” Marc declared. “Well, she’s better than most in my section, but she still has a hard time keeping up on the field for halftime.”

“You still pissed they didn’t make you section lead?” JD asked.

“I never was pissed. You’re the one who gets made when I am overlooked. I’m good without that responsibility.”

“You never stand up for yourself.”

“I don’t need protected from whatever it is, JD. I mean, yeh, it hurts when mom forgets me, but aside from you, at least she remembers me more than anyone else,” Marc reasoned.

JD rolled his eyes, “How’re you ever gonna get a boyfriend that way? You’ll go on a date and the next day he won’t remember you to call you.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not going on a date then! Good night, JD.”

“Good night.”