"Is this your first date?" My father pondered from the kitchen door.
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"Yes," I said as I sat at the counter.
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"I remember my first date with your mother," my father said, his eyes shining with delight. He entered the doorway and sat down next to me on the stool.
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"When I was your age, your mother and I would go to parties and do silly things that kids do at that age. So, we went out to eat, and I took her to the most upscale burger establishment I could find. Do you recall Pete's Crimson Burger from your childhood?"
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I remembered my father and mother taking Derek and me to a small hole-in-the-wall burger joint for every birthday and special occasion we had as kids. I took a seat at the bar between Derek and dad. We celebrated my seventh birthday with a store-bought cake, burgers, and fries.
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Pete Castillo was an older guy who tried to make a living by following his family's recipes and did an excellent job of it. Until I was nine, he and his wife were present for my birthdays.
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While laughing at my father's jokes, Pete smeared icing over my tiny nose. With a bashful smile, my mother and father flirted with each other. It was a memorable birthday and a critical turning point—the first full year I had my powers, and the first year we celebrated with Pete. I was seven years old. When my mother died, Pete and his wife died together too, and their son rebuilt the building and turned it into a comic book shop two years later.
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"Yeah," I said. "Did mom ever write your names on the wall before Peter's son rebuilt it like mom said she would?" My father sighed and adjusted his seat on the stool.
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"Yeah, but they removed it as soon as they remodeled everything."
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I smirked. "Oh." I sat in solitude with my father. There wasn't much to discuss any longer. My date made me nervous, and my father was still thinking about my mother. I've often wondered how things would be if she were still alive.
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My parents were hopeless romantics and amazing cops, and I hoped my father would meet someone new to make him happy again.
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My father grinned. "Get home at midnight." I stepped into the living room, nodding.
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"I'm out," I said to Derek as I slammed my hand into his foot. He cuddled up with a blanket and a scrambled egg burrito on the couch.
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"Are you leaving on your date?" he asked.
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"Yeah," I said.
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I guess.
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Derek gave a warm grin. "Sam said you would tell her about your secret." But then he became quieter because dad was home.
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"I will," I smiled and walked away, exhaling.
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"When are you going to tell dad?" He questioned.
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I came to a halt, responding with the same "I don't know" response I always gave, and walked out the front door.
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∆∆∆
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"So," Mia's lips pressed together.
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"So," I tried to imitate her reaction. Mia and I were standing near the Ferris wheel. She was grinning as she ate the last of our cotton candy.
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I was going to tell her. There is nothing here. "Mia, I would like to show you something." I smiled, half drunk by her grin. Bright-eyed and glowing in the moonlight, she glanced up at me.
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"What?" she asked. I gripped her hands, attentive and in love, as she stared into my eyes.
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"Do you trust me?"
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"What is it, James?" she asked, her lips pushed together.
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"Do you trust me?" I questioned once more. She seemed concerned about my safety. It didn't help my ego. I pulled my hood over my head and held her hand in mine. We ascended into the air.
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"James, " she squealed.
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"Don't look down," I said, holding her to my chest.
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"We're flying!" She squealed. She clung to me and balanced herself, looking fearful but amused.
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"It's all right. I've got you."
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"How, though?" she asked. "I've known you since you were in fifth grade."
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"My uncle is a big science enthusiast, and I came across some of his work when I was six."
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She groaned, "Oh. So, you're Alpha?"
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I admitted, "Yeah."
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We stared into each other's eyes when she looked at me. My lips grazed hers as I leaned in, brushing her hair with my fingers as I hung on. As we danced in the air, it was as if fireworks had gone off all around us. Mia returned the kiss, her lips pressing against mine. We pulled apart in time as I closed my eyes and felt the wind brush our faces. A captivating smile parted my lips, and she looked into my eyes with astonishment and wonder.
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"This isn't how I expected my first kiss to go," I confessed.
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"Did you enjoy it?" she queried.
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"Yeah." my smile brightened.
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I leaned closer. I kissed Mia once more, and then my nose brushed hers. Her lips were supple, seeming to be buttery smooth. I felt her kiss take me to another place away from home.
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Below us, chaos is organized. While a super threatened the Carnival, people fled for safety. I opened my eyes and swooped down to put Mia on the ground.
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"Run, Mia!" I yelled. She bolted, ducking behind an adjacent booth.
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"James-bloody-Knight." The super didn't hide his voice this time, and my heart raced. I dashed out into the open, meeting the super amid heavy traffic.
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"I'm right here," I yelled, not wanting to give away who I assumed was Max. It was Noah or him. "Leave these people alone."
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He chuckled, "I'm not here for them." His lips tugged.
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"You're the one we want for now." The guy leaped into the air, swooping down on a gathering of roller coaster rides. People squirmed in their seats, seeking refuge in one another.
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"But if you want to play games..." His fingertips melted into the metal machine's side. The rider's scream echoed through the night air.
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I swooped up, plunging through the air and tossing the reckless super to the ground. The guy didn't submit to the pressure of my strength. I was dead meat.
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"James Knight," the boy taunted. "I'm going to bloody kill you." We tumbled to the floor, fighting for dominance. Under the boy's hoodie, I glimpsed the teen boy's shirt. He was a big fan of the Incredibles and seemed to have a soft spot for heroes—how ironic.
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He let go of me, coughing for air as his hoodie dropped behind him, and my fingers drove into his neck. He wore a mask that only hid his eyes this time.
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"Max, " I gasped, pulling to his side and catching my breath. He yanked on my hoodie, pulling it down my back. He watched me for a moment and disappeared into the open within seconds.
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"Mia!" I called. She was nowhere in sight. I threw my hood over my head and scanned the Carnival.
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"Mia!" I called again. She didn't make a sound. It wasn't like she was going to answer, anyway. I felt defeated as I took to the sky again and ascended home. It turned out to be for the best. Whatever happened to her was most likely planned. My worst thoughts echoed in my mind. Was it Max who took her, and what would he do with her?
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Sam and Derek found me on the roof, pacing on the heavy shingles. I couldn't locate Mia after the carnival incident, which scared me, but nobody called a search party, which gave me the impression that she was OK.
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"I'm sure she's OK, bud?" Sam assured me. I looked at him, catching him watching my feet, realizing my shoes weren't touching the roof. I leveled the roof, watching his disappointment.
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"You don't seem OK," he stated. His eyes shifted to the ground below, and he gulped. "I'm sure Mia's OK. Your dad will come home and see you hovering over the house, and then you'll have to explain your powers to him."
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"I'd rather have to explain to my dad why I'm floating than have my girlfriend die in a ditch somewhere." I lifted off the roof again to substantiate my words, but as soon as a cop car pulled into the driveway, I dropped back to solid ground from the sky.
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"You OK, James? I could see you a mile away!" Derek shouted. I was relieved when he poked his head out of the vehicle door.
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"Yeah, he's good," Sam answered for me. I sunk into the roof. I took a hesitant breath.
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"Mia disappeared from the carnival, and I haven't heard from her since," I shouted.
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"I'm sure she's fine. The chief has said nothing about it," Derek said. Sam toldme. I took a hesitant breath. That was a relief. "And if she's truly missing, the chief is good with missing person cases." I sighed. I sure hope he was right. Like my mom, I didn't want to lose Mia. I finally got the courage to tell her about my powers, and she accepted me for my differences, making me love her even more. As much as I convinced myself I could help, I was just as helpless as any human.
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