The rest of the day crawls by with the speed of a snail on sedatives.
I try to focus during my remaining classes, I really do. But it's hard to care about school when my system is practically screaming "HEY, WANT SUPERPOWERS?" at me.
By the time the final bell rings, I'm practically vibrating with restless energy. I pack up my stuff and start the slow, painful journey to the computer science club room, my body staging its usual protest against the concept of movement.
I push open the door to room T-1, and before I make it to my usual corner spot, Luna spins around in her chair.
"Hi Adam!"
The slightly eager way she says it makes me grin. I shuffle over to my seat. "Hey Luna!... Wait, hold on, you greeted me first. That's my thing. You're stealing my job here."
She looks down, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Sorry..."
"I'm gonna have to report this to HR," I say, dropping into the chair beside her. "Hostile work environment. Job theft."
She chuckles at that, and we fall into our usual comfortable rhythm.
We start chatting about random topics. I ask her if she watches any sports.
"Not really..." She fidgets with her hoodie sleeve. "Sometimes I watch... esports tournaments though... for games I play..."
"That counts. I enjoy doing that too."
"Do you... watch sports?"
"Nah. I mean, well okay, sometimes I enjoy watching sports highlights." I lean back in my chair. "But I'm more of a 'watch other people play video games' kind of guy too."
Somehow we transition from that to whether aliens exist. Luna is firmly in the "the universe is too big for us to be alone" camp, and I point out that if aliens exist, they're probably smart enough to avoid this disaster of a planet.
"Maybe they're watching us though..." Luna says thoughtfully. "Like... a nature documentary..."
"Oh god, that's depressing. We're just cosmic reality TV."
"Hopefully… we're at least... entertaining..." There's a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Tonight on Earth: Watch as teenage humans attempt basic social interaction and fail miserably."
She giggles, and honestly, that sound is quickly becoming one of my favorite noises.
Then she pulls out her phone and opens up her mobile sims game, angling the screen toward me. "Look... my family moved... into a bigger house..."
I lean in to look, and honestly, the house is genuinely impressive. It's this massive two-story building with what looks like six bedrooms and a pool in the backyard. Her little sim family is living their best virtual life.
"Damn, that's nice! How'd you afford it?"
"I've been playing... a lot..." There's a hint of pride in her voice.
We keep talking about her sims, and at some point I zone out a bit. It's not intentional, I'm just tired and comfortable, and my eyes kind of drift downward on their own while Luna is explaining something about her sim family's careers.
I try not to stare. But I'm an eighteen-year-old guy, and Luna is... Luna. The hoodie she's wearing today is this deep purple that matches her hair, and it's nearly managing to disguise her proportions. But it's not enough. The fabric stretches across her chest. Her curves are just impossible not to notice.
I'm staring. I know I'm staring. I should stop staring.
I don't stop staring.
After what's probably been several seconds too long, Luna suddenly leans down, bringing her face directly into my line of sight. Her violet eyes are sparkling with amusement, and there's this knowing look in them that makes my face instantly catch fire.
"Caught you... looking..."
Oh god.
"I—uh—sorry, I spaced out," I stammer, my dignity dropping to subzero levels.
I'm the worst. I'm actually the worst person alive. Someone please open a portal to another dimension so I can jump through it.
But Luna doesn't look upset. Instead, her blush is getting deeper, and there's this tiny smile on her face. She looks down at herself, then back at me, and then in the quietest voice imaginable:
"Do you think... they look... weird?"
And then her brain catches up with her mouth, she freezes, her face turning approximately the same color as a fire truck.
And I freeze too, because what the hell kind of question is that? How do I answer that? There's no good answer! This is a trap. This is definitely a trap.
"I think… I think you're beautiful, Luna," I say, because apparently my mouth has decided to operate independently of my survival instincts.
Oh.
Oh no.
Did I actually just say that?
There's a moment of silence that feels like it lasts approximately seven years. I can hear my own heartbeat. I'm pretty sure everyone in a five-mile radius can hear my heartbeat.
Luna's eyes go wide, her blush somehow intensifying even further, to levels I didn't think were biologically possible. "Oh..." She whispers, the sound barely audible.
She stares down at her hands, fidgeting with her sleeves. I can see the tiniest smile though, even as she's trying to hide. "Thank you... I think... you're kind of... pretty too..."
I'm sorry, what?
Did a girl just call me pretty? Did Luna: beautiful, amazing, perfect Luna, just call me pretty?
What is happening? Is this real life? Am I having a stroke?
Luna looks like she desperately wants the floor to swallow her whole. Her hands are fidgeting with her hoodie, and she won't make eye contact.
I should say something. Anything. But my brain has completely abandoned ship, leaving me stranded with nothing but static between my ears.
"Oh! Um..." Luna suddenly says, her voice slightly rushed, clearly desperate to move past whatever just happened. "My dad texted me earlier... Eva's staying with me now... He wants to make sure... I'm safe..."
I grab onto this new topic like a drowning man grabbing a life preserver. "Oh, that's good! I mean, that's really good. Eva seems cool."
"Yeah..." Luna nods, starting to relax a little. "She seemed scary... at first... but she's actually... really nice... I think..."
"She gives off that vibe, you know? Like cold on the outside, but secretly a softie."
"Mhm..." Luna fidgets with her phone. "My dad's staying too... for a while... maybe a month..."
"Oh yeah? That's good though, right?"
"Yeah but..." She looks down. "I don't know... how much you should... come over... He'll definitely... tease me..."
I can't help but chuckle. "Parent teasing is the worst. But hey, we can hang out online more! We talk about games and anime all the time but we never actually play or watch stuff together."
After I say that, I realize that this is absolutely a me problem. It's not that I don't want to spend more time with Luna, I really, really do, but my schedule is just insane right now. School, work, training, trying to sleep at least five hours... There's barely any time left for anything else. Even the sleep feels like wasted time, honestly.
Luna's eyes light up a bit. "That's true... I'd really like that..."
"We should find a game to play together," I say. "What about Minecraft? We could build a house together!"
"Oh... yeah..." Her voice perks up with genuine enthusiasm. "We could make... a server..."
"I'm warning you though, I'm terrible at building. Everything I make looks like a box."
"That's okay... I like boxes..."
For the rest of computer science club, we alternate between working on our projects and making plans. We create a Discord server for just the two of us and start writing down ideas: co-op games, anime and movies to watch, stupid challenges to try.
Luna suggests this new anime about a girl who becomes a baker in a fantasy world. I mention some indie co-op games I've been wanting to try. She brings up a puzzle game about two siblings.
The conversation flows easily, naturally, and I realize this might be the most relaxed I've felt in weeks.
Time passes way too quickly. And before I know it, I glance at the clock and realize it's nearly 7 PM.
Luna checks her phone, then looks up at me. "My dad's asking... if you want... a ride home?"
"Really? That'd be amazing, actually." I gesture vaguely at my battered body. "Pretty sure it'd take me until midnight to walk home like this."
"Okay..." She smiles and types something on her phone.
We pack up our stuff. And we make it outside to see the Inoue family's black SUV waiting for us.
And standing beside it like a statue is Eva.
"Hey Eva," I say as we approach.
"Hi Eva..." Luna adds softly.
Eva gives us a single nod, her ice-blue eyes assessing us. "Luna. Adam." She opens the SUV door.
Luna and I climb into the middle seats while Eva slides into the front passenger seat.
The drive is quick, just five minutes, but during those five minutes, reality hits me like a freight train.
I can't hide my injuries from my family. They'll notice I'm hurt by the way I move.
I need to tell them something. And honestly, the Jack situation is over. There's no danger anymore. No real reason to keep it secret.
But I should probably check with Luna first.
"Hey, I'm probably gonna tell my family about the Jack thing. They've been worried, and there's no way I can hide..." I gesture at my body, "my injuries. Is that okay?"
Luna looks at me, those big violet eyes curious. "They don't know? Why didn't you... tell them before?"
"I don't know. I guess I figured if they couldn't help, why worry them? I was gonna wait until it was over."
Luna is quiet for a moment. "I see… that makes sense…" She pauses, then adds softly, "But I think... I'd want to know... Even if I couldn't help... I'd still want to... try to support... someone I care about..."
Her words hit harder than I expected. She's right. I've been so focused on keeping them safe that I didn't think about how they might want to just... be there for me. How they might want to help in whatever way they could.
And I'm being a hypocrite, aren't I? I'd run into danger for any of them without a second thought. But by keeping this from them, I'm taking away their right to choose. I'm deciding for them.
"Yeah, you're right," I say quietly. "I just really don't want to put them in danger. But I guess that's kind of selfish: I'd do anything for them, but I'm not letting them do the same for me."
The thought sits uncomfortably in my chest.
Whatever. I just need to get strong enough that it's not an issue.
The SUV pulls up to my house, and I unbuckle with movements that would make a sloth look hyperactive.
"Thanks for the ride, Luna. Tell your dad thanks too, okay?"
"Okay... see you Monday..."
"See you Monday!" I wave as I extract myself from the vehicle. "Bye Eva!"
She nods, tracking my movement with those sharp eyes.
"Thanks!" I call to the driver, who chuckles and waves.
I stand on the sidewalk for a moment, watching the SUV disappear around the corner. Then I turn to face my front door and take a deep breath.
Okay. Time to face the music.
Before I open the door, I take a moment to think about what I'm going to say.
Jack was targeting Luna? That's fine to share.
Jack's a predator who's assaulted multiple girls? Definitely telling them that.
The part where I stole his phone through extremely illegal means? Yeah, uh no. I'm keeping that vague.
How I got hurt? Can't really hide that one.
I take another deep breath, steel myself for the inevitable barrage of questions and concern, and push open the front door.
"I'm home!"