(UNEDITED)

The alarm clock beside my bed was the sound I routinely woke up to. The sound never ceases to startle me out of my dreams. The rude awakening always had my heart jump, my anxiety spike and ruined any chance of me having a good day.

My fight with Sarah still lingering in my head along with the boy next door. The boy with the midnight black hair, piercings that somehow he pulled off an alien like bone structure.

I just hope he is not an alien in disguise, that would be disconcerting and if Hollywood movies were anything to go by he was probably here to take over the earth. An earth I would have to save from said tyranny. Because nobody will believe me, they never believe the hero until it is too late.

And when this train of thought comes to an end I am back to square one. What to do about Sarah and what to do about the boy next door?

"You're going to be late for school," I hear the voice of my father. Which was odd considering I was only supposed to see him on weekends and this was definitely not a weekend. Had he come to collect the last of his stuff before the divorce was finalised?

"I'm leaving now," I tell my father as I close my bedroom door behind me on my way out. Not wanting to alert anyone to my curiosity as to why exactly he was here. I had other things to worry about, Sarah coming to mind as I chewed on my bottom lip with worry.

"Do you have any plans later?" my dad asks, trying to get my attention as he sees me leaving. Wanting to just walk out but the guilt the act would cause had me trapped. "I wanted to go through colleges' with you," he added, looking at me with those eyes, the eyes that blended seamlessly into his equally brown skin, the skin he gave to me.

"I don't know. Maybe," I tell him instead of the truth, the truth that I did not want to go to college. Once again, in a mental debate of if I should voice my opinion or not. Unless there was a college for comic book illustration.

"We can talk about it later." My father attempted to ease my worry, but it only grew tenfold.

"I have to go." Is the only words I could muster up, not waiting for his reply before I walked out.

Making my way down two flights of stairs, car keys in hand, I could not help but think that if I were a superhero what would my superpower be? If they would enhance my natural abilities or improve what I most lacked. If so I would be a Power Of Observation man, he has the uncanny ability to observe social situations and does not pace around rooms annoying his girlfriend to no end. But if it was my natural abilities my powers would be; extremely stressed man. Either way I would want to fly which in turn would save me from ever climbing these steps again and that thought alone brought a smile to my lips.

My slightly rusty cream beetle greeted me the moment I stepped outside the building. Giving my baby a little pat as I got in and started the engine with a bit of a clug and thump. Putting her in gear, putting down the clutch and doing the swap of pressure from the clutch to my drive pedal. Slowly pulling away from the curb I spotted something on the sidewalk, more someone than something.

A certain tattooed alien making their way down the road. His messenger bag clinging to his lean shoulders and sporting a newly lit cigarette between his pale fingers. He hadn't noticed me as I pulled up beside him, in his own world as he kicked the pebbles on the sidewalk. 

"Hi. Need a ride?" Rolling my window down I asked before I even knew that it was my intention to do so. His footsteps faltered as I caught his attention. His pierced eyebrow perked up at me as he watched me for a moment. Taking me in as I did the same to him, he did not look so alien-y up close, which I assume is a good thing.

"Why?" He asked, his voice was exactly the type I'd expect from a person who looks like that. Smooth, yet hard and held off like he was caught between sharing everything or sharing nothing at all.

"The Millenium Falcon needs a crew to run?" Because who would not wanna ride in the Millenium Falcon? The moment the words came out of my mouth the look he gave me had me regretting I said anything I said, so I back tracked. "You're heading to Crestwood right?" It was more of a statement, I could tell that was where he was going by the school uniform he wore, it was the same one I wore. A grey jersey with a white button up under it that matched the dress pants and newly polished school shoes. He had taken the last step as an option as he wore Doc Martens instead, which I knew he would get flack for.

Upon this request he seems to ignore me, and well, honestly, who wouldn't?

""Fine, be like that, but just so you know you're not gonna make it in time for the bell." I keep telling him as I seem to add more fuel to the fire. Scolding myself more as his eyes meet mine for a moment, reminding me of last night. His black hair moving in the breeze as he nibbled on his pierced bottom lip. Deciding to stop making a fool of myself as I put the car in gear ready to pull away. Not wanting to be late, tardiness is a pet peeve of mine. It right up there with not being able to finish a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. My dreams are going up in flames along with the rioting trolls.

"Fine," He quipped with a roll of his eyes flicking his smoke to the floor which he stomped on with his boot before making his way over to the passenger side of my car. The doors opened from the inside, so I had to reach over to open it for him. Not having enough time to move my Captain Marvel comic, I planned to trade, as he sat on it. My soul jumping out of my body as I thought of the Captain Marvel swap I was going to lose out on now that his ass has defiled my comic.

"Lift your butt up please." I asked as he gave me a look that debated my mental sanity. "You're sitting on my mint 1967 Captain Marvel comic right now." Trying desperately not to come off rude or show just how much I was panicking inside.

"Oh, my bad." He pulled the comic out from under him as my heart stopped, he was squishing the spine, HE IS SQUISHING THE SPINE! "Here is your children's book." No he did not just say that.

"FIrstly sir, it is not a children's book and secondly IT IS NOT A CHILDREN'S BOOK." Carefully grabbed the book out his evil hand as I inspected it, it seemed fine, no noticeable damage. My lungs  are easing at the realisation. With this kind of degeneracy I might have a villian on our hands. Who knew, he could be the Lex Luthor to my Superman, Norman Osborn to my Spiderman, the Joker to my... well we all knew Batman is no superhero.

"Whatever you say." The boy scoffed as I carefully placed it on the dashboard making sure all the pages were straight and the plastic protective cover was doing it's job. Before turning to the boy with what could only be described as a joker like smile.

"Hi, I'm Brady. I live in an apartment across from you," I introduce myself holding my hand out for him to shake, debating if he'd do the same. My anxiety kicked in when I realised that he might not, my hand slowly lowering when my fears were confirmed. Going to put the car in gear almosting missing his words as I did so. Sounding like a regular James Bond as he did so,

"I'm Art, Art De Luca,"