Part 2
Within a couple of days they had a new probation officer. Her name was Victoria, and even Maja had to admit, she was a big improvement over Brian. Most especially in the sanity department.
She stood before them all, watching with dark eyes while a policeman paced along their line, stopping every so often in front of one of them.
“Do any of you know what happened to Brian? Or Quinn?” He questioned them slowly, making sure to catch all of their eyes. Maja fought to keep contact when he got to her, refusing to look down, admit guilt.
“I think I know,” Gabe spoke up, and Maja looked over, shocked. They had agreed. But Gabe was just being what Maja was coming to learn was Gabe and explained himself, “I walked in on both of them in the bathroom a few days ago, just going at it. Really rough, Quinn taking it right up the ass. And Brian’s behind him,” Gabe mimes the actions lewdly and Maja has to bite her lip not to laugh, “Saying ’Oh yeah, who’s your Daddy? Who’s your Daddy?’ Ahhh,” Gabe stops and smiles innocently at the officer, “My guess is that they ran away together to continue their big gay love affair. And who are we, who are we, to judge them, I ask you?”
Maja put her head down to try and trap the giggles from escaping. She looked up, more under control, to catch Victoria’s disgusted look. The officer wasn’t looking much more approving. Gabe just kept the innocent façade. Finally, both the adults looked at each other and Victoria sighed.
“Alright,” She said, “Go change. You’ll be painting graffiti today.”
“Big fucking surprise,” William muttered, to low for her to hear, and they all ducked into the locker room.
;;;
Victoria was convinced those kids had something to do with Brian disappearing. He wouldn’t just up and leave, she knew him. He wouldn’t.
Nate dropped a hand on her shoulder and she leaned into it. He cleared his throat, “Vicky, I don’t think…it’s been a few days. Are you sure he didn’t-”
“He didn’t say anything,” She cut him off, “He left that morning. Told me he loved me, said he’d see me that night, and left. For work. Here. They have to know something Nate, I know they do.”
“Vicky,” He said kindly, and she bristled.
“All right,” She said shortly, “I get it. I’ve just…let me work. Okay, I’m fine.”
Nate sighed in disbelief, but thankfully got up and left her alone. She sighed and put her head in her arms. Just breathe, she told herself. She sat up after a moment, watching the five kids in orange traipse across the center floor, paint in hand. They knew something.
She looked back to the picture on Brian’s…her desk. It was the two of them, from the party her mom had thrown them when they announced the engagement.
;;;
“We have to have something else to do,” Gabe complained, lazing in the sun. Maja had to hand it to him, he had acclimated to being homeless rather well, finding an unused bit of roof to drag a bunch of donated furniture onto. It was a surprisingly comfortable place to hang out, avoid working, and watch Gabe try and figure out his power.
“I don’t know,” Mikey said, “There is a rather large amount of graffiti around.”
“Ugh,” Maja complained. They had been painting over graffiti in the same few spots for the past week. It sucked royally.
William made a noise of agreement from his own seat, sunglasses perched on his nose, “Something’s bound to change. Maybe someone will donate more furniture.”
“Are you saying something about my lounge?” Gabe asked, actually managing to sound outraged and insulted.
“Yes,” William answered plainly, and smirked.
“Just see if I invite you over again!” Gabe yelped, but didn’t make any move to throw him out.
Mikey’s watch beeped and they all groaned. That meant it was time for work. Ugh.
;;;
Maja opened her locker and had her jumpsuit halfway on before she noticed the paper hanging in it. She stared for a second, before saying, “Um, guys?”
Gabe was over in a flash, pulling it down and looking it over. Maja looked at it again with him, the picture being a photocopied news article about Brian’s disappearance with the words “I know what you did!” written over it.
Mikey peered over their shoulders and swallowed loudly. He said nervously, “They don’t know anything. It’s just a stupid prank.”
“What is it?” Travis grabbed the paper and glanced over it, his eyes going wide as he handed it to William with, “This isn’t good.”
“Weird kid’s right,” Gabe said, “I mean if I was holding murder over someone’s head, I’d be a little more creative about it. Come on, might’s well have said ‘I know what movie you saw last summer!’”
“This isn’t funny,” Maja said, taking the paper back before ripping it up and tossing it in the trash, “We need to be really careful.”
Mikey nodded and she gave him an appreciative look. Maja was starting to be convinced he was the only sane one there. Maja looked at the rest of them, “Well? Let’s get to work.”
;;;
“This is Alex,” Victoria presented the adorable boy to them, in front of the biggest pile of clothing Maja had ever seen, “And he’s got something different for you today.”
“Hey,” He said with the sweetest smile, “So behind me is a bunch of clothes people have donated to the community center over the years. I run a charity to help clothe people who can’t afford it, both in the country and abroad. Basically, we need you guys to sort it, fold it, and put it in those boxes over there. Okay?”
Maja nodded, looking at the pile again. Jesus this was going to take forever. But, it wasn’t painting. That was something.
“Great!” Alex exclaimed, smile too sweet by half. He clapped his hands together, If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”
“If a shark in a bear got in a fight, who would win?” Gabe asked, and Alex just smiled wider.
“Right, any relevant questions feel free to ask,” He turned and started to head to one of the offices, looking over his shoulder with mischief in his eye, “And if it was on land? The bear, definitely.”
;;;
Mikey was folding the most hideous vest he had ever seen while Gabe paraded around in a bra and pair of parachute pants over his jumpsuit when he felt the eyes on him. He turned his head sharply and caught Victoria staring at him, puzzled expression on her face. She blanched when Mikey caught her eye, but he just held her gaze until it dropped. That happened six more times before they were done for the day.
Mikey changed out of his jumpsuit quickly and headed to the roof, where they had taken to hanging out after they were finished. He opened the door and saw Gabe making facial contortions at a bottle, Travis watching on in amusement.
“Um,” Mikey said, completely puzzled, “What’s he doing?”
“Trying to blow it up with his mind,” Travis sniggered, “I think he’s shit himself.”
“I have not!” Gabe defended himself before all the tension left him and he collapsed back on the chair. He brought his head back up to peer at Mikey, “What’s up with you weird kid?”
“I think something’s funny with our new probation officer,” Mikey explained.
“We’re not killing another one,” Travis huffed, and Mikey shook his head.
“No,” He agreed, “But I think it has something to do with that note. Um, I was thinking about that too. I could turn invisible and watch around tomorrow?”
“Go for it,” Gabe said, “Just don’t follow me into the bathroom!”
Mikey snorted and turned on his heel. Okay. He had something to do. For his friends. Mikey smiled to himself.
;;;
The next day he made sure to get there early. He changed quickly and focused. The first yank of his head came quicker and easier, less of a stomach turning sensation.
Once he had gotten used to the whole turning thing, Mikey had to admit the invisibility thing was cool. It was kind of peaceful, and different. He couldn’t really describe it. It was like the world had placed a veil between the real world and his invisible place. Sights were really the same, but the sound almost sounded tunnel-y. He settled himself in a corner of the locker room and waited, drawing his knees up to his chest and enjoying the feeling of cotton in his ears and no one’s attention focused on him.
;;;
William stumbled toward the community center. Thank god for locker rooms. He did not want to be going anywhere near home after that night. One thing the power was definitely good for, he could lay anyone he wanted now. All he had to do was touch.
“Late night?” He heard and jerked his head up, smiling lazily at the form of Travis lounging on one of the tables outside.
“Mm,” William purred, (He was damn captivating and he knew it.) and stretched upwards, grinning when he saw the way Travis’s eyes danced hungrily across the bruised and used patch of skin he knew the move uncovered, “You could say that.”
“I’m sure,” Travis smirked, only flicking his eyes back upwards when William brought his arms, and subsequently his shirt, down.
“How about you?” William let his eyes dance over him, “Get any action last night?”
“Don’t get out much,” Travis let his eyes wander over the grounds, ignoring William. That would not do.
“Want some?” William stretched over the table, letting the tips of his fingers dance millimeters over Travis’s skin, sensing rather than actually feeling the goose bumps pimpling his flesh, “All I have to do is touch you, and you’d be begging.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Travis said, his eyes guarded as they traced the progress of William’s fingers. Most noticeably though, he didn’t move his arm. William understood. He was teasing. Not only William, but himself. He really did understand. William had been with boys who wanted to be tied down, wanted to tie him down. He got teasing. Travis looked up and caught his eyes, “I think you’re the kind of boy my Mum warned me about.”
“Your Mum doesn’t know a thing about boys like me,” William smirked, then pounced. He watched what he had come to think of as the force of his power travel from his contact point on Travis’s arm, up to his brain, making sure to keep his eyes locked on Travis’s shocked ones, watching the way his pupils widened with lust.
“I have to fuck you now,” Travis said in a voice that didn’t really belong to him, but William appreciated the sentiment anyway.
“C’mon,” He stood up and tugged Travis toward the community center, making sure never to let go of his arm.
;;;
Mikey had been expecting maybe Victoria or the cop that was always hanging around her. What he most certainly was not expecting was a frantic, lust-driven, heavily making out William and Travis. He watched Travis pin William to the wall next to the locker room doors they had just stumbled in and suck on his neck, grinding his hips hard into William’s. Mikey watched the bliss on William’s face with a bit of jealousy before figuring out the situation.
William’s power.
Mikey scoffed and traced their progress to a bathroom stall with his eyes shuttered behind the light flashing off his glasses. Cheater. Fucking hot cheater.
;;;
William gasped sharply and came, arching his back into Travis’s bare, sweaty chest, moaning as he felt Travis do the same. Instead of bathing in the afterglow like he wanted though, he just stood up and turned around, pulling his jumpsuit up over his bruised hips carefully.
William swung his damp hair into his face and watched Travis come back to his senses bit by bit through it. Travis looked all around him and finally at William, who knew he most definitely had the look of the well fucked.
“Did we just-” Travis started, but William interrupted.
“Yep,” He fought the overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss Travis lightly, to juxtapose the violent, bruising kisses of earlier. But he knew if he indulged, then he’d have to fight him off for another round, and his ass was most definitely not up for that. Then he turned and unlocked the stall, heading for a mirror immediately.
William watched Travis in the mirror carefully, watched him pull his own jumpsuit up and tie it about his waist, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor and pull it over his head. Every movement was jerky, angry, outraged. Then he stalked up behind William and caught his eye in the mirror.
“You can’t go doing that!” He yelled angrily.
“Doing what?” William scoffed, “Having sex with you? Don’t act like you didn’t want it.”
“I don’t even remember it!” Travis yelled. William narrowed his eyes at him in the mirror. He quieted, “You had absolutely no right. None. Don’t you ever touch me again. Got it?”
William watched him storm out of the room with his eyes still narrowed, then closed them and leaned against the mirror. Fine. Fine. Travis didn’t want to touch him. He’d had worse. He could most definitely deal with this in a mature and responsible manner.
His eyes flew open as the cute boy who had brought them all the clothing pushed into the room. The boy seemed embarrassed and concerned as he caught sight of William. He stammered out, “Oh sorry. Um, are you okay?” With an easy grin. William straightened and put a smile on his own face.
“Yeah fine. What was your name again?”
;;;
“Where were you all day?” Travis asked as Mikey emerged on the roof, blinking in the sunlight.
“I was keeping watch on the locker rooms, remember?” Mikey said carefully, and watched the way Travis’s eyes widened. But he didn’t say anything, so Mikey wasn’t going to either.
“Well,” Maja finally asked, “Did you find anything out?”
“Not what I thought I was going to,” Mikey admitted, “But we do have a bit of a problem.”
“What!?” Gabe asked indignantly, and Mikey blinked upon glancing at him.
“Why are you wet?” Mikey’s brow furrowed, and Gabe scowled.
“I can’t breathe underwater,” He finally huffed, and Mikey had to laugh.
“Maybe you just don’t have a power,” Travis said and Gabe shook his head.
“I know I can do something,” He insisted, and grabbed at his crotch, “I can feel it. That tingling sensation deep in my balls, you know?”
“Um, right,” Mikey said, more than a little disturbed for life, thanks, “But we really do have a real problem.”
“What is it?” Maja asked.
“They’re going to dig up the bodies,” Mikey said and Gabe fell off his chair.
“They’re what?!” Travis yelped, “Why?”
“They’re building a methane testing facility under the causeway,” Mikey explained.
“A what?” Gabe queried.
“Methane testing facili-” Mikey started, but Gabe waved at him to stop.
“I don’t actually care,” He said shortly, “What are we going to do?”
“Well,” Mikey had been thinking about it all afternoon, trying to get the image of William’s blissed out face free of his mind, “I figure our best bet is to dig them up and put them back right before they pour the foundation. Then no one will ever find them again.”
“We should have just put them in a cemetery,” Gabe moaned, “No one ever builds shit in a cemetery.”
“I think there’s about a hundred moral issues with that,” Maja frowned, “What do we with them while we’re waiting for that.”
“Um,” Mikey hadn’t thought of that, “It should be okay to put them back in only a day or so. Does anyone have a car?”
They all looked dumbfounded. Mikey thought for a second, “Doesn’t William have his dad’s or something? He had to get arrested driving something.”
Travis scowled. Maja looked thoughtful. Gabe looked around, “Where is William?”
“Probably off fucking someone,” Travis muttered venomously.
“Whoo,” Gabe said, “A little bitter, are we?”
“Fuck off,” Travis told him.
“Someone needs to get a hold of him,” Maja interjected, “This concerns him as well.”
Mikey looked at Travis expectantly. He knew the other two were too. Finally Travis scowled and pulled out his phone, “Fine.”
“If we can’t use his car though,” Maja said slowly, like she was puzzling through it, “What do we do.”
“Steal one,” Gabe said.
“Victoria has one,” Mikey said before he could think.
“Right. Does anyone know how to steal a car?” Gabe asked at large, but looked up sharply when no one spoke up, “What? We’re a bunch of young offenders and none of know how to steal a car? I’m ashamed of us!”
“Can it Saporta,” Maja said, pushing him over backwards.
“Ouch!” He yelped unnecessarily, looking at Travis and Mikey, “Do you see this? This abuse I suffer through?”
Mikey stared at him impassively. He really wasn’t as entertaining as he thought. Then he had a thought. He spoke slowly, picking his words carefully, “I could get her keys.”
“Do it,” Maja spoke quickly and quietly, “Let’s just get this done and forget about it.”
;;;
Mikey slipped in the door carefully, mindful not to disturb the air in the room. Victoria was on the phone, speaking softly to someone. Mikey tip-toed around her chair, to the keys on the other side of her desk. He watched for a moment when she was looking in the complete opposite direction and lifted them carefully, slipping them into his pocket.
He was out the door before she so much as sensed his presence.
;;;
“Um, I’m sorry, I have to go,” Alex said, throwing his clothes back on, “Um, this is so weird. I don’t usually do this. I don’t even remember…”
William watched him from his bed with disinterest. It wasn’t that it hadn’t been good. It just hadn’t been…right. It was frustrating. Sex for him was never in terms of right or wrong, and he wasn’t sure when that had changed exactly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Alex asked, voice chock full of hope, and William didn’t have the courage to blow him off.
“Yeah,” He smiled thinly. Alex’s return smile was sweet, and he walked out the door. William sighed and turned to face the window. What was wrong with him? He felt itchy, restless, not like he had just gotten a good lay. Travis pricked at the corner of his mind, and William frowned. There was something there, or had been, and dammit, he wanted it. But Travis wasn’t speaking to him, not anymore. Not after what he had done.
William felt sick to his stomach, and it took him a minute to realize it was guilt. He was guilty. William didn’t do guilty. Why was he guilty? It really wasn’t like Travis hadn’t wanted it. But still, he had kind of taken his choice away…
William’s conscience might have continued wrestling with itself all night long had his phone not gone off. He pounced on it, fighting it out of his jeans from the floor. He flipped it open and brought it up to his ear, “Hello?”
“Hi,” Travis’s voice reached him through the satellites and filaments, and William’s stomach swooped. He frowned down at it. Really, it wasn’t normal. Travis’s voice held no pleasantries though, merely composed of short, clipped syllables, “You need to get back at the community center. We have something we need to do.”
He hung up before William could respond. William shut the phone and looked at it despondently. This wasn’t right, at all. William was vaguely starting to wonder what made this boy, this criminal he had met a little over a week ago, so special.
He decided not to fill his headspace with this problem anymore, instead standing and pulling his clothes on.
;;;
“Shotgun!” Gabe yelled and ran past them to the car. Maja rolled her eyes and swung the keys on her finger slowly, watching Gabe attempt to open a locked door. Idiot, she thought fondly, before a timid tap reached her shoulder. She turned, expecting Mikey, and started when it was William, a worried expression on his face.
“I can’t sit in the back,” William muttered, “I might touch one of them.”
“Oh,” Maja frowned. She hadn’t thought of that. She looked at the car, where Travis and Mikey had already clambered into the back, and Gabe was still battling the locked door. For some reason she knew he wouldn’t give up the seat. Maja shrugged and handed William the keys, shrugging again at his surprised look and shoving Mikey into the middle of the back, stealing his seat. She huffed and took pity on Gabe, unlocking his door while Travis and Mikey sniggered.
William folded himself into the front seat carefully, looking like he was on a pin edge. Maja studied the stiff way he was holding himself and wondered what was the matter. She glanced at Mikey side-long, who was watching William as well, and caught his eye. Mikey caught her glance and shrugged.
“Ow,” Travis complained, “Fucking elbows.”
“Sorry,” Mikey muttered, sounding truly contrite.
“Well,” Gabe said, his voice too loud in the enclosed space, “Are we going to go?”
William keyed up the car and took off.
;;;
“Ugh,” Maja held her sleeve over her nose, stuttering in their previously rhythmic digging, “D’you smell that?”
“That’s disgusting,” William agreed, his nose wrinkled.
“Whoa,” Gabe bent over suddenly, standing up with…a hand in hand. Maja controlled her gag reflex, “Someone was anxious to say hello.”
“Oh my god,” Travis apparently had no hold on his reflex, wretching, “Put that down!”
Gabe just grinned and waved it about. Maja rolled her eyes and swung at the back of his knees with her shovel. He went down pretty hard. It was deeply satisfying.
“I think we found them,” Mikey said, his own voice muffled by his collar pulled up over his mouth and nose.
“Fuck,” Travis choked out, “Let’s just get them in the trunk.”
;;;
Gabe watched Travis, Mikey, and William head off in different directions, before turning and coming face to face with Maja. Who was looking at him funny.
“What?” He crossed his arms, unable to works up any witty remark for her. She would just hit him anyways.
“Are you okay?” She asked seriously and Gabe squinted at her.
“What do you mean?” He countered.
“You live in the community center,” She explained in an exasperated tone of voice.
“That?” Gabe forced a grin on his face, “Totally temporary. I’m just looking for a place that fits my high caliber lifestyle.”
Maja rolled her eyes, “Fine. Sure, whatever. But, if you need something, let me know, okay?”
“Right,” Gabe rolled his eyes, “When that ever happens, I’m sure there’s so much you could do.”
He knew he should have seen it coming, but the sucker punch to his stomach still took the wind out of him, bent him in half. Gabe grinned at the blurred by tears ground. He took a pained breath and looked up, watching Maja’s retreating form. I would totally do her, he thought. Maja raised a hand and left him with a middle finger. Gabe laughed out loud, painfully.
;;;
Travis walked up to the community center, his mind churning. William’s careful silence the night before, coupled with the fact that he was pretty positive he had taken Alex home with him had Travis racing through every different thought process and possibility. There had to be more than one quick, supernaturally driven fuck in a bathroom stall to them, didn’t there? He was coming to admit that he might legitimately like William. Which was scary and exciting in it’s own way, sure. But, now…everything was weird and wrong and…oh, fuck.
Travis stopped dead, looking at the car in front of him with wide eyes. They hadn’t hidden it. Victoria was going to show up any second, and they hadn’t thought to keep the fucking car away from where she would most certainly find it with two decaying bodies in the trunk.
Travis unlocked his muscles and dashed inside, searching the twisting halls for everyone else. He finally burst out onto the roof, panting.
“We forgot to hide the car!” He managed to get out, answering their stares.
Mikey was the first to understand, standing up quickly, his eyes wide, before dashing to the door faster than Travis had ever seen him move. Travis turned and followed him, leaving the others to puzzle it out for themselves.
They reached the parking lot, nearly to Victoria’s car, the other three hot on their heels when she walked up. Travis grabbed Mikey’s sleeve and headed for the trash cans, ducking behind them and watching her from between them carefully. He glanced over to see Maja, Gabe, and, his stomach swooped low, William crouch down behind them as well. He forced his gaze from William’s tense form and back to Victoria, who was walking around her car with a puzzled expression. He watched her open her cell phone, pushing a button and bringing it to her ear.
“Nate?” Her voice filtered over to where they were hiding. Travis strained to pick it all up, while praying she didn’t check the trunk, “Yeah, it’s Vicky. I…just found my car. …Yeah, I know. …Okay. …Yeah.”
She began to walk away. Travis let himself breathe, looking over at Mikey, who glanced back, success dancing in his eyes. Then her voice came again, “Check what? …Okay.”
Travis whipped his head back around as his stomach knotted and sunk low, watching her trot back to the car, opening the doors one by one carefully.
“There’s nothing inside,” She said into the phone. Then sighed, “Fine.”
Travis watched with dread as she popped open the truck from the latch on the drivers seat. She walked around. He felt like it was all happening too slow as she gasped and burst out crying.
“Brian?” She said, but the voice was all wrong, too slow, too drawn out, “Oh my god, Nate. Brian. It’s…I found Brian.”
Travis looked over to the others, and found them frozen. He took a breath, and the next second felt it knocked out of him, nearly tipping him over onto his back. The screen appeared on his eyes, and he watched in reverse as Victoria stopped crying, opened and shut all the doors, started back to the center, then back to walk around her car, all so fast he could barely register. He blinked and everything stopped. He sucked in a breath. Mikey shushed him, looking significantly at Victoria, who was just pulling out her cell phone.
“Shit,” Travis whispered, “Guys. Guys!”
They all looked over and Travis spoke as fast as possible, “She’s going to find the bodies. She’s talking to someone on the phone, and then she’ll head back for the center, but she turns around and comes back and opens the trunk!”
He looked back to see her walking back to the center. The she pivoted. He looked back at them wildly, “Now! We need to keep her from opening the trunk!”
“On it!” Gabe whispered back, and grabbed the hunk of concrete next to him, bounding up.
Travis watched him step from behind the cans and chuck it, straight through Victoria’s windshield. Travis fought a gasp as Victoria stared at Gabe.
“Nate, I have to go,” She said, shutting the phone and sliding it away, before stalking up to Gabe and the car, inspecting the damage. She whirled on Gabe, “Are you mentally deficient?!”
“No!” Gabe folded his arms, and Travis could hear him smiling, “If I was mentally deficient, I would’ve missed.”
Victoria’s jaw dropped. She stood there staring at Gabe for a moment, before turning and stalking back to the community center angrily. Travis watched her disappear around the corner before standing and walking over to Gabe. Maja smacked him.
“Ow,” Gabe complained, “What the fuck?”
Maja shrugged. Travis couldn’t help but laugh, sick relief combining with leftover dread and nerves. He caught William’s smile out of the corner of his eye and felt his stomach swoop again.
“We should move the car,” Mikey said quietly, and Travis nodded. They should. But for now, Travis was happy to enjoy the fact that they hadn’t gotten caught.
;;;
William folded another shirt and fought to keep his eyes open. After last night’s after dark body excursion, he had tossed and turned all night, unable to let his mind settle. It was constantly turning over Travis, Travis, and just for some variety, Travis. William blinked hard and looked up at the subject of his thoughts, who was studiously ignoring him and Gabe. Gabe, who had found a pair of ski goggles and was raging on about how he was Bono. Gabe couldn’t sing U2 for shit, they had all learned.
Alex walked into the room and smiled at William. He managed to dredge up a pained smile in return, before dropping his eyes back to the shirt he was pretty sure he’d folded about twenty times already. Victoria stuck her head out of her office then and called out to them, “Lunch time guys. Take a break.”
William felt a touch on his shoulder and flinched away from it. The avoidance to touch, any touch, was fast becoming his habit, and he was starting to hate it. William looked over to Alex’s apologetic face.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?” He asked and William winced, but nodded. He followed him out of the center and through the park, studiously watching his feet and not saying anything. If Alex wanted to talk, he could damn well talk. William wasn’t saying anything.
“Look, William,” Alex suddenly said, and reached out to grasp his bare arm to stop him. William gasped and tried to jerk his arm away, but Alex was deceptively strong, throwing him down on the picnic table they were next to. He crooned, “Baby, let’s go. I know you want it. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be able to feel it for a week.”
William cried out and struggled, but Alex kept him pinned. He had just opened his mouth to cry for help when Travis’s voice suddenly hit his ears, sounding panicked, “Fuck. What are you…get off of him!”
Travis started to pull Alex off, but William felt his hand brush his hip where his shirt had ridden up, and suddenly William was fighting off two much stronger boys. He flailed and felt his hand catch them, but nothing was working. So, he fought dirty. He kicked out, feeling one knee catch Alex between the legs, and the other land in Travis’s stomach.
They both backed off, in pain, and William grabbed the chance, throwing off the last of their grips and scrambling backwards across the table. Both the other boys looked up at him, Alex very confused and Travis absolutely contrite. William felt his eyes pool with tears. He couldn’t believe that had just happened.
“William,” Travis said, reaching out a hand, and William flinched. Travis put it back down and looked at a loss for words. As soon as he felt the first tear hit his cheek, he pushed himself off the table, nearly falling on shaky legs, and ran.
;;;
“Where are they?” Gabe whined, leaning against the car.
“I don’t know,” Maja just sounded frustrated.
Mikey shook his head, “Whatever. We can’t wait. They’re going to pour the foundation after lunch. We have to do it now.”
Maja sighed and slid into the driver’s seat. Mikey moved around to the back and watched the meager landscape flash by. They didn’t have far to go. Maja drove slowly and carefully through the maze of construction equipment, until they reached the hole dug for the facility’s foundation, concrete pourer positioned right next to it. They all climbed out of the car and looked down in it. They’d have to dig another hole, and make sure it was smooth enough for the workers not to notice it. Or…Mikey suddenly noticed the debris laying all around, like the workers just planned on burying their garbage. That could work.
They drove back in silence, leaving the car back in the parking lot for Victoria. Mikey heard a sound and turned, watching the concrete fill the hole, mostly just a blur from this distance. He grimaced, but then nodded. That was the end of that.
;;;
Travis looked up at the top of the hill in the park that overlooked at the community center at the small form of William. He sighed and started up, keeping an eye on him in case he decided to run. Again. Travis approached him carefully once at the top, getting about ten feet from him when he flinched, like he was considering running. Travis stopped, and slowly sat down. He watched William from there, his legs pulled up to his chest with his arms around them, face obscured by his long hair.
“William,” Travis said softly. He didn’t move, “Whatever I said or did, I’m sorry. It wasn’t me.”
“I know,” William finally moved, shaking the hair out of his tear-stained face, “It’s me.”
Travis watched as he started quaking, but made no move to comfort him. He couldn’t, and it was driving him mad.
“It used to be a good thing you know,” William said suddenly, “People wanting me. But now it’s shit. I don’t know anymore if anyone really wants to sleep with me, or if it’s just my power.”
“Guys still want you,” Travis said softly. I still want you, he added in his head, but kept his mouth shut.
“You don’t,” William laughed wetly, and refused to meet Travis’s eye. Travis swallowed, looked at the ground.
“Yeah, I do,” He said softly.
“Then why-” William started.
“Not like that,” Travis explained, meeting William’s eye finally, “You don’t need to use your power on me…I’m already there.”
“I don’t,” William stopped, swallowed visibly, “I don’t know how to be like this. Be with someone like this.”
“It’s okay,” Travis soothed him with words, he couldn’t with touch, “We’ll work something out. It’s gonna be alright.”
William looked up at him, uncertainty clouding his features. Travis smiled as best he could. They would work it out. William’s return smile was tentative, but there.
“It can’t be that hard to figure out,” Travis continued, “We just can’t touch. Granted, there’s not a lot of options, but there’s some, right?”
William’s face adopted deep in thought and Travis smothered a smile. William suddenly grinned, deep and wicked.
“I think I know,” He said.
Part 3
She stood before them all, watching with dark eyes while a policeman paced along their line, stopping every so often in front of one of them.
“Do any of you know what happened to Brian? Or Quinn?” He questioned them slowly, making sure to catch all of their eyes. Maja fought to keep contact when he got to her, refusing to look down, admit guilt.
“I think I know,” Gabe spoke up, and Maja looked over, shocked. They had agreed. But Gabe was just being what Maja was coming to learn was Gabe and explained himself, “I walked in on both of them in the bathroom a few days ago, just going at it. Really rough, Quinn taking it right up the ass. And Brian’s behind him,” Gabe mimes the actions lewdly and Maja has to bite her lip not to laugh, “Saying ’Oh yeah, who’s your Daddy? Who’s your Daddy?’ Ahhh,” Gabe stops and smiles innocently at the officer, “My guess is that they ran away together to continue their big gay love affair. And who are we, who are we, to judge them, I ask you?”
Maja put her head down to try and trap the giggles from escaping. She looked up, more under control, to catch Victoria’s disgusted look. The officer wasn’t looking much more approving. Gabe just kept the innocent façade. Finally, both the adults looked at each other and Victoria sighed.
“Alright,” She said, “Go change. You’ll be painting graffiti today.”
“Big fucking surprise,” William muttered, to low for her to hear, and they all ducked into the locker room.
;;;
Victoria was convinced those kids had something to do with Brian disappearing. He wouldn’t just up and leave, she knew him. He wouldn’t.
Nate dropped a hand on her shoulder and she leaned into it. He cleared his throat, “Vicky, I don’t think…it’s been a few days. Are you sure he didn’t-”
“He didn’t say anything,” She cut him off, “He left that morning. Told me he loved me, said he’d see me that night, and left. For work. Here. They have to know something Nate, I know they do.”
“Vicky,” He said kindly, and she bristled.
“All right,” She said shortly, “I get it. I’ve just…let me work. Okay, I’m fine.”
Nate sighed in disbelief, but thankfully got up and left her alone. She sighed and put her head in her arms. Just breathe, she told herself. She sat up after a moment, watching the five kids in orange traipse across the center floor, paint in hand. They knew something.
She looked back to the picture on Brian’s…her desk. It was the two of them, from the party her mom had thrown them when they announced the engagement.
;;;
“We have to have something else to do,” Gabe complained, lazing in the sun. Maja had to hand it to him, he had acclimated to being homeless rather well, finding an unused bit of roof to drag a bunch of donated furniture onto. It was a surprisingly comfortable place to hang out, avoid working, and watch Gabe try and figure out his power.
“I don’t know,” Mikey said, “There is a rather large amount of graffiti around.”
“Ugh,” Maja complained. They had been painting over graffiti in the same few spots for the past week. It sucked royally.
William made a noise of agreement from his own seat, sunglasses perched on his nose, “Something’s bound to change. Maybe someone will donate more furniture.”
“Are you saying something about my lounge?” Gabe asked, actually managing to sound outraged and insulted.
“Yes,” William answered plainly, and smirked.
“Just see if I invite you over again!” Gabe yelped, but didn’t make any move to throw him out.
Mikey’s watch beeped and they all groaned. That meant it was time for work. Ugh.
;;;
Maja opened her locker and had her jumpsuit halfway on before she noticed the paper hanging in it. She stared for a second, before saying, “Um, guys?”
Gabe was over in a flash, pulling it down and looking it over. Maja looked at it again with him, the picture being a photocopied news article about Brian’s disappearance with the words “I know what you did!” written over it.
Mikey peered over their shoulders and swallowed loudly. He said nervously, “They don’t know anything. It’s just a stupid prank.”
“What is it?” Travis grabbed the paper and glanced over it, his eyes going wide as he handed it to William with, “This isn’t good.”
“Weird kid’s right,” Gabe said, “I mean if I was holding murder over someone’s head, I’d be a little more creative about it. Come on, might’s well have said ‘I know what movie you saw last summer!’”
“This isn’t funny,” Maja said, taking the paper back before ripping it up and tossing it in the trash, “We need to be really careful.”
Mikey nodded and she gave him an appreciative look. Maja was starting to be convinced he was the only sane one there. Maja looked at the rest of them, “Well? Let’s get to work.”
;;;
“This is Alex,” Victoria presented the adorable boy to them, in front of the biggest pile of clothing Maja had ever seen, “And he’s got something different for you today.”
“Hey,” He said with the sweetest smile, “So behind me is a bunch of clothes people have donated to the community center over the years. I run a charity to help clothe people who can’t afford it, both in the country and abroad. Basically, we need you guys to sort it, fold it, and put it in those boxes over there. Okay?”
Maja nodded, looking at the pile again. Jesus this was going to take forever. But, it wasn’t painting. That was something.
“Great!” Alex exclaimed, smile too sweet by half. He clapped his hands together, If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”
“If a shark in a bear got in a fight, who would win?” Gabe asked, and Alex just smiled wider.
“Right, any relevant questions feel free to ask,” He turned and started to head to one of the offices, looking over his shoulder with mischief in his eye, “And if it was on land? The bear, definitely.”
;;;
Mikey was folding the most hideous vest he had ever seen while Gabe paraded around in a bra and pair of parachute pants over his jumpsuit when he felt the eyes on him. He turned his head sharply and caught Victoria staring at him, puzzled expression on her face. She blanched when Mikey caught her eye, but he just held her gaze until it dropped. That happened six more times before they were done for the day.
Mikey changed out of his jumpsuit quickly and headed to the roof, where they had taken to hanging out after they were finished. He opened the door and saw Gabe making facial contortions at a bottle, Travis watching on in amusement.
“Um,” Mikey said, completely puzzled, “What’s he doing?”
“Trying to blow it up with his mind,” Travis sniggered, “I think he’s shit himself.”
“I have not!” Gabe defended himself before all the tension left him and he collapsed back on the chair. He brought his head back up to peer at Mikey, “What’s up with you weird kid?”
“I think something’s funny with our new probation officer,” Mikey explained.
“We’re not killing another one,” Travis huffed, and Mikey shook his head.
“No,” He agreed, “But I think it has something to do with that note. Um, I was thinking about that too. I could turn invisible and watch around tomorrow?”
“Go for it,” Gabe said, “Just don’t follow me into the bathroom!”
Mikey snorted and turned on his heel. Okay. He had something to do. For his friends. Mikey smiled to himself.
;;;
The next day he made sure to get there early. He changed quickly and focused. The first yank of his head came quicker and easier, less of a stomach turning sensation.
Once he had gotten used to the whole turning thing, Mikey had to admit the invisibility thing was cool. It was kind of peaceful, and different. He couldn’t really describe it. It was like the world had placed a veil between the real world and his invisible place. Sights were really the same, but the sound almost sounded tunnel-y. He settled himself in a corner of the locker room and waited, drawing his knees up to his chest and enjoying the feeling of cotton in his ears and no one’s attention focused on him.
;;;
William stumbled toward the community center. Thank god for locker rooms. He did not want to be going anywhere near home after that night. One thing the power was definitely good for, he could lay anyone he wanted now. All he had to do was touch.
“Late night?” He heard and jerked his head up, smiling lazily at the form of Travis lounging on one of the tables outside.
“Mm,” William purred, (He was damn captivating and he knew it.) and stretched upwards, grinning when he saw the way Travis’s eyes danced hungrily across the bruised and used patch of skin he knew the move uncovered, “You could say that.”
“I’m sure,” Travis smirked, only flicking his eyes back upwards when William brought his arms, and subsequently his shirt, down.
“How about you?” William let his eyes dance over him, “Get any action last night?”
“Don’t get out much,” Travis let his eyes wander over the grounds, ignoring William. That would not do.
“Want some?” William stretched over the table, letting the tips of his fingers dance millimeters over Travis’s skin, sensing rather than actually feeling the goose bumps pimpling his flesh, “All I have to do is touch you, and you’d be begging.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Travis said, his eyes guarded as they traced the progress of William’s fingers. Most noticeably though, he didn’t move his arm. William understood. He was teasing. Not only William, but himself. He really did understand. William had been with boys who wanted to be tied down, wanted to tie him down. He got teasing. Travis looked up and caught his eyes, “I think you’re the kind of boy my Mum warned me about.”
“Your Mum doesn’t know a thing about boys like me,” William smirked, then pounced. He watched what he had come to think of as the force of his power travel from his contact point on Travis’s arm, up to his brain, making sure to keep his eyes locked on Travis’s shocked ones, watching the way his pupils widened with lust.
“I have to fuck you now,” Travis said in a voice that didn’t really belong to him, but William appreciated the sentiment anyway.
“C’mon,” He stood up and tugged Travis toward the community center, making sure never to let go of his arm.
;;;
Mikey had been expecting maybe Victoria or the cop that was always hanging around her. What he most certainly was not expecting was a frantic, lust-driven, heavily making out William and Travis. He watched Travis pin William to the wall next to the locker room doors they had just stumbled in and suck on his neck, grinding his hips hard into William’s. Mikey watched the bliss on William’s face with a bit of jealousy before figuring out the situation.
William’s power.
Mikey scoffed and traced their progress to a bathroom stall with his eyes shuttered behind the light flashing off his glasses. Cheater. Fucking hot cheater.
;;;
William gasped sharply and came, arching his back into Travis’s bare, sweaty chest, moaning as he felt Travis do the same. Instead of bathing in the afterglow like he wanted though, he just stood up and turned around, pulling his jumpsuit up over his bruised hips carefully.
William swung his damp hair into his face and watched Travis come back to his senses bit by bit through it. Travis looked all around him and finally at William, who knew he most definitely had the look of the well fucked.
“Did we just-” Travis started, but William interrupted.
“Yep,” He fought the overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss Travis lightly, to juxtapose the violent, bruising kisses of earlier. But he knew if he indulged, then he’d have to fight him off for another round, and his ass was most definitely not up for that. Then he turned and unlocked the stall, heading for a mirror immediately.
William watched Travis in the mirror carefully, watched him pull his own jumpsuit up and tie it about his waist, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor and pull it over his head. Every movement was jerky, angry, outraged. Then he stalked up behind William and caught his eye in the mirror.
“You can’t go doing that!” He yelled angrily.
“Doing what?” William scoffed, “Having sex with you? Don’t act like you didn’t want it.”
“I don’t even remember it!” Travis yelled. William narrowed his eyes at him in the mirror. He quieted, “You had absolutely no right. None. Don’t you ever touch me again. Got it?”
William watched him storm out of the room with his eyes still narrowed, then closed them and leaned against the mirror. Fine. Fine. Travis didn’t want to touch him. He’d had worse. He could most definitely deal with this in a mature and responsible manner.
His eyes flew open as the cute boy who had brought them all the clothing pushed into the room. The boy seemed embarrassed and concerned as he caught sight of William. He stammered out, “Oh sorry. Um, are you okay?” With an easy grin. William straightened and put a smile on his own face.
“Yeah fine. What was your name again?”
;;;
“Where were you all day?” Travis asked as Mikey emerged on the roof, blinking in the sunlight.
“I was keeping watch on the locker rooms, remember?” Mikey said carefully, and watched the way Travis’s eyes widened. But he didn’t say anything, so Mikey wasn’t going to either.
“Well,” Maja finally asked, “Did you find anything out?”
“Not what I thought I was going to,” Mikey admitted, “But we do have a bit of a problem.”
“What!?” Gabe asked indignantly, and Mikey blinked upon glancing at him.
“Why are you wet?” Mikey’s brow furrowed, and Gabe scowled.
“I can’t breathe underwater,” He finally huffed, and Mikey had to laugh.
“Maybe you just don’t have a power,” Travis said and Gabe shook his head.
“I know I can do something,” He insisted, and grabbed at his crotch, “I can feel it. That tingling sensation deep in my balls, you know?”
“Um, right,” Mikey said, more than a little disturbed for life, thanks, “But we really do have a real problem.”
“What is it?” Maja asked.
“They’re going to dig up the bodies,” Mikey said and Gabe fell off his chair.
“They’re what?!” Travis yelped, “Why?”
“They’re building a methane testing facility under the causeway,” Mikey explained.
“A what?” Gabe queried.
“Methane testing facili-” Mikey started, but Gabe waved at him to stop.
“I don’t actually care,” He said shortly, “What are we going to do?”
“Well,” Mikey had been thinking about it all afternoon, trying to get the image of William’s blissed out face free of his mind, “I figure our best bet is to dig them up and put them back right before they pour the foundation. Then no one will ever find them again.”
“We should have just put them in a cemetery,” Gabe moaned, “No one ever builds shit in a cemetery.”
“I think there’s about a hundred moral issues with that,” Maja frowned, “What do we with them while we’re waiting for that.”
“Um,” Mikey hadn’t thought of that, “It should be okay to put them back in only a day or so. Does anyone have a car?”
They all looked dumbfounded. Mikey thought for a second, “Doesn’t William have his dad’s or something? He had to get arrested driving something.”
Travis scowled. Maja looked thoughtful. Gabe looked around, “Where is William?”
“Probably off fucking someone,” Travis muttered venomously.
“Whoo,” Gabe said, “A little bitter, are we?”
“Fuck off,” Travis told him.
“Someone needs to get a hold of him,” Maja interjected, “This concerns him as well.”
Mikey looked at Travis expectantly. He knew the other two were too. Finally Travis scowled and pulled out his phone, “Fine.”
“If we can’t use his car though,” Maja said slowly, like she was puzzling through it, “What do we do.”
“Steal one,” Gabe said.
“Victoria has one,” Mikey said before he could think.
“Right. Does anyone know how to steal a car?” Gabe asked at large, but looked up sharply when no one spoke up, “What? We’re a bunch of young offenders and none of know how to steal a car? I’m ashamed of us!”
“Can it Saporta,” Maja said, pushing him over backwards.
“Ouch!” He yelped unnecessarily, looking at Travis and Mikey, “Do you see this? This abuse I suffer through?”
Mikey stared at him impassively. He really wasn’t as entertaining as he thought. Then he had a thought. He spoke slowly, picking his words carefully, “I could get her keys.”
“Do it,” Maja spoke quickly and quietly, “Let’s just get this done and forget about it.”
;;;
Mikey slipped in the door carefully, mindful not to disturb the air in the room. Victoria was on the phone, speaking softly to someone. Mikey tip-toed around her chair, to the keys on the other side of her desk. He watched for a moment when she was looking in the complete opposite direction and lifted them carefully, slipping them into his pocket.
He was out the door before she so much as sensed his presence.
;;;
“Um, I’m sorry, I have to go,” Alex said, throwing his clothes back on, “Um, this is so weird. I don’t usually do this. I don’t even remember…”
William watched him from his bed with disinterest. It wasn’t that it hadn’t been good. It just hadn’t been…right. It was frustrating. Sex for him was never in terms of right or wrong, and he wasn’t sure when that had changed exactly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Alex asked, voice chock full of hope, and William didn’t have the courage to blow him off.
“Yeah,” He smiled thinly. Alex’s return smile was sweet, and he walked out the door. William sighed and turned to face the window. What was wrong with him? He felt itchy, restless, not like he had just gotten a good lay. Travis pricked at the corner of his mind, and William frowned. There was something there, or had been, and dammit, he wanted it. But Travis wasn’t speaking to him, not anymore. Not after what he had done.
William felt sick to his stomach, and it took him a minute to realize it was guilt. He was guilty. William didn’t do guilty. Why was he guilty? It really wasn’t like Travis hadn’t wanted it. But still, he had kind of taken his choice away…
William’s conscience might have continued wrestling with itself all night long had his phone not gone off. He pounced on it, fighting it out of his jeans from the floor. He flipped it open and brought it up to his ear, “Hello?”
“Hi,” Travis’s voice reached him through the satellites and filaments, and William’s stomach swooped. He frowned down at it. Really, it wasn’t normal. Travis’s voice held no pleasantries though, merely composed of short, clipped syllables, “You need to get back at the community center. We have something we need to do.”
He hung up before William could respond. William shut the phone and looked at it despondently. This wasn’t right, at all. William was vaguely starting to wonder what made this boy, this criminal he had met a little over a week ago, so special.
He decided not to fill his headspace with this problem anymore, instead standing and pulling his clothes on.
;;;
“Shotgun!” Gabe yelled and ran past them to the car. Maja rolled her eyes and swung the keys on her finger slowly, watching Gabe attempt to open a locked door. Idiot, she thought fondly, before a timid tap reached her shoulder. She turned, expecting Mikey, and started when it was William, a worried expression on his face.
“I can’t sit in the back,” William muttered, “I might touch one of them.”
“Oh,” Maja frowned. She hadn’t thought of that. She looked at the car, where Travis and Mikey had already clambered into the back, and Gabe was still battling the locked door. For some reason she knew he wouldn’t give up the seat. Maja shrugged and handed William the keys, shrugging again at his surprised look and shoving Mikey into the middle of the back, stealing his seat. She huffed and took pity on Gabe, unlocking his door while Travis and Mikey sniggered.
William folded himself into the front seat carefully, looking like he was on a pin edge. Maja studied the stiff way he was holding himself and wondered what was the matter. She glanced at Mikey side-long, who was watching William as well, and caught his eye. Mikey caught her glance and shrugged.
“Ow,” Travis complained, “Fucking elbows.”
“Sorry,” Mikey muttered, sounding truly contrite.
“Well,” Gabe said, his voice too loud in the enclosed space, “Are we going to go?”
William keyed up the car and took off.
;;;
“Ugh,” Maja held her sleeve over her nose, stuttering in their previously rhythmic digging, “D’you smell that?”
“That’s disgusting,” William agreed, his nose wrinkled.
“Whoa,” Gabe bent over suddenly, standing up with…a hand in hand. Maja controlled her gag reflex, “Someone was anxious to say hello.”
“Oh my god,” Travis apparently had no hold on his reflex, wretching, “Put that down!”
Gabe just grinned and waved it about. Maja rolled her eyes and swung at the back of his knees with her shovel. He went down pretty hard. It was deeply satisfying.
“I think we found them,” Mikey said, his own voice muffled by his collar pulled up over his mouth and nose.
“Fuck,” Travis choked out, “Let’s just get them in the trunk.”
;;;
Gabe watched Travis, Mikey, and William head off in different directions, before turning and coming face to face with Maja. Who was looking at him funny.
“What?” He crossed his arms, unable to works up any witty remark for her. She would just hit him anyways.
“Are you okay?” She asked seriously and Gabe squinted at her.
“What do you mean?” He countered.
“You live in the community center,” She explained in an exasperated tone of voice.
“That?” Gabe forced a grin on his face, “Totally temporary. I’m just looking for a place that fits my high caliber lifestyle.”
Maja rolled her eyes, “Fine. Sure, whatever. But, if you need something, let me know, okay?”
“Right,” Gabe rolled his eyes, “When that ever happens, I’m sure there’s so much you could do.”
He knew he should have seen it coming, but the sucker punch to his stomach still took the wind out of him, bent him in half. Gabe grinned at the blurred by tears ground. He took a pained breath and looked up, watching Maja’s retreating form. I would totally do her, he thought. Maja raised a hand and left him with a middle finger. Gabe laughed out loud, painfully.
;;;
Travis walked up to the community center, his mind churning. William’s careful silence the night before, coupled with the fact that he was pretty positive he had taken Alex home with him had Travis racing through every different thought process and possibility. There had to be more than one quick, supernaturally driven fuck in a bathroom stall to them, didn’t there? He was coming to admit that he might legitimately like William. Which was scary and exciting in it’s own way, sure. But, now…everything was weird and wrong and…oh, fuck.
Travis stopped dead, looking at the car in front of him with wide eyes. They hadn’t hidden it. Victoria was going to show up any second, and they hadn’t thought to keep the fucking car away from where she would most certainly find it with two decaying bodies in the trunk.
Travis unlocked his muscles and dashed inside, searching the twisting halls for everyone else. He finally burst out onto the roof, panting.
“We forgot to hide the car!” He managed to get out, answering their stares.
Mikey was the first to understand, standing up quickly, his eyes wide, before dashing to the door faster than Travis had ever seen him move. Travis turned and followed him, leaving the others to puzzle it out for themselves.
They reached the parking lot, nearly to Victoria’s car, the other three hot on their heels when she walked up. Travis grabbed Mikey’s sleeve and headed for the trash cans, ducking behind them and watching her from between them carefully. He glanced over to see Maja, Gabe, and, his stomach swooped low, William crouch down behind them as well. He forced his gaze from William’s tense form and back to Victoria, who was walking around her car with a puzzled expression. He watched her open her cell phone, pushing a button and bringing it to her ear.
“Nate?” Her voice filtered over to where they were hiding. Travis strained to pick it all up, while praying she didn’t check the trunk, “Yeah, it’s Vicky. I…just found my car. …Yeah, I know. …Okay. …Yeah.”
She began to walk away. Travis let himself breathe, looking over at Mikey, who glanced back, success dancing in his eyes. Then her voice came again, “Check what? …Okay.”
Travis whipped his head back around as his stomach knotted and sunk low, watching her trot back to the car, opening the doors one by one carefully.
“There’s nothing inside,” She said into the phone. Then sighed, “Fine.”
Travis watched with dread as she popped open the truck from the latch on the drivers seat. She walked around. He felt like it was all happening too slow as she gasped and burst out crying.
“Brian?” She said, but the voice was all wrong, too slow, too drawn out, “Oh my god, Nate. Brian. It’s…I found Brian.”
Travis looked over to the others, and found them frozen. He took a breath, and the next second felt it knocked out of him, nearly tipping him over onto his back. The screen appeared on his eyes, and he watched in reverse as Victoria stopped crying, opened and shut all the doors, started back to the center, then back to walk around her car, all so fast he could barely register. He blinked and everything stopped. He sucked in a breath. Mikey shushed him, looking significantly at Victoria, who was just pulling out her cell phone.
“Shit,” Travis whispered, “Guys. Guys!”
They all looked over and Travis spoke as fast as possible, “She’s going to find the bodies. She’s talking to someone on the phone, and then she’ll head back for the center, but she turns around and comes back and opens the trunk!”
He looked back to see her walking back to the center. The she pivoted. He looked back at them wildly, “Now! We need to keep her from opening the trunk!”
“On it!” Gabe whispered back, and grabbed the hunk of concrete next to him, bounding up.
Travis watched him step from behind the cans and chuck it, straight through Victoria’s windshield. Travis fought a gasp as Victoria stared at Gabe.
“Nate, I have to go,” She said, shutting the phone and sliding it away, before stalking up to Gabe and the car, inspecting the damage. She whirled on Gabe, “Are you mentally deficient?!”
“No!” Gabe folded his arms, and Travis could hear him smiling, “If I was mentally deficient, I would’ve missed.”
Victoria’s jaw dropped. She stood there staring at Gabe for a moment, before turning and stalking back to the community center angrily. Travis watched her disappear around the corner before standing and walking over to Gabe. Maja smacked him.
“Ow,” Gabe complained, “What the fuck?”
Maja shrugged. Travis couldn’t help but laugh, sick relief combining with leftover dread and nerves. He caught William’s smile out of the corner of his eye and felt his stomach swoop again.
“We should move the car,” Mikey said quietly, and Travis nodded. They should. But for now, Travis was happy to enjoy the fact that they hadn’t gotten caught.
;;;
William folded another shirt and fought to keep his eyes open. After last night’s after dark body excursion, he had tossed and turned all night, unable to let his mind settle. It was constantly turning over Travis, Travis, and just for some variety, Travis. William blinked hard and looked up at the subject of his thoughts, who was studiously ignoring him and Gabe. Gabe, who had found a pair of ski goggles and was raging on about how he was Bono. Gabe couldn’t sing U2 for shit, they had all learned.
Alex walked into the room and smiled at William. He managed to dredge up a pained smile in return, before dropping his eyes back to the shirt he was pretty sure he’d folded about twenty times already. Victoria stuck her head out of her office then and called out to them, “Lunch time guys. Take a break.”
William felt a touch on his shoulder and flinched away from it. The avoidance to touch, any touch, was fast becoming his habit, and he was starting to hate it. William looked over to Alex’s apologetic face.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?” He asked and William winced, but nodded. He followed him out of the center and through the park, studiously watching his feet and not saying anything. If Alex wanted to talk, he could damn well talk. William wasn’t saying anything.
“Look, William,” Alex suddenly said, and reached out to grasp his bare arm to stop him. William gasped and tried to jerk his arm away, but Alex was deceptively strong, throwing him down on the picnic table they were next to. He crooned, “Baby, let’s go. I know you want it. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be able to feel it for a week.”
William cried out and struggled, but Alex kept him pinned. He had just opened his mouth to cry for help when Travis’s voice suddenly hit his ears, sounding panicked, “Fuck. What are you…get off of him!”
Travis started to pull Alex off, but William felt his hand brush his hip where his shirt had ridden up, and suddenly William was fighting off two much stronger boys. He flailed and felt his hand catch them, but nothing was working. So, he fought dirty. He kicked out, feeling one knee catch Alex between the legs, and the other land in Travis’s stomach.
They both backed off, in pain, and William grabbed the chance, throwing off the last of their grips and scrambling backwards across the table. Both the other boys looked up at him, Alex very confused and Travis absolutely contrite. William felt his eyes pool with tears. He couldn’t believe that had just happened.
“William,” Travis said, reaching out a hand, and William flinched. Travis put it back down and looked at a loss for words. As soon as he felt the first tear hit his cheek, he pushed himself off the table, nearly falling on shaky legs, and ran.
;;;
“Where are they?” Gabe whined, leaning against the car.
“I don’t know,” Maja just sounded frustrated.
Mikey shook his head, “Whatever. We can’t wait. They’re going to pour the foundation after lunch. We have to do it now.”
Maja sighed and slid into the driver’s seat. Mikey moved around to the back and watched the meager landscape flash by. They didn’t have far to go. Maja drove slowly and carefully through the maze of construction equipment, until they reached the hole dug for the facility’s foundation, concrete pourer positioned right next to it. They all climbed out of the car and looked down in it. They’d have to dig another hole, and make sure it was smooth enough for the workers not to notice it. Or…Mikey suddenly noticed the debris laying all around, like the workers just planned on burying their garbage. That could work.
They drove back in silence, leaving the car back in the parking lot for Victoria. Mikey heard a sound and turned, watching the concrete fill the hole, mostly just a blur from this distance. He grimaced, but then nodded. That was the end of that.
;;;
Travis looked up at the top of the hill in the park that overlooked at the community center at the small form of William. He sighed and started up, keeping an eye on him in case he decided to run. Again. Travis approached him carefully once at the top, getting about ten feet from him when he flinched, like he was considering running. Travis stopped, and slowly sat down. He watched William from there, his legs pulled up to his chest with his arms around them, face obscured by his long hair.
“William,” Travis said softly. He didn’t move, “Whatever I said or did, I’m sorry. It wasn’t me.”
“I know,” William finally moved, shaking the hair out of his tear-stained face, “It’s me.”
Travis watched as he started quaking, but made no move to comfort him. He couldn’t, and it was driving him mad.
“It used to be a good thing you know,” William said suddenly, “People wanting me. But now it’s shit. I don’t know anymore if anyone really wants to sleep with me, or if it’s just my power.”
“Guys still want you,” Travis said softly. I still want you, he added in his head, but kept his mouth shut.
“You don’t,” William laughed wetly, and refused to meet Travis’s eye. Travis swallowed, looked at the ground.
“Yeah, I do,” He said softly.
“Then why-” William started.
“Not like that,” Travis explained, meeting William’s eye finally, “You don’t need to use your power on me…I’m already there.”
“I don’t,” William stopped, swallowed visibly, “I don’t know how to be like this. Be with someone like this.”
“It’s okay,” Travis soothed him with words, he couldn’t with touch, “We’ll work something out. It’s gonna be alright.”
William looked up at him, uncertainty clouding his features. Travis smiled as best he could. They would work it out. William’s return smile was tentative, but there.
“It can’t be that hard to figure out,” Travis continued, “We just can’t touch. Granted, there’s not a lot of options, but there’s some, right?”
William’s face adopted deep in thought and Travis smothered a smile. William suddenly grinned, deep and wicked.
“I think I know,” He said.
Part 3