James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Sixteen

BRYCE

Noah, Mark, and James were in my living room, engrossed in watching a movie where a half-naked woman bounced around on a beach while a lifeguard fought a giant shark to save a drowning boy. Mark seemed perplexed as if questioning his preferences while enjoying hot cocoa and popcorn.

As someone who didn't fit neatly into conventional labels of sexuality, I found myself observing from the doorway. James made himself comfortable on the couch under a borrowed blanket, and Noah lay on the floor, seemingly captivated by the TV.

Suddenly, Kyra, my younger sister, entered the room and noticed us. "Bryce, Dad wants to talk to you when he gets off work," she informed me, looking around the room.

Noah abruptly stood up, sarcastically waving at Kyra. "Oh, hey there. Don't mind me. I'm just Bryce's invisible twin," he snapped. Why, Noah? Why?

"I knew it, Bryce! I was seeing double?" Kyra exclaimed, looking at Noah and me. "What the heck did you do, Bryce?"

"We need to talk, Kyra," I replied.

"Dad is going to be furious with you," she screeched.

"Yeah, no kidding," I accidentally blurted out. Sorry, Kyra. Noah stretched, yawned, and settled back on the couch.

"I also have superpowers," Noah winked at my little sister, making finger guns. It made me cringe and I almost banged my head against the wall.

"Shut up, Noah," Mark growled.

"Nobody likes you, mate," Noah growled back.

James shifted under the covers, curling up as the shark emerged from the water, swallowing a woman whole. Kyra covered her eyes in fear. Instinctively, I pulled her close and shielded her eyes with my hand.

"It's okay, Kyra. It's just a movie," I reassured her.

"But why would you intentionally watch something like this?" she snapped back.

"Because we enjoy torturing ourselves," Noah mumbled, reminding everyone he was still there. I removed my hand from Kyra's eyes, letting go of her.

"Okay, who are you?" Kyra snapped at Noah.

"This..." I took a hesitant breath. "This is my twin brother, Noah," I finally admitted, relieved. Noah playfully waved his fingers at her. Then James cleared his throat. "And that's James, my cousin, and Mark, my boyfriend," I added, smiling confidently.

"Dad is going to flip when he finds out," Kyra exclaimed.

"I know," I said.

"Does Sebastian know about this?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the gruesome scene unfolding on the TV screen.

"Noah, please change the channel," I growled.

"Why?" he questioned lazily, stretching again.

"Because she's thirteen," I snapped. The shark reappeared, attacking another victim's head as Kyra hid her eyes and shrieked in fear.

"Okay, wow. I didn't realize you were Kyra's daddy," Noah mocked, glancing at Kyra as she broke into an anxious giggle. I glared at him. He was pushing my buttons, and judging by his subtle smirk, he knew it too.