My Queer Superpower

Chapter Twenty Seven

Faith honked her horn at me. "Go!"

I got out of her chrome Audi and looked over at the concrete football field I still had to cross with disdain. There were concrete safety bollards that flanked it on both sides to prevent cars from driving through. Getting dropped off didn't put me any closer to the library than if we parked. I took a deep breath and headed for those tall, tinted revolving doors. I wasn't running late. I had plenty of time to get there.

I thought about how I was going to approach Martha, if I was going to approach Martha. I wondered if I'd be able to call-in until she broke up with her boyfriend. It wasn't like the library needed me. There was no such thing as book emergencies.

I imagined the librarians running around frantically. Oh my god, where's Regal? Quick! We need him to watch couples make out on the fifth floor and pretend to put books away. I seriously considered leaving, enough to turn around, but Faith was gone.

I walked into the library. It was the crater of a volcano and I was its virgin sacrifice. I turned toward the main desk where Martha was waiting for me. I wasn't scheduled on book delivery day this week, so she had absolutely nothing better to do than play blind follower while I played kook in front of her new boyfriend.

"Hop on over, Reegs!" she shouted, and beckoned.

I started to curve my lips into a smile, but gave up partway. I felt like I was going to sick. I walked around the counter to the swing door and let myself in. Her boyfriend wasn't there, just her and another girl that she worked with. Perhaps, there was still hope. Martha scooped me up in a hug without warning. I should've hugged first. It hurt so bad. She was making up for every one she missed.

"There!" She released me from her clutches.

She was apparently satisfied with herself. I panted for air, but managed to smile. Her cheery attitude made it impossible to stay pouty for long. That was the problem. Martha was an amazing person, one who I didn't want to lie to or disappoint. If she wasn't, I would've had no problem keeping the lie going. I didn't want to lose this job and my amateur career as voyeur along with it. I was in a tough spot and it was decision day. I had to do one of those two things I didn't want to.

"Cop a squat Reegsy," Martha said. That was new. She guided me over to her rolling office chair and planted me down on it. "We have some catching up to do, but I can tell you have a lot on your mind." She broadened her ever present smile as she lifted my chin. "You first, tell me what's wrong."

She had no idea what she was getting herself into. She had offered to open the floodgates to a river of woe that would've swept her up and kept her white water rafting well past the time of close. No, there wasn't time to tell her everything, but she was great at listening and at giving advice.

I decided I'd choose one problem and then I'd tackle the ever lurking one that my power's inadequacy had wrought. Since Saylor and Faith were at least talking to me again, I could handle them on my own. Theresa or Juice? It was obvious. Martha thought she needed a psychic to choose a boyfriend. I'd never come to her for relationship advice. "I came out to my mom yesterday," I said meekly.

Martha sighed heavily. "Oh, Reegs, I'm so sorry. We'll get through this though." She slowly pulled another chair up to mine and sat down carefully, like she was choosing her final resting place. She placed a hand on my shoulder and caressed it gently until I was ready to look up at her. "Do you want to talk about?"

I nodded slightly. I could see on her face that she was ready to bear the load with me. Saylor could've taken lessons from her. She wouldn't have assumed Juice punched me in the face.

"She didn't say anything, so I left. Then, she took my car," I said, a chuckle slipped out, "That's it. We haven't talked since."

I looked past her for foot traffic beyond the counter. It was non-existent. In the main room on the first level, there were a few students sitting around one of those obscenely large marble tables, tapping away at their screens. Those tables never made sense to me. There was all that unused space in the middle that no one could reach. If they had been made into rings rather than circles, there would've been enough material for twice the tables.