Everything Has Changed: The Lost Years

Chapter 11: Miracle

Maddy's wasn't the only number he managed to collect before the term finished. Harley convinced him to exchange numbers so that they could work out together sometime during the holidays, and his lunch table passed his phone around the table to put theirs in on the Friday, and invited him to the movies the next day. Quasi was quite out of his element with so many people wanting to spend time with him outside of the required school hours. But it didn't make him so nervous anymore. He was excited instead.

So, he went to the movies with his new friends. It was his first Marvel movie and he didn't really understand what was going on, this late into the MCU, but it was entertaining at the very least. And his friends were more than willing to explain everything that had happened up to now, the different stories that were happening together, the comic books they were based on, and future movies that were coming out. He came out of it with a basic understanding of the Marvel universe and a respect for the nerds who were following it so closely, and it made him wonder about Mich and her similarly nerdy interests. Was she seeing the movie too? It sounded like something she'd like. She would probably get along with his friends, too. He wished she was here to appreciate this with him.

It was an enjoyable day. The group went to have burgers after the movie, then ice cream, and then they separated to enjoy the rest of the weekend by themselves. Quasi was smiling when Barbara picked him up, and she looked proud, giving him a quick hug when he told her about his day. It felt good to have someone so invested in his life that they would celebrate even the smallest milestones, like going to the movies with friends. Strange, but good.

Not every day of the holidays was a party, of course. Quasi was still a little too shy to walk around town by himself, so he turned to video games to help pass the time while Paul and Barbara were working. The holidays had usually been a miserable time, in his old life. He'd been locked inside with only his guitar and notebook, peering out the window and watching the kids in his street walk to the shops for ice cream or play in their yards or pile into cars for trips together. Now he could do anything if he wanted to. 

Sometimes, anything was sitting in the garden, listening to the distant sound of waves on a beach while he read a book or drew. Sometimes it was playing guitar, sometimes it was video games, sometimes it was a little cleaning so that Barbara wouldn't have so much to do when she got home. Sometimes it was texting his friends. Most had their own prearranged plans and had no time to come over. Maddy had family staying. She complained to him about having to babysit her foster cousins, but Quasi thought it sounded nice, to so much family around you that you eventually got sick of them. Even if it was a foster family.

And then, finally, Maddy invited him over again. 

[my fam will be at the beach all day. told them I couldn't make it. wanna come over?]

[bring guitar!]

And so he did. Her smile when she opened the door and saw him made him lose every thought he had before arriving. He followed her to the living room, accepted a glass of lemonade, and nodded dumbly when she asked if he wanted to watch a movie. Maybe he hadn't realised just how much he missed her while he hadn't been at school, and now the sight of her gave him butterflies that made it hard to breathe.

Wow. He really needed to get ahold of himself. This crush was embarrassing.