Puberty For Superheroes.

Chapter 24 - Felix Martin

Grace dragged her best friend around town for shopping - because he lost the bet they made up on Whistler Mountain - like it was something they did everyday. While Grace happily hopped around like an eager bunny, Felix lolled after her with a fake smile and an optimistic attitude.

Felix wanted to make Grace think that being forced to go shopping was enjoyable. Which in fact, it wasn't for him. He was slowly suffering from walking, buying, window shopping, shopping in general. He was wishing that he was home or at Dave's house watching a documentary rather than deciding which outfit was better than the other. If Grace knew that shopping affected him so much, then she would enjoy it twice as much.

He waited outside the dressing room while Grace picked an outfit. He looked around the store, tiny nook in the wall that Grace loves shopping at, and he was liking what he was seeing. It was a soothing backslash of blue and brown, white out lining, yellow lighting, and two story area that was clean and neat.

"Hey Felix, which one?" Grace asked.

She held up two dresses; one was denim blue with bright red trimming, desperately tried to stretch pass her knees and hugged her waist. The other one was still hanging on the hanger, turquoise aztec mixed with deep purple that fanned out pass the waist.

Felix couldn't stop staring at her. She was gorgeous through his grayish blue eyes. She was wearing his favorite color, denim blue, her rosy red hair complimented the dress' color and her blue eyes glimmered with delight.

Even though he told Dave this morning that he thought of Grace as his best friend, he couldn't shake this feeling that was bubbling up inside of him. He felt his face heat up and his blood pour through his veins like a bullet while his whole body felt like it was on fire. He didn't want to take his gaze away from Grace because he was afraid that the perfect image of her standing in the denim blue dress would disappear, but he desperately wanted to know if his powers were out of control or not.

More importantly, if Grace was seeing his powers or not.

"Felix?"

"Huh? Yeah. . . you uh. . . look stunning. Absolutely gorgeous." He stood up quickly, knocking over his chair and a mannequin. He tried to latch out to stop it from falling but he couldn't catch it. He awkwardly stood there like he didn't know what to do next, hoping that he wouldn't get in trouble with the manager or employees, looking everywhere but Grace.

"Oh, great. I'll get this one then." Grace happily said. She put back the other dress and returned to the dressing room blushing wildly.

'Wow Felix, way to play it cool and not stutter you moron!' He mentally kicked himself, dropping both of his hands on top of his spiky black hair, grumbling.

"So, I was thinking. . . uh, what are you doing?" She asked, catching him in mid panic. She pulled back the curtain and slowly pulling on her blue wool coat.

"Nothing." he replied quickly. He smiled guilty and nervously wiggled around in his spot.

"So, as I was saying, I was thinking that we could go for some ice cream after I pay for my dress." She flicked the dress lightly in her hands, showing that paying for the dress was a top priority.

"What? Ice cream? In Whistler, Canada? That's like saying I'm going to go swimming during winter." Felix was shocked, hearing his best friend mention having ice cream when he could make the desert out of the snow outside.

"Calm down, it was just a thought." She held up her hands, she made her way to the register to pay for her new dress, marveling of how happy she was because a.) she loved it and apparently so did Felix and b.) it was in her price range.

"How about hot chocolate instead?" He leaned on the counter with his elbows, popping an eyebrow at her and grinning his stupid but cute grin.

"Sounds marvelous!" She replied, relieved and satisfied.

Once Grace pay for her new dress, thanked the employee, Felix and Grace walked out of the store. They lingered down the cobblestone street to go to the bakery shop not to far away for some hot chocolate.

"Mm, smell that pastries and chocolate and coffee? I wouldn't mind working here." Grace said once Felix returned with two cups of heaven.

"So you're thinking about work already? Wow, not even in high school yet. Overachiever!" Felix whistled and took a sip form his cup. He smiled before it grew bigger as the taste mingled on his tongue and lifted his spirits.

"For the record, I am not thinking about work yet! I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind working somewhere that I love to work, you know?" She gazed down at the chocolate and floating marshmallows in her cup, enduring the warmth near her hands.

"Yeah, it would be nice to have a job that you would love." He said sadly.

He thought about his powers. Once he got control of them, then he would be a full time superhero. He knew it was a lot of responsibility weighing on his shoulders, plus, he had no mentor to guide him. He doesn't even know if his own mother knows about his powers, but absolutely no one else knows about it; not even Grace.

He wondered if he would be able to keep Tac or the deer, Noah, or be able to live with his grandparents or be able to see Grace anymore. Or at all. Or be able to keep going to the same school or same town or same country.

"Felix?"

"Yeah."

"Can I tell you who I want to go with during the Winter Pop Dance?" She asked, wiggling in her chair.

"Please tell." He said excitedly.

"Can. . . we go. . . you know. . . together?"

"You mean as friends?" He cocked his head to the side a little like a puppy.

"Uh, yeah."