How Many Heroes

10- Alley

    "Why do I have to move when Jesse comes?" Maria asked, further nestling into the shotgun seat.

"Because Jesse likes it there. And he doesn't annoy me," Hathaway said, keeping his eyes on the road. It was that simple. If Jesse wanted it, he got it, at least with Hathaway.

"Oh, I'm annoying? Do you even hear yourself?" Maria exclaimed.

From the backseat, Luke whispered to me, "I think they both have a point."

"Did you say something, Luke?" Maria said. I snickered.

"No, no."

"Keep muttering then," Maria said. "At least Hathaway talks shit to my face." I couldn't see her, but I could imagine how she looked: chin upward, eyebrows scrunched together, the smallest smile on her face. Though I never mentioned it, I was pretty sure Maria and Hathaway argued with each other solely because they enjoyed it.

Hathaway jerked the car left, turning into the road that lead to our high school. "Honestly Maria, I can't believe I'm picking Jesse up from detention instead of you. The way you talked to Mr. Walker yesterday-"

"He was asking for it," Maria said, getting ready to rant. "When I turned in my test, he said 'why don't you finish faster' like I was trying to be the last person to finish. I said, 'why don't you teach better' 'cause that's the real problem. He always..."

Laughing, I turned to Luke. "I can't believe- are you okay?"

Pressed against the left-side passenger door, he stared intently out the window. It was only four o'clock, but it was almost dark outside. The same tension I felt before the lights went out at Hathaway's debate, before I saw Maria's wrecked house was the same tension rolling off Luke in waves. "Luke, what's-"

"Stop the car!" He shouted.

Hathaway slammed the brakes and my head hit the back of my seat hard. Luke popped the door and began running down an alley I just realized we were in front of. Knowing he knew more than me, I ran down the alley after him. Maria came out too, then Hathaway, who outran the both of us.

Panting, I could just make out a large lump on the floor. Closer, I saw patches of pale skin, the glint of glossy black hair, and green spray-paint. Oh God, please don't let it be-

"Jesse!" Hathaway cried.

Now, I could make out his misshapen form on the dusty floor. His shoes were missing and his jeans ripped, revealing a twisted ankle and bloody knees. Part of his shirt was gone and the skin of his stomach was covered in fist-shaped bruises. A whimper came from his busted, bleeding lips. Scratches, covering his cheeks, bled sharp red in the dim light. His right eye was blacked, the other, full of tears.

Slowly, Jesse tilted his head to face Hathaway. "H-Hath...they got me. Th-they-"

"It's okay, Jesse. J-just stay still." Hathaway said, his voice cracking on the last word. I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew the pain in them. It was in my eyes too, and Maria's as we knelt next to Jesse. On the verge of tears, Maria stroked his dirt-crusted hair.

Too shocked to cry, I asked, "What do we do now?"

I wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but I expected Luke to answer. At first he didn't, placing his hands gently on Jesse's torso as if he were checking for broken ribs. Jesse relaxed a little, and again I was reminded of the tiny scar on my forehead. Numbly, I wondered if it was possible for Luke to heal Jesse, or if he had even really healed me that night I was almost kidnapped and Max slammed my head on the floor. Crazy as it was, I was beginning to think the answer was yes.