Big City Hero UNOFFICIAL BOOK TWO

Chapter Twenty-Five: Trying Too Hard To Forget.

"What's wrong with me?"

Max whipped around, shouting out of surprise and jumping a foot in the air. "You scared me, kid!"

I clenched my jaw and shook my head. "What's wrong with me? Why is everyone I've ever trusted suddenly turning on me? Did I do something wrong? Are you all tired of me? Do you want me to go? If you do, just tell me already, tell me so I can leave and find the place I belong-" My voice cracked along with my knees, I leaned against the doorframe but slid to the ground, feeling like all the life was gone.

I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands, trying to forget what I saw but trying to process it. I didn't even know what I should be thinking or feeling. Maybe I saw wrong, and maybe it was just an illusion, maybe she didn't mean it, maybe it was a mistake.

I felt Max put a hand on my back. "Hey, kid, what's wrong? Was it what that reporter asked you at the press conference?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

He was quiet for a second, keeping his hand on my back and rubbing it gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I just shrugged. "It's stupid really, Molly was telling me to trust her and then I walked in and found her and her ex-boyfriend wrapped up in each other's arms." I was surprised by how flat and emotionless it all came out, almost like I was suddenly numb in disbelief.

Max slumped back and stared at me. "What? Molly?"

"Yeah, I know, right? It's so stupid. I already have enough crap going on in my life right now, why not throw one more thing in there."

He frowned at me. "Kid, I think you're on the verge of a serious emotional breakdown."

I peeked out from between my fingers and stared at him, laughing bitterly. "Me? Emotional breakdown? Last I checked my heart died, so I don't think I can have a breakdown."

"Listen to me, Coal," Max said, moving his hand from my back to my shoulder. "What you've been going through lately, all the weight everyone has been putting on you, and you bottling it all up, can only lead to a very messy breakdown. It's no wonder you haven't been yourself, kid, you're moving too fast. The Board was wrong to make you First-In-Command, you're just too young."

There was a long moment of silence that passed between us. I was too tired to think of anything to say or to process whatever it was he said, something about being too young. It seems like that's what I've been dealing with my whole life, things a kid my age would be too immature for.

Eventually, Max sighed loudly and pulled his hand away. "Don't ask why or how I have it, just roll with me, I have a spare bomb in my basement and, if you like, I can fire it at Molly's ex-boyfriend."

"You have a bomb?" I asked, laughing shakily.

He shrugged and threw his hands in the air. "I thought it'd come in handy one day-" he was cut off by his phone ringing. With a frown, he took it out of his pocket and looked down at the caller ID, of which I didn't see. "I have to take this. I'll be back in a second, ok?"

I nodded my head and watched as he answered the phone and left me alone in his lab. After a minute, I got to my feet and walked around his lab. It didn't really interest me, but it was something to get distracted with.

There were some papers on the table, one being about Charlie's blood coming back negative but there was a paper behind it that caught my attention. I pulled it out and frowned at it.