Average Joe (2018)

7

"Friday can shove it," I grumbled to Darwin as we walked out of fourth period Biology. Darwin chuckled.

"Trust me. I've been to a million of these high school parties. Just stay low and close to me and you'll be fine."

"Why couldn't I just have said no?"

"Because Tori was there, and you get all tongue tied around her."

"Is it really that obvious?" Darwin shook his head.

"Not to her. Especially not to Bryan, thank God."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's just, Bryan likes Tori a lot, so if he finds out you do too, he might get a little angry."

"And you don't think I can take him?"

"Well... um.. you just have a really nice face, and I'd hate to see Bryan ruin that." I smiled and nudged Darwin's arm, as we walked to fifth period English.

___

"Do you think this is okay?" I asked Darwin, as he walked into my room, showing him my shirt.

"It looks good."

Unknown to Darwin, the reason I liked the shirt so much is because it reminded me of my favorite superhero, Captain America. Now, I know what you're thinking - You have a superhero Dad, yet you obsess over a fictional one? Well, Captain America is easy. He's not real, so it just makes things simpler. It's really tiring, seeing kids my age obsess over my Dad. Do you know how many fan fictions I've come across, written by star-struck, superhero-obsessed, hormonal, pathetic, teenage girls, who think my Dad's hot? And then there are times when I correct someone's belief about Red Flame or Cold Front, and they say, "Well how do you know? Do you actually know them?"

It's so annoying. Especially when I go to the Halloween dance at the YMCA on Bleaker every year, and see a college student dressed in a very revealing Cold Front outfit.

I donned my black jacket and Darwin put on his red one, as my Dad walked in.

"What time is your friend getting here?" He asked.

"Bryan's no friend," I grumbled.

"Right," Dad remembered. "We're not supposed to like Tori's new boyfriend." Darwin shot Dad a look that said, you know how Norman is.

"He's getting here at seven." Darwin walked off to the bathroom, and my Dad sat down on my bed.

"Norman, before you leave we should talk about something."

"Okay."

"Now, you're going to a party with... girls and sometimes when.. people get a special feeling for someone else and..."

"Dad," I stopped him, putting up my hand. "I already know about the birds and the bees... and about drugs and alcohol and peer pressure."

"I know, I just want to make sure you're safe. I know I haven't been around a lot, but I just didn't want you to think you couldn't talk to me about girls."

"It's fine," I said, not really meaning it.

"No, it's not alright. I'm sorry about your birthday."

"It really is fine. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I just wish things could be different. I wish you and Mom weren't Red Flame and Cold Front. Just Ted and Sabrina. I wish we could be normal. I wish Tori looked at me the way I looked at her. And that Darwin and Tori knew, so I didn't have to lie to their faces." I had also wished I had said those things. But instead I just mumbled a simplified, "Never mind."