Titan

Pregame

"We got the Hotel Monaco, ya know. That place is nice. One of the advantages of going to a preppie Catholic high school," Drew scratched at something sticky on the floor. "Are you taking Rose?"

Eric and Drew swept up after the evening skate session at the ARC. All of the figure skaters and their involved parents left a disaster in the warming room: cookies, crackers, chips, and other bits of food were littered across the floor. Eric wondered if they had eaten any of it or just dumped it right on the ground.

Eric was beginning to enjoy the "normal" moments. He felt like he was losing himself in Titan. Just being an eighteen year old, sweeping up cereal off the floor, was relaxing. The plain life he used to have was now more appealing than he ever could have imagined.

Eric cleared a smattering of Cheetos and potato sticks in front of the vending machines. "I am."

"But you're, you know, together?" Drew began sweeping into a pile beside the bench where his dustbin-on-a-stick rested.

"I think so. I haven't really seen her much since our first date. We clicked." Eric lifted the table with his left arm and scraped the crumbs from underneath it. He didn't realize that he was holding the whole table about a foot off the ground like it weighed nothing. Drew didn't notice.

"Did you see the fight? You were down there, right?" Drew asked.

"Nah. We were gone by then. We heard some sirens but didn't see anything," Eric said. He felt a twinge.

Would this be my life now? Lies? The thought disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"That's like comic book shit. The Hulk or something," Drew shook his head. "You know my dad said... he works for the paper, remember... anyway, he said that the cops think it's some kind of military thing."

"Yes. I know your dad works for the paper. You keep reminding me," Eric said. "Why do they think that?"

Why would the cops think that?

"It's not something they'd say to the media. But my dad's around the station sometimes and, I dunno, it's just something they think. One of the older cops said he's heard of stuff like that. You know, testing on people to make super soldiers." Drew scooped his trash into the bin and moved to the next bench isle. "Like Captain America."

Eric watched Drew. Paranoia set in.

Did Drew know? How convenient that a Fairfax County cop happens to think that the Old Town fight was military related...

It was silly. Drew didn't know about Titan and the cop didn't know either. It was the kind of BS that sold magazines talking about alien Elvis. Still... Eric realized he would have to lie for the rest of his life.

"So who are you taking to prom?" Eric changed the subject.

"I'm keeping my options open," Drew dumped out his dustbin. "We still have a couple weeks."

"Yeah, but tickets go on sale on Friday. And you know how weird the administration gets when you buy your tickets late," Eric said.

"I do. Do you? You didn't go last year."

"I hear things." Eric ignored the dig. "Besides, I'd like to do the whole prom thing, ya know? Get a buncha people together, get a limo maybe, go to dinner..."

"...get fucked after prom..." Drew laughed. "That's my plan anyway."

Eric smiled too. It felt good to smile for real. He had faked his way through a lot of emotions over the last year. Only Rose had brought out anything good in him. It was nice to get back some of what he lost. Something told him it would be a commodity in the coming days.