Who Wants to be Batman?

Tam: School

I fall asleep right away. All that running, trying to remain calm. I let too many emotions show. Why can't things be normal again? I dream (for once in my life), about Base Quest, but Fitz isn't guarding. Keefe is. I freeze. Unable to move, the other team wins.

I wake up. See? This is what emotions do, I think. I fall asleep again.

***

Linh splashes me awake.

"We're gonna be late! Come on, Tam!" 

I grumble and rub my eyes.

"Did you get my hair wet?" I ask.

She rolls her eyes. "Nope."

"You sure?"

"Positive." She drags me out of bed. "But if you don't get ready soon, I will." She grins, hands at the ready. 

I glare at her.

"Message received!" I walk out of my bedroom, into the bathroom to see if Linh got my hair wet. She didn't. She doesn't lie. I don't know why I thought she did.

I get ready for school, more hurriedly, except for my hair. I never hurry my hair.  

Linh grumbles.

"Why the hair?" She shakes her head and I walk out of the door.

"Are you ready?"

She shakes her head again. "Yes."

We leap to school just before the bell rings.

***

"Hey Bangs Boy," Keefe runs over to me. 

I walk faster. 

"What's up? You were a little... off yesterday."

"The sky. That's what's up," I answer, walking faster still.

"Dude, you're walking ten miles an hour. Slow down," he grabs my shoulder. 

I shake it off before he... knows anything.

***

Lunch. I won't be able to ignore him then. But there are cookies. Cookies are worth pretty much anything. 

"Here are mine!" Sophie says cheerfully. "I made them myself!" I look down at the cookies, but they look more like pieces of coal.

"I think I'll pass on those," I mumble. 

She looks hurt. I don't care. Keefe grabs a pile of Fitz's cookies. They do look good.... I take one. When I look back at Keefe, he's staring at Linh. Why does this make me feel... angry? Hmm. She is my sister. I could just be protective. She certainly thinks I am.

"Hey, are you alright?" Linh touches my hand.

"Yup, just... spacey," I say, nodding.

Everyone gorges on the cookies, winners and losers alike, but no one eats Sophie's. They're left untouched.

"Maybe Iggy will eat them," she says hopefully. Unlikely, but I'll let her dream.

The bell rings. Everyone packs up, but I pack up slowly. Soon I'm almost alone. Just Keefe is there. Perfect.

I walk up to him. He needs to stop staring at my sister.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask.

"Packing up," he says. "And you?"

"Oh, you know," I say, and grab his cape. "Just telling you to get off Linh. That's all." He laughs and grabs my arm. I push him off, but he looks confused. Does he know anything? He grabs me again, and realization washes over his face, not unlike a wave that my sister might make when she gets out of control. He knows something. 

Oh, no.

"You think I like her?" He laughs. "No. No," he shakes his head. "I. I think I prefer the other twin."