A Guide to Being a Superhero...Therapist? (Guide to Being, Novella Two)

Write Scripts So You Won't Be Surprised

Eric held the door open for me as we stepped into the school building the following morning. I gave him a brilliant smile.

"Thank you, though I should be doing that for you. The injured one."

"Don't remind me," he made a face.

"Are you sure you should be moving around on it already?" I pointed at his leg.

"You're one to talk," Eric paused and reached for my scarred arm.

I pulled back, hugging myself, "Yes, well. That's different."

"Kim," he leaned over. "They are nothing to be ashamed of."

"When weakness gets you killed, you have to push it aside," I hissed back.

"It doesn't with me. Please."

I licked my lips, gazing into his warm eyes, "I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but do you want to?"

The question stumped me. I opened my mouth, then shut it again. My arms fell limp at my sides. Eric reached for my face and brushed his fingers over a long scar.

"I always wondered where you got that."

"Stupidity," a smile quirked my lips. "I fell off my treehouse when I was six."

Eric chuckled, "You are more than a hero, Kim."

"Am I?"

He nodded, "You're real. It's my favorite thing about you."

My stomach flipped over. My face burned, and my stomach twisted. A buzz shot through my pocket, making me jump. Eric laughed.

"And you are still jumpy."

I pouted at him, "Superhero-ing leaves a lot of unused adrenaline."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket. A text popped up on my screen, and a smile broke over my face.

I'M COMING!!!

Mira. I pumped a fist in the air. Eric raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"My best friend is visiting," I grinned, quickly typing out a reply.

Yay!!! When? How? Where?

Two weeks. I got them off. And with you, dummy.

I held in a cheer and typed my excitement. I put my phone back in my pocket. Eric tilted his head, leaning against the wall.

"So, who's visiting you?"

"My best friend, Mira," I glanced at the clock over the door. "She's been my bestie since we were kids. She even moved to L.A. with me, but she just started her engineering internship in Minnesota. It's been lonely without her. Well...until recently."

I avoided Eric's gaze. He chuckled, slinging his arm around my shoulders.

"I look forward to meeting her."

"She'll like you a lot," my heart quickened. "I mean...she gets on to me about work almost as much as you do."

"I do it because I care, you know that, right?" Eric's eyebrows came together.

"Yeah," I squeezed his arm. "I know. But that doesn't mean it's not annoying."

"A downside we shall both have to live with."

"Oh, boy."

We walked towards our classroom, and the quiet of the building washed over me. I stopped in my tracks. Eric frowned at me.