Heroes Among Charlatans

An Inconvenient Flame

Protective mothers.

They are the bane of my existence. Me, Liam Benson, ultimate prankster and flirt. My best friend, Avery Hadley, has 6 black belts in Kyuki-do, a terrifying mixture of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and Jujitsu. While her eyes are stunning, impossibly rare, and almost breathtaking in all their solid purple Iolite glory, mine are a dark liquid blue Chalcedony that people say are tinged with a red. I think it's creepy, but Avery thinks it's the coolest thing she's ever seen.

Honestly, Avery just thinks anything unique is cool. She's one of those girls that will do extreme things, like jump off a 50-foot jump on a dirt bike her first time around. Pretty much the coolest person I've ever known, Avery has also almost killed me on multiple occasions. Which is how I discovered the secret-of-the-living-hair, as Avery puts it. You see, when I'm in serious danger, or about to be, my hair -how do I put this- flares up? Glows and radiates intense heat? Is less like hair and more like fire? Super weird. And, as you have probably guessed, Avery has made it her life mission to make my hair flame. Whether it's being ridiculously late to school, or going skydiving, something about my hair... fascinates her. As much as it annoys me, when her eyes turn pleading, and the gemstone color melts... It is impossible to say no. Because ever since kindergarten, when we first caught each other's attention, my heart has belonged to her. I am irreversibly and unrequited in love with my best friend.

~~~

"Liam? Are you even listening to me?"

"Oh. I'm sorry, no."

I looked at Avery and her face pinched together. Pursing her lips she complained, "Liam," she said this in her whinny, sing-song voice she saved for when I was being impossible which earned a dramatic eye roll from me. "This is a very important matter." She stabbed her pointer finger into the middle of her palm to punctuate her statement. "I was just wondering what we should do next!"

"For?"

My heart dropped when Avery's face fell at my apparent confusion. Laughing to lighten the mood, I reached forward and ruffled her hair. Her sad expression turned annoyed, and she batted my hand away.

"I'm afraid my mind was elsewhere, my Lady." Sweeping an elaborate bow, I hoped my jest would give me time to remember what she had said. Unable to recall, I straightened and winked. "Please, do share with me again."

"I don't think I will." Avery crossed her arms defiantly over her chest, and an amused smirk flashed across her small face. She was playing with me now, I could see it clearly in her expression. Playing along, knowing it would annoy her, I leaned forward, leaving inches between us.

"Won't you please?" Avery's brow furrowed, and my mind churned, trying to think of why she looked so confused. She let her arms drop to her sides.

"No." The small word came out slowly and slightly slurred, puzzling me more.

"Fine. Be that way." I leaned back, and Avery released a breath. I raised an eyebrow. Immediately missing the slight brush of her slow breath across my face, I shook my head, feeling stupid. How I wished I could read her mind in that moment, to know what thoughts crossed her infinitely complex mind.

"We should get going, Liam. C'mon." Avery tugged at my arm and I grinned.

"No." I tried to match her tone earlier, and failed miserably. I didn't want to continue our walk to school, I didn't want to leave her side. So I voiced a playful tease, hoping she'd humor me. I wasn't entirely disappointed, only amused when she spoke.

"Fine. Be that way." Her voice sounded oddly like mine, and she marched away. I stood still, crossing my arms against my chest. Smirking, I counted mentally, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-