Heart Pangs

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

Felix Feuerbach and Benji Marotta are in kindergarten when they meet. It's near the end of the school year when Felix notices Benji alone in the schoolyard and asks him if he wants to play.

Benji looks at him in surprise.

Felix is a pred, and at their age, that doesn't mean much— just that Felix is an inch or two taller than Benji. But Benji knows that, one day, Felix will grow to be quite a bit taller than him— more like two or three feet taller. In fact, that's the only thing Benji knows of the differences between preds and prey because the world is still a safe place to him.

Even so, despite still being young and the same size and sharing a classroom together, preds and prey mostly stick to their own kind.

Except for, apparently, Felix Feuerbach.

"You mean it?" Benji questions doubtfully.

"Yeah, why not?" Felix says with a shrug. "You look lonely over here by yourself."

There is something cool and friendly about Felix that makes Benji want to say yes to him. And there is something intriguing and soft spoken abut Benji that makes Felix want to know more about him.

By the time summer break begins, Benji is asking his parents if his new best friend Felix can come over to play. This is the first time they've heard of Benji having any sort of friend so excitedly they say yes.

Benji's mom's face pales when Felix's mother walks him over the next day, a towering figure on her doorstep. Mrs. Marotta wraps her arms protectively tight around little baby Stephanie, the youngest of her four children.

"You must be Benji's mom," Mrs. Feuerbach says with a sparkling grin when they lay eyes on each other. "I've heard so much about Benji. Felix has really grown a liking for him."

Something about the way Felix's mother says the words puts Mrs. Marotta on edge. Like Benji is only a plaything to Felix. Benji's mom is about to tell Mrs. Feuerbach to go back home, about to slam the door in her face, but then Benji is rushing out and throwing himself at Felix.

The two tumble over each other in a messy embrace.

"You're here!" Benji says excitedly to his new friend.

Felix puts a steadying hand on top of Benji's head. "Yeah, I walked all this way too!"

Benji's mom watches the interaction with a careful expression. Felix does seem to genuinely view Benji as a friend. And at this age, there is no danger from him to any of her children. She doubts that they'll remain friends long enough for them to grow older and have that change.

So she plasters on a smile, shifts baby Stephanie to her other hip, and says, "Yes, Benji hasn't stopped talking about Felix either. Why don't you leave him here for a few hours? I can watch out for him."

Mrs. Feuerbach's smile is unflinching. "That would be so lovely of you. I'll be back to pick him up before dinner."

She says her goodbyes to her son and Mrs. Marotta is able to let out a sigh of relief when she's finally gone.

"Brandon," Mrs. Marotta calls to her oldest son, "can you go out there with Benji and make sure he's playing nice with his new friend?"

Brandon is three years older than Benji. He too thinks size is the only difference between preds and prey, but he's older and more observant than his little brother. In two more years he'll be old enough for middle school, the point at which prey and preds are sent to separate schools and they first learn the real difference between the two of them.

And Brandon is smart. He picks up on things that most of his other classmates don't. He already has an inkling that there's something darker than just the size difference between he and his classmates.

He also picks up that there's something more to his mother's request for him to babysit his brother and new friend. So begrudgingly, but without argument, he agrees and joins the two of them in the yard.

And then there's Camille. Not much more than a baby but old enough to see when her two older brothers are having fun without her. She cries until her mother lets her out too, telling her brothers to, "play nice."

Benji and Brandon groan at the sight of Camille stumbling towards them.

Felix brightens. "She's so cute!"

He kneels down and Camille runs to him, interested in the friendly new stranger. He immediately scoops her up. Camille laughs with excitement.

"This is so cool!" Felix says after tossing her up and getting her to laugh for a minute straight. After he exhausts her, he lets her sit on his back. "You guys get to live with each other and play whenever you want. You're so lucky. I wish I could have that."

"You don't have any siblings?" Brandon asks.

Felix shakes his head. "No, it's just me."

"You're the lucky one," Benji says. "You don't have to put up with her." He jabs a finger at Camille.

Felix blinks. "But she's so sweet."

Brandon laughs. "Just wait til she gets used to you. She's the bossiest toddler I know."

Felix ends up staying until evening time when his mother comes back to pick up him up. He doesn't stop babbling to her about everything they did.

"It sounds like these new friends of yours really know how to show you a good time," his mother says. Then she gives Benji's mom a gleaming smile. "Felix loves your children. They're clearly very entertaining for him. Perhaps he can come by again some time?"

Again, something about her phrasing makes Mrs. Marotta uncomfortable and she wants to deny the proposition. But there's also something about the woman looming before her, dressed in nicer clothes than she's ever owned, flashing a dazzlingly straight and white smile, that makes Mrs. Marotta thinks she doesn't get told "no" a lot, that it would be a bad idea to try to start now. So instead she smiles and says, "Sure, it was a pleasure having him over."

Felix's mother seems amused by this but accepts the compliment and leaves with her son in tow.