Invincible (11 page)

other about it. T-that way, we won’t have to argue and say the other person is lying.”

“You’re right. We should.” She starts to walk away and heads out
into the hallway, but she stops again and turns around. “How come I’ve never noticed you stuttering before?”

I smile and shrug. “I-I don’t know. I can’t actually tell the difference, really.”

She laughs. “I’ll see you around.”

I watch for a while as she disappears to her next class.

I was so happy that Taylor and I were talking again. She also seemed happy, too. But I think it wasn’t just that we were talking again that made us both happy, it was the fact that I said I would be honest with her.

And I wasn’t lying when I said it. I would be as honest with her as I could without exposing myself. I had to do it because deep inside, I felt like a liar to her, and I didn’t want to be for her.

And if I wanted this superhero thing to work, I had to do this. I had to be an honest friend and a normal boy, just like I was for Brad and Jack. For me to be abnormal, I needed to be normal first.

After school was done, Brad and I head straight to the optometrist. Without even trying, I easily manage to fail my eye exam, and after the doctor did the same thing that Brad did with his fingers, they both came to the conclusion that I was nearsighted and needed glasses.

After the doctor writes out my pr
escription, we walk down a few blocks into town, heading towards the nearest eyewear store. Something catches my eye

and I stop, noticing something in one of the store windows. A red leather biker jacket with a matching set of gloves. It was just staring me in
the face, waiting to be worn.

I had to have them. For my costume, of course. I mean, when was the last time a superhero fought crime in regular clothes? Never. And I don’t want to be the first one.

But I didn’t have any money, and I knew if I waited to retrieve it, someone else would. As far as I was concerned, this was my only chance. And as much I’d hate to admit, there was only one way to get it.

I look at Brad—who walks a short distance ahead of me—to see if he was looking. At that moment—which was only a second for a human and a minute for me—I ran into the store, removed the jacket and gloves from the mannequin’s body, put it in my backpack, ran out, and caught up with Brad before I faintly heard the piercing sound of the alarm set off in the store.

Brad and I turn around and find two security guards running outside, looking around for a visible thief.

“’Wonder what that’s all about,” Brad says, continuing to walk.

I secretly smile at the comment, trying to suppress my laughter. “Yeah,” I say, “I wonder.”

As we walk into the house, I try on my new glasses.

“Well, how do I look?” I say nervously.

Brad looks at me and smiles. “You look great, kiddo. You have nothing to worry about.”

But he was wrong about that. I needed to make sure that no one would be able to tell the difference between me and my superhero persona. I had everything to worry about.

I didn’t feel weird wearing the glasses, though. They weren’t tight on my ears and I could see right through them. Well, that wasn’t actually a miracle
, because I sort of switched the lens before Brad had bought them, so I could see clear as day.

When I got to my room, I took the jacket and gloves out of my backpack, immediately pulling the price tags off and placing them under my bed. Brad wouldn’t look under here, unless his obsession with his deceased family has led him to look under beds just to get a memory of them. Other than that, I should be okay.

I walk over to the medium-sized mirror attached to the wall near the computer, and observe myself. Standing in front of me was a normal boy with brown eyes covered by a pair of thick, black-rimmed frame glasses, brown hair, and a slender, but muscular enough body, and thought that this was what I needed to be. I had to be this person. I had to live and breathe it. I needed to be this because if I wanted to save people, this was the façade I’d have to put on.

When I got back to school, everyone was surprised by my new look—well, just Jack and Taylor because they were the only ones who really noticed. Jack didn’t really seem to mind, but it was Taylor who was overwhelmed.

“How come you never mentioned that you wore glasses?” she asks during our walk to History class.

“Well, to be honest, I was really getting sick of wearing c-contacts,” I reply.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m being totally honest with you.”

We both laugh.

“Well,” she says, “everyday you’re changing. It might be normal to you, but it isn’t to me. I mean the way you look, the way you talk, and the way you act. It’s like you’re becoming a whole new person right in front of me.”

“W-well, that’s the goal, isn’t it?”

“But it’s like a different surprise with you every second. I mean, come on, is there anything I don’t know about you already?”

I stop smiling. I wanted to tell her. I really wanted to. But I couldn’t. I had a plan to stick to.

“I guess you’ll have to find out,” I tease, smiling back at her.

In the afternoon during P.E., Jack complained about the big History test that was coming up, saying that he was hopeless, and that he would fail. I got to thinking that I never really got a chance to spend much time with Jack, or anyone really, outside of school. And when I wasn’t talking to Taylor, I basically knew the

lesson from front to back, so I volunteered to help him, and suggested that we study at his house.

For some reason, he seemed reluctant. I didn’t know why, but after some convincing that it would be good for his education, and for us as friends, he agreed.

After school, I used Jack’s phone to call Brad and ask if I could study. After he agreed, we waited outside for Jack’s father to show up.

“He’s always late,” Jack says, looking at his watch after ten minutes of waiting.

“Why?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” he says, his tone frustrated and hesitant. “He...probably has another driver or something.”

“Driver?” I say confusingly. “W-why on earth would he need a-a driver?”

And at that moment, a Rolls-Royce pulls up in front of the school, and a tall, thin man with brown hair, grey streaks and blue eyes exits the back seat of the
car and walks towards us.

“Sorry, I’m late,” the man says. “Ran into a little emergency at the lab.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” Jack says. He then turns to me. “Troy, this is my father, Hector Colfer.”

“So this is Troy,” says Mr. Colfer amusingly as he shakes my hand. “Jack’s been talking about you all week.”

“Really?” I say, my mind unable to comprehend what was going on. “Well, it’s an honor to meet you, sir. If you don’t m-mind me asking, why is it that you’re wearing those nice clothes and need someone to d-drive you around?”

Mr. Colfer whips his head to Jack, and looks at him with an expression of anger and confusion. “You haven’t told him?”

Jack sighs. “No,” he mumbles. He turns to face me again. “You see, my father is…kind of a scientist.”

What?! I couldn’t believe this. After all the times Jack and I’ve talked, all the things we went through together—in under a week—he couldn’t even tell me that his father was a wealthy scientist?!

“Really?” I manage to say, covering my outrage.

“Yes,” Mr. Colfer replies. “Head of my own company.”

“That’s interesting. What do you study exactly?”

“I research in nanotechnology.”

“Must be a pretty amazing job.”

Mr. Colfer makes a disgusted face and sighs. “Yeah, sometimes.”

He then smiles and heads towards the car. “Are you boys coming? We don’t want to keep the driver waiting.”

After driving into the city for a few hours, we suddenly appeared in front of a gate, and as soon we drove through it and up a hill, I saw what was ahead—a white painted, three story tall mansion.

I stare at the house in awe as the car comes to a stop.

Mr. Colfer laughs. “I can tell from the look on your face that you like it.”

I nod to him, my eyes unable to leave the glass. “Yes. It’s pretty nice.”

He nods back at me and faces Jack, who stares at the floor with a bored expression, one that he’s had ever since we got into the car. “Well, shall we go inside?”

We exit the car and start to walk up the incredibly long stairs leading up to the house, then walk a short path at the top before Mr. Colfer uses his keys and opens the door.

As we enter, I notice the interior was even more beautiful than the exterior. The hallway gave me that sense, with its black checkered marble floor, its black walls, and the tables and chairs placed at its ends.

A thin elderly man in a black suit exits one of the corners, slowly making his way towards us.

“Mr. Colfer, it seems you’ve returned,” the man says.

“Indeed I have, Thomas,” Mr. Colfer responds.

“And who is this?” Thomas asks as he stops, nodding his head towards me.

“This is Jack’s friend, Troy,” Mr. Colfer explains.

“Hi,” I say, awkwardly waving my hand.

He bows his head and turns to Mr. Colfer. “So Mr. Colfer, how did things go at the lab-?” 

Thomas silences and I quickly turn to Mr. Colfer, who was making an angry face at him. He then notices me looking and flashes a smile.

“It went perfectly,” he says. “Nothing I can complain about.” He then gives Thomas his jacket and faces Jack. “Jack, why don’t you show Troy around the house before you study? If you need me, I’ll be in my study, but I would prefer if you didn’t.”

Jack nods his head. “Okay, Dad.”

Mr. Colfer looks at us for a second, then walks down the end of the hallway and turns a corner before disappearing.

“Would you and your friend like a snack, Master Jackson?” Thomas asks.

“No, I think we’re good,” Jack says, pretending as if he were okay, when it was clearly obvious he wasn’t.

“Yeah,” I say formally. “I’m fine. Thank you anyway.”

Thomas nods and walks away also.

“So,” Jack uncomfortably sighs, clapping his hands and rubbing them together, “let’s start the tour.”

From there, Jack showed me around his house. Starting with his living room, which was a large white circular room with a golden chandelier, tan marble tables, couches and chair, and a huge door leading somewhere outside. Next was the dining room, which was also large, but not as large as the living room with two large tables and a brown carpet. After that, we went outside to the courtyard—which was filled with trees, and at the center of it, a huge water fountain—then headed towards the family pool, which was so enormous that three families could possibly fit into it all at once. At last, we went to the kitchen, which was probably the only small thing I’ve seen in this house.

After the end of our lengthy tour, Jack decides we should get a start of our homework.  Needing a break from this overwhelming discovery, I agreed with him, and he led us towards a long curved staircase on the east side of the kitchen, where we began to walk.

As we got to the top of the stairs, we started walking through a tan colored hallway with many doors. I didn’t need my super hearing to know that someone was in one of them. One that must’ve belonged to Mr. Colfer’s study. I then used my super-hearing to listen in, and was kind of confused as to what I was hearing.