Superhuman

"I just don't get it," he admitted after a long moment of silence, during which he examined the other for any signs that he wasn't as good as he insisted he was. Once coming to terms with his reassurance, he set himself down behind him, his eyes scanning the gym in disgust at Jason and Arie. "Arie would never defend a bully when we were... friends. Jason's a bully, right? He got what he deserved for once and... and Arie fucking defends him? This whole thing is bullshit, everyone here sucks. I'm not being dramatic, I'd gladly sit back and watch them all get what's coming to them-- like you said, it's karma. Sometimes karma needs a little nudge, though."

Pulling his knees to his chest tiredly, it was only now that he started to get images of his parents in his head again. He had successfully fought off the images of last night for a few minutes, but they inevitably returned and left him having to fight away tears instead.

"Hey, I'm just being... dramatic, I guess? They haven't been punished and I think it sucks. I was stuck in that hospital alone for two years, I... don't think it's right that they get to abandon me and then treat me like shit, like I did something illegal. It's... it's not bad that I want them to suffer, right?"
 
"Life will punish them in the long run," Scott reassured and dared to rest a hand on the other's shoulder comfortingly. He was no psychologist nor was he as good at comforting others as Arie was but he wasn't incompetent enough to leave Ethan in emotional turmoil. "Like I said, karma. Maybe Jason's car will get totaled or maybe they'll get fired from their job, yeah? Don't worry about them. Focus on what makes you happy, you know?"

As Scott attempted to comfort Ethan, he couldn't help but watch Arie below, easily hitting every target he aimed for. When he finally was out, Arie's entire face was beetroot in anger as he stormed up the bleachers to meet with Jason, sniffling.
 
"I don't see why I should have to wait for life to come and kick them in the ass, Scott-- you're too nice, you know that? Niceties won't get you anywhere. If someone upsets you, you gotta let them know, and sometimes words don't do the trick," he declared brazenly, tugging at the strings of the hoodie he had opted to wear for the gym lesson. It was the sort of item he was most comfortable in, the days of him coming into school donning cute jackets he had styled up by hand being long over.

He ignored Arie as the boy passed them, rolling his eyes to himself at the anger steaming from his ex. If anyone had a right to be angry, he felt it wasn't Arie. Had Jason thrown the ball at Ethan or Scott deliberately, Ethan doubted that Arie would have this sort of reaction, and the double-standard only irked him more. Hearing Jason loudly threaten to beat him up didn't help either, glaring at his hands in an effort to keep them from creating a few flames. It was tempting, but unreasonable without the mask to cover his identity.

"...Jason won't hurt you, I promise. I'll... make sure he doesn't, alright? You're sweet, Scott. You don't deserve any hate. Maybe I do, but not you, so... let me handle it. I'm stronger than I look."
 
"You worry too much," Scott replies as he eased back against the bleachers with a groan. "Seriously, don't mind them! You know, my therapist always told me that people who lash out at others just have problems on their own that they need to figure out. Beating them up or whatever just makes it as bad as them and you're better than that. I may not know much about you, Ethan, but I'm pretty good at reading auras and I know you're a good person," he praised with a growing grin.

"Let's talk about something else, yeah? Like... what are your favorite classes?" He offered with a hum. "I'm guessing gym isn't one of them, yeah? I'm not going to make any wild claims but... I think you like math. You look like a math kind of guy, or history? I could be completely wrong, aha..."
 
Perhaps it was completely naive to assume that anyone would buy into what he was doing. While he hadn't said outright what he had done and what he still planned to do, he had at least hinted towards enacting on violence. Scott seemed like the perfect guy to admit it all to and hopefully have in support of him. To hear him downplay the hints and go as far as to try and change Ethan's outlook was as much upsetting as it was annoying. He didn't trust people, but he didn't want to be alone. He enjoyed the path he was on, however fucked up it was, but sharing the experience with someone would top it all off. Arie clearly wasn't the person, and neither was Scott.

Despite that realisation, he didn't cut ties with the boy. It just meant he had to keep everything hidden from him. As liberating as revealing everything to someone and having them accept that would have been, he was willing to keep it a secret if it meant just having one friend. It was sad, pathetic even, but he was at a point in his life where he was desperate to have anyone to talk to now his parents were gone.

"...I like History, sure. And languages, I like trying to learn those. I'm not fluent but it's fun, I guess," he smiled, tapping his fingers against his knees awkwardly. "...You think I'm a good person-- you can't read auras, dude. That's so far away from being correct-- but hey, I'm cool with being the bad guy. It's more fun, really."
 
"What? No way, I'm sticking to my guns in saying you're nice. I mean, maybe I'm wrong but I'm going to tell myself that you're good," He cooed in attempts to flirt. He had never flirted with a guy before and the few times he flirted with women, he always failed miserably. So in his attempts to seem cool and collected, he ran a hand through his curly locks... only for his hand to get stuck in the knotty hair. Immediately did he snort in disbelief and nervously tugged his hand out.

"God, aha... fuck. I'm sorry. I'm not really good with this whole thing, you know?" He insisted in embarrassment. "Look, I really like you and I just d-don't know what I'm doing? This is embarrassing," he whispered, his cheeks growing beetroot before burying his face in his hands.
 
"What is there to even like about me? I spent two years in a hospital after failing to kill myself. Everyone thinks I've got a few screws loose. My own friends abandoned me and my boyfriend moved on without even having the decency to visit me to tell me he wanted to do that-- is it my amazing fashion sense? Is it how pale I am? Really, I'm intrigued what you see in me," he admitted, falling quiet after his questioning to simply take in just how flustered Scott was becoming. Arie had been the same way around him when they first confessed their feelings for one another, and he found it incredibly cute. The same could easily be said for Scott.

"I don't really... know if I should even try to do that whole dating thing again, to be honest. I loved Arie so much and look how that ended up," he snorted, resisting the urge to glance back at his ex, knowing that he was probably engaged in some loving embrace with his 'injured' boyfriend. "...I dunno. I'm pretty sick in the head, I reckon. Plus I... I really do a lot of horrible stuff you won't understand, so that's... not so great. I'd be willing to, like, see where things go, but you can't get mad at me down the line if you find things out about me, alright? You have to promise not to get mad."
 
"I mean, people think I'm crazy too so..." he reminded as he, too, pulled his knees to his chest. Rubbing said knees anxiously, his smile faltered at the rejection. "Everyone says I'm some nut because I know that ancient astronauts visited our planet and that they're keeping tabs on us, you know? Like... I get the whole feeling alone and the therapy and everything. I get the pills and the awkward tests and whatever, none of that bothers me. In fact, it's nice to talk to someone who understands what that feels like," he insisted.

"If you're rejectinf me, that's fine - I still want to be friends with you. I guess it was a big hit and miss but you saw I'm not very good at sports," he teased in an attempt to cheer up the vibe.
 
"I'm not rejecting you, I just think you're too nice to get involved with me-- but you have a lot in common with me and that's just so fucking relieving. Nobody gets what it's like-- Arie tried to understand, said he wanted to be friends, but I guess that ended pretty quickly when I almost broke his boyfriend's nose," he snorted, pulling his sleeves down over his hands with an absent smile. He still internally maintained that it wasn't wise to get romantically involved with someone for various reasons, the two major ones being that A) his last relationship hadn't gone very well, and B) he might end up revealing his powers, whether purposely or accidentally, and scaring Scott away.

However, it was difficult to turn away from the one chance he really had of not just having a friend, but a romantic relationship too. He wasn't the worst looking person in the world; he was generally considered to be attractive, but he doubted most people would see past what he had gone through and the 'weird' stamp that had been planted on him. Scott seemed to see past it and actually understand. The likelihood of finding someone else like that, who had their own experience of therapy and medication, was beyond slim.

"...Do you wanna hang out later, maybe? After school? We could... I dunno, hang out in town or something? That could be fun. I wanna get to know you and... see where it goes. Maybe we could go and do some costume shopping for the dance? I already know what I wanna go as."
 
"Oh, thank god," he whispered, sighing in relief as his body physically slumped. There was probably nothing worse for him at the moment than rejection - it always mysteriously cost him a week from school when it happened - so bring able to skip over that was a relief to say the least. With that, he offered the other a wide grin.

"Yeah, sounds lovely!" He insisted. "I mean, I don't really know what I'm going to go as but I guess I'm not really imaginative enough to come up with some weird character. I do have this like, giant frog onsie that could be used as a costume, right? I mean, no matter what I wear I'll look ridiculous," he babbled in excitement while letting his eyes briefly drift toward Arie, though hurried them back to Ethan.
 
"Who cares if you look ridiculous? I'd rather make myself look like a fool and enjoy my night, I guess. I don't really have a reputation to protect anymore, I might as well go all out and just wear what I want," he declared easily, ignoring the screwed-up papers being thrown in his and Scott's direction, by Jason no doubt. He could have easily gotten riled up about it, and he had no problem starting a fight with Jason, but Scott was far more interesting than he was at the moment, and he at least deserved his undivided attention.

"I can meet you outside after school's over? We can head into town together and hang out, do some shopping and stuff. Just us. I like your friends, they all seem really nice, and I'd totally come and hang out with you all, but I think it'd be less overwhelming just to get to know you first-- and it's more intimate, which I kinda like."
 
"Yeah, sure!" He replied with rosy cheeks, the sudden support from Ethan being a bit confusing... though he wasn't complaining. He loved his friends but he wasn't really the one in the spotlight, at least not for positive reasons. To have Ethan be so insistent, it was incredibly pleasant as he offered a shy snort.

"Okay, yeah. I'll drive us there, I just got a new car! No one has been in it yet so that'll be fun, right? Plus I'd love to get some burgers and stuff with you, too - you're not a vegetarian, right? If you are, we can get something else?" He babbled, sitting up as the thoughts of all the things they could do hit him.
 
"I think I'd die without bacon. I couldn't cope being a vegetarian," he confirmed easily, his own grin widening at the shared excitement and eagerness. He didn't want to ever compare people he had dated, and Scott was clearly completely different from Arie, but he appreciated that there seemed to be a genuine enthusiasm for the friendship and whatever followed. It was the main reason he had grown to fall in love with Arie; he had always been enthusiastic and happy to be around him. He couldn't say that those feelings remained - he was pretty sure Arie hated him at this point, which would at least be something they had in common.

Throughout the rest of the day, when he wasn't sat talking eagerly with Scott and his friends, Ethan was often just thinking about him. He hadn't had anything positive to think about for years, so to have his thoughts taken up by a cute boy who seemed to like him was a welcome distraction from every other dark thought in his head. He assumed Scott was equally as eager as he was, which made the lateness at the end of the day all the more confusing. He had been stood outside as students passed him by, growing more confused by the second when he remained alone. He initially assumed that Scott had had cold feet and didn't want to associate with him. As understandable as that was, it didn't make it any less disappointing--

Until spotting Jason leaning on his car with his friends and Arie, smirking over in his direction and evidently talking about him. It didn't take a genius to work out that Scott's disappearance had something to do with him, and that hunch was confirmed when he found the other trapped in the janitor's closet, sporting some dark bruises. Without the key, Ethan had had to melt the lock, doing so as subtly as he could manage just to get the other out.

"...Fuck, Scott-- are you alright?" He whispered the instant the door opened, leaning down to offer the other his support. "...This is my fault, I... I shouldn't have antagonised him, I... god, I'm sorry."
 
"It's fine," Scott reassured weakly, though his reddened eyes and soft sniffles were evident of the opposite. Rubbing his face of the snot and tears, he stumbled a bit as he moved out of the closet. He already had claustrophobia so to be pushed into such a squished space for such a long time naturally caused him to be more than a little shaken up. Running his hands through his hair, he hesitated with pursed lips.

"I'm... sorry," he whispered as his shaky hands held one another. "I'm so sorry, Ethan. I didn't - they just sort of circled me and I tried to fight them off but I'm not a hockey player, aha... you know? So, fuck - do you still want to go out? I'm feeling super sore, so..."
 
"...What do you mean 'they' circled you? It wasn't just Jason?" He questioned in surprise, his brow arched. He had assumed that Jason was the only one who would act physically like this, given how much hatred he seemed to hoard for the two after the events in Gym. To hear other people were involved wasn't ridiculously shocking, but it did catch him by surprise, especially when he considered who else could have helped Jason out.

"...Arie wasn't there, right?" He asked slowly, reaching to take his hand to lead him from the closet. "I mean, Jason I can understand, he's a jerk, but Arie's... he wouldn't do this. He's not been the greatest to me, but he's... not cruel; he's not malicious."
 
"No, it was Jason, George and Mikael. I don't know where Arie was, or anyone else. I guess it's proof of how lame I am, right?" He replied with an awkward laugh. He was told by his father quite often to let things go since he was young and that ideology stuck with him since, though that didn't mean he could hide his genuine anxiety completely, he was no actor.

"Let's just go, okay? I don't - I don't want to think about it," he insisted with pursed lips, frowning at his beaten up backpack. It was a miracle that his laptop was fine but everything else seemed to be junked. Unlike Arie and Ethan both, though, Scott was from a surprisingly well off family so it wasn't the end of the world like it would be for Arie. "Yeah, lets just go and get something to eat. I need to avoid home for awhile to cover up the bruises, they'd kill me if they saw me all fucked up."
 
"...And you're okay just waiting for karma to come back and bite them for what they just did to you? You don't seriously think they'll leave you alone, do you? They'll do it again and again; they'll do it to me too, I imagine. Because we're easy targets and we're 'weird'. I don't think it's right that they can hurt us and we can't... give them what they deserve," he admitted, stopping once outside to take in a deep breath to try and calm himself. However, that was nigh-on impossible when someone he liked, who didn't deserve to get hurt, had just been attacked. If Ethan was already dubious of people, this only proved to him that his dislike of everyone around him and his inane distrust of them was well-founded.

If someone as innocent as Scott could get targeted, things really were fucked up.

"I just don't fucking care. I'm putting myself through this fucking bullshit for no reason, Scott! I don't have to be here acting like everything is fine and dandy, and like I'm normal-- I'm not normal, I... don't want to be. I'm pretending to be something I'm not just to save their asses and they still treat me like shit, and hurt people I like-- That's not fair, Scott. Like... stop being so nice. They don't deserve it."
 
"Well, physically fighting back is too much effort, you know? I mean, if I were you I guess I would try and outsmart them, you know? Plus we could get in a lot of trouble if you beat them up, you know? It's not worth getting in trouble. That's just how life works, you know? We do nothing for so long and when someone tries to beat them up, we get in trouble. It's happened before and I don't want you to get in trouble when you just came back," he insisted, motioning the other to follow him to his car.

Hopping into his car - which was miraculously untouched - he pushed a few books from the passenger seat and patted it with a smile. His car was decorated rather cutely, with little figurines in the front and a giant stuffed alien sitting in the back, with blankets covering the seats neatly. He strongly believed being being comfortable everywhere so if there was a chance of him falling asleep in the car for whatever reason, he could be nice and comfy.

"Seriously, relax. Having so much stress at our age isn't healthy. Don't want to have a heart attack at 23, yeah?" He teased before starting up the car, seemingly completely casual about the black eye and bruises lining his chest and face. "... what sort of music do you like? I usually listen to podcasts but I've got some tunes too."
 
Hearing Scott's continued resistance wasn't great, but he accepted it. Not everyone was like Ethan, and, given his streak of violence and indifferent attitude to the hurt he had caused people, that was probably a good thing. It just meant that he would have to pursue his own form of revenge without letting Scott in on it. Not that he was focused only on Jason; the whole school had decided to treat him badly since his arrival back, and it was only fair that they be punished for it too, right? Thus, the school dance made for a perfect venue in a few weeks time.

"...You're right, obviously you're right. What could I do, anyway? I took karate classes but I never excelled in them. My Dad said it was a waste of his money," he grinned, clicking his seatbelt in and making an effort to act as casually as he could. He was still a complete mess, physically, mentally and emotionally, but that hardly made for good company. Despite everything going on in his head, he was able to push it aside and revert to the sort of person he had been before everything went to shit. It wasn't too difficult to fall back into that when Scott made him feel happy and, above all, normal.

Sure, he was still planning to attack people at the dance, but in Scott's presence, he could at least do normal things and talk about normal stuff. Even though he didn't regret his actions, it was nice to just take a break from his own thoughts for a while.

"I like pop punk, I guess. I'm not that fussy, to be honest. Music's great, I like a lot of stuff," he continued with another grin, which wasn't forced like it was around most other people. "...We could stop by my place and get you some makeup to cover the bruises up, if you wanted? My Mom probably has something you could use."
 
"You sure?" He questioned warily, his eyes landing on Ethan. He would never admit it but he always felt guilty when seeing lesser off people. While Ethan wasn't completely broke, he knew his parents weren't as successful as his own... especially now that they were dead. He smiled nonetheless and offered a nod.

"Yeah, okay, sure. This'll be fun, right? I would love to see where you live. You said your parents were on vacation? How devious~! You can do whatever you want, right? Ugh, I'd love to be able to just walk around naked and lounge about but alas..." he sighed dramatically. "Hit me up with those addresses, yeah? Hey, I know we just started talking but we could have a sleep over!"
 
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