1. Secret
"My mama's new boyfriend hit me," the fellow five year-old caught Jaime by surprise as they waited for their parents to pick them up outside the daycare. Jaime had never talked to the boy; he was in the other room. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, cheeks red from embarrassment, "I just wanted to tell someone."
"It's okay," Jaime took his hand and smiled, trying hard not to cry himself. His mommy and daddy never hit him. He looked like a good boy, "I'll never hit you, I promise."
The boy sniffed, wiping at his nose, "Thank you. My name's Tye."
"Mine's Jaime," he replied, "Do you wanna be my friend?"
Tye nodded and his hold on Jaime's hand tightened.
2. Blankets
When they were little and the sleepovers were frequent, Tye and Jaime would sleep in the same bed under the same blankets, their legs and arms sprawled over each other as they tossed in their sleep.
As they grow older and Mrs. Longshadow finds a new boyfriend named Maurice, Tye's visits are unannounced, skateboard in hand and bruises across his cheeks. Jaime ropes up his blankets and throws them down. He'll offer the bed when Tye climbs in from the window, but his friend declines every time.
"This is more than enough," he says as he unrolls the sleeping bag from Jaime's closet and sleeps beside the bed.
3. Searching
"Grandpa said my...'destiny' is out there yesterday," Tye said while the two tried to learn new skateboard tricks in the park, "Whatever that is."
"I think it means what you were born to do," Jaime replied, performing another ollie with ease, "I know what mine is: to take over my dad's garage! I don't mind it though, care are fun."
Tye frowned, "I don't know about you, but I'm not staying here for the rest of my life. I'll search for this 'destiny,' no matter what."
"Even if that means leaving me?" Jaime asked, his voice going quiet.
He sighed and slapped Jaime over his helmet in response, "Of course not. You're coming too, even if I have to drag you by the ears."
"No, no! Not the ears!" Jaime squealed as Tye laughed, and a battle of pinches and tickles commenced on the grassy field beside them.
4. Utopia
"Come on Tye," his voice was not his own anymore, stained with possession and obsession. He floated above him, his plasma canon inches from his face, "This is it. Our paradise. We can do it. We can bring in a new era, together."
"Don't say that name," Tye spat back, "Don't call me Tye. Call me what you call everyone else. Do it. I dare you."
Jaime's kind brown eyes flashed in front of dark yellow. He could see the struggle, the fear, the desperation to take back his body and his life. In that instant, Tye wanted to cry.
Not gone. Not completely.
"No," the voice wavered and Tye could almost feel its resentment at the soul that kept him within the confines of humanity, however weak they were, "We could never."
And just like that the armor rocketed back into the clouds and away from Tye and his comrades. There would be another fight soon. Another death that he bitterly knew wouldn't be his own.
Just one more day in Blue Beetle's twisted utopia.
5. Textbooks
If Tye had to pick a favorite book (though reading wasn't really his thing; skateboarding and hiking were much more entertaining), it would be a tie between his science and history textbooks.
Because huddled up on Jaime's couch he would teach Tye about genes and planets and anatomy. And either in parks or the library, Tye would quiz him about presidents and wars and documents.