For one of my very best friends. Teddy Bear, you'd better not murder me for this. Especially since no one dies in this one. For once.
Mal Fallon raced down the crowded San Francisco street, the sunlight fading as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon. The wind whipped his hair back against his forehead as his feet pounded against the pavement of the sidewalk. He stuck his arms straight out in front of him as he ran, his cape billowing out behind him.
"Mal!" he heard his father call from down the block. He skidded to a stop and turned back to his dad, a wide grin on his small face.
"I'm not Mal," he said once his dad was within earshot. "I'm Superman!" He posed, thrusting his chest out. Jacob Fallon laughed and ruffled his seven-year-old son's hair.
"Yeah, well, even Superman has a bedtime," he reminded him. "Your mother wants us back before 8:30, don't forget." Mal visibly deflated, staring up at his dad with the tiniest pout.
"But Dad-"
"No buts," Jacob said sternly. "We can go to one more house, but after that we have to start heading home. I'd suggest you choose which house very carefully." Mal nodded and scrutinized the neighborhood.
The Jensens always gave out the best candy, but he had already been there- twice. Everyone avoided the Smiths, mostly because of their teenage daughter. She scared everyone. The Gaffneys were all right, but they only gave out cotton candy, and Mal hated cotton candy like nothing else. He spotted a bowl sitting out on one doorstep and a small white sign taped to it.
"That one!" he cried. He raced for the house, bypassing all the others. He knew the sign would say to only take one piece, but he never listened to those signs. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
When he got there, though, he realized there was only one Tootsie Roll left. He didn't like them too much, but he knew his sister loved them. He reached out for it and grabbed it at the same time another little hand closed around it. The two kids looked up at the other in surprise and annoyance, neither letting go of their death grip on the piece of candy. A little girl stood there, dressed in a Superwoman costume. She had olive skin and short ebony hair. They stared each other down, neither letting go of the candy. Neither ready to lose.
"Let go," the girl commanded, trying to pry Mal's fingers away. Mal simply tightened his grip and glared at her.
"Nuh uh," he said, shaking his head. "I grabbed it first."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Nuh uh!"
"Well I'm bigger than you," Mal said proudly, "and what I say goes." The little girl glared at him and yanked on the Tootsie Roll. Mal yanked back, pulling her arms toward him.
"What's the problem here?" A man a little older than Mal's father asked as he walked up.
"He won't let go of my candy," the girl whined, pointing at Mal with her free hand.
"I had it first!" Mal insisted. Jacob came to a stop behind Mal and grinned at the girl's father.
"Well, it seems like we have a small situation on our hands," Jacob said. The girl's father smirked and bent down to his daughter's level.
"It's mine," she insisted in a small voice.
"I'm older!" Mal shouted.
"Nuh uh!"
"I'm seven!"
"Well that's not fair cause I'm five!"
"Mal, just let this little girl have the Tootsie Roll," Jacob sighed. Mal frowned and shook his head. The girl pulled again, and her father gently turned her head to face him.
"Natara, just let this boy have the candy. I'm sure you have plenty more in your bag." She looked at her father for a long moment and turned back to Mal.
"I can stand here all night if I have to. This Tootsie roll is mine. Betcha don't even like Tootsie Rolls."
"So what if I don't? I only want it cause my sister likes them," Mal said with a superior tone, lifting his chin the tiniest bit.
"Your name's Mal, right?" He nodded and Natara wrinkled her nose. "That's a weird name. Okay, listen, Mal. If you give me this Tootsie Roll, I'll be your best friend forever." Mal stared into her eyes for a second, trying to see if she was lying to him.
He reluctantly loosened his grip on the candy and let go altogether.
"Take it," he said stiffly. He turned to his father and began to walk away.
"Hey you with the face!" he heard the girl call after him. He turned halfway around and glanced at her wearily.
"Yeah?"
"I meant what I said, about being your best friend." Mal smiled and walked back over to her and stuck out his hand.
"Mal Fallon," he said proudly. "Someday I'm gonna be the captain of the police, just like my dad."
"Natara Mansingh," the girl grinned back. "I'm gonna own my own company." She held out the Tootsie Roll to him, a gracious smile on her face. Mal stared at her in disbelief, his hand wrapping around the piece of candy slowly.
"I didn't want it anyway," she said. "I remember you said your sister likes them." Mal nodded in mute surprise as Natara slipped her hand into her dad's larger one. As they began to walk away, she looked back and waved to Mal, who waved back before returning to his dad. They walked in silence for a while, before Mal looked up at his father.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"I want to take the long way home." Jacob grinned and ruffled Mal's hair again.
"You got it, Superman."
"Oh, and Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"I really like Tootsie Rolls."