7 YEARS LATER

MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

ABBEY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

'Go on, put 'em on.' The boy pushed a pair of red gloves across the wooden table to his friend. He watched silently, trying as hard as he could to stifle the giggles welling up inside of him. He saw his friend pick up one glove tentatively – and not wanting to disappoint his gift-giving friend, he threw a wan smile in his direction.

'Gee...Max, I dunno...they're great – red, but great. I mean, it's not a bad thing-'

Max interrupted his friend with a loud laugh. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as he let out chuckle after chuckle. After a few moments, he wheezed out, 'Shoulda seen your face, man...Can you picture yourself in one of these babies?' He lifted a glove with his thumb and forefinger, which glinted a bright red in the afternoon sun. His eyes twinkled as he continued to tease his friend. 'All you need – all you need is some red fishnet stockings, a little bit of rouge and it's To Wong Foo, baby!' At this last comment – of which he was rather proud of – he let a large roar of laughter escape, and almost fell off his bench.

'Laugh it up,' said Aidan, a little sulky that his friend was having a joke at his expense. 'Just be glad you're at the other end of the table, bucko.'

Max widened his eyes, feigning fear. 'Oooh...somebody get the medics, I think I'm going into cardiac arrest!' And then on seeing that his friend wasn't as appreciative of his humor, Max stopped joking around and tried to steer the conversation onto a more serious route. 'Alright, I'll back off. But seriously man, you gotta get something to cover up that skin of yours. The last time you tried arm wrestling with Joe-Joe over there,' he nodded in the direction of a jovial over-sized boy, who was attempting to impress some younger girls, 'I think you nearly popped his eyes out.'

Aidan pursed his lips. 'I didn't think it was that bad...'

'You kidding? If you didn't pretend to win as quick as you did – not that I'm saying you're a loser or anything – let's just say that Joe-Joe would be no mo'.'

'I don't think that's funny, Max.'

'Neither do I, man. Which is why I've bestowed upon thee these delicate ruby gloves. Or at least I'm bestowing the idea of doing something about that power of yours. Take my advice in the good grace with which it is given.'

'I can't go around wearing gloves – whatever the color – in the middle of summer, man. People will think I'm a pansy!'

Max leaned over the table and looked his friend in the eyes. 'What other option do you have?' He shook his head, feeling as though he wasn't getting through. 'Listen dude, Joe-Joe was fine about it – he isn't going to spread anything around. If I know him – and I believe I do – he isn't going to cry "mutie" around town. But everyone's not as peace-loving as him, d'you see? So it's either you get yourself something snazzy to cover up your hands, or run the risk of letting out your little secret. It's up to you. But as your respected ally in the battle-zone of high school, it's my obligation to advise you of your options of survival.'

Aidan smiled, and then looked towards the school grounds, filled with people milling about each with their own brand of sorrows and stories to tell. Though his, he felt, was rather on the more warped side of things. Which was a mild way of putting it. After his mother had fallen into a coma – of which he privately felt responsible for despite the protests of others, he'd found out that he would become a mutant – although at the age of eleven he had only a vague idea of what that would entail. In his young mind, he had thought that he would soon develop horns and a spiked tail, and would be sent off to some remote island to live the rest of his days as an outcast. At first, Aidan lived with this fear for a good seven months, which, for a child could be quite frightening, before breaking down before his father and letting everything out. His father had explained the workings and consequences of a mutation, but nothing more. What Aidan wanted was for the man to pick him up, sit him in his lap and say that everything would be okay. That he loved him no matter who he was, or what he was. Aidan could see that his father was battling with something – now he decided that it was love and fear – that held him back from being what he intended to be: a good father. He was more aloof, more secluded, and he spent as much time possible working long hours at his office. But it was not to say that his father didn't love him. Perhaps, Aidan had thought several times, he simply had a different way of showing it. However, there was no denying that despite their resistance, everything had changed since his mother had taken ill. There were no more outings to the park, to the space museum or the "fun fair" – as Aidan fondly referred to it. By the age of twelve, he had given up asking. By thirteen, he had sworn that his father didn't love him anymore, so he took his actions into his own hands and did the next best thing he thought logical.

He ran away.

He only got as far as the next town on the following day, before getting picked up by a gas station attendant who then proceeded to call in the police after seeing Aidan's face on the evening news. The police brought him back home, and he saw his father – for the first time in so many months – express emotion. He cried, wept tears, asking his son to forgive him. He had told Aidan that yes, his behavior as a father was inexcusable, but he truly did not know what to do. He cried for his son, he cried for his wife. He said that there were some things that time could not heal, and that he was one of them. But he said he would try harder, to be more attentive to Aidan's needs – in short, he made several promises. But he couldn't keep them. His father loved him – that much was apparent – but he no longer knew how to show it.

It was around this time that Aidan had finally accepted that things had changed, and they were very possibly going to remain that way. He began to pay more frequent visits to his mother in hospital, telling her things about home, school, dad, his life, leaving out nothing. He believed – that despite her comatose state – she was still there, listening to him, and in her own way was offering comfort to her son. It was one Friday afternoon – after school – while he was reading her the book report he'd written, that a boy with a red shock of hair came stumbling into the hospital room, carrying an IV bag, some transparent tubes and a stethoscope.

"My cat's sick." the boy had explained. "But not for long – I'm gonna make him better!"

Aidan was too shocked to answer, but he managed to stammer, "You can't take that stuff out of here – they'll...they'll arrest you!"

"Aw c'mon, I wasn't born yesterday... And besides, they got plenty more stuff where this came from!" Then, looking down at Aidan's mother he had said, "Say, who's this?"

"My mother." Aidan had answered.

"What's she in for?"

"She's in a coma," and then without thinking or hesitating, Aidan had let it spill out. "I did it – with my powers."

The boy had nodded, interested, but a sad look grew into his eyes. "Betcha didn't mean to, huh."

Aidan nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"I know I'd feel real sore about it if I was you. But I guess you already do. Your face looks like it's got a tale to tell." And then, dropping his belongings on the floor, he pulled up a chair next to Aidan. "And I'm all ears. But before we proceed – introductions first." He offered his hand to Aidan. "Maximillian Rhimes. But my friends call me Max or Rojo – that's coz I'm of Irish descent. And proud of it. Can't you tell?"

Aidan laughed, for what he felt was the first in a long time. He had immediately taken to the boy, with his eccentric and extremely likable nature. Aidan grasped the offered hand, and shook it. "An honor to make your acquaintance, Max. I'm afraid I'm not that interesting...just home grown American. This here's my mother, Emily." he nodded in her direction and then watched as Max smiled and said hello – without the least bit of awkwardness.

Aidan spoke with Max for a long while – the longest he's ever had to carry on in a conversation, and was surprised to discover that he enjoyed it immensely. They would have carried on further had not visiting hours being over at the hospital intervened. Aidan went home, feeling as though he'd finally found something precious – something he thought he'd never find, someone to actually confide in, to share his ideas, feelings and thoughts with. He had found his best friend.

Aidan was suddenly jolted out of his revelry by a friendly pat on the back.

'You know, I just adore it when you get that dreamy look in your eye – who's your next victim, Don Juan? Julia? Maggie? Or is it our lovely art history substitute, Annie Hall?' chuckled Max, as he yanked his friend up off the bench by his jacket.

'You really should stop calling her that.' said Aidan as they walked back to the school building.

'I do believe I've hit the bull's eye on that one. What's so fascinating about her?'

Aidan smiled, thinking. He hadn't actually given it much thought – and it was only recently that he discovered that he had a mild crush on their teacher. 'Y'know – I've sized it down to two things. One, it's just your regular boyhood fascination with older women or two: deep within the chasm of my soul lies a Woody Allen clone.' He thrust his hands into his pockets as they walked and looked back at Max. 'What about you, Romeo? How're things with Julia?'

'Aw, you know – just great. Fantastic actually. These past couple days I've gotten her to acknowledge my very existence! Why yesterday, at lunch, during the usual chaos of grabbing one's food, she shuffled past yours truly and actually said "excuse me". It's love, I tell ya.'

'Tell her yourself, Max. Here she comes. Try to act nonchalant.' spoke Aidan out of the side of his mouth, as a young girl strolled towards the two of them, smiling.

Max straightened his crumpled T-shirt and smoothed back his hair. He looked at the girl and grinned. 'Bonjourno! I'd lift off my hat to you on this fine morning – if I had one. You're looking mighty rosy today – healthy food, I take it. I mean, not that you looked malnourished before-'

Aidan rubbed the sides of his brow with his fingers, looked downwards and covered his mouth with his hand, trying not to smile too much. This was as nonchalant as Max could get.

'Hello Max.' responded the girl, not smiling. Then she looked at Aidan and grinned. 'Hi Aidan.'

Aidan stood still for a second and then pushed his glasses further up his nose. 'Hey.' was all he said.

Max looked at Aidan and then back at Julia.

'I was wondering – you're pretty good at that calculus stuff Mr. Wagner assigned us, huh? So um...maybe we could get together sometime and go over it?' asked the girl.

Aidan took his time in answering. Max coughed.

'Uh – I'm actually kind of a dunce when it comes to calculus, but Max here, he's your man! I mean, not your partner...what I mean to say is – he's a regular A-1 genius at that stuff. You should study with him.' said Aidan.

She looked at both of them in turn and then back at Aidan. 'Sure. Well – I'll have to get back to you on that one Aidan. Anyways...I gotta go,' she pointed with her thumb behind her, 'gotta grab some food.'

The two boys stood side by side together in silence, hands in their pockets. Max spoke first. 'Way to go, man. A-1 genius? Where the hell did that come from?'

'Oh shut up – you're the one who went into the details of how nutrition factors play a key role in physical health!'

Max sighed. 'Well, at least I think one of us ought to have accepted her offer. And it should've been you. It's no joke that I'm the brains of this outfit while you're the one with the handsome mug.' he looked rather downcast. 'It's like Pinky and the Brain all over again.'

'How flattering.' quipped Aidan. And then he laughed. 'Girls ain't worth the heartache, man.' he put an arm around his friend. 'And don't go kidding yourself that you're not good enough for 'em. You are. Here's something that'll make you feel better. If I was a girl, you'd be my number one stud.'

Max shook Aidan's arm off his shoulder and joked, 'And you'd get a number one restraining order, you freak.' He then looked towards the basketball court suddenly, as something caught his interest. 'What's up over there?'

They walked towards the court on which a crowd was gathering. Aidan hung back, reluctant to investigate while Max pushed his way through groups of people. Joe-Joe was standing amidst the crowd and Max sidled up to him.

'What's going on?' asked Max.

'It's Lomax and Hartly. I'm not in on the details but I think Lomax might've gotten a bit fresh with Hartly's girl. Or something like that...' replied Joe-Joe, who then turned to focus his attention on the steaming argument before them.

Max followed suit and looked towards the center of the circle in which two guys were having a heated debate. Apparently, things hadn't boiled off to the point where the two were at iron grips with one another, but it looked as if that wouldn't take too long. Max felt sorry for Lomax. It was true that when it actually came down to affability, Avery Lomax wasn't exactly Mr. Congeniality – but he was undoubtedly the underdog in the fray and Max always sided with the underdog. Hartly on the other hand seemed to have had succumbed and conformed to the workings of his fraternity – both mannerisms and attitudes included. And he was also much bigger than Avery. Very much bigger.

'Shouldn't someone do something? I mean, the kid's going to get wasted if Hartly so much as breathes on him!' spoke Max, concerned.

'I tried,' Joe-Joe explained, 'but then I saw Hartly's buds...' he nodded to the right of the growing crowd in which stood three boys gazing at their friend's progress intently. 'There. Frat buddies.' Joe-Joe shuddered.

'Should I get someone? Maybe...?' Max's words slowed to a halt as he saw Alan Hartly shove the smaller teen, who stumbled backwards but did not fall. Neither did he walk away. Max was getting increasingly agitated, debating whether he should make a desperate run towards the principal's office or simple fling himself into the fight, grab Lomax and make a run for it. But he didn't have time to make a decision. He watched, his mouth agape as Aidan walked coolly towards the two boys, who didn't notice him at first, but quickly diverted their gaze from each other to make sense of this new turn of events.

'Aidan, you bloody idiot...' breathed Max, as he watched on with dread.

'Stay out of this, Franco! This doesn't concern you!' threatened Hartly.

'That depends on how you and Lomax are gonna sort things out, doesn't it?' Aidan spoke back.

'When words fail, sometimes you gotta use force. The same applies to you.' said Hartly.

'Then let's see you force me, Alan. Take out your anger on me and let the kid alone.'

Hartly looked at his three friends and then back to Aidan. Smiling he said, 'I take it you're into suicidal missions, huh.'

'You have no idea,' muttered Max under his breath as he watched the scene unfold, distraught. What the hell was Aidan getting himself into? At first it seemed as if he merely wanted to break up the fight, but now he wasn't so certain. Aidan did not hesitate in the slightest way – it was almost as if he had volunteered to fight Hartly. Max knew there was something more here – did Aidan want to prove himself? No, he had never felt as though he had to live up to anyone's standards, but one thing was certain. He lived each day as if he was paying for the sin of what he had done to his mother. And now he was paying up again. Max pursed his lips and breathed in deeply. If Aidan was going to acquire a taste for Hartly's knuckles, then so was he.

He stepped into the opening just as he noticed the crowd disperse bit by bit. He looked to see what was the cause of this, and squinting into the distance, he saw two people – he made out one to be school security and the second was very likely the vice-principal – running towards the basketball court. He turned his attention back to Aidan and Hartly, relieved that it was going to be over. But his relief didn't last long.

'Looks like your ass if covered for the moment, punk.' snarled Hartly. 'But I'm not letting you get out of this that easy. You wanna hear what I gotta say?'

Aidan's pulse quickened, but he tried to play it cool. 'Spare me the drama, Macbeth.'

'Tonight. 9 p.m. out back of Wesley's Hardware Store. I'm gonna lecture you on how never to interfere in someone else's business. If you're half a minute late, well, what can I say...?' said Hartly as he feigned despair and threw up his hands.

A double-edged sword, thought Aidan. Ah, how he loved those. 'I'll be there.' was all he said before quickly walking away with the crowd.

By the time security and the vice-principal reached the basketball court, all that remained for them to break up were some spilt sodas sinking in between the cracks of the concrete and empty candy wrappers fluttering in the wind.