Chapter Six

 JJ, nose taped-up, lip-busted, face bruised, visited David in the hospital and couldn't help laughing at the sight.

David flipped him off. "Shut up. It's not that bad."

"Right, I hear the eggplant look is so in right now," JJ said, dodging David's incoming spitball. "Real mature, Green. What are you, five?" he said, launching a spitball of his own.

"Aw, you shrimp. You got me right in my eye."

JJ loaded his straw with another spitball. "That's what your mom said." 

They burst out laughing.

David pressed the button to start his morphine drip. "JJ, seriously, don't make me laugh. It hurts too much." 

"Sucks to be you, dude. I only got a broken nose and a few bruised ribs out the deal." He shot another spitball, catching David on the nose.

"You're lucky my leg and ribs are broken, or I'd come over there and teabag your punk ass." He launched a spitball at JJ, missing him. "I'd rather be all jacked up like this than be an albino four-foot-nothing stick with no dick."  

JJ really wished his growth spurt would come, as it had last summer for David. "Well, excuse me for not being a sasquatch like you. And for your information, I'm four-foot-eight . . . and a quarter inch."

Laughing, David clutched his ribs. "That's still short as hell. Tell me, do ya still shop in the toddlers' section?"

"Screw you! I'm big where it counts."

"Dude, you crack me up. You prolly don't even know how to use it. I've seen you talk to the ladies, but have you hit it?"

He remained quiet, hoping David would move on to another topic, but he didn't, and the lull in the conversation engulfed them. JJ hazarded a look at David, and their eyes met. "I mean . . . no."

David looked at him askew. "What's up with that?"

JJ paused, looking at the floor as he thought, his heart ready to rocket into outer space. I'm sick of hiding, but what if David and Jason don't want to hang with me anymore? Could I live with the loneliness? And what if they tell everyone at school and my parents find out?

But I can't keep bottling this stuff inside. Like Nana Giovanni says, `Que sera sera.'

Taking in a deep breath, JJ steeled himself, ready to bolt for the door. "H--has it ever occurred to you that I might not like girls?"

"Come again? You're joking, right?"

JJ shook his head. "This isn't a joke. I like dudes."

"Shit, man. You're not secretly in love with me now, are ya? `Cuz The David don't swing that way, bro."

JJ's nose and chest ached from the fit of laughter that wracked him. When it passed, he said, "No offense, but you are so not my type. I'm not big on the whole `roided-out look. Seriously, man, there's such a thing as too much muscle."

David gestured at himself. "How could you not like all of this?"        

"Conceited much? Just cuz I'm gay doesn't mean I drool over every guy I see. I'm not a man-ho like you and Jason."

"Ha, good one, squirt. So, you like got a boyfriend?"

"You're being pretty meh about this, but no. I'm single."

"Well, that's `cuz Jason's bi, and we're like total bros, ya know? Yeah, it's kinda weird when he talks about hooking up with guys, but otherwise, dude's hella chill. There someone you got your eye on?"

"Hold up. Jason is bi? Since when? I legit didn't suspect that. Man, my gaydar must be broke or something. And if you must know . . . I liked Travis until I found out what a complete douche nozzle he was." 

"Turner or Smith?"

"Turner," he mumbled. 

"No offense, JJ, but your taste in guys stinks."

"Says the breeder." He scowled. "It's frustrating. I hate him, but I love him. Like I'm the only one who sees the pain he hides behind his walls, and I just want to take it all away. But he hates me and is so screwed in the head. FML." 

JJ's sobs filled the room.

"Listen to me. Everything's gonna work out, okay?"

JJ sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah. I love you, man. No homo."

JJ chucked his soda can at David, and it clunked his forehead. "That'll teach ya, fucker."

"That's assault."

"You earned it."

"Meh. We cool?"

"Yeah. So . . . Jason's bi?"

"Mmhmm. Say, if you like Turner, then why have you been picking on him?"

 Before JJ could reply, the unmistakable sound of an explosion from the floor above them caught his attention.  

***

Out of the darkness that covered him, Travis found himself back on the plateau overlooking a river with trees and plants of all colors.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

He turned, and seeing himself, he got in a defensive stance.

"Yo, chill cuzo. I'm not Oblivion."

Travis focused on his hand and gathered a ball of black flames. "Why should I believe you?"

"Wouldn't I have attacked you by now?"

Pursing his lips, Travis thought it over. "Then who are you?"

"Your headmate, silly."

If this were a Tex Avery cartoon, Travis's eyeballs would have popped out of his head. "I'm crazy."

"The verdict's still out on that, but this is for real for real."

Travis inclined his head, not believing what he was hearing. How is this possible?

"Hey, I'm just as confused about this as you are."

Travis stared at him dumbfounded. "You can hear my thoughts?"

"Duh. We share a body . . . among other things."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind."

Travis scrunched up his face. "Whatever. Where are we?" 

His headmate scratched its head. "Well, I don't exactly know how to describe it, but we're in your head. Or rather our heads. I think."

Nodding slowly, Travis said, "Right. You have a name or what?"

"`Course I got a name. It's Prometheus, but you can call me Pro, bro."

Like an itch in the back of Travis's mind, the name seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Don't strain yourself, kid. When the time's right, all will be revealed."

Scoffing, Travis folded his arms. "Way to be vague. I'd say it was a pleasure meeting you, but then I'd be a liar. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go home."

He turned away, but Prometheus grabbed his shoulder, turning him so they were facing each other.

"No can-do, partner. I saved yo' ass, and now you owe me. So, how's about you start by saying thank you?"

Travis shrugged off Prometheus's hand. "Didn't ask for your help."

Prometheus grimaced and sucked in his lips. "I knew it was too soon to meet your stingy ole bitch ass self."

How dare this usurper speak to him like that. He gritted his teeth, his vision going red as he balled up his fist and focused all his anger on forming a ball of blue flames. After blasting him with fire, Travis turned to leave, but Prometheus appeared in front of him, murder in his eyes.

"Nice try, dumb ass. But we were born of fire and ash." 

He socked Travis in the jaw, and they exchanged blows. Travis dodged the best he could, but Prometheus was faster than him and played dirty, teleporting behind him and getting in cheap shots.

When Travis tried teleporting, he felt as though being torn into a million pieces.

"Ha, kid. You ain't ready for that yet. Now sit yo' hyper self down and listen up while your boy Pro schools ya for a minute."

"Yeah, no. I'm going home."   

Prometheus laughed. "I'd like to see you try. I got that ass on lock, son."

He snapped his fingers, and Travis found himself wrapped in chains.

"What the--"

"You in Pro's house now, nigga. And you ain't going nowheres till we had a little chat. See, that dream you had weren't no dream."

"Then I--"

"You fought the devil and won. Course not before we underwent a little change."

He pointed into the distance and told Travis to look. Following Prometheus's hand, a creeping gray mist was coming toward them, draining everything it touched of color; it was fast enough for Travis to notice but nothing that concerned him.

"So?"

"So, numbnuts, that grayness is . . . well, I don't know what it is. But I know it's bad news."

Travis laughed. They must have hit me harder than I thought to hallucinate this--or given me some primo pain killers.

Groaning, Prometheus wiped his hand across his mouth. "Look, we got powers, okay, and one of them is like ESP."

Rolling his eyes, Travis tried to hide his mounting fear. "We can see the future? Yeah, right."

"I ain't say all that, but we get hunches and can see bits of what might happen. That's how I knew Oblivion was no good. You'll get them, too, once you stop being so uptight."

Screaming internally, Travis said, "Whatever you're smoking, stop."

"A'ight. I'll prove it. You know JJ?"

"What of the paramecium-brained dunderhead?"

"He likes you, and you likes him."

"What did you just say to me?" Black energy arced from Travis's body.

"Still in denial?"

Travis growled. "Giovanni is the last person I'd ever be with."

Laughing, Prometheus shook his head. "Oh, boy. You just don't know. But that's all Imma say about that. While I have you here, let's get a few ground rules out the way. First, no mo' being a punk-ass nig--"

White tentacles sprouted from Travis. "Use that word again, and I will eviscerate you."

Prometheus backed up. "Chill!"

Travis looked down and the chains binding him were gone. 

"Kid, ya have to watch yourself. Every time you get angry, Oblivion's. . . shit I don't what's it called. But if you don't chill with all this wanting to kill folk, it's game over, nig--negro."

Travis thought over the day's events. "Say I believe you about Oblivion and the other stuff. Why is this happening now?"

"Hell if I know. Maybe it has something to do with us hitting puberty. Anyways, rule two: any time you require my help, asked for or not, I get to take the old body for a spin. Starting now." 

Prometheus disappeared, leaving Travis standing there beyond perplexed and pissed. It was bad enough having Prometheus in his ear 24/7 ragging on him, but to be trapped in his own body? Hell to the fuck naw. "Next time we meet, Imma bust my foot off in your ass!" 

***

Sometime later, Travis ventured out from his spot on the plateau and tried teleporting and the flame attack he used on Prometheus. He didn't know how long he'd be there, so he made the most of his time training. "You won't beat me again."

In the distance, a faint bird cry reached him. Again, he felt as though there were something he should remember but couldn't, and for reasons unknown to him then, Travis cried.

 

A/N: This chapter covered a lot. JJ finally came out to someone and it didn't blow up in his face (yay for straight allies). What was your coming out process like? Let me know.

And What do you make of Travis and Pro? Is Travis hallucinating or is there more going on here? I'd love to hear your theories and constructive criticism. I can be reached at phenix39@yahoo.com and remember nifty needs your donations to keep this site free (https://donate.nifty.org).