Chapter Eleven

Banks

It had been a week since the club learned about my past and no one fucking cared. Not that I expected them to. Every one of us had some darkness in our past, but that didn’t define who we were. Even though I was happy to have that monkey finally off my back, something about the whole situation bugged me.

After everything was out in the open, Hawk was the only brother who had been avoiding me. I hated lying to him, but when I came clean, I could have sworn I saw him stiffen, as if he didn’t like something I said. Then again, maybe I was just imagining things.

I tried talking to him, but every time he saw me coming, he walked off, saying he was busy and would find me later. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Hawk. He was the reason I prospected for the club. Still, I couldn’t shake that something about my past rubbed him the wrong way. I was going to have to make the time to talk to him, but not today. Today was the Grand Opening of the Comic Center and I promised Laurel I would be there to help.

Walking into the kitchen, I saw Priest sitting near the door, looking outside.

“Whatcha doing, Priest?”

“Watching your son.”

Groaning, I muttered, “What’s he doing now?”

“He’s dancing.”

“Huh?”

“Come look.”

Walking over to the window, I peered outside, and Priest was right. Nash was out there, near the obstacle course, dancing. He was good too, from what I could tell.

Then again, I had two left feet, so what did I know?

“You said your mother was a Prima Ballerina, right?”

“Yeah. That’s what I was told.”

“I think I know how to help Nash open up.”

“How?”

“You got a problem with your son studying dance?”

“No. If that’s what he wants.”

“Good.” Priest rolled himself away from the door. “I’ve gotta go talk to Phoebe. I’m going to need her help. Tomorrow, Nash will be with me all day at the dance studio.”

“You sure you can handle him? I mean, you’re still in that stupid chair.”

“That’s why I’m going to ask Scribe to go with me.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I pushed Priest out into the main room of the clubhouse to find King sitting at the bar with Pyro as they talked with Enigma. “Willing to try anything. Kid fucking hates my guts. Won’t say shit to me. Now, I’ve got to head into town. Today is the grand opening of the Comic Center, and I told Laurel I would be around to help.”

“Can we go?” Cameron shouted as he and Benny rushed over.

“Yeah, we can help too.”

Priest chuckled. “They did help Laurel get the place and they’ve been helping her set everything up. Seems only right they be there for the Grand Opening too.”

Glaring at my brother, I sneered, “I hate you.”

“PLEASE!” Cameron begged loudly, and Benny looked up at me with his stupid puppy dog eyes.

I just got rid of this brat and his cohort in crime.

No way did I want them tagging around me all day.

“Chores done, Cameron?” King asked.

“Yes sir. Even got started on my science project for the science fair. I’m gonna blow the roof off that place this year.”

I cringed and prayed Carnage meant that figuratively and not literally. It was anyone’s guess with that kid.

“What about you, Ben?” Enigma asked, looking at his son.

“All good, Dad. Even helped Mom clean up after breakfast this morning.”

“Take them with you, Banks,” King ordered.

“Why!” I griped petulantly. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Because I said so.” King grinned. “You take my brat and I’ll keep an eye on yours.”

“To quote Carnage: this blows donkey dicks,” I clipped, pointing at the door as the brats hooted and hollered, running for the front door. “If they don’t come back alive, it’s your fault!”

Laurel was laughing her ass off while I shook my head in disgust.

Didn’t anybody appreciate fine literature anymore?

“And another thing, Iron Man is way better than Batman.” Cameron scoffed, shaking his head while he thumbed through a Marvel comic book.

“They are the same damn character!”

“No, they’re not.” Kai grinned, backing up the brat. “Iron Man is way cooler than Batman. Plus, he’s got more friends.”

“And don’t forget that Marvel has the better villains, too,” Benny muttered from a comfortable chair as he flipped through his comic book.

“Superman,” I challenged. “Marvel doesn’t even have a character remotely like Superman.”

Cameron rolled his little beady eyes and said, “Thor, Wanda, Captain Marvel. Duh.”

“Takes three characters to equal Superman. Plus, those characters can die.”

“So can Superman,” Benny piped up.

“Name me one Marvel character that can’t die?”

“DEADPOOL!” everyone in the store shouted, including Laurel.

“Face it, Nikoli, you won’t win. Marvel is the better universe,” she stated as she stood behind the cash register handing a kid a bag.

“Yeah well, Deadpool is no Mr. Manhattan.”

“You know, I read somewhere that the Harry Potter franchise is just like Star Wars. If you think about it, there are a lot of similarities in both series. Orphan boys whisked away by some bearded man, then hidden away with adoptive parents. Meets a badass female who’s way better than him, only to hook up with his best friend. He learns to control his powers with the help of some old, bearded dude that kinda becomes a father figure, only to die later. Learns he has a special connection with the bad guy. Fights with magical wands and in the end, the boy wins and everyone is happy.”

Staring opened mouthed at the young boy near the Manga comic section, I noticed even Cameron, Benny and Kai were gobsmacked. When the kid looked up, I watched his eyes widen. Reaching into his pocket, he placed his inhaler in his mouth and took a deep breath.

“Sorry. I thought it was an open discussion,” the kid muttered, turning back to the comic he was looking at.

“Did Jasper just compare Harry Potter to Star Wars?” Kai whispered.

Cameron glared at the boy and nodded. “He sure as hell did.”

“Star Wars is legendary. No one messes with Star Wars.”

“Got that right,” Cameron snarked, taking a step toward the boy.

Grabbing the back of his shirt, I said, “You leave him alone. He’s allowed to think what he wants. Not everyone can appreciate the force like the rest of us.”

“But it ain’t right, Banks. Star Wars is nothing like Harry Potter.”

“I know that, but maybe Jasper sees it differently.”

“Makes sense,” Kai muttered. “He’s always watching those birds of his and he’s like super smart. I heard Ms. Julie talking to Mr. Kellerman about sending him to the second grade.”

“Still don’t make it right,” Cameron huffed, just as the door opened. In walked a cute little girl with her pretty mom, and she ran over to Jasper.

“Who the hell is that?” Cameron asked, pointing his finger in her direction, his eyes laser focused on the little girl now talking animatedly with Jasper.

Kai looked over his shoulder, then back to his comic book and said, “Oh, that’s Jasper’s twin sister, Jasmine. She’s in a different class than ours.”

“I didn’t know Jasper had a sister.”

“Yeah,” Kai said, flipping a page. “But no dad. He’s kinda like us.”

“Maybe we should be nicer to him.”

“Thought you didn’t want to be seen with him. You call him bird boy behind his back.”

“And that was very wrong of me,” Cameron said, putting down his comic book and grabbing Kai by his shirt. “I need you to introduce me. Come on.”

“But I’m not done reading my comic!” Kai groaned.

“The good guy wins,” Cameron stated as he and Kai walked off.

Holy SHITBALLS!

Did I just see what I thought I saw?

Did the leader and most vocal brother in the club, who’s been bitching from day one that there were too many fucking Betty’s in the club, just fall head over heels?

Reaching for my phone, I didn’t think. I dialed King.

“Whatever he did, pay the fine and I’ll take care of it when he gets home.”

“King, you have bigger problems.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think Carnage just met his Betty!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the little cutie patootie with blonde ringlets that’s making your kid go coo-coo for coco puffs! I’m serious, King, Carnage has fallen down the rabbit hole. Like hook, line and sinker. The boy is gone out of this world. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, kinda gone.”

“Give me that phone.” Laurel sighed, taking my phone from me while I watched on in rapt attention. “King, it’s Laurel. It’s nothing. Jasper’s sister Jasmine has apparently caught Cameron’s eye. The kids are talking right now. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just five seven-year-olds talking about comic books.”

This was hands down the best day ever.

Leaning over to Laurel, I whispered, “Tell King, the boy is laying it on thick too. He’s gonna charm that filly right out of her pants.”

Laurel gasped, then slapped me upside the head.

It hurt.

Rubbing the throbbing backside of my head, I groaned, “What the hell, woman?”

“They are seven. Not seventeen.”

“You don’t know Carnage like I do,” I muttered under my breath as I turned back to the kids just in time to see the cutie patootie haul off and punch Cameron in the nose.

“And the romance is over, King.” Laurel grimaced. “Cameron, however, will be sporting a new black eye for school on Monday. Yeah, I’ll tell him. Bye.”

Handing my phone back to me, Laurel grinned. “King wants the boys home, now.”

Groaning, I nodded, pocketing my phone and walking over to the brats.

“Jasmine Magnolia Hennessey, you apologize to that young boy right now,” the young mother scolded firmly, clasping her daughter’s arm as the little firecracker tried to take another whack at Cameron.

Any other time, I’d tell the woman to let the girl have at the brat, but seeing as Cameron was the one with the bloody nose, I kinda felt for him.

Poor kid.

If he only knew shit went downhill fast from here. My gut was telling me this was the first of many bloody noses in his future.

“I am so sorry my daughter hit your son.”

“He ain’t my dad,” Cameron sneered, holding his nose.

“And thank God for that,” I snarked, shaking my head at the brat. Turning to the woman, I added, “Name’s Banks. So, what did Cameron say to her?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“It wasn’t Cameron, Banks,” Benny piped up, then pointed at the girl. “It was her!”

Benny was smart.

He took cover behind me when the little girl growled at him.

“Benny’s right, Banks.” Kai looked up at me, nodding his head in agreement.

“Josephine Hennessey, I’m afraid they are right,” the young mother admitted. “The boys were merely talking with Jasper when my daughter hit Cameron.”

The front door to the Comic Center opened. Bailey, Sugar and Skylar rushed in. “Did we miss it?!”

Hanging my head, I groaned, “Great. Now it’s about to become a thing.”

“Cameron Aaron Hobbs,” Skylar said, as she rushed over to her brother. Kneeling before him, the brat didn’t dare take his eyes off the little girl, who was still shooting daggers at him. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Sissy.”

Looking over her shoulder at the girl’s mother, Skylar said, “I’m Skylar. Cameron’s sister. What happened?”

Josephine pushed her daughter toward Skylar, clearing her throat.

The little girl looked down at the floor and muttered, “It was my fault. I hit him. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for apologizing, but why did you hit him?” Sky asked.

“Because he said Wonder Woman was just a stupid Betty, but she’s not. She’s the strongest, smartest and prettiest superhero there is.”

“YES!” I shouted, throwing my fist in the air. “Finally, someone who appreciates fine literature.”

Bending down, I shook the little girl’s hand. “You, sweetheart, are welcome here anytime. Come with me. Let me introduce you to the world of DC Comics. My favorite is Batman. Have you read any of the Flash comics yet?”