3 dollars.
That's all I have left among the daycare fees, motel bills, groceries, and baby stuff. I sigh to myself as I look at the bills scattered across the plastic stock table of the dimly lit motel room. It was as gloomy as it could get, the room darker than a cave. The light hadn't seeped in yet and the two little shits.... my two little shits..... the cutest baby boys alive were knocked out on the bed sleeping to i hope what was a good dream. I haven't had a good dream in a while.
I gently rubbed my stomach as i tried to stifle the small growl it made. I'll just get some convenience store bread and eat it. We only had enough good food for the Aspen, my oldest and i wasn't gonna let him go hungry to sleep. Not today when he had a good day. At least the baby, Porus, needed just milk. Just a few more days I'd say to myself lying as much as i could to keep going.
I rose to my feet as i slowly tiptoed to the wooden nightstand near the bed. The beige wallpaper was already tearing off. I looked at the boys. Sleeping peacefully, their soft chocolate brown skin, barely visible under the darkness. I envy their innocence. The way they sleep without a care in the world. I gently lied down on my side in between the two as he instinctively moved closer to my warmth, nuzzling closer. "Fucking hell." I muttured as my heart beat out of my body.
I wanted to wrap my arms around the both of them and crush them with my love. If being cute was a crime, i'd punish them... with loads of kisses in the face and hugs. I could just gobble them up. If my stupid father and brother were reading my thoughts, they'd beat my ass. But they ain't. I'm gonna be as sappy as i want.
I almost went to sleep, shut my eyes close before the alarm sounded through the room. 4 am as my phone lit up shining on my face. Son of a-
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Porus screamed.
Sigh. I shot up and jumped off the bed, picking up the little bundle that gripped my shirt too tight as it cried. "Sorry, Poru." I sighed as i gently rubbed his tears away with my shirt.
"Ugh." I looked at the bed to Aspen groaning as he grabbed the blanket closer and hugged it. "Turn it off". His soft shrilly voice said tired. It would've been very cute if he wasn't being a brat.
"Not funny. This is your brother-" I rebuked but found my voice cut off. The entire room felt like a vaccum. It didn't take long for my ears ringing harder the longer the silence went on as my lungs felt empty.
"ASPEN!" I screamed but no voice came out. I placed Porus on the bed as he looked like his eyes were to pop out any minute. I stumbled as i grabbed him by the hand and yanked him up as i squished his cheeks, the shock causing him to puff out and fill the room with what was sweet sweet air again.
I wheezed as i put him down and checked on Porus. The baby was a fighter as it coughed and cried. "I told you not to do that. When you take away the sound from the room, you take away the air!" I rebuked the pouting Aspen. "He was being loud!" He whined.
"Poru could've died!" I screamed but lowered my voice, softening as i saw tears forming in the poor kid's eyes. "He is loud. I know. Babies... are loud." Aspen was looking down as he scrapped the ground with his bare feet.
"But that doesn't mean you do this. Use your power for good. Remember? Like the superheroes you see on TV?" The words felt bitter on my tongue. I never liked those pompous assholes who act like they are all that. But if it meant giving a good damn example to him....
I saw the little kid stalk off to the side of the bed as he grabbed his Cacti doll with it's little furry spikes and sat slumped over. He looked just like me when I'd pout about losing games or being annoyed. Cute.
I turned to the clock. 5:30 am. I had to head out now if i wanted to make it before my first day at the Police and Hero department. Filled with a bunch of pretentious heroes and sycophant sidekicks. The Poetsfield Police Department was in itself just high school. Everyone had friends. If you didn't, you're the problem. I can only hope that i don't have to deal with anything worse than in the academy.
"Do you want to hold your brother while i go get ready? Tell him what you did in preschool." I slowly slid Porus closer to Aspen as he cutely looked at him.
"No." He tried moving away but Porus simply sat there.... looking at his brother.
"Alright. He'll be here though. Tell me if you both need anything, i'm gonna go to shower. Daddy's got a big day." Porus grabbed onto his brother as he steadied himself. I walked into the washroom as i took off my clothes. The motel didn't get water before 7 am but I grabbed the bucket i filled water in and doused it on me, bathing myself. The cold water pricked my skin like spikes. Being thinner than most didn't help as i sneezed.
It was 6:30 as we three walked out the door of the motel room. We walked a few blocks away past the sidewalk and waited. I didn't want any of the kids in Aspen's school under the impression that he was poor so we always did our best to look normal.
"The best thing you can do for yourself is to take care of your health. Once you're sick, it's all you can think about." I sprinkled some real world knowledge for my son to absorb but i knew he wasn't really listening much. Kids are.... Kids. "Bye." Aspen said softly.
"Not going to give a kiss?" I said as i waited for him to come closer.
"No." He walked closer to the bus where his friends waited.
"Too bad." I yanked him into my arms as i held both of them and kissed Aspen and Porus's cheek as they both struggled and laughed.
"I love you. Go have fun." I said before he ran into school bus a little embarrassed.
I dropped Porus at the daycare that was conveniently across the station. They were expensive as fuck but they gave me a huge discount the moment i found out the owner was cheating on his wife. Normally I'd speak up but i don't have the luxury to uphold morality. Not in this case at least.
I chuckled to myself. This is what true Heroism means. To turn a blind eye to friends and others if it benefits you. They call themselves Harbingers of peace when they are just as bad as everyone else. And when you add powers to the mix, lethal ones especially..... their consequences rebound like earthquakes ten fold. There once was a hero, Shelter Shock. He was.... a good person. That was until the Butterfly killer had killed his son and revealed how he kept quiet about his son's bullying which led to several students suiciding. Selfish Bastard only was a hero to those he wanted to save. But now he lost both his son and his right to being a hero.
I slowly stalked closer to the building as I took in the police cars parading around at the entrance. Now or never. I walked into the reception finding myself out of place amongst the varied colors of powers and shapes of people. It looks..... amazing. I couldn't help myself from being mesmerized, which was exactly why i was easily spotted.
"You're a boot right?" Three intimidating woman whose glare could keep your audacity in check stalked over to me with a smile. One of them, her eyes looked at me with a curious yet gaze that saw through you. Black, Dark blue police uniform and hair in a bun.
She reminds me of my sister. Unrelenting, menacing but caring as she'd push me into the wall and tell me it is okay to cry.
"Uh, yeah." I said.
"Rookies report to the captain before going to roll call. You better go now before you go late." She said like an order. Probably one of the middle people. Not captain or boot, probably one of the patrol people.
But more importantly, she lies. I can tell it from the tip of her tongue. But mostly from my power. I can tell whether people are lying or saying the truth. Not that anyone needs to know. 'She really thought she could punk me.' I chuckled internally.
"Thank you. I'll do that." I said in my most naive expression.. stalked off, letting her believe I believed her nonsense. I waited for them to leave before immediately stalking off into the locker room. My nose shriveled up. Clearly, Locker rooms stink no matter where you are. My stomach twisted and turned. The instinct from years of bullying welling up into my throat as i went quickly to my locker. I could tell some were staring but i brushed it off. Just get in. Change and Get out. I quickly stripped and slipped into the police overalls. Hoping no one would notice me.
"Good Morning, Boot." I heard a voice behind me, gravelly and low. Mischievous and menacing.
Fuck.