When Gracie Met The Grump

by Mariana Zapata

“I wouldn’t make fun of the things you want to do with your life, Gracie. I’m… I’m only messing with you.” I narrowed my eyes, not trusting him. “I am,” he insisted so seriously, I couldn’t help but believe him.

I peeked at him to find him leaning against the counter again, arms still crossed, biceps bulging beneath the hoodie. He didn’t seem interested, but I could tell he was listening.

There was a weird, weird look on his face, I noticed.

I wanted to find happiness. And keep it.

That wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? Friends? A loved one or two? A furred one and one that could talk back to me?

I just wanted to go to a beach for once. Have one friend. Be loved at least once. I would love to one day maybe have a kid or two that I could love just as much as my grandparents had cared about me, but minus the extreme strictness. Most of all, when it came down to it, I didn’t want to be alone.

If I had to pick, that’s what it would be: to not be alone anymore.

Everything was different, and it was all going to keep on being different for probably the rest of my life.

I picked up a couple too but got out of breath almost immediately, then got dizzy, and that’s when he’d looked over, gave me dirty look number three hundred and fifty, and I stopped.

Maybe he wasn’t back to 100 percent, but he was closer than he’d been a month ago.

“You know I’ll be able to hear someone coming,” he said, his voice flat. “I know, but I still don’t trust it.” His face…. “Don’t take it personally. I have trust issues. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Am I safe from you?” He blinked. “I’m kidding,” I whispered, feeling insecure and shy and nervous.

“Do you know who might be coming? With the car or whatever?” “I have an idea.” So helpful and informative.

“Do you really not have a girlfriend?” His eyes narrowed. “No.” “Huh,” I said, surprised and not surprised at the same time. That got me a face. I didn’t mean to smile, but I did. “What?” “You’re a very handsome man. I’m sure you know that.” A muscle in one of his cheeks flexed.

“It’s just—” I sniffled and got myself together. “—when you open your mouth, people realize beauty is only skin deep.” I smiled sweetly at him. “You didn’t get to choose your face. You just got lucky to have your… what did you call them? Superior genes.” I shrugged. “You have no idea how lucky you are to be so special.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” I eyed him, wanting to ask what exactly was so hard about being super-fast, strong, having superior hearing and vision, and being badass. He could fly… or he used to be able to. That was my dream. A dream I would never be able...

“Can I ask you something else?” One side of his mouth went flat. “If I say no, you’re still going to ask anyway, aren’t you?” I nodded. His whole mouth went flat, and I took that as permission. More like resignation, but same thing.

My eyes went wide in disbelief. “Fuck off.” He couldn’t be. Could he? His eyebrows rose a little. “Do you know how many people tell me to fuck off?” “Not enough?” I whispered sarcastically, but actually really relieved.

That got me a long, long glare, and that said a lot because he’d given me some impressive ones already. I tried to look innocent. It didn’t work.

“Wait here.” There was something off, something wrong. “I think everything is fine, but if it’s not….” He shook his head. “There’s nothing you’d be able to do anyway.”

“My sister.” His sister? And why the hell was he telling me this? Was I suddenly not the bad guy? Was his sister the bad guy? Was she who had hurt him? How the hell had anyone gotten here so quickly?

I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but… Let’s get real. I loved secrets. Not having to keep my own, but I loved hearing other people’s. I knew things about some of my students that had almost made my jaw drop.

Anyway, if she was like him, she’d be able to tell I was inside even if I didn’t go out there. And he’d basically said there was nothing I could do to protect myself against her, hadn’t he? Did that mean she was strong?

And I gasped. Because I must have been a fucking idiot to not put the pieces together. How the hell hadn’t I? My skin prickled, my armpits got damp. Even my heart fluttered. A few people in forums had guessed, but….

I squeaked. Because standing directly in front of Alex, who was in the yard just a few feet away from the porch, was none other than THE FUCKING PRIMORDIAL. OHHH SHIT.

Alexander glanced over his shoulder, giving me that familiar, exasperated face, confirming that my hopes were in vain.

But I was so excited and overwhelmed and in awe over the woman in the yard, that my shame had packed up and moved away. Somewhere very, very far, from the shit-eating grin on my face that made my cheeks hurt. It was her!

The most legendary woman on the planet. The dark red suit she had on could only be pulled off by her statuesque form. Anyone else would look like a giant spicy Cheeto wearing it. T...

I squawked again, and I guess at some point, he must have turned back toward her, because he glanced over his shoulder one more time, holding his arms out at his side...

I shrugged at him, surprised out of my mind. His sister! They didn’t even… they didn...

I squinted, trying to take in their opposing bodies. They were both tall. He had to be a little over six-feet tall, and she was just about the same. They both had wide shoulders and athletic, muscular frames that were graceful and long. Their cheekbones were kind of similar, so were their eyes: at a slight angle and roundish-shaped. They ...

On second thought, they had the same jawline too. Now that I paid attention, The Centurion looked the least like them. His skin color was the lightest, and he wasn’t built as muscularly as they were. I didn’t think he was as tall as they were either, and hi...

HE WAS THEIR BROTHER. I just knew it. Alex had said he had siblings. Plural. He had to be. Oh shit, oh shit,...

There were people who believed they were related, but most thought that they couldn’t be because of their varying skin colors, like genetic...

But they were. If you looked hard enough. They had never appeared at the same place and time, for a reason, I was pretty sure now.

And my mouth was open in surprise right when the woman, The Woman, looked over in my direction at the same time that Alex did. They were talking about me, or about the situation, that was for sure. But she was looking at me.

I lifted my hand and waved. The Primordial—THE PRIMORDIAL—waved back. She didn’t hesitate. And it wasn’t a half-assed wave either. It was a real one. She was waving at me. O...

The Defender shook his head and rolled his eyes before his mouth started moving and he said w...

She really was magnificent. I wanted to be her when I grew up.

I kept watching as Alex talked, and they went back and forth, a frown forming as she listened and staying there even as she spoke. At one point, she put her hand on his shoulder, then around the back of his neck, her expression growing more distressed.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever done a peace sign before. And I knew I was going to regret it when he blinked and stared. The Primordial smiled at least.

I thought about letting the curtain drop back in place, but I kept standing there. Unfortunately, a moment later, they nodded at each other, and he stepped forward and they hugged. They hugged. Like normal people. And in the blink of an eye, she shot straight into the sky like a missile.

Alex turned slowly back toward the house and met my gaze. He shook his head. Shit. He was still shaking it as he came in and stopped just over the threshold, so unbelievably handsome it was a little irritating. How the hell had he gotten through life without someone l...

“What the hell was that?” he asked. Yeah, he’d brought it up. “I panicked,” I muttered. He pressed his l...

I’d given The Primordial a peace sign.

“She’s like a god, okay?” This motherfucker was still blinking at me. His voice sounded funny as he said, “We’re basically the same.” “Not really.” Another blink. “Yes, really.” I closed one eye. “No, I don’t think so.”

“She’s Earth’s Champion,” I kept going. Those purple eyes settled on me, glowing faintly. “And I’m… what?”

“I like the anonymity.” Oh. “But how do you do that? I mean, do that thing so nothing can get a shot of your face?” He made a smug expression I didn’t like. Someone was back to his secrets, I guess.

“Is The Centurion your brother?” I blurted out. “Yes.” I almost fainted again.

His mouth opened just a little bit. Then he blinked. I blinked. And his voice was totally flat as he asked, “What is wrong with you?” Did he have to sound so serious?