Page 18 of First Kiss with a Mothman
“Bullshit.” Arie points at me, and we both titter. “Can I snag an invite to be a guest at your next party?”
He has no clue that anyone can come to a true Alpha Claw Omega party. What he’s asking is a little close to date-like. I’m about to tell him that he can come solo, but then I think of my messy monster brothers. Plenty are gay, and while I’ve never known them to assault anyone, they can still peer pressure Arie into doing things he might not want. Arie would be so vulnerable…
“You can be my guest!” I blurt in a tone higher than usual.
“Great. When and where? Let me record it.” He fishes his phone out of his pocket, briefly finagling his wallet and keys. Next, he unlocks it with a simple swipe. After leaning in, he murmurs, “Open calendar app.”
“Calendar,” the robot on his phone replies. He turns to me, and I nod.
“Next Friday. Ten p.m. The address is…” I spout out the details, and Arie echoes them into his app. It’s fascinating and explains exactly how he uses his phone. I’m so grateful technology has advanced to help the blind community. There’s too much internet brain slop being developed by tech moguls; we need some positive technology for a change.
“Awesome. It feels like things are finally looking up in college. It’s all thanks to you, Mort. You’re like…a good friend.”
My face burns, so I attempt to diffuse his affection. “I accosted you the day we met.”
“Yeah, but I’ve moved on from that. Haven’t you?”
Moving on is not my strong suit. I open my mouth to reply, but my voice is cut off by another sound.
“Arie! Thank the Lord you’re here!”
“Selena?”
The girl who was with him at the bonfire rushes up to us here in the dorm basement. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Let’s go to dinner.”
“I’m doing my laundry with my friend.”
He points to me, and a shyness creeps over me. The girl looks me up and down, then her eyebrows jump. “Are you a bug or something?”
“Selena! He’s a mothman.”
I stand and step back, scratching my neck. Three is suddenly feeling like a crowd. “Yeah, um, hi.”
She points at me, and I can almost see the lightbulb go off. “Mothman…like, ‘That’s my Mothboy?’” My blood turns icy as she grins. “You’re the grown-up version of the mothboy!”
“Um, uh, I don’t know…” I stare at the ceiling with half a mind to fly away.
“What are you talking about, Selena?” Arie asks, now standing up.
“That old TV show! He’s the mothboy!”
Arie turns to me with a quizzical expression. “You’re an actor?”
“Not anymore.” I clear my throat and look down.
“Arie, let’s go to dinner. Your laundry can wait. Your mom has been badgering me to make sure you eat a balanced diet.”
“I’m not a kid,” he whines quietly. Turning to me, he says, “Sorry, Mort.”
“It’s cool. I should go, too. Homework and such,” I say with my hands in my pockets.
“Come on, Arie. Your laundry will be here when we get back.”
“Mm…fine.” He glances at me with a concerned look, then turns back to his cousin as she takes his elbow.
They saunter off, but not before his cousin glances back at me momentarily. She turns to him and whispers, “You need to be more…discerning with who you make friends with.”
I’m not thrilled by her tone, but that doesn’t matter to me. I lean on the wall, trying to catch my breath. When they’re gone, I slide down into a seated position. Why does this mess me up so much? Being a child star was a pivotal part of my life; so what if some folks recognize me?
