A Loaded God Complex

"No, I'm telling you! She just came over and talked to me." I vigorously hit the birdie back to Pete.

"Right…" Pete lazily returned it. The birdie came up short and landed lightly on the ground. He acted like he didn't notice, so I walked over to retrieve it.

Pete. We've been best friends since junior high, after no one would talk to him. He wasn't wildly popular or anything, kind of nerdy, but still well liked. Then he tried to commit suicide. He's never told me why-- in fact he hasn't told anyone. Of course, it is a small town so it got out and Small Towne labeled him a freak. His shrink labeled him manic depressive. Everybody knows other people that have tried to do it, they looked to God to solve their problems or bottle it up, instead of traveling out of town to see a psychiatrist once a week like he did.

"Well, I think it is nice Mason met somebody." Nicole piped up, kicking her feet she leaned back on the roof of the mausoleum.

Now Nicole. We've known each other since we were born, she's been my friend with or without horns. This, in case, automatically labeled her a freak as soon as the other kids figured out the word. She's is actually very far from one, if she didn't hang out with me she'd have tons of friends, and maybe even a boyfriend. Lord knows she wants one. Nicole is pretty much the peace keeper of the group, seeing as how Andy and I can be moody sometimes.

"You think everything is nice!" He snapped back playfully, Nicole stuck her tongue out at him.

I ignored the banter, and gazed at the spot by the river where I was sitting, hoping Raya would just randomly show up. Sighing, I let my hands drop to my sides.

"Come on man, serve." Pete stood at the ready.

"Naw, I don't think I want to play anymore." I shrugged and tossed the birdie back to Pete. He started to bounce it up and down on his racquet while I walked over to sit with Nicole, "She was really nice. She kind of reminded me of you."

She smiled and brushed a piece of sun bleached auburn hair behind her ear, "Thanks Mas."

"I think this Raya chick is going to give you the cold shoulder as soon as we get to school." Pete stumbled and the birdie dropped. He started the rhythmic hitting again with his mouth open.

"I thought that too… But I don't know, she might not." Nicole concentrated on her feet and Pete glanced at me quick between bats at the birdie. I knew they knew it was a long shot.

We all grew silent, watching Pete dance around with his racquet. The sounds of chirps and scurrying feet filled my ears only reminding me it was close to Fall. The weather was already cooling down, Nicole and my junior year, and Pete's senior year started in a week. Only in time would tell if Pete's assumption would be true.

"Hey, let's not think about school!" Nicole jumped down from the roof of the mausoleum, "Pat's home from college, we should go back to my house. He brought some friends home too." A rosy complexion over took her face and she faced away from all of us. Pete and I looked at each other, his face was confused while mine was worried.

"I don't know Nic…" I muttered, trying not to disappoint.

"Mr. Social seems shy. And I wouldn't introduce you guys if they were jerks." She turned to me and rubbed my arm comforting me.

"Ok."

"Pete?" He, shoved his free hand into his pocket and nodded his head 'yes' with pursed lips.

The walk didn't take long to Nicole's house, we cut through a few yards. We arrived to be greeted by a gravel driveway full of cars, in the house we were also greeted by several extra pairs of shoes. The normally petite house was nearly bursting with people. Her parents were stumbling over each other in the kitchen as Pat attempted to get sodas.

"Hi honey. Mason, Pete." Mrs. Stump said cheerily, Mr. Stump bustled outside to put some hamburger's on the grill. It suddenly seemed a little less crowded with the sturdier man out of the room.

Nicole led us to the living room where, a game system was set up. A controller that resembled a toy guitar was slung around a curly haired boy's, Joe, shoulders and Patrick picked one up hitting a green button. The last and hardest to see, introduced as Andy, was sitting in Mr. Stump's big recliner with a little drum set. Nicole sank down into a couch to watch, Pete automatically joined the group knowing what it was. I on the other hand stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. My heart was pounding, it always did meeting new people.

"I can't believe guys have the whole Guitar Hero system!" Pete, with glazed eyes, flipped through the instruction manual from the game's case.

"Yeah, it was a bitch trying to get everything to fit in the car." Joe laughed, "You can have my controller when this song is done." He added graciously.

"Joe, I'll just give him mine. I'm going to start singing anyways, if I don't I might give myself carpal tunnel." Patrick forked his over.

Before the song ended I discreetly steeped into the room and parked myself next to Nicole on the farthest end of the couch. They all seemed fine with my abnormality, that or they were just completely absorbed in the video game. Pete was wiggling throughout the next few songs as he naturally clicked the strum bar and kept discussing music with the other boys. All was going well until Mrs. Stump decided to watch from the doorway.

"Why don't you guys let Nic and Mason play?" All heads turned to their mom and then our two bodies on the sofa. The back of my neck became warm and I ran a hand over the back of it to stop the sweat.

"I have had enough Guitar Hero in the past three days," She smiled at her mother.

"Who says Mason doesn't want to play?" Mrs. Stumpl added right before the kitchen timer went off. It sparked her attention elsewhere and she strolled back to the kitchen.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Andy handed a pair of drumsticks over the arm of the couch, with a limb covered in tattoos. He looked at me and then smiled at Nicole as he retracted his arm. Andy set them on the stand and climbed over the arm of the chair and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

"No- no thanks. Can I play… the guitar though?"

"Here." Pete forcefully handed me his controller. His face was stone cold, his mouth twitched as Nicole cleared her throat to speak.

"Are you guys staying for dinner?"

"No." Pete answered first, "My mom wanted me home an hour ago." He incoherently distributed goodbyes and then trudge out the door.

"What was up with him?" Mrs. Stump returned to her spot in the entrance several minutes after the door slammed.

Joe shrugged and Patrick shook his head. To Nicole and I it went unnoticed figuring, Pete was just being Pete. Andy returned without much reaction to the newly lost member and we picked a song. I fell into the grove. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time too, we played until dinner… and then we played some more. At ten my mom called saying I should come home. Pat was in charge of driving me home.

"They really like you." I smirked, resting my head on my hand to look out the window and avoid ripping the interior.

"They are cool too."

"Andy and Joe were geeks just like me in high school. There are always going to be people out there that are just like you, you have to search a little sometimes."

"I doubt that." I said chuckling at the thought, it received some uproar from the driver's seat.

"And Mason," Patrick rubbed a hand over his brow, "Keep an eye on my sister."

I nodded 'yes' and froze in my seat, what did he mean? Was she doing something bad that I didn't know about, or was someone going to do something bad to her? What was there to protect her from in this town? By the end of the car ride I came to the conclusion that he was just saying that because he was her older brother. The next morning it was completely wiped from my mind. I forgot about a lot of details from that night when I went to bed.