Shadow Saint
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:13 pm
You ever lose someone close to you: someone who you are around every day, like a best friend, a brother? Someone you do everything with? After they are gone, its like you still see them there. Maybe I don’t want to let go, maybe it’s the stuff in my veins makin' me see stuff. Maybe its just normal to miss someone like that. I don’t know.
I was sitting on the dryer working on some notes for English, my head moving to music that wasn’t there. I didn’t memorize it yet, the track or the artist. Sean had sent me an email and of course one section was dedicated to what was hot. Probably since he thought I was stuck in no man’s land.
It was always warm in the laundry room, which was good. I hated the cold; I’d been cold way too many times with no way to warm up. Smirking inwardly I correct myself; I don’t hate all things cold.
That’s when I look over to the machine next to me, there is Keenan. He is working on something, drawing probably. He was pretty good with a pencil or pen but he sucked with a can. Me? I wouldn‘t call myself a modern day Michelangelo or anything, I‘d let someone else do it though. Keenan always used to get pissed when we would go out and I would tag wherever we were with our… well his signature. He never really stopped me from doing it, I think part of him liked it even though he knew it was wrong. Maybe it was being somebody to the hood, even if no one knew who we were.
We looked at each other for a while, neither one of us said anything. Maybe its because I knew he couldn’t talk back. I don’t know. He smiled and shook his head, turning back to his notepad. The look made me remember.
------
“Alright dude, if we gonna do this we need a mark or something. You know like Batman got the bat signal.”
Keenan snickered at Chris’ suggestion
“Where are we gonna get a big light?! And even if we do, how we gonna see it from our bedroom, its like 5 feet away from another brick wall. You can’t even look up cuz of the over hang.”
“Right right dude, that makes sense. We need like… the ghetto bat signal. Maybe I could lift some flashlights and tape, and we could rig something up. How many you think we need?”
Chris bit his bottom lip trying to put together the logistics off it. Keenan snickered, rapping him on the arm.
“We are supposed to be the good guys homie, we ain’t gonna lift from some shop, then come back and protect it at night.”
Chris got an idea.
“Wait wait! What if we did that, I mean Mrs. Johnson pays me a few bucks for helping her carry her groceries, this could be like… I dunno, a down payment.”
Keenan laughed louder, shaking his head.
“Homie, that’s like... how the mob works. Payments for protection and stuff, that ain’t how we gonna be.”
Chris sat there furrowing his brow; it seemed like a good idea when it was in his mind.
“Alright dude, what about this: After we protect the place we tell em it was us. Then maybe they could fund the ghetto bat signal and hook us up with some free snack cakes?”
Keenan just grinned closing his notebook, sticking the pencil he was using in his mouth.
“Now you just messin; I already told you we doin' this cuz its right. Cuz we can. Its just you and me, and no one else is ever gonna know. We swore on it remember?’
Chris grinned sheepishly and nodded.
“Dude, I know… but… snaaack cakes.”
A wide smile filled his face as he rubbed his stomach, while Keenan lectured.
“Look homie, does Superman make his money by savin' people? No. He doesn’t. He is Clark Kent and he does the nine to five at the newspaper place. We ain’t gonna be like a merc for hire. We doing this cuz it needs done and we can do it.”
Chris gave him a skeptical look.
“You can do it; I mean we don’t even know what’s wrong with me. I mean I just give people bad dreams, howz that gonna help us out there. I grab them and then run away knowin' they might have a bad dream tonight?”
Keenan snickered and shook his head. “Dude Batman did it with less; 'sides I got your back. I’ll knock 'em down and you can make sure they regret it when they wake up.”
Chris grinned at that, then it hit him. “Oh dude… gaaaaay! I’m Robin! Screw that!”
Keenan shoulder bumped him as they sat in the commons. He gave Chris a reassuring smile.
“Dude, Robin grows up to be Nightwing. You just gotta work at it.”
“For real? Nice! Okay, maybe that won’t be so bad then. He can kick ass right?”
Keenan nodded and slid over to Chris, opening the notebook. On the page there were two large S’s drawn side by side, a pair of wings wrapped around them.
“What do you think dude, cool huh?”
Chris reached up under a knit cap to rub his head, his shoulders shrugged; he wasn't sure what to make of it.
“S…. S… whats that? The wings are pretty cool at least.”
“S-S Shadow Saint dude! Its gonna be my like.. Name.”
The expression on his face lit up.
“Dude that’s awesome!! When did you think of that? That is like… the real deal for a hero name. I mean that’s like what you see on the cover of a comic you know”
Keenan beamed with pride and nodded “Yeah dude, you know it! I figured we gotta keep the Philly thing going after the South Street Samurai.”
Chris snickered still looking over the symbol. “That guy is so badass; I mean he walks around with a sword to protect people.”
"Christian!"
A pair of arms came from nowhere wrapping around him as a voice cried out. Keenan got out of the way as the smaller girl pressed her cheek to his trying, to tackle him.
“Where were you! We were supposed to hang out! Keenan! You got him into talking about comics didn’t you!”
She gave Keenan a stern look, not relenting on the headlock she had Chris in. He flailed with futility, trying to get her off without being to rough about it.
He finally gave up, slumping over; she let out a giggle, amused with her victory. Keenan pushed himself up looking on him with pity.
“Worst…sidekick… ever…”
Chris shot him a fiery look but didn’t hold it for long as Shari chimed in. “Byyyye Keenan!”
She wasn't all that subtle about it. Keenan tucked the notebook under his arm shoving his hands in his pockets, still shaking his head.
“I’ll catch you later tonight homie.” He turned with that smile, the one he gave sitting there on the dryer.
-------
Chris snapped back to the laundry room. Keenan was gone, but there was someone else in his field of vision. She was standing next to the dryer, looking him over.
“Wow Grim, you start the party early? You gonna share with the class?”
It took him a moment to put it all together, but he laughed holding up a hand as he wiggled his fingers. “Just the spooky gene. Don‘t fear the reaper?”
She giggled and shook her head no. “I think I’ll pass this time, but you’re late!”
His eyes widened as he hopped off the dryer
“Oh shii--- what time is it? Give me a minute. I’m ready I just gotta drop these off in my room.”
London gave him a look, cocking her hip to the side as she rested a hand on it. She was all attitude.
“If you are gonna be our roadie, you need to step it up Grim.”
Chris quickly dug his clothes out of the dryer, loading up the laundry basket.
“I know I know, I got you! You just want me to meet you and Harm there? I’ll only be like five minutes and I wanna swing by to see if Case wants to go too.”
She smiled at him and shook her head. “Five minutes. Harmony gets bored easy. We‘ll meet you both there.”
London turn turned to leave, his head turned and his hands stopped as he watched her go. Standing with the full basket under his arm he gave a look to the washing machine he was staring at before. There was Keenan, shaking his head with that same look of pity. He wasn’t even there but Chris instinctively answered the look.
“Whatever dude. You don’t even know!”
I was sitting on the dryer working on some notes for English, my head moving to music that wasn’t there. I didn’t memorize it yet, the track or the artist. Sean had sent me an email and of course one section was dedicated to what was hot. Probably since he thought I was stuck in no man’s land.
It was always warm in the laundry room, which was good. I hated the cold; I’d been cold way too many times with no way to warm up. Smirking inwardly I correct myself; I don’t hate all things cold.
That’s when I look over to the machine next to me, there is Keenan. He is working on something, drawing probably. He was pretty good with a pencil or pen but he sucked with a can. Me? I wouldn‘t call myself a modern day Michelangelo or anything, I‘d let someone else do it though. Keenan always used to get pissed when we would go out and I would tag wherever we were with our… well his signature. He never really stopped me from doing it, I think part of him liked it even though he knew it was wrong. Maybe it was being somebody to the hood, even if no one knew who we were.
We looked at each other for a while, neither one of us said anything. Maybe its because I knew he couldn’t talk back. I don’t know. He smiled and shook his head, turning back to his notepad. The look made me remember.
------
“Alright dude, if we gonna do this we need a mark or something. You know like Batman got the bat signal.”
Keenan snickered at Chris’ suggestion
“Where are we gonna get a big light?! And even if we do, how we gonna see it from our bedroom, its like 5 feet away from another brick wall. You can’t even look up cuz of the over hang.”
“Right right dude, that makes sense. We need like… the ghetto bat signal. Maybe I could lift some flashlights and tape, and we could rig something up. How many you think we need?”
Chris bit his bottom lip trying to put together the logistics off it. Keenan snickered, rapping him on the arm.
“We are supposed to be the good guys homie, we ain’t gonna lift from some shop, then come back and protect it at night.”
Chris got an idea.
“Wait wait! What if we did that, I mean Mrs. Johnson pays me a few bucks for helping her carry her groceries, this could be like… I dunno, a down payment.”
Keenan laughed louder, shaking his head.
“Homie, that’s like... how the mob works. Payments for protection and stuff, that ain’t how we gonna be.”
Chris sat there furrowing his brow; it seemed like a good idea when it was in his mind.
“Alright dude, what about this: After we protect the place we tell em it was us. Then maybe they could fund the ghetto bat signal and hook us up with some free snack cakes?”
Keenan just grinned closing his notebook, sticking the pencil he was using in his mouth.
“Now you just messin; I already told you we doin' this cuz its right. Cuz we can. Its just you and me, and no one else is ever gonna know. We swore on it remember?’
Chris grinned sheepishly and nodded.
“Dude, I know… but… snaaack cakes.”
A wide smile filled his face as he rubbed his stomach, while Keenan lectured.
“Look homie, does Superman make his money by savin' people? No. He doesn’t. He is Clark Kent and he does the nine to five at the newspaper place. We ain’t gonna be like a merc for hire. We doing this cuz it needs done and we can do it.”
Chris gave him a skeptical look.
“You can do it; I mean we don’t even know what’s wrong with me. I mean I just give people bad dreams, howz that gonna help us out there. I grab them and then run away knowin' they might have a bad dream tonight?”
Keenan snickered and shook his head. “Dude Batman did it with less; 'sides I got your back. I’ll knock 'em down and you can make sure they regret it when they wake up.”
Chris grinned at that, then it hit him. “Oh dude… gaaaaay! I’m Robin! Screw that!”
Keenan shoulder bumped him as they sat in the commons. He gave Chris a reassuring smile.
“Dude, Robin grows up to be Nightwing. You just gotta work at it.”
“For real? Nice! Okay, maybe that won’t be so bad then. He can kick ass right?”
Keenan nodded and slid over to Chris, opening the notebook. On the page there were two large S’s drawn side by side, a pair of wings wrapped around them.
“What do you think dude, cool huh?”
Chris reached up under a knit cap to rub his head, his shoulders shrugged; he wasn't sure what to make of it.
“S…. S… whats that? The wings are pretty cool at least.”
“S-S Shadow Saint dude! Its gonna be my like.. Name.”
The expression on his face lit up.
“Dude that’s awesome!! When did you think of that? That is like… the real deal for a hero name. I mean that’s like what you see on the cover of a comic you know”
Keenan beamed with pride and nodded “Yeah dude, you know it! I figured we gotta keep the Philly thing going after the South Street Samurai.”
Chris snickered still looking over the symbol. “That guy is so badass; I mean he walks around with a sword to protect people.”
"Christian!"
A pair of arms came from nowhere wrapping around him as a voice cried out. Keenan got out of the way as the smaller girl pressed her cheek to his trying, to tackle him.
“Where were you! We were supposed to hang out! Keenan! You got him into talking about comics didn’t you!”
She gave Keenan a stern look, not relenting on the headlock she had Chris in. He flailed with futility, trying to get her off without being to rough about it.
He finally gave up, slumping over; she let out a giggle, amused with her victory. Keenan pushed himself up looking on him with pity.
“Worst…sidekick… ever…”
Chris shot him a fiery look but didn’t hold it for long as Shari chimed in. “Byyyye Keenan!”
She wasn't all that subtle about it. Keenan tucked the notebook under his arm shoving his hands in his pockets, still shaking his head.
“I’ll catch you later tonight homie.” He turned with that smile, the one he gave sitting there on the dryer.
-------
Chris snapped back to the laundry room. Keenan was gone, but there was someone else in his field of vision. She was standing next to the dryer, looking him over.
“Wow Grim, you start the party early? You gonna share with the class?”
It took him a moment to put it all together, but he laughed holding up a hand as he wiggled his fingers. “Just the spooky gene. Don‘t fear the reaper?”
She giggled and shook her head no. “I think I’ll pass this time, but you’re late!”
His eyes widened as he hopped off the dryer
“Oh shii--- what time is it? Give me a minute. I’m ready I just gotta drop these off in my room.”
London gave him a look, cocking her hip to the side as she rested a hand on it. She was all attitude.
“If you are gonna be our roadie, you need to step it up Grim.”
Chris quickly dug his clothes out of the dryer, loading up the laundry basket.
“I know I know, I got you! You just want me to meet you and Harm there? I’ll only be like five minutes and I wanna swing by to see if Case wants to go too.”
She smiled at him and shook her head. “Five minutes. Harmony gets bored easy. We‘ll meet you both there.”
London turn turned to leave, his head turned and his hands stopped as he watched her go. Standing with the full basket under his arm he gave a look to the washing machine he was staring at before. There was Keenan, shaking his head with that same look of pity. He wasn’t even there but Chris instinctively answered the look.
“Whatever dude. You don’t even know!”