Page 1 of The Not So Super Hero

Z ane lived a mediocre life, doing mediocre work for mediocre people at a mediocre wage, and he was content with that.

Most would say happy, but the idea of happiness made Zane exhausted.

Why work desperately when he could wake up, go to work that required little to no physical or mental effort, sleep ten hours a day, and play video games or binge watch TV?

Exactly, there was no point, so he never struggled, never strived for anything better than less than average. He was content with the simplicity of his mediocre life. He was content with The Easy Way Out. Mediocre was the epitome of his life. His life motto, if you will.

So, when he heard a surprised shout, then witnessed a college kid fall in the entryway of the dorm lobby, he thought nothing of it.

He upped the volume on his headphones to block out the world around him and continued to mop.

Though his desperate act of avoidance was for naught.

Someone tapped his shoulder; “Excuse me?”

Scowling, Zane turned his head to peer—glare more like it—over his shoulder. A boy peered up from beneath his rounded glasses, donning a smile bright enough to make one squint.

Ugh, tone it down, Zane thought, annoyed.

“Hello,” the boy spoke with a natural booming voice that once again made Zane think, fuck, tone that down too. Mr. Green Eyes practically glowed with that smile of his. It made Zane feel the need to grab himself a pair of sunglasses.

“Um, can you hear me?” The boy tapped his own ear to show he was speaking of Zane’s headphones.

With a sneer, Zane replied in a monotone voice that could lull anyone to sleep if he really tried, “Yes.”

Could the kid go be chipper somewhere else? Zane felt like he was looking into the sun. It was exhausting. He was a night owl for a reason.

“Oh, okay, just making sure,” the boy chuckled.

He pushed back his wet hair before dropping his hands to his side.

He was drenched, obviously having gotten caught in the rain that had been coming down like a tsunami for the past few hours.

His hair was caked to his head while droplets of water fell to the floor.

“Um… My name's Bailey. I was meant to move into the dorms with the rest of the students today, but ended up getting into heaps of trouble along the way,” Bailey explained.

Zane cocked a brow, crinkled his upper lip, and wondered what made the kid think he wanted to know.

It seemed Bailey was going to tell Zane about said Heaps of Trouble.

He didn’t care, didn’t wanna know and didn’t wanna stand there and listen.

He was working overtime that weekend, thanks to the kids coming back on campus.

Overtime, as in time that was over, as in extra work and, to make it worse, it was mandatory.

Since when did colleges want to pay their workers more?

Zane wasn’t sure what universe he had been transported to, but he in no way liked it.

“Get to the point,” Zane breathed out, borderline hissed, hoping to end their interaction.

Bailey gave a look of shock that slowly disappeared before he nodded his head like he didn’t find Zane’s bluntness totally rude. Hmm, Zane felt he would have to work on that.

“Right, sorry, you’re obviously working. Anyway, I just got here, and I see everyone is basically already in. Truth is, I lost my campus card to swipe in order to get into the dorms. Do you know how I can get in?”

“With your card,” Zane replied. “But since you don’t have yours, looks like you’re shit out of luck. The offices are already closed.”

Zane conveniently ‘forgot’ to mention the student worker at the front desk was on a bathroom break and would be back soon to sign the boy in. Cards weren’t really needed. It was more a formality, but that wasn’t Zane’s job to tell him.

Bailey stiffened when he stared into Zane’s light blue eyes.

The poor thing started sputtering like a fish out of water.

Zane took that shock and slight panic as time to slowly back away to the glass doors that Bailey needed through in order to get into the main lobby.

Zane had a card of his own, being the custodian and all, but he sure as hell would not let Bailey in.

Not just because he was an ass, but also because it was troublesome.

Mostly because he was an ass, though. However, say the kid wasn’t a student, Zane could lose his job. Losing his job would mean he would have to put effort into finding another. He wasn’t up for that kind of hassle, so nah, let the kid struggle. Wasn’t his problem.

As if Bailey could read minds, he quickly asked, “Can’t you let me in?”

“No,” was Zane’s immediate stern reply.

By then, he was already at the door, having swiped his card and made it in. Bailey panicked, waved his arms about for a moment, then tried to follow. Zane slammed the door in his face. It hit the poor boy in the nose. Grunting, he stumbled backwards, rubbing the slightly red appendage.

“What the hell?” Bailey yelped, glaring at Zane through the glass doors while his eyes watered. “There has to be another way to get in!”

“Yeah, find your card.” Zane waved teasingly at Bailey, finally showing the pitiful boy a smirk that was the definition of pure evil. The sight made Bailey curse while Zane left the boy there.

Zane actually passed the student worker on her way back to their station. A second later Bailey’s voice echoed in the halls, “What an asshole!”

Zane was confident Bailey spoke of him. It made up for the fact that Bailey bothered him earlier. It wasn’t his job to tell the kid that all he had to do was wait and he could sign in.

Not long afterwards, Zane finished his work for the evening with a tired yawn he had been doing all day.

Sluggishly, he made it back to the custodian’s break room after putting everything away, changed out of his uniform into a pair of black sweats and a blue hoodie, and clocked out for the day.

He had Sunday off and walked to his car with about one hop in his step, which for him was a miracle.

If Zane ever went faster than wandering, it was best to take him to a hospital because something was obviously wrong.

Like most days, Zane stopped for food, since he clearly wasn’t making something himself.

Who even cooked anymore? Standing in front of the stove, watching the food, stirring it or putting it in a skillet?

Ugh, no way. He got himself a hoagie from a nearby gas station and a blueberry slushie, then made his way home to his one-room apartment that most people would probably find inconvenient.

It was cramped with Zane’s futon pressed up against the left wall, a short but long bookshelf beneath his window full of games and movies, and a large flat screen mounted on the wall.

He had what he needed though, a fridge, a microwave, a stove, and a bathroom with enough room for a shower, toilet, and sink.

Why else would he need a bigger space? Then it would get dusty everywhere and he would have to clean it.

It was tiring enough cleaning at work. The idea of cleaning a large apartment made Zane want to take a nap, not that he didn’t always want to do that.

And like every day before, Zane stripped down for a shower, finished it in less than 10 minutes, then planted his ass on his futon in nothing but his black boxers.

Turning on the TV, he got comfortable, then realized what was missing; his hoagie.

The hoagie sat on the stove, shimmering like a bright star for his grumbling stomach on the kitchen counter.

Ugh, getting up was so tiring, though.

For a very brief moment, Zane pondered, his blue eyes darkening when he raised his hand. He sat still, devoid of any emotion, yet his eyes filled with so much that a person couldn’t possibly pinpoint one. Taking his bottom lip between his teeth…

Zane dropped his hand and got up to retrieve his food before sitting back down.

With his hoagie now in his hands, Zane was content, watching movies, eating, crumbs dropped all over his chest and bed while he chewed, and his day ended the same way it always did, the same way he hoped for it to always be.

Simple. Easy. Mediocre.

Sadly, we didn’t always get what we want.