Timeless

Chapter 7

What in the hell was he going to do? It was only two days. Two days and he would be

fucking green or whatever, then they would all hate him. Pops said they wouldn’t, but how could

they not? The pixies hated the fairies, and now so did the dragon and phoenix. They had a lifetime

promise to protect and defend the pixie from the fairies.

Manny paced back and forth across his room trying to figure out what to do and where he

should go. He stopped in his tracks when a knock came to the door. “Go away, Dad. I just want to

be alone,” Manny yelled at the door.

“Manny, it’s me, Avery.”

Manny smiled as relief filled him. “Oh, thank the gods,” he whispered to himself as he

headed for the door, then suddenly stopped with his hand on the door knob.

Avery is part pixie. He would hate Manny too once he changed into his kinds’ greatest foe.

Shit. He was going to lose his best friend too because of this.

“Manny, open the door. Please, let me help you,” Avery pleaded.

“You can’t help me, Avery. You’ll only end up hating me,” Manny replied in defeat, his voice

cracking as he choked on the emotions that were overwhelming him.

“I will never hate you, Manny. You’re my best friend. After everything we went through,

everything I did, you gave me a chance. You forgave me, and became my friend. My only friend

for a long time. You’ve been there for me, Manny, and I will always be grateful to have you in my

life. I can never repay you for all the support you have given me. You were there for me, now let

me be there for my best friend. Please open the door, Manny and at least tell me what’s going on.

Maybe I can help you.”

Manny didn’t know what to do. He loved Avery and really wanted his help, but he was so

afraid his best friend would hate him the minute he found out he was part fairy. But, he needed

someone to talk to, and Avery was always the one he turned to, except for his dads, but he

couldn’t talk to them about this. He needed to trust someone and he trusted Avery with his life.

Manny took a deep breath and jerked the door open. He grabbed Avery by the front of the shirt,

and yanked him into the room fast, then slammed the door behind him, locking it.

“What in the hell, Manny?” Avery cried as he pushed Manny’s hands off him.

“I’m sorry, Avery. I just don’t want anyone else in here. They all want me to tell them

something, but I don’t know what to say,” Manny replied rapidly as he began to pace again,

running his hands through the top of his hair.

“Whoa, hold on,” Avery said and stepped in front of Manny, stopping him. Avery grabbed

him by the shoulders and their gazes locked.

“Slow down and tell me what’s going on.”

Manny released a quick breath, then swallowed hard. It was now or never. “The man who

took me. His name is Rune and he is a fairy.”

“s**t! Did he hurt you? Are you okay?” Avery asked in a panic as his gaze quickly grazed

over Manny’s body from head to toe.

“Yes, I’m fine, he didn’t do anything but talk,” Manny answered. “Okay. So, what did he say?”

“He said that he was my father and that on my twenty-first birthday, I’m going to change…”

Manny continued to tell Avery everything that had happened since he woke up in the pixie

realm. Avery never said one word and just let him get everything out. Once he was done, Manny

looked at Avery cautiously, half expecting him to turn and walk out of the door and out of his life,

but he should have given his best friend more credit than that. After a few moments of silence,

Avery stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Manny, bringing their bodies together and

holding him tight.

“We’ll figure this out, Manny. I’ll do everything I can to help you with this,” Avery

whispered, then pulled back, but kept his hands resting on Manny’s arms.

“Thank you. I thought…I’m sorry,” Manny choked out.

“You thought because I’m part pixie and now you find out you are part fairy that I wouldn’t

be your friend anymore? Give me more credit than that, Manny. I won’t take it personally because

I can see how much this is twisting you up inside and how confused you are, but know this. I don’t

care if you’re a fairy. You’re my best friend and I love you. Even if you do turn green, you will

still be the same Manny,” Avery declared with conviction.

Manny gave him a relieved but sad smile. “Thank you, Avery. And I’m sorry I doubted you. I

should have known you would still be on my side.” Manny pulled Avery close and hugged him.

Avery slid his arms around Manny’s back, returning the hug. Suddenly, in an instant, Manny’s

body became hot. They broke the hug and looked at one another. Avery’s gaze showing his

confusion and worry, Manny’s eyes filled with fear.

His inner temperature was increasing rapidly and Manny stepped backwards away from

Avery. His breathing increased until he was panting. Manny lifted his hands and looked down at

them, noticing the palms shimmering and blinking between his normal pink tone to green, then

back. He turned his hands over as his gaze stayed fixed on them and his eyes widened. His skin

flickered green, then the color ran up his arms.

“Manny,” Avery whispered, but the awe in his voice grabbed Manny’s attention.

He looked up, meeting his friends gaze, and got even more worried when he saw Avery’s

eyes were the size of saucers as Avery’s gaze flicked to Manny’s neck and back to his face.

Manny turned and looked at himself in the mirror that sat on the dresser across the room. His eyes

went wide from the sight of himself. Manny slowly walked toward the mirror, his gaze never

leaving his reflection. He stared in horror and intrigue as his skin flickered back and forth from

his natural pink to green in different spots. The green had more of a bluish tint at times, like

aquamarine, but then would darken, then lighten.

He stopped in front of the dresser and tentatively raised a hand to his face, lightly touching

his skin. It was hot under his fingers, almost to the point he was afraid he would become covered

in blisters, but it didn’t. The skin remained smooth and soft. Suddenly his whole body shook and

the color pulsed green, then flickered vibrantly, and held. Manny gasped as he watched his tone

become one color. Green.

He wasn’t a light green, like Neon green, or a dark shade, like Hunter green, but somewhere

in the middle, like Kelly green, and it was beautiful, but not something Manny was used to seeing

as a skin tone. The darker shade of green of his skin, made the lighter, pastel green of his eyes,

with the thick, long, black lashes that framed them, pop, and he was mesmerized by them. The pink of his lips even looked deeper, richer, and they appeared to be slightly plumper. All his

features seemed more delicate. His cheekbones looked higher and more pronounced, and his chin

not as square.

His shoulder length light brown hair seemed shinier, and looked softer, and the golden

highlights seemed more golden. The thought of his green phoenix hit him and Manny quickly

yanked up his shirt and turned, looking at his side in the mirror. He gasped as his gaze landed on

his phoenix tattoo. It had been a pale green, like what they called a screaming green, almost

exactly matching his eyes, but now like his eyes, his phoenix looked paler, almost pastel, and it

was…stunning against the Kelly green of his skin.

Avery stepped up behind him, his gaze roaming all over Manny’s body. He placed his hands

on Manny’s hips and their gazes met in the mirror. “You were always gorgeous before, but

you’re…stunning,” Avery said in a whisper.

Manny lowered his shirt and leaned back against Avery, and his best friend wrapped his

arms around Manny’s waist, holding him. Manny leaned into the embrace, welcoming the comfort

and easy acceptance by his best friend. His heart felt lighter knowing Avery wasn’t disgusted by

him. Their gazes met in the mirror again, and Manny was thrilled to see that Avery’s eyes only

showed love.

A spot behind them shimmered and they both stared in the mirror awestruck as a beautiful

green man appeared. Manny immediately knew it was Rune, but Avery suddenly stiffened and his

body shook.

“You’re in danger,” Rune declared in a harsh voice.

Avery must have taken his words as a threat, and instantly released Manny. Then everything

happened so fast, Manny was stunned speechless for a moment. Avery spun around to face Rune,

and thrust his hands forward, shooting out a blast of energy. Rune held up his hands, blocking the

blast, but he was still thrown back slightly. Avery c****d his right arm back and a blue energy

ball glowed in the palm of his hand. Manny grabbed Avery’s wrist, stopping him, then wrapped

an arm around Avery’s waist as he took them both to the floor, dodging the energy ball Rune had

thrown in their direction. Avery screamed as Manny dropped them to the floor.

“Stop! He’s my friend!” Manny screamed.

When no response came, Manny looked to where Rune had been standing, but he was gone.

He and Avery slowly sat up as they stared at the empty spot.

“I take it that was your father?” Avery asked calmly.

“Yeah.”

“Sorry I tried to light his a*s on fire,” Avery replied sheepishly.

Manny gave him a smile as he chuckled. “That’s okay. If I didn’t know who he was I would

have tried to defend, too.”

Suddenly a loud thud hit against the outside of the bedroom door, right before it burst open,

wood splintering.