Category : Stories

Sub Category : Drama

"Pass the ketchup,"  I tell my my brother, who happens to be a overly good-natured superhero. 

"And why would I do that, oh supervillain sister of mine?" 

"How about I'll mash your face in if you don't?" I snear, looking up to glare at him. 

"You know, Olivia, you're lucky I'm not flying you over to the jail station for villains right now." He says, making no attempt at handing me the ketchup. "The only reason I'm not is because we are here with our parents, having a lovely thanksgiving dinner together." 

"Yeah, lovely." I mutter under my breath, stabbing a piece of turkey with my fork and biting into it. 

Kevin smiles slightly. "You remember when we were kids?" 

I pause In my chewing, taken aback by the sudden trip-down-memory-lane. "Obviously." I say. 

"We used to get along so well, you remember that one time when you were 6, when you first came into my room in the middle of the night because you wanted me to read you a bed time story, you came in every night after that from then on." He was smiling his beautiful heroic smile at that, I am always jealous of that smile. 

I stare at him for a few seconds, and he stares back, a slight smile still curves his lips. 

I blink, and then raise my eyebrows. "Still looking for some tomato juice to go with my potato sticks here." 

He sighs heavily, all signs of his smile vanishing. "I really wished this thanksgiving together would be different this year, don't know why I got my hopes up." 

I scoff, leaning forward in my chair, toward the hero at the other end of the table. "We are natural enemies, Kevin, what did you really expect?" 

He jerks his head up from his plate, making eye contact with me. "We are siblings as well, Olivia, we grew up together, we loved each other, I believe we still do." 

"It will never be the same as before, like I said, we are still enemies." 

"I believe we can fix that." he whispers, staring down at his food. 

I stare at him. "What are you saying? That we should quit our jobs?" 

He continues to stare at his plate. 

I sigh. "We can't just quit our jobs, it doesn't work that way." 

"You don't think I know that?" He says without looking up. 

"Then what do you propose we do, hero?" 

He looks up, a very serious expression on his face. "We run away." 

I roll my eyes. "Hand me the fricking ketchup, Kevin." 

"No." 

"Now." 

"No." 
 
I stand, shoving my chair back in the process. "Seriously? What is up with you? What happened to the 'Oh so fabulous and passionate Kevin' that everyone is so fond of?"  

"He's gone." 

"Gone?" 

"I'm sick of being the hero everyone wants me to be, everyone expecting something from me, everyone waiting for the next spectacular thing that I'll do. But I don't think I want to do anything spectacular anymore, you know?" 

I sit down. "No, quite the opposite actually. I have always lived in your shadow. It was always 'Kevin did this' 'Kevin did that', 'You should be more like Kevin', I was always so sick of it." I say,  glancing at him to see him staring at me. "That's kind of why I became a villain." 

He smiles at me. "I think I get you now, I never saw it before, never saw how unhappy you seemed. I'm sorry about that."

I smile for the first time today. "Thank you. You know what? I think I get you too." 

"Ketchup?" Kevin says, holding up the ketchup container. 

I grin. "Yes please." I say as our mom and dad walk back through the door.