“Alvin, where do you think you’re going?” Alvin  relaxed his grip over the doorknob, swearing silently over his ill luck. From Wendy’s strange words to this, and he knew where this was going whenever Patricia was around on weekends.

“Out, to see some friends,” He braced himself for the unavoidable veto from Patricia.

“No, I need you around.Help me carry my shopping bags.”

Bingo, there it was. Alvin looked her straight in the eye, he had enough shit to deal with than to be Patricia’s slave at the mall. However, he couldn’t break her hold over him, a simple shift of her eyebrows and drop of her lip and his heart would be filled with dread.

“Today?”

“If not then when?” Patricia barked, his stupid remark grating on her nerves.

“Oh al-”

“I’ll do it mom!” Wendy chirped, Alvin turning to see her bounding down the stairs, chest heaving from that sudden acceleration.

“I’m fine with Alvin dear, you go and enjoy yourself today,” Patricia maintained eye contact. God, Alvin thought. This woman could have a long career in  interrogation, he was starting to break out in cold sweat.

 “ Come on Mum,” Wendy stood between the two normals.

 “Alvin’s a boy, he doesn’t know anything about fashion,” She demurred.

Patricia nodded as she looked at Wendy’s toned arms, obviously capable of carrying a heavier load, the point was made clear.

 “Alright , you come. Alvin, go and do whatever it is you were going to do,” Patricia waved him away.

Wendy mouthed ‘go’ to Alvin before giving a playful wink. Alvin mouthed ‘thanks’ before leaving , mighty relieved to be spared a torturous day at the mall.

******

“Hey Alvin,” Cassie spotted him as he strode into the Terrestrial Wing housing the four rocky planets.Alvin saw her and rather surprisingly, Jamila tagging along for the trip, she hadn’t told him about company.

 “Hey there,” Alvin grimaced as he looked at Cassie’s outfit, a black jacket on top of a plain white top and blue shorts. The jacket drew attention away from her svelte form, its surface decorated with images of galaxies and stars, bright and garish.

 “You like?” She giggled, doing a little twirl while Jamila covered her face, hoping no one would recognise her.

“It-it’s eye catching,” Alvin said, there wasn’t a better way to put it.

“I know, my mom got it for me when I was 13. Worn it ever since,” Cassie reached forward and picked up Alvin.

 “Even though Nadya and I keep telling her to throw it out. It is an eye sore,” Jamila folded her arms , looking uneasily at the jacket.

 “ A lot of boys say it brings out my eyes,” Cassie shot back with a mischievous grin.

Jamila chuckled, “ You have amber eyes, putrid purple doesn’t go with that.”

“ Not that your eyes aren’t interesting at all but why the Blackwood Planetarium? How did you know about my favourite place?” Alvin asked as he swung his over Cassie’s shoulder, enjoying his perch while the three of them walked around.

 Cassie turned to Alvin as they walked about the exhibits, most of it showing Titan sized models of planets and plaques displaying words both sizes could read.

 “ It’s mine too, I sorta guessed you might like it. You did mention you wanted to be an astronomer and what wannabe astronomer wouldn’t spend hours at the famous Blackwood Planetarium?”

 Jamila had fallen behind and quickly followed up as they went past a slightly off colour Uranus, its methane green faded from wear and tear.

 “Why is it famous again?” Jamila  asked. In truth, she liked having another star fanatic around Cassie, it would spare her and Nadya trips here.

 “Because,” Cassie stopped and did a one eighty turn, “ It-”

“-has one of the few fragments of Leighton’s Meteor for public view , named after Johannes Leighton , the man who discovered it.” Alvin proudly finished for her.

“ Wow,” Cassie grinned, finally someone who not only shared her interests but knew as much as her.

“ Public view? Where’s the rest of it?”

Alvin tried to answer but Cassie playfully blocked that move with her thumb, “ I’ll take this one.

The original meteor was a loose clump of rocks that crashed into Earth, spreading itself over a large area as our blue planet’s gravity forced the asteroid apart. We’re not too sure how much of it has been found but even now, new pieces still get auctioned off to the highest bidder. One just traded for five million dollars and it's only the size of a man’s head.Bought by some guy out in the mid-west.”

Jamila whistled, “ That’s one expensive rock.”

“The rock here is only one of three in the world not in private hands,” Cassie finished.

“ Anyway, Alvin, I heard what you told me yesterday. Mind if we talk about that?’ Cassie asked him as she found a bench in front of the Neptune exhibit, she and Jamila quickly sitting.

“ Sure, I’m worried about Wendy. This looks some sick joke by her. Good thing I’m smart enough not to fall for that,” He tapped himself on the nose, contented with his handling of the matter.

 Cassie’s own expression didn’t reflect that , she looked worried. Which came as a surprise to Alvin, she ought to have been proud he held off Wendy all on his own.

“ I think you should accept her apology.”

Alvin’s mouth dropped, Jamila was composed as she watched the two of them.

“ Come on Cassie, this is not April Fools is it?” He fidgeted about as he waited for Cassie to reveal it was all one very lame joke.

“ No, I mean it. The biggest bully in your life wants to own up and apologise, you should take it.” She picked up Alvin and placed him on her cupped hands, it would be easier to talk to him instead of turning her neck at some odd angle.

“ Wendy doesn’t know the pain I felt. I’ll consider it if she could feel the pain, know what its like to have someone bigger than you push you until you’re on the floor, broken,” He curled his fingers into two fists, the idea of forgiving his stepsister rankled his heart.

“ You still have to let her in, Wendy can’t start until you invite her inside,” Cassie began to worry for Alvin, he was radiating pure rage. She couldn’t imagine how the smaller and more damaged Wendy could handle this.

 “ No, not until she is thrown into the same pit I was flung into, to feel worthless and stepped on everyday. I want to see her suffer,” he said.

Cassie leaned in, her face forming a ceiling over Alvin.

“ Hey, your tormentor wants to mend bridges. Not all of us are so lucky,” Cassie tried her best to speak with as much civility as she could but Alvin’s bitterness wasn’t making that easy.

“ Why are you even siding with her? She hurt you too so you should be on my side, holding her down while I punch” He spat out, giving her the wild eye.

 Cassie inhaled deeply, chest expanding before letting out a measured breath, air flying past Alvin.

“ Where does that much hate come from?”

Alvin wanted to answer, to let her know how Wendy had made him feel but  his mouth clammed up, vocal chords stubbornly refusing his orders as pride held him back.

“ It’s none of your business,” He looked away.

“ It is when it concerns one of my friends.I can help you, if you let me,” Cassie whispered.

“ No, its big. I’ve been carrying demons too big, even for you,” Alvin pushed her away. His eyes became wet with tears, as every one of Wendy’s little sessions came back to him. Damn, second time I cry in front of Cassie, he thought as he tried to block her view of the mess he was making, hands over face as he cried into them.

I’m so fucking weak.

“ Oh, erm, lets go somewhere quieter and more secluded,” She made no motion to calm him down but covered him with her hands, honouring his actions.

It didn’t take long but Cassie and Jamila found a handicapped toilet all three of them could squeeze into. Cassie set him on the sink.

 “ I do a lot of heart to heart sessions in here,” Cassie thought  while Jamila handed Alvin a piece of toilet paper.

Alvin wiped his eyes, “ Sorry you had to see that b-but its hard to relive those moments; moments when as a man, you’re made to feel like something less, like a dog,” He said bitterly.

“ Women may be bigger but that doesn’t mean millennia of machismo goes away, we still like to feel strong. Do you know how it feels to have that taken from you every day by a girl you treated so well? To have her repay you with nothing but beatings and mockery?”  The question may have been rhetoric but both girls sat in stunned silence, only Jamila managed to shake her head.

 “ No you wouldn’t, both of you won the genetic sweepstakes. You got to be living skyscrapers, unbreakable,” He sounded almost like he was chastising them.

  “ Living the perfect life while I,” He jabbed a finger into his chest, harder than he realised as he winced from it.

“While I have to pick up scraps. You want me to let go but I can’t, there’s too much baggage. I thought you would at least give me that Cassie, coming from someone who has led a perfect life.”

 Something about that set Cassie off, grasping the sink, displeased with his flippant remark. She wanted to snap but held back but not soon enough, her displeasure evident.

“My life hasn’t been perfect Alvin, I’ve had my fair share of problems. Not to mention this isn’t about me, it is about you. The hardest part of recovery is always the first step and I know you’re a magnanimous person; be the bigger man and accept it.”

 “ Not today, not for her. I’d forgive you or Jamila for almost anything because we’re friends but not that devil child.”

 Cassie huffed, “ Trust me , its much better to let go now before it eats away at you,”

This latest push only made it worse, making Alvin go supernova.

“ There you go again , foisting your beliefs on to me. This isn’t physical where your tons of muscle could move a house, this is mental and you can’t force me to do it. Seriously, do you even understand us mortals? What could you have experienced dear goddess? A broken nail, latte too cold? Perhaps your date was too ugly? Your-” His condescending tone pushed Cassie too far.

Cassie slammed her fist on to the sink, rattling it and throwing Alvin off balance. Now he wasn’t angry but he was afraid.

“How dare you! Don’t you ever call me that!” She rose to her full height, a sense of deja vu hit Alvin, that first encounter coming back.

“I-I,” Her breaths came in deeper and slower as she seethed with anger. How dare he?

 “I am not perfect. I make mistakes too, we met the worst way possible didn’t we?” Alvin remained quiet, he wasn’t mad anymore, he was fearful for himself. He kept glancing back at Jamila who had remained passive in this exchange.

“Why aren’t you talking now? Scared of me because I’m a Titan? Didn’t stop you before you-” Jamila pulled Cassie back, concerned where this would go.

 “ Stop it Cass, he’s scared shitless right now,” Cassie glared at Jamila, like a panther being held back from its prey but she could see the point, instantly relaxing.

“ Sorry Alvin, I lost it. You touched on something sensitive, something that still hurts,” Cassie moved to sit on the bowl, aghast at how she had flipped over this.

 “ What happened?” Alvin asked, Jamila came closer to console Cassie, who was just as distraught as Alvin was.

“ My childhood,” Cassie replied curtly.

Her childhood? Alvin could not believe his ears, she had to have been divine, someone so attractive and intelligent couldn’t have had it hard?

It took him a while but he remembered, that picture, the picture of Cassie with her parents. She wasn’t the goddess he saw but just a nerdy girl who needed to cut back on sugar.

“ I-I didn’t know,” He hung his head in defeat; she had tried to help and he had bitten her for it.What an awful friend he was.

“ It’s not your fault, only Nadya and I really know it,” Cassie held up her hand and Jamila stopped talking.

“ I’ll tell him. As Jamila was saying, only she and Nadya are privy to that. I made sure of it because I’m still haunted by those memories. Some of it after I turned into the girl you see right now.”

 “How?”

 Cassie looked straight into Alvin, “ You might want to sit down for this, it’s a pretty long and difficult journey.”

Alvin sat on the edge of the sink as told.

“ Remember when you said Titans were invincible, how no one could hurt us?”

“Yes,” Alvin replied.

Cassie looked at him, wishing he were right.

“You’re not completely off but we can be hurt.”

“By what?” Alvin felt the need to ask but Cassie’s ‘Isn’t it obvious’ expression made him feel the irrelevance of the question.

Cassie just pointed to Jamila, “ Another Titan.”