Page 61 of Avenged

I wasn’t anywhere near that good of a person. I wasn’t anyone’s real-life superhero. I was trying to make it up to my brother now, but I would probably have to let her go in the process.

Jersey

DON’T LOOK BACK

“I see what I could not recognize

Everything in my life is leading me on

But I can be strong.”

Performed by Boston

Written by Tom Scholz

My excitement was at an all-time high while I waited in the Image Fist line with Violet. As we weaved through the queue, I watched Di Felix’s interaction with the other fans as they greeted her. She laughed, signed whatever they put in front of her, and took pictures with them. She wasn’t the only person at the table I wanted to meet, but she was truly my biggest inspiration. She brought female superheroes to life in a modern, revolutionary way. Glasswing was her most well-known female character, but she had also created a wide range of diverse characters from underrepresented nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations. I adored that about her almost as much as I adored her pure artistic talent.

As we got closer, I heard the security guard tell the people in front of us, “Only one signature per person; we’re running out of time.”

“Ugh!” Violet stomped her foot. “This bites. I told you we should have done this first.”

“I was too nervous to do it first, and I don’t care if I have one or a hundred signatures. It will mean the same to me.”

“It’ll make the comics more valuable with their signatures on them.”

I shrugged. “I’m not here for the money.”

Violet hugged me. “I know.”

I hugged her back. “Thank you for this.”

The tears hit my eyes, and I squeezed them shut to lock them in place. I wasn’t crying today. I’d cried way too much the day before. This was a good day. The best day, just like I’d told Violet outside. It was a day I could use to center and ground me just like I’d used to use the image of my family having a picnic in a boat. This day would also be surrounded in shimmers of light and color. It was beautiful.

And then it was our turn. I was nervous again as we moved along the line, shaking hands, getting signatures, and taking selfies with the Image Fist’s most well-known writers and illustrators. My hand and voice shook as I talked to each person. Vi was trailing behind me, getting a second book signed because none of the comics were Vi’s. She was doing all of this for me. Because of my love of comics.

When I reached Di Felix, I had breathed through my nerves and was happy I could finally say without a wobble in my voice, “It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” as I handed her my copy of the very first edition of Glasswing.

She smiled back at me, her dark eyes shining. “The pleasure is mine. You have my very first story here.”

I nodded. “It’s so beautiful. It got me through some pretty dark times.”

“You have no idea what that means to me to hear you say that. I’m glad I could be there for you,” Di responded, and I smiled back at her.

I held up my phone, and then I asked, “Can I have one with you and my sister?”

“Of course.”

Violet stepped up, and we squeezed together so that we could fit Di—sitting behind the table— into the selfie with us. She was a dark vision compared to Violet and me. I could easily imagine her wearing the diamond-like wings Travis and I had seen in the case. She was certainly as fit and strong as any superheroine.

She turned to my sister. “Do you have something for me to sign as well?”

Violet nodded, but instead of handing her the latest Glasswing edition I had, she pulled something else from her bag. It took me a minute to realize what it was, and when I did, horror and embarrassment filled me, but before I could stop it, Violet had handed the homemade book to my idol. The woman whose words and art I looked up to. The woman who was most certainly going to feel like she had to say something nice.

Di stopped with her pen a few inches from the book. She stared at it for a long time, and then she looked up and into my sister’s eyes. “Is this yours?”

Violet tossed her long curls, saying, “It’s mine, but my sister was the one who made it for me.”

Di’s eyes flicked to where I waited.

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