The next morning, Mote picked out Eary's clothes and did his hair, unlike his usual jeans and hoodie attire. Today, he sported a colorful button-up that Mote gifted him from his online shopping sprees. Next, he generously slathered him in a strong fragrance from a green bottle.

"Is that cologne?" Eary asked as the over-powering scent stung his eyes.

"Nope! It's aftershave." Mote replied as he continued to apply it to Eary's neck.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Eary asked.

"You can never use enough aftershave, kid! Bitches love this shit." Mote remarked.

"Ephraim's a boy, and it's burning my eyes, "Eary said as he gasped for oxygen.

"Nah, he's a gay guy, remember. If we're right, he'll love it. Watch!" Mote enthusiastically stated.

Eary reluctantly agreed to the moteling's advice. As soon as he did, Mote excused himself and shimmered away. Glancing back into the mirror, Eary could hardly recognize himself. Mote may be right, and this would work after all.

Downstairs, he made his way to the breakfast table and had a seat. His parents always cooked together in the morning. It was one of their things. Today, it was a large stack of bacon and scrambled eggs. A large pot of oatmeal was a standard edition, as it was Josh's favorite. As he began to serve himself some eggs and bacon, he noticed something was missing. His brother had poured himself a bowl of raisin oatmeal, but the big dish of it was without raisins.

"Mote!" Eary thought harshly.

Mote was not fond of Josh and would often play pranks on him. He once super-glued Josh's hands to his head while he slept, much to Eary's dismay. He got blamed, and Josh had to cut his long hair.

In quick form, Eary 'accidentally' dumped his glass of OJ into Josh's poop meal. Preventing its consumption.

"Oops, sorry, clumsy me," exclaimed Eary in a ditsy tone.

"Dammit." Josh erupted, noticeably annoyed.

He swiftly sprung from his seat to avoid the spilling OJ. His neatly ironed pants just avoided the trickling juice. He scoffed at his brother's clumsiness. Eary grimaced at Josh's angry response. His heart sank at the necessary action.

"Whoa!" Ephraim exclaimed.

He too quickly dodged the juice that crept his way. His response was less harsh, but he wore a disapproving look. Eary froze at the scene. Too embarrassed to move or speak. Delia, who had spotted the accident, quickly approached the table.

"It's okay. I'll get a towel. Let's put some napkins on it, Eary!" she exclaimed.

Eary sopped up the mess while Josh took his remaining food into the kitchen. He beckoned Ephraim to follow as he left.

Ephraim looked over to Eary.

"You okay?" He asked with a sigh, getting up from his seat in compliance.

Eary flashed a fake smile, hiding his discomfort.

"Yeah, I got it, thanks," he replied hurriedly, embarrassed by the scene.

Ephraim nodded and proceeded to follow Josh into the kitchen. Delia returned with the towel. They briskly cleaned the spill. After breakfast, Eary quickly stopped and went to the bathroom. As he entered the cramped, soft pink and tan quarters, he whispered,

"Where are you?"

In a flash of blue light, Mote manifested on the counter of the closet-sized bathroom.

"Why are you pooping in Josh's oatmeal again?" Eary whispered angrily.

"I'm sorry, so I shouldn't shit in his oatmeal?" Mote replied.

Eary slammed his hands on the counter.

"Why are you doing this to me?" He exclaimed in exhaustion.

Mote cocked his head to the side. He raised the brow above his right oval eye.

"I didn't shit in your oatmeal, did I? My suggestion, kid, is that next time, let him enjoy the raisins."

Grumbled Mote as he puffed out his fur to look intimidating. He wasn't. Even though Josh was his problem, Mote was protective. Eary could give him that. Although he didn't appreciate the trouble his moteling companion brought, he did appreciate having someone in his corner at all times.

"Mote, I appreciate your concern in my life. I just don't want my brother eating your crap." Eary said.

"Well, it ain't breakfast right now. So I can promise ya, no more poop today." Mote groaned as he folded his arms in a huff.

Eary sighed, reluctant to deal with any of Mote's antics.

"Just be good today from now on," he begged.

Mote flashed a faint smirk. "Yeah, no problem, boss," he casually replied.

Eary naively smiled and gestured for the critter to get on his shoulder. The moteling had promised a great many things in their time as friends. And although all those promises had thus far been broken, this time would be different...or at least the day may go well.

"Eary, let's go!" yelled Josh.

He rushed from the bathroom. Scooping up his bag, he headed out the door. Josh and Ephraim were in the driveway, already waiting in the car. He quickly made his way to the backseat of the maroon, four-door sedan.

Eary couldn't help but remember the day Josh had gotten this car. It was their 16th birthday, and Josh got the family's old car for some reason. While Eary had gotten a video game system, he would never play it. When he asked his parents why, they kept giving him the slip. It hurt, but the idea of expressing those feelings terrified him to the bone.

Josh started the car and pulled out of the driveway. He turned down the wrong direction towards the Bennett's house.

"We gotta head to Ephraim's first. He forgot his math book." Josh explained.

"Geeze, Eph! You're so forgetful." Eary lamented," I remember when we hung out, how I always had an 'Ephraim checklist' before leaving the house." Eary joked as the three proceeded down the street.

"Oh, I'm not that bad!" Ephraim joked back to Eary.

Before Eary could issue his rebuttal. Josh let out a loud sigh and a quick glare at Ephraim. Ephraim glanced back to the annoyed young man. Leaning in, Ephraim whispered what he thought was, 'Sorry.'

Shortly after, the boys arrived at Ephraim's house. It was a two-story colonial-style home, white with blue trimmings. There was a large front yard that Eary and Ephraim used to play in as children which lay neatly groomed out front. Ephraim excused himself for a moment and proceeded to head inside.

Ephraim's family, the Bennetts, were financially no better off than Eary's family, the Olson's. However, working for God did have advantages for Pastor Brian Bennett, like a free house owned by your church. Eary had spent so much time there throughout his life. Seeing it every day now had been getting more challenging with time.

"Psst. Hey, kid!" Mote said, drawing Eary's attention.

Although Mote could be seen by others, he only revealed himself to Eary. Everyone could see Mote if he let them, but only certain people could hear him. And Mote did love to talk. With Eary being more introverted and being able to hear him, it was a perfect match.

"What is it?" Eary whispered back, concealing his voice under his brother's music.

"Ya need to make up with that boy soon. I got a stash in that house, and not the legal kind, if ya get my drift." Mote whispered.

Eary's face turned to shock at the revelation. He instinctively turned to look at the crime scene. He was just in time, too. Ephraim had just opened the car door. They locked eyes with each other.

"Hi, Eary," replied Ephraim, grinning.

"Hi, Eph," Eary quickly replied, turning red and resolving to stare at his shoes.

Mote's voice taunted him from the empty adjacent seat.

"Fuck, that was funny! He totally caught you! Ya gotta be smoother than that, kid," he said with his invisibility magic cloaking his presence.

Eary glared back to the empty seat.

"Shut up," he whispered.

"What?" Looking back in the rear-view mirror, Josh stared at the strange exchange.

Eary quickly ducked his brother's question, "Nothing. It's... Nothing."

After a brief silence, the conversation continued, and Eary was forgotten.

Josh interrupted the conversation the two were having about their last hockey game.

"Do you smell that?"

The sudden announcement left all three sniffing around for the source. However, Ephraim identified the scent.

"Aftershave..." he said.

His eyes squinted in confusion as he stared at Josh from the front seat. The elder twin's face was stern as he slowly shook his head. A brief chuckle from Ephraim was quickly corrected by Josh's glare.

"Do you see that kid? I was right! He's totally speechless right now!" Mote stated proudly.

"I'm just trying something new today." Eary quickly confessed to the pungent aroma.

"Good smell for you," Ephraim said from the front seat.

Eary's cheeks drew up involuntarily as the words left Ephraim's lips.

"Thanks, I got it for Christmas," he replied, his heart alight with hope.

Soon after the awkward car ride, they arrived at school. Exiting the car, Josh and Ephraim briskly walked away without a word. Eary could hear the two boys erupt into laughter in the distance. Strangely, this comforted Eary. "He must be secretly touched," he thought, gleefully making his way to homeroom.

As he passed through the halls to his locker, he grumbled in annoyance as he was repeatedly bombarded by bodies. As he finally reached his locker and opened it, a small note danced to the floor below. Eary sighed as he picked it up and began its examination.

It was a drawing of him and Mote. They were sitting at a desk conversing while everyone laughed behind them.

"That's the best one of us yet! They almost got what I look like, too." Mote said, chuckling.

"You think this would have gotten old by now," Eary replied as he crumpled the drawing.

"It's captain asshole and his goons!" Mote replied.

"Josh and his friends are dicks. Just yesterday, Decan would not stop staring at me. Was he trying to intimidate me?" Eary ranted to the moteling.

"That's just plain creepy! What an asshole!" Mote stated in disgust as the two made their way to class.

Eary eagerly set up his books and awaited Mrs. Hanson, his homeroom teacher. The classroom was big and empty. It would be a while before the other kids arrived. They joked and played in the halls, much like he and Ephraim once had. Avoiding the sight was the best he had to not think about things.

Mote's voice once again rang out from nowhere. "You know, kid, if you spent a little more time socializin', you might make yourself more attractive to Eph, you know."

Eary grimaced. Although he and Ephraim had been close, Eary never seemed to fit in with kids his own age. It was always a trial; if he wasn't being picked on for his height, it was for Mote.

"I have more important things to do," he replied.

"Like what? All I ever see ya do is study and practice and, of course, slaughter the occasional ghoulie," Mote exclaimed.

"I have a full life. I need to get Ephraim back, and everything will be fine." Eary said dismissively.

"Alright. No need to get so defensive, sheesh," Mote replied as he backed off the subject.

Mrs. Hanson arrived and politely greeted Eary. It was a typical homeroom: attendance, announcements, the odd wadded-up ball of paper tossed at him, and then it was on for the day. Heading down the hall, cluttered with bodies in motion, Eary maneuvered his way through the crowd to band class. Inside, he went to his seat and pulled out the sheet music from the night before and his violin. He fidgeted, eagerly awaiting his mother, the music teacher. Upon arrival, Delia greeted her class.

"Hey, are you ready to play your hearts out today?" She erupted cheerfully.

"Yeeesss!"

The class unanimously responded, their enthusiasm reflecting his mother's status as a beloved teacher. She gracefully moved across the room in a cheerful stride. She instructed her students to open their sheet music. Raising her conductor's baton, the room hung in anticipation. With a flick of her wrist, the room exploded in melodic harmony.

As his bow danced across the strings of his instrument, Eary pondered.

"Everyone liked my parents," he thought, following along. "Everyone liked Josh," he continued, pulling his bow tightly against its strings. I've never been mean or nasty to anyone. I've never turned someone away. So why am I the one who is the outcast?"

As the thought dissipated in his head, Eary's ears were treated to the screeching sound of a violin string breaking. A loud snap permeated the room as the music suddenly stopped. Delia approached her child.

Looking down in compassion, she said, "Aw, sweetie, don't worry. We'll get it fixed. Why don't you just sit this one out today?"

Eary paused. His music was his one release! Without it, he felt like he might drown. Nodding in agreement with his mother, Eary packed up his violin and supplies, fighting back tears for the rest of the hour.

As Eary departed from the band, he wondered if he and Ephraim might ever be close again. The thought left Eary feeling quite lonely. He recalled the travesty that the last two years had been like since Ephraim seemingly ghosted him. Eary's mind raced as it drew conclusions.

"He's been acting odd since I told him how I feel. We didn't even hang out at all last summer. Now he's being super nice. I wonder if Mote is right. What if this whole thing was due to Ephraim secretly liking me?" Eary thought to himself gleefully as he walked through the crowd to science.

Turning the corner into class, Eary took his seat. He hadn't had a lab partner this year after his last one had moved away. Plus, Ephraim was sitting next to Decan Vila Gomez instead. Science had become something of a dreadful thing for him lately, but today was Eary's lucky day. Decan was sick so Mr. Reeves assigned Ephraim to sit next to Eary for the day's project. Ephraim nodded, and he quickly made his way over to Eary's station.

"Hey, Eary. Looks like we're partners again." Ephraim joked awkwardly, brows raised in optimistic reproach.

"Yeah, I see that. It's been a while since we did a project together." Eary replied as he hastily cleared room for him.

Ephraim chuckled. "Yeah, sorry about that. You know how things can get for kids on sports teams," exclaimed Ephraim.

Eary smiled, grateful for the moment. "It's okay. I've always been really happy you did it. You've always loved hockey, and you're perfect."

The two stared back at one another, and for a moment, the distance that had separated them disappeared. Mr. Reeves quickly interrupted them.

"Alright, class. Today, we will be continuing with our lesson in genetics. Today, I have a fun experiment for you all. You and your partner will write out each other's genetic features: height, eye color, hair color, complexion, etc. Then, I want you to roll the dice. High-roll winners claim the dominant genes. While the low rollers make up the recessive genes of your child."

Eary's heart sank. Glancing over at Eph, who was also glancing back. His face was noticeably pale.

"At the end of the project, just for fun, I want you to illustrate and name your child. Alright, that's it, begin.". As Mr. Reeves continued, a few students objected to the pairing. However, Mr. Reeves declined, "It's for science."

Ephraim did not decline but was noticeably shaken. After a brief silence, he stated, "Alright, I guess I'll be the father, and you can be the mother."

Eary smiled and blushed in amazement." Could this really be happening right now?" he thought. That's fine by me," he replied quickly to divert from the awkwardness.

The two quickly wrote up their traits and then began to roll. Height went to Ephraim at 6'1, as did build, eyes, nose, mouth, and personality. Hair, complexion, and 'other' went to Eary. After a quick sketch, the two boys named their child Alexander.

"He'd look like a re-skin of you," joked Eary awkwardly.

Ephraim stared at the paper blankly. His eyes examined the image closely.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess," he said, his voice barely audible.

The teacher announced the conclusion of the project. He knew it was time to turn over their child. Although Eary did his best not to show it, he had wanted to keep the picture. After class, the two parted ways with a friendly goodbye. As Ephraim disappeared into the crowd of kids, Eary felt the cold of the distance between them once more. He headed down the hall to his least favorite class of all: Gym. Along the way, a familiar voice emerged from nowhere.

"I told ya! See!" Mote laughed from the empty space around Eary's head.

Eary quickly ducked into an uninhabited corridor.

"You saw that, right? Holy cow!" replied Eary excitedly. "If he likes me, why has he been acting so strange for so long?"

"Peer pressure, my boy. Josh uses his friend group to put the heat on Ephraim for his sibling rivalry fulfillment! I tell ya! I don't know why you put up with that dickhead brother of yours!" Mote replied belligerently.

The foul-mouthed fairy had a point; perhaps it was time to act, pondered Eary.

Mote continued blathering, "I say we put on a light show! Show 'em your powers! Let 'em know who's behind that miracle!"

Eary didn't like to think about his powers, which were different from Mote's. He was a troublemaker but generally harmless.

"My abilities," he thought, "Why do I even have abilities?"

They were just what he needed to save Ephraim as a kid. But between the late-night spooky spirit hunts and the empty life he now had. The weight of his situation and its possible meaning made him shudder.

No one knew about them besides Mote. Even though Ephraim caught him using them once, he never put two and two together because this was a secret he'd take to his grave.

"Eary, get to class!" His father shouted to him down the corridor.

He had been so in his head so long that he hadn't heard the bell. He went to the locker room with great speed and changed for Gym. Racing through the double metal doors, he made it just in time to get picked last for dodge-ball that day. Josh fought with the other team captain about whose team he was on, much to Eary's chagrin. Mr. Olson broke it up and placed his sons on opposing teams.

As he made his way to the other side of the gym, Mote's voice echoed from the void.

"Hey, let's have a little fun. Wildly flail your arms, and I'll knock those balls right back at that jerk!"

Eary smiled, and against better judgment, the now pumped teenager replied under his breath, "Let's do it!"

The sound of the whistle initiated the bizarre display. Eary stood in place as others went for the balls. He wouldn't need them. Mote didn't pack an enormous punch, but he could generate a small force field and was as fast as a blur when he wanted to be.

"Go Eary!" Mote whispered.

With the bit of Mote's command, he wildly began to flail in unnatural ways. As the balls hurtled toward Earhart, Mote sprang into action. With lightning speed, his movements were a whirlwind of defense. A hushed tension settled over Earhart's teammates as Mote reflected a relentless volley of balls. One girl was sent tumbling to the ground and left a boy with a bloodied nose. Just as the chaos peaked, the shrill blast of the whistle pierced the air, bringing an abrupt end to the thrilling showdown.

Mr. Olson quickly attended to the injured students. After sending them with Josh to the nurse's office, Mr. Olson returned to the game.

"Eary, sit it out, I will see you after class." Mitchell coolly stated.

'Oooohhhh,' Called out the other students. With another blow of the whistle, the game resumed. Eary felt the warmth of his skin as he blushed all the way to the bleachers. As he sat down, all too familiar thoughts flooded his mind.

When his abilities came to be, Mote came soon after. Although the cryptozoological marvel always had the best intentions, he rarely demonstrated restraint; a fact that he found both endearing and nerve-wracking. Mote had been a great friend, but it was times like these that he deeply regretted going along with risky scams. Anyone could have figured it out. Sure, it wasn't his abilities, but it was supernatural, and that could never get out. "Did my dad notice?" Eary wondered in suspicion and panic as he looked at his father. Then, an even darker thought emerged, "What if the other kids had noticed? It wasn't my powers, so there was no light. So they can't link it back to me, can they?" Eary anxiously pondered in his mind.

At the end of the hour, Mr. Olson spoke to his students and sent them on their way. Eary couldn't make out what had been said, but the sinking in his stomach left little else of interest.

"What could your dad be mad at us for anyway? We slayed it out there!" Mote whispered.

Eary chuckled. That brief moment of confidence and the sight of his father's approach quickly caused Eary to recoil in uncertainty.

"Eary, buddy, what's going on?," calmly asked his father.

"Nothing, I just got lucky out there, I guess." Eary nervously replied. He stared blankly at his father, knowing his explanation was inadequate.

"Okay," replied Mitchell, pausing to find the words. "I'm worried about you. A lot of left-field stuff lately. It feels like I don't know you, and it feels like you're hiding things, half-pint. You can talk to me or your mom about anything. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." Eary timidly whispered.

After a brief pause, Mr. Olson sent his son along his way. His lack of a course of action was apparent. "Why wouldn't it be?" Eary thought as he left the gym. "I'm a magic freak or a raving lunatic; take your pick." He quickly changed in the crowded locker room. He could overhear the other boys saying to 'look out for Eary' and 'He's looking.'

Wyatt Cox, a particularly nasty boy, called out.

"Hey, Olson!"

Eary turned just in time to see a towel snapping towards his face. He recoiled, waiting for impact. Nothing. He peeled open an eye to see the towel levitating between him and his assailant. With a quick snap, the bully was brought to his knees. His loud shriek caught the attention of others.

Eary didn't tell the others what happened. Wyatt, however, insisted that the locker room was haunted. He also went to the nurse's office. Sobbing all the way.

"Little bitch," Mote said, giggling from the aether.

"That was awesome," Eary exclaimed in astonishment before coming to his senses. "But you really shouldn't..."

"Why the hell not? That shit was gonna be in the face. Fuck that little creep. He had it comin'..." the moteling protested.

Mote did have a point. His invisible guardian may scare off a few of his bullies. He thanked his little protector as the final school bell rang and headed out to the car. Oddly, his parents and the Bennetts were standing guard over the vehicle with Josh and Ephraim.

"Eary, come here. We need to talk to you, " Mitchell said with a concerned wave of his hand, beckoning him near.

"What's up, dad?" he asked, concerned.

"Brian is going to take your car home, Josh. You're going to ride with us. There is something we need to talk to you about," Mitchell replied.

"Eph, you're going to ride with me." Lisa, Ephraim's mother, announced from the group.

The three complied with the strange command and waived goodbye as the boys were separated. Driving home, Eary couldn't shake the question that had been on his mind since he approached the car.

"Mom, Dad, what is it you want to talk to us about?" he said, leaning in closer, eager for their response.

"Oh, boys," Delia began with a hint of grief in her voice, "we need to have a talk."

Mitchell interjected, "Josh, I need you to brace yourself."

Josh looked confused and nervous. "Why?" he questioned cautiously.

Delia sighed heavily, her voice weighed down by the impending revelation. "Because Decan is missing." She said, her voice resonating with tragedy.

"What?" Josh erupted, tears welling up in his eyes.

Decan and Josh had been friends almost as long as he and Ephraim. He was like a member of the family. Josh was seven when he brought Decan home from pee-wee hockey. It was better times then. The four of them would play for hours. However, it seemed like even Decan had been treating Eary strangely. He had grown quiet and aloof when he entered the room, always staring. It only happened when he didn't think he was looking. But he always caught him. It had honestly creeped him out, but Decan was like a brother...

The tragedy of losing Luke resonated throughout the car. Words didn't need to be expressed. They had all come to the same conclusion. The searches, the hope, the leads that go nowhere. The family braced themselves for another round of torment.

The car fell silent as Delia began to educate her children on what to do if approached by a stranger. Eary watched his softly sobbing brother. Despite the awkwardness, he placed a reassuring hand on Josh's back. As the four Olsons emerged silent from their vehicle, an all-too-familiar pain echoed in their hearts. This kind of pain cuts deep into a family's soul. One they already knew.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" Mitchell nudged Josh.

Josh looked up and quickly nodded while hiding his tears. "Are you sure?" he asked, desperate for more information.

"He hasn't been home for two days. That's not like Decan at all." Mitchell replied.

Delia turned to her child, her motherly instinct kicking in. "I want you both home before dark every day. Understand?" she urgently insisted.

The boys nodded as the family pulled into the driveway. The grief dominated the night as Eary and Mote retired to their room, determined to figure out what happened to Decan.