Dissension by R.J. Wolf Page B

over.”
    Anthony sped up, each step making him more uncomfortable.  Mit and Steve smiled at one another and followed.  They were sure they didn’t want to miss whatever was about to happen.
    Anthony quickened his pace to a slow jog once they made it to Mikey’s street.  He could see the house up ahead.
    “Ah, ugh.”  He moaned, each step bringing him more discomfort.  “I gotta go.”  Anthony yelped then took off in a full sprint.
    With Mikey on his heels he burst through the front door. As soon as he crossed into the foyer his wings sprung out ripping his shirt and taking up the majority of the living room.  They sent pictures and little ornaments flying and knocked several paintings from the wall.
    Mikey stared at him in amazement.  Somehow his wings looked more impressive now than in the restroom.  They had to span at least seven feet and looked like you could knock a grown man unconscious with a swing from them.
    “Make them flap,” Steve smiled as he stepped inside and closed the door.
    Anthony grinned and wiggled his shoulders.  Nothing happened.  He swung his arms, but his wings still didn’t budge.  Mit slapped at them and in one fluid motion they flapped and sent him sprawling into the wall.
    “Whoa!” Mikey yelled overshadowing Mit’s moans of pain.
    Anthony ran to help Mit up apologizing along the way.  “Sorry Mit, I can’t control these things.” 
    For the next hour Anthony tried unsuccessfully to gain some type of voluntary control over his wings.  From wiggling his ears to making fart noises with his arms he tried everything. By the time he left he was no closer to controlling his wings than when he got there.
    As the sun started to set Anthony scurried down the sidewalk hoping his wings wouldn’t come out again.  When he made it home he walked into his house and darted upstairs, trying to avoid his mother.  He made it halfway up the stairs when her voice called from the kitchen.
    “Well, hello to you too. How was your day?”
    Anthony turned around and took a few steps down the stairs.
    “Um it was good.”
    “What happened to your shirt?” Mrs. Dimair pointed to the tattered rags hanging from his shoulders.
    “Oh um, we played football after school.”
    “Uh huh.”  She mumbled, eying him skeptically.
    Anthony quickly ascended back up the stairs before any more questions could come.  He ran into the room and closed the door, then collapsed onto his bed.  I’ve survived another day , he thought.
    Slowly the sun faded and before long night had fallen on the little town.  Anthony still lay in his bed, his mind spinning from the day’s events.
    Sighing, he sat up.  “If you can’t beat em, join em I guess.”  He mumbled to himself.
    Anthony stepped out onto his balcony taking in the cool night air.  A chill ran down his spine and he shuddered.  He didn’t have a plan, but he longed to find out if his wings were for more than show.
    He squirmed about on the deck for ten minutes trying to enact his wings.  He waddled like a duck and jumped around like a rabbit.  Anthony was ready to give up when they finally popped out.
    With a devilish grin he calmly crawled onto the railing and crouched down.  He stared across the lawn looking like one of the gargoyles at a church.  The wind swept across his face sending a chill through his body causing his wings to slightly unfold.
    Minutes passed as Anthony contemplated his next move.  Maybe if he simply jumped, his wings would instinctively take flight.  Don’t mama birds toss baby birds out of the nest , he thought.  The vision of him laid up in a hospital bed in a body cast made him rethink his approach. 
    He thought long and hard, trying to connect his brain to his new found appendages, but he couldn’t muster up the confidence to just jump.  After ten minutes he’d succeeded in getting a voluntary wiggle.  He laughed to himself and went to step down off the railing.  Just as he did the porch light directly