Masks are Greater than Sunglasses [ COMPLETE ]

forty - oh brother

* Real quick note: In my home state, high school graduation parties were a huge thing, but I know that not everyone does them. If you're not familiar with the idea, it's basically just an open-house style party toward the end of someone's senior year to celebrate their graduation. That's what's happening in this chapter. Anyways back to the story!* 

Nick

The room is swarming with people, so many people, all talking and chatting in voices that echo through the house. I don't recognize a single face in the crowd and no part of me wants to go mingle. Instead, I'm pressed into a corner, pretending to examine the array of photos covering the wall. A little girl with dark pigtails grins back at me from an image, her two front teeth missing. My eyes flicker back to the room where the older version of Rya stands, engulfed by a group of friends. All strangers.

Where is Connor, or Trey? Hell at this point I'd even take Ivette. I've been at this grad party for almost ten minutes and Rya hasn't been alone for a second, I'm not even sure she's spotted me.

I've only seen her twice since everything happened since she was cleared. Afterthought has been keeping me busy. He can't ground me per se, I'm an adult after all, but he can keep me so ridiculously caught up with League work that after class and patrols I only have the energy to make it back to my dorm before I pass out. I wasn't even sure if I would make it today until ten minutes ago.

I know that he's just trying to break my association with Rya. To show the rest of the League that I'm not working with Shadow. So far there hasn't been much backlash since my lineage was announced, but he's afraid that will change at any moment. Especially if I'm seen with Rya. But it's more than that. He's hoping that with time, my feelings for her will change.

I know that won't happen, not after all we've been through.

I barely keep from slamming my hand to my forehead. Why is this so hard? Since she got cleared, Rya and I have been... That's the problem. I don't know what we've been. Friends, I guess.

Well, friends that kissed that one time.

We haven't had time to talk about it, or really about anything. Trust me, I've tried. There never seems to be a second of overlap between our schedules.

It's so strange to have normal problems for once. I've never had the opportunity to think about something like dating before. I'm not sure I like it.

From my corner, I glance back over at Rya. Her whole face is alight as she laughs with her friends. The urge to go talk to her is still there, prickling against my skin. Not with all these people around though. It'll be impossible to say anything that matters with all these people around.

To think I spent all those weeks dreading my time alone with her, what I wouldn't give for just a second now.

Catching my gaze, Rya drops me a quick wink and my heart kicks up a notch. She tries to extricate herself from the group she's been talking to but someone grabs her hand, drawing her back in. I almost have to laugh at the helpless look she shoots me. This girl who faced down Villains and Heroes alike, too kind to rebuff her friends.

With a wave, I try to tell her that it's fine. She casts one last apologetic look over her shoulder before she lets her friends drag her away.

I turn away, tired of skulking in the corner like a loner. Instead, I let my feet carry me through the house, pushing through the crowd with no destination in mind. This is the first time I've been in the Morgan household without a uniform and feels about as strange as I expected. I could not feel more out of place. Fighting supervillains, phasing through walls, all that I can handle but a high school graduation party, apparently that's my kryptonite.