SuperVillain

20

"I'll wait out here," Sunny said quietly outside my apartment. "Want me to hold your bag?"

I grabbed the keys from my pocket then handed bag to her. "Thanks." Sunny smiled and nodded.

I crept in. I could hear banging down in the Lair. I tiptoed slowly, slowly to my room and grabbed the shirt from my closet.

I was walking when I heard the bookshelf, the entrance to the Lair, open. My dad was on the phone. Ack! I didn't want him to see me. 

I ran to the door. Ugh! Why do I have to lock it out of habit? I set my shirt down and fumbled with the lock as Dad's voice drew closer. "No, Jess, we need probably around a dozen ropes-" his voice stopped when he saw me. "Call you later." I heard his phone slip into his pocket. "What you got there, Bulb?"

"That's not my name, and you know it." I picked the shirt up and clenched my fists, not daring to turn and look at him.

"What's with the fancy shirt? You haven't worn it since-"

I turned around to face him, then I exploded. Everything I had felt in the past four months just spilled out. "How would you know? You weren't there for me! You weren't there when Mom left! Then you were, but when I did the tiniest thing wrong, you abandoned me! You didn't care about me in the slightest, you weren't apart of my life, so you can just... shut up!"

Through my bleary, tear-filled eyes, he looked... sad? No. There was no way. He began to say something, but I'd already slammed the door behind me.

To top it all off, I'd forgotten that Sunny was waiting right outside.

"Leila," she whispered. I dropped to the ground, releasing my grip on the shirt. I started sobbing, crying harder than I ever had before.

Then my empty hand wasn't empty anymore. It was holding Sunny's hand. My messy, wet face looked up to her bright, smiley one. She was sitting on the ground, right there in the hall outside my apartment, with me.

"It's gonna be okay," she smiled. "Because we are best friends, and I'll always be here for you."

I leaned my head against the wall so I was staring at the ceiling. "I'm such a terrible person."

"What? Leila, no-"

"I'm a liar. I lie, I cheat, I- I... My own family doesn't like me."

"Your real family are the people who know you're not all that bad, and we're gonna help you see that."

I thought that over. Sunny, Mason, and Mr. Madison.

"And hey, you know who does like you?" She wiggles her eyebrows. "Mr. Mason LeBone. You guys have a hot date tonight, so let's go get you ready!" She hopped up, grabbed my shirt, and offered her other hand to me. "Hmm. Leila LeBone, has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" She laughed as I shoved her in the arm. She began to skip down the hall. "Your entourage awaits!"

"News Flash: The Mayor of Mid-Fais has a Boyfriend! It's gonna be everywhere, Lei!" Sunny set my foundation down. Luckily, I always carried a bit of makeup in my purse, which was good since Sunny was paler than me. "And there... we... go. Oh, be right back. I have something in the bathroom that will be perfect. Here, your pick," she handed my phone to me, which we were using to play music.

I tapped a song, set the phone down, and sighed as I leaned back in my chair. I stared at my mirror self. Sunny had done barely anything, yet I looked so different. Slightly presentable. The stress lines, which I didn't think anyone should have at 16, were gone, and as for my lightning bolt...

Without it, I seemed so different. It represented so much. It was the most painful reminder of the past, because it would never go away.

Except it had gone away, if only for tonight.

I could be someone else. Whoever I wanted. I could be a normal girl with a normal life, going on a normal date with her normal boyfriend.

Heh. Maybe not those last two. Those were still kinda new.

Ah, Mason. I closed my eyes to think how perfect he was. Hmm, what would we name our kids? Definitely something normal, nothing to do with electricity or-

Wait. If Mason and I got married and had kids, and that was a big if, they'd have speed and electricity powers.

I wasn't sure when Sunny returned, but she noticed my sour face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing," I brushed it off. "Just thinking about- nothing."

Sunny raised her eyebrows skeptically.

I sighed. I could feel my cheeks burn. "I was thinking about our kids. Me and Mason's."

Sunny burst out laughing. 

Sunny was almost done curling my hair when there was a knock on the door. "It's Patty," the voice on the other side called.

"Come in!" Sunny replied, capping the lipstick.

Patty's eyes widened when she saw me. "Wow, Sunny! I'm impressed! Think you could do me sometime?"

"Sure," Sunny laughed. "Leila hasn't seen herself yet."

"This I wanna see." Patty set herself on the edge of Sunny's bed.

I turned around. I had been facing away from the mirror while Sunny worked on me. "Woah," I breathed. My lips were red. My hair was curled. My brown eyes stood out. "I look... amazing."

"Oh, I just remembered why I came in here!" Patty exclaimed. "The bird has the worm, Sunny."

I glance confusedly at Sunny. Her eyes light up. "Yay! Okay, I think you're ready, Leila... are you ready?"

Was I? I wasn't sure if I'd ever really be ready. "I guess."

Sunny ran out of the room. "Come on," Patty smiled and offered a hand to me.

We walked into the kitchen to find Sunny, with her hands over Mason's eyes. He was grinning ear to ear, even though he couldn't see.

Finally, Sunny moved her hands, and Mason's smile somehow got even bigger than it was. "Hi."

"Hi," I felt like a shy, little kid.

Mason held his hand out. I took it. I guess we should have said bye to Sunny and Patty, but I was a little nervous.

Relax, I thought. This is Mason we're talking about. Your Mason.

We walked into the hall, and as soon as Mason shut the door we could hear Sunny and Patty squealing inside. Mason laughed, but I saw him blush. He was dressed semi-formally, just like me.

"Um, ta-da," Mason gestured to the limo waiting for us outside.

"Oh! Mason!" I exclaimed. "Benson's isn't that far!"

"I thought it went with the whole fancy thing," Mason grinned. "And you look beautiful."

"So do you. I mean- not that you're beautiful, but, like, you're-"

Mason laughed. I guess some things don't need words.