Saving a Superhero

5: Boyfriends+Villains

By the time the sun was peeking through a thick blanket of clouds, the three of us were dozing on the early morning express from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania. There had yet to be any real conversation between us. A simple nod from Harper like this wasn't a monumental point in our relationship. Like we saw each other and woke up remembering it every day.

While the trees whipped past the passenger cart, Rory was dabbing off her smeared makeup with a damp towelette and bobbing her head to the elevator music playing over the train's PA system. It sounded the most like a smooth sort of jazz that had been bred with auto-synced pop, but she was finding a way to groove to it.

Harper had her head perched against the window of the train, dark curls bouncing with the sway of the track. Unlight Rory, she looked exactly as I had imagined.

A mop of black frizzy curls that brushed her shoulders. Her attire screamed lawyer, which is probably what the pre-law student was going for. She was dressed in a button down and business slacks like Rory had dragged her out of a courtroom meeting or job interview. Her black skin was flawless and a shade darker than I imagined. Much darker than my own shade of brown. The only thing out of place in her business attire was the streak of platinum blonde that framed her face.

She caught me staring early at it during our silent, sleepy cab ride. "It was my way of rebelling," she explained in the vaguest way possible. I didn't have the guts to ask a followup. Once we had been really close. She was probably my best friend out of the four other girls. But that was once and this was now. She was a stranger.

To be fair, running into an old friend you haven't seen in a few years is always weird, but in the little time we had to catch up I couldn't seem to find the words.

So I hadn't said anything and, as soon as we were safe aboard the train and in our seats, she had zonked out. I suspected it had something to do with being dragged behind Rory for a few too many hours. Exhaustion seemed to be a side effect of prolonged exposure to the human-shaped bag of caffeine and adrenaline.

Rory, herself, was now full on jamming to the music. The last of her three-day-old mascara had disappeared along with any sign of fatigue from her eyes. I didn't know how. According to the brief stories she had related to me in the taxi, it had been a long three days of rounding up Harper, Kennedy, and me.

Before I tried to fall asleep, I sent a text to Josie and Jenna. They must have gotten home so late that night that they didn't realize I was missing. So much for being reliable best friends.

I assured them that I was fine and just taking their advice to take it easy for a few days. I had not been kidnapped, despite the baseball bat I had left in mine and Josie's room. I was simply headed home until my mental state leveled out. Even though they had already offered, I bribed them with a gallon of ice cream each to cover my shifts at the campus bookstore.

Everything was sorted and I wouldn't have to worry about them worrying for a few days.

It took two train changes to make it to Philadelphia and, after the second, I managed to keep the headphones out of Rory's ears and Harper awake long enough to get some straight answers.

For the first two minutes, I didn't know what to say now that I had the time to say anything. I toyed with a rip in the stained, blue bench. I stuffed a bite of my bagel sandwich in my mouth to prolong the inevitable. I stared out the window into the green foliage, trying to divine the future through the trees. Anything to give me time to gather my thoughts.

Rory was content to wait, but Harper was less accommodating.

"Spit it out or I'm going back to sleep."