"I just can't believe he was that close to me," Rio vented, closing her locker and speed-walking through the school hallway. "My dad is crazy about this hero stuff! If anyone is gonna find out the truth, it's him. I'm freaking out about it."
"Believe me, I can tell. You've been on edge all day," replied Ellie, Rio's classmate and best friend, trying to catch up with her. "Look, it's not that huge of a deal, Rio. Seriously."
"That's easy for you to say. The worst thing you've ever been caught doing is kissing that delivery boy," said Rio.
"That's not fair. It's not even the whole story" Ellie said defensively. "We were in my aunt's office, and that a-hole tried to do way more than just kiss me, so… look, that doesn't matter. What matters is, you dodged the heat, right? So be a little more careful next time, and you're fine."
"Careful, she says," Rio remarked, pushing open the school's front door and walking outside. "You sound just like Francesca."
Ellie sped up and passed Rio, turning around to face her and planting her feet. Rio, forced to stop in her tracks, looked up at her slightly taller friend. Ellie Bloomberg's fiery red hair was brightly accentuated by the afternoon sunlight, and complimented her rosy skin well. Her tomboyish outfit was carefully put together, but still gave off an "I'm just here to relax," vibe.
"You haven't told Francesca, have you?," Ellie spoke, lowering her voice as other students passed them by.
"She's just going to lecture me about it," Rio complained, breaking eye contact and looking down at Ellie's black boots.
"Rio, how can you be so stressed about what to do, but not want Francesca's help?" Ellie pondered. "Isn't giving you advice, like, her job as a mystical spirit or whatever?"
"She's way more cryptic sometimes than helpful," said Rio. "If you could meet her, you'd understand."
Whatever Ellie was going to say next was interrupted by the honking of a car horn a few yards away. Both girls turned to see Ellie's aunt pulling up to the curb, waving them over.
"Hi, Aunt Marla," Ellie said cheerily as she and Rio climbed into the back seat and buckled up.
"Good day, girls?"
"Yes," both teenagers answered in unison.
"Did we find out the secret identity of Rio's potential special someone?"
"No, we did not," Rio sighed.
"We have some theories, though," said Ellie, more than happy to change the subject. "Paulie, the new kid. Or Jose from chemistry and gym."
"Both okay choices," said Rio.
"And our final suspect… the big one… the one we're really hoping for…" Ellie built up the reveal, baiting Rio into saying it out loud herself.
"Lorena Marquez," Rio said, taking the bait and hiding an ear-to-ear grin.
"Do I know her?" Marla asked. "She was at both of you girls' birthday parties last year, wasn't she?"
"That's the girl," said Ellie triumphantly, poking Rio's side. "And she'll be at the party tomorrow, too!"
As Rio playfully swatted Ellie away, glad her blushing cheeks were less apparent on her dark skin, she caught a glimpse in Aunt Marla's rearview mirror. There, she spotted something she know only she could see. The ethereal, almost ghostly face of Francesca, her magical mentor, only accessible for communication through reflective surfaces. Rio's smile faded. If Francesca made it this obvious she was watching Rio, it usually meant she wanted to talk.
Her mind in several different places, Rio did her best to keep the conversation going while they drove through the Pasadena streets to Marla and Ellie's home. Despite Rio's best efforts, Ellie could tell that Rio was still troubled. When they finally stopped for gas, Ellie waited for Aunt Marla to get out of the car before changing the subject back to Rio's secret life.
"It's Francesca, isn't it?" Ellie asked the second the car door closed and Marla was out of earshot. "In the mirror, right?"
"Yeah, she was there," said Rio, looking back at the rearview mirror. "She's gone now."
"I'm telling you, just ask her for advice. She probably already knows what happened anyway. I mean, how much can she see happening? I don't really know how her powers work."
Marla then knocked on the window, slightly startling Ellie, and motioned for her to roll the window down, which Ellie obliged.
"Girls, the pump is acting up. I'm going to go pay inside. Do you two want anything?"
"We're good. Thanks," said Ellie, rolling the window back up as Marla walked across the parking lot and went into the convenience store.
"I just want to get through tomorrow without worrying about it," Rio piped back up. "It's bad enough that instead of a romantic Valentine's Day, I got a regular Thursday night all alone. I don't want a stressful birthday, too. I promise I'll talk to Francesca after-"
Rio stopped talking at the sight of a man in a brown hoodie running into the store, his hands hidden inside his pockets.
"Yikes. I know that look," said Ellie, turning to see what Rio was looking at.
"I think he has a gun!" said Rio.
"Holy crap, go! Do your Lightning thing!"
Opening her door and nearly falling out of the car, Rio quickly looked around to make sure no one was looking at her.
"SHAZAM!"
In Rio's place now stood Captain Lightning, and in place of her green hooded top was a green superhero outfit, adorned with the now famous lightning bolt insignia.
"God, that's cool," Ellie whispered to herself, climbing into the front seat to watch as the now adult Rio sped into the store, quickly dealing with the would-be robber.
It took almost no time at all. Small-time guys like this armed with nothing more than a handgun had become something Rio could handle with her eyes closed. The small gas station crowd watched as Captain Lightning snatched the gun away from the criminal, then threw him outside, sparks of magical electricity crackling around her fist as she crushed his weapon with ease. Then, just as quickly, she grabbed the nearest gas pump and wrapped the hose around him, tying it in a neat little knot and trapping his arms. As a finishing touch, she placed her palm on the robber's chest, and carefully charged him with enough voltage to essentially tase him, leaving him limp against the gas pump.
In awe, Ellie nearly didn't notice when Rio looked right at her and seemed to give her some kind of signal by nodding her head toward the onlookers. Thinking fast, Ellie got out of the car and ran inside to distract everyone so Rio could change back.
"Oh my god, Aunt Marla! That was so scary! They were right next to me!" Ellie feigned panic and hugged her aunt tightly, ensuring all eyes were on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Living Lightning come down from the sky as Rio ducked behind a car and changed back, hopefully unseen by anyone else.
"Ellie, where's Rio?" Marla asked her niece, accepting the embrace.
"I'm right here," said Rio, running in after Ellie and joining the hug. "Are you okay? That guy had a gun!"
"I'm fine, girls," Marla assured them. "And so are you."
"And just like that, Captain Lightning is gone," said the cashier, looking at the defeated robber tied up outside.
"Yeah," said Aunt Marla, thoughtfully. "Just like that."