"What the hell was that?" Rio asked angrily, trying to keep her voice down while all but shoving Ellie into the garage.
"What are you talking about? I thought it was good," said Ellie, wringing out her wet hair.
"It wasn't what we talked about," said Rio. "You were just supposed to fly by. Not come down and showboat and pose for the camera. You made Captain Lightning look like a total attention whore!"
"Relax, okay? It's not a big deal. The goal was for everyone to see you together so no one suspects you anymore, right? I think I did great."
"What if these new pictures get spread around and people notice you're not in them? Then what?" Rio fretted.
Ellie laughed, displaying her pale white arm to her friend. "Rio, look at this skin color. And now, SHAZAM!" Light danced around the room as Ellie's form changed into that of Captain Lightning, a perfect copy of Rio's adult face now staring down at her smugly. "Now look at this color, and ask me that question again with a straight face."
"Don't turn it into a joke, Ellie. And be careful transforming! My parents could come in! Please change back!"
"Oh my god, okay. SHAZAM!"
"The point was for nobody to connect me to Captain Lightning at all," Rio scolded her now back-to-normal friend. "First she looks like me, then she's at the same gas station as me, and now she comes to my birthday party? And that's supposed to get people off my trail?"
"What? You think your dad is going to break out the corkboard and red string? Or Aunt Marla, or Courtney, or Lorena? Have a little faith, Rio."
"Girls? Are you okay?" Clarissa's voice came through the inside door.
"We're all good, Mrs. M.," Ellie called out to answer, backing away from Rio and pressing the button to open the garage door.
"I don't feel good about it," Rio muttered, arms crossed. "That wasn't the plan."
"Well, it's over now. Okay? I'll see you at school."
Rio watched her friend casually stroll out through the pouring rain to Marla's car as if nothing had happened, then turned to close the garage door just as Clarissa came in to check on her.
"Sweetie, is everything alright with the two of you?"
"We're fine," said Rio, hoping to convince herself.
"Well, I brought you another card. It came in the mail yesterday. It's from Washington. One of your friends from your essay contest, I suppose. I'm sorry I forgot to put it with the others."
"Thanks, Mom," Rio accepted the envelope from her mother and opened it, knowing exactly who it was really from and what was inside.
"Oh, that's… lovely," Clarissa said as Rio opened the card to reveal a necklace. It was gold, matching the other jewelry she currently wore, and it was adorned with a handful of weather-themed charms. A sun, a star, a cloud, a rainbow… and the biggest charm, right in the middle, a lightning bolt.
Rio allowed herself to smile. Charm necklaces were a little juvenile for her taste, but she loved it all the same. As she put it on, she imagined the faces of the people who sent it to her. Her team. People she wished she could confide in right now.
"I'm glad you like it, honey," her mother smiled. "I'm sorry your party got rained out a little early. I'm sure the three of us can still find something to do if you want."
"No, I'm… I'm actually tired," said Rio, heading into the house. "Thank you. You and dad did great."
Deep in thought, Rio made her way up to her bedroom, closed the door, and sat down on her bed. She wanted to take Ellie's advice and relax. Getting through the party was supposed to help her achieve that. But all she ended up accomplishing was wasting a nice moment with her crush and getting into a fight with her best friend. A small fight, but still, their first fight since kindergarten. Her mind drifted back to Lorena as she thought about what she could have done differently.
"No," Rio said to herself, puffing out her chest and looking at the ornaments around her neck. "No, I'm a freaking superhero. I don't have to be afraid of this."
Swelling with confidence, Rio sent a text to Lorena: Thanks for coming today. You looked great!
Pressing send and smiling for real this time, Rio briefly abandoned all thoughts of Ellie. As she changed out of her clothes, she began to imagine what the future held for her. As she finished slipping on her pajamas, her phone buzzed. She looked down excitedly, expecting it to be a response from Lorena. Instead, it was a message from Victor.
Update from Strong's hospital records: Genetically modified seaweed seems to be what gave him his strength. Currently looking into how/where he acquired it. Don't ask how they found it in his system.
Gross. Now Rio had that on her mind as well as everything else. Sighing and turning off her screen, she did a double take as she was met with the stoic, silently judging face of none other than Francesca.
"Nope. Absolutely not. Not right now," Rio decided, placing her phone face down on her nightstand and letting herself fall back onto her pillow as she listened to the rain beating down outside. She waited a few seconds, then checked again. Francesca was gone. As Rio drifted off to an early sleep, she couldn't help but feel regret.