I'M YOUR PUPPET; invincible

chapter 2

    She tipped her head over her shoulder. Nodded. "Yeah." She looked down at the unconscious man before her, face pinched. "Yeah."

   Mark knew what she was thinking without her saying it. She was apprehensive about attending graduation. Of course it was a milestone, a large moment in their lives. In her life. But she would be missing so much of the moments that others would have. She would not have photos to take with her family. She would not have her father standing from his seat with a wide smile, cheering her on. Saluting her. She would hold her diploma in her hands and know one thing: this moment would become nothing but a blip years down the road. It would be a brief, fleeting moment. One she would remember with sorrow, rather than joy.

    She sighed. "Let's go."

    They arrived with not a moment to spare, quickly finding their seats.

     Mark quipped, "Ah, so all we missed were the made-up inspirational quotes? Cool."

    "Hey there, hero," Amber grinned, leaning towards him as Loren sat between Eve and William. "Good timing."

    Loren grimaced, turning her gaze away as the two kissed. With her hands clasped in her lap, she forced her attention to remain on the stage, though the furrow in her brows did not ease.

    Eve leaned towards her with a grin, whispering, "You look like you ate something bad."

    "Mhm." Loren grumbled, though she forced a smile on her face when Mark looked her way. "I'm perfectly fine. Just perfect."

    "You keep telling yourself that." The redhead looked around for a moment. "Is Logan here? You know, for support."

    "He was busy with his sister's graduation. You know, college and everything." She shrugged. "And I broke up with him a while ago."

    Eve's face dropped. "What? When? And why didn't you tell me?"

    "It was about two weeks after the fight with Omni-Man. I just..." she shook her head, forcing the tears away from her eyes. "He deserves better than a flaky, emotionally unavailable girlfriend. And I didn't tell you, missy, because you've been out in the woods."

    "You can fly and visit, you know."

    She sighed. "Yeah. I'm sorry that I haven't. Cecil's had me so busy with missions and therapy, I haven't—"

    Eve reached a hand out, grasping Loren's. Smiled. "I get it. And I forgive you. But you have to remember you're more than just a hero, okay? You have needs that should be met in your personal life."

    Loren gave her a look. "Sam," she groaned. "That's gross."

    "You're the one with your head in the gutter. I didn't even mean it that way."

   William, suddenly, leaned forward, looking between them. "You totally did mean it that way." Then, he looked at Loren and grinned. "But she's right. You need to treat yourself. Pamper and pleasure are vital to glowing skin. I would know."

    Loren could only laugh. For a moment, the weight on her shoulders lifted. Eased. It drifted away like clouds in the sky, dissipating as if they had never been present. She smiled, truly. It was free and light. She hoped it would never go away.

    She held onto William and Eve's hands, holding each in her lap as she focused her attention on whatever came next. On the future. She would move forward, she thought. She would not allow the weight shackled to her ankle to hold her here, wingless and unable to break free.

   She would be okay. She would make sure of it.

    "Loren Theadora Mason."

    She stepped up onto the stage, grasping the diploma in one hand, shaking Principal Winslow's hand in the other. She turned her gaze to the crowd, offering a smile when William held up a camera from his seat.