Superman Stole My Tights

C H A P T E R E I G H T

"I'll always be here. Always." - Superman

Nov. 15

12: 17 pm

Focal City 

Fries, Not Guys

6 days.

It has been 6 days since the Hero Union gave me a week. And  living at the headquarters isn't anymore appealing then it was then. But there's something off about today. Nothing I can put my finger on, but still. 

It's unsettling.

"Rowan stop making that face. It's making me lose my appetite," Piper snaps, flinging one of her fries at me. May effortlessly catches it midair and shoves it in her face. My eyes widen.

"What was that?" I ask.

"What was what?" May shrugs, munching on her fry. I scoff and lean closer to her. 

"May, you have never shown an ounce of hand-eye coordination in all of the five years I've known you. What was that?" I motion to the fry she's eating. She just shrugs again and Piper yawns.

"Ro, why so edgy? Keep calm and eat some fries, kay?" I grunt and do as she says. We're at the local diner, Fries, Not Guys, trying to recover from a gruelling week of tests and projects and superheroes-though the last one may just be my issue. Everyone, minus a few underclassman who started looking at me like I'm some kind of God, has forgotten about the incident at school. Last I heard, restorations in the auditorium were going well, and apparently the schools insurance did cover freak super-villian attack. Despite everything that had happened, the rest of the world around me seemed to recover. But with my week almost up, I found myself just waiting for something to happen. The way Shadow had told me about staying at the Union made him seem so certain that I'd agree. That's probably what worries me most about all off this, why was he so sure. 

Piper calls over the waiter, asking for the bill, just as the door opens and the little bell tied to it chimes. From my spot in the booth, I can't see who it was, but the way May's eyes widen makes me think its someone important. 

"Why is Vera here?" she whispers. Piper and I both can our necks only for them to confirm the person in question. 

Vera White is in the dinner. Vera, with her stylishly cut blonde hair (That albeit, right now looks a little like she had just run a marathon) and eyes that are some mix between green and grey, catches my gaze and sighs before turning to the girl who came in with her. I feel my face heat up as I turn back to the food in front of me. 

Vera is one of the student heads of the drama department, a pro swimmer who's good enough to enter in the Olympics if she wanted, and practically has the entire school in the palm of her hand. Both her parents are ridiculously wealthy, and I'm pretty sure her dogs food costs more than my house. Which of course begs the question, why is she in this ratty diner?  Banishing my thoughts of the girl, I start fishing for bills in my purse to pay of the food. My hand catches on something unexpected, a strip of paper bent in half. Eyebrows drawn I pull it out of my bag and unfold it,

Meet in the back alley behind diner. Five minuets.- Guardian. 

I hope my face doesn't give away how shocked I am. I refold the scrap and bury it in my bag, pulling out a ten dollar bill and placing it on the table a second later. Slightly paranoid I looked around the diner, like  I would see the golden superhero drinking a shake in the crowd. How did that note get in my bag? When did it get here? Had the five minutes started an hour ago, when I had first gotten here? Without excuse or explanation, I bolt from the table, and out the door of the diner, Piper calling my name getting cut-off as I try to locate the alley. I followed the perimeter of the dinner, finally finding my destination. I run headfirst into the alley, realizing this could be some sort of trap only when it's too late.