Incognito

Made For Movie Screens

Someday: the strokes

In many ways, they'll miss the good old days

Someday, someday

Yeah, it hurts to say, but I want you to stay

Sometimes, sometimes

~

"Ughhhhhhhh" I moan, frustrated, and very close to ripping out my own hair. I even throw the newspaper a few feet away from me. I'm disgusted. I'm annoyed. "I can't believe him. Ryder's been back here for two weeks and he still remains on the front page! I don't understand, why won't the reporters get over him already? He's not a big deal. There are other supers."

For goodness sake, I am a super. The front-page headlines read, "YOUNG HERO SAVES HOSTAGES". And before you even try to guess who the hero is, I'll tell you. It's Ryder. Julie looks down at the fallen paper, taking it between her hands.

"Lorena," My name slowly comes from her mouth. She acts like this is more interesting than it is. It's just Ryder being the stupid little hero who saves the day yet again. When will he stop? When will he find a menace stronger than him? Nobody will ever know. "That's not Ryder."

"What are you talking about?" My eyes roll, ripping it away from her grip. I'm kind of surprised that she is so calm around me when I'm like this. My eyes glance over the paper, squinting at the picture's silhouettes. She's right, it isn't him. Or else, he would be using that ludicrous outfit. But no, it's Ditto Incognito. His short hair spikes up and, his cabalistic set of clothes that flows in the wind makes sense that he would be the newest criminal. "How can he be the newest hero if he's dressed like that? It's surprising he's stuck around of this long."

"It says that he's saved seventeen people within the week he's been occupied here, breaking the record for newbies." She pauses, rereading the article quickly, probably scanning for anything references to his real identity. Then, an ecstatic expression graces her face, her whole body jerking towards me excited as she says, "What if he's our age?"

"What does it matter? You're a little busy with a certain newscaster." I reply, simply disinterested. Julie's never cared about supers, so why now? She shushes me, putting her hand on my shoulder for me to pay attention. "No, but you aren't. And he's saved you twice, which is amazing if he's our age because then that could mean that he's paying attention to you and maybe, in fact, likes you!"

"That doesn't matter to me, I wouldn't like him anyway." I can only murmur, eyes lowering to the grass underneath us. With everything going on right now, my mind is a little occupied with a certain someone and I'm not planning on another superhero to be on that list. She asks me if I'd rather have something new on my mind but I can only shake my head. Well, if Ditto Incognito is interested in me, then he can come and try, but I can't change, not yet at least. My cheeks deflate as I huff. He'll be at the League anyway. My reference to the "League" is pretty much a mandatory club only for supers. You might not even use your powers like I try not to, but if the city knows about you, you'll be forced to go anyway. The meetings are stupid since the crime rate is small due to the large number of supers but not many villains. Oh, I almost forgot, you'd still have to come if you are a brute.

"Lor, I don't know what to do." Julie expresses her lugubrious emotions, they were so fathomless that even I am becoming bummed out. Well, besides my actual grudge against Ryder. Julie's still upset over her drunken actions from a week or so ago. She thinks kissing Alex was the biggest mistake of her life and it'll be her ending. On behalf that she has no idea how Alex is responding, I mean.

"In what mind, would it occur to actually listen to your heart? I'm an idiot!" Julie hugs her knees as we sat under the oak tree. We decided to chill at the park and stare at the ocean. She's practically pleading for an answer from it. I'm here to comfort her, obviously, but I don't know how.

She shut Alex out when he tried to talk to her, slammed the door right in his face, to be precise. She avoids him at school as I do with Ryder. But with that in mind, I have no tolerance for her. She can never end up like me. I will not accept it, even if she hates me in the end. What happened to me with Ryder is something I can barely speak of, him being my entire world and now he's not even dust, is so heart-shattering that I can not physically let them be torn apart.

Alex, on the other hand, hasn't been abnormal, in fact, it's like it never happened. I mean, he did ask worriedly to about her, multiple times, but I know she hasn't been ready to talk. And I'm not sure when that will ever be.

When her father left her and her mom, a part of her was gone forever, fed to the wind. She shut herself out, much like how she is now. But I can't let her fade, not ever.

"The only idiot here is that guy over there." I point to some kid who's chasing after his dog. I'm guessing he dropped the leash or something, and it doesn't look like he's going to catch up any time soon either. Julie laughs under her soft whimpers. She is so vulnerable right now, with her tears and all.

"I know he really wants to talk to you, why don't you hear him out?" I try my best to coach her out of her ever-so building shell. This is so unlike her, aside I've never witnessed before. I know I said Alex seems perfectly normal, but I can see the anguish in his eyes. The fact that he cares, is more than enough proof.

"I- I just think that maybe it's better not to know the answer." She shrugs, her head leaning on my shoulder. We are wearing matching combat boots and leggings, but our emotional levels are so different.

"You can't hide forever." My lungs deflate, exhaling the pressure of the world off of my shoulders. Everything blows. School, drama, life. It all sucks.

"Not if I don't try, I won't." Suddenly, she stands up, wiping the left over tears and half-smiling. Confused, I furrow my brows, also picking myself off the ground. Before I can ask, she speaks. "We're leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"San Francisco of course!" She sniffles, that infamous bright smile of hers peeks through. San Francisco is two hours away from Monterey, and is Julie's all-time favorite place to be. If she was to run away, it would be there.

"My lord." There's no stopping her, not when she's raving like this. And somehow I'll be boarding the crazy train.

~

A bridal store catches Julie's sweet eyes, dragging me with her. The owner strolls up to us and somehow Julie makes up this story that we were getting married two months apart, mine in November and her's in January and that we needed to find dresses. I don't know how she did it, but we end up getting our full attention from the clerks and try on the most beautiful and exotic dresses the eyes can imagine.

The first dress I fit into is breathtaking with a sweetheart neckline and a Cinderella's gown. It's crazy how I can already see myself walking down the aisle to the man of my dreams in this one gown. I can see me raising my kids, sharing a home, owning pets, even paying bills. All that is left is college, then I'll be looking for dresses like I am now.

Julie, well, she looks fascinating, in her mermaid dress of satin and silk. It hugs her curves and exploits her rack. Amazing isn't even a word to describe how she looks standing in front of me. Oh my, not even speaking of the veils. Those topped the cake.

With borrowed heels, I sway over to the largest mirror in the store and stand there, stunned. I want my dream guy to waltz with me, like the medieval times. I want his last name to be mine and to be familiar with all of his contours and crevices.

My phone buzzes, a message being received. My attention is on Julie and me, so I don't bother to check. The worst thing that could be is my mom calling for what I want for dinner. Pretty soon, we get tired of playing dress-up and I wait for another story to be told in order for us to leave in peace. "Come again,", they say.

 My phone buzzes again, distracting me from my surroundings. Looking down, I find two missed calls and one text message. There wasn't a name, just a number with our area code. I recognized it, but I can't put my finger on it. Who could it be?

"meet me @ B2's rooftop tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., babe."

Oh, of course, this must be Joshua, no one else calls me babe anyway.

"Is something wrong?" Julie focuses on my expression, me fashioning a frown. I shake my head, sliding my phone back into my pocket. Why on Earth would I need to go to the roof of Building 2 and how did Josh get my number?