Super Volume 2

Rumors

Ella's POV
Addison, Kara, and I get dinner together every Thursday. We talk about hero stuff, and school stuff, and really anything. "Lizz asked you out? That's great!" I smiled. "About time." Addy added. "Oh shut up! And did you tell Dylan how you feel about her yet?" Kara smirked. Addison shrunk in the booth. "No... but we are going to the dance together." She mumbled. Kara rolled her eyes. "At least it's something. What about you, El. You going with Retro?" Kara asked. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I always do." I replied. "I meant, as a date." Kara corrected herself. "Date?! No! No no no. Retro and I are not dating." I stomped my foot down. "Coulda fooled me... or anyone... actually it does fool everyone. Why aren't you dating, again?" Addison asked. I rolled my eyes and huffed. "We're just friends." I spat. "That doesn't answer the question." Kara noted. I glared at her. "Come on, El! You share a room, you do everything together, she consults you for every decision made, and we all know you two have done it at least once. So why not make it official?" Addison asked. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "There's a rumor about that?! I'm a virgin!" I whisper-yelled. "Wait seriously?" Kara asked. "Yes!" I exclaimed. "Then what are those noises that come from your room at night? I thought it was your headboard." Addy admitted. "No! It's Retro playing that ninja game on her vr headset. She runs into everything when she plays. It's... it's really annoying actually." I groaned. "Huh... weird. So you're telling us that you two have zero chemistry at all. Just best friends?" Kara asked. I looked over at her. "That is exactly what I'm telling you." I nodded. Addy and Kara shared a look, and then turned back to me. "Alright. If you say so." They caved.

When I got home, I muted Retro and I's room. "Hey! Oh no- why'd you do that? Am I getting yelled at?" She pouted. "Yes! You are! Did you know that literally everyone we know thinks that we're dating and also apparently that we have sex all the time?!" I shrieked. Her eyebrows shot up. "Ok, I didn't know the second one, but I did know the first one." She admitted. I groaned and clenched my fists. "Hey! Why so mad? Is being deemed my girlfriend really that bad?" She chuckled. "It is when my parents could find out!" I exclaimed. "What's so bad about that? Your dad likes me." Retro shrugged. "Retro, you're not grasping this. If my parents find out that I have a girlfriend and didn't tell them, we're both getting bombed! Even if it's just a rumor. So can you imagine, the horror coursing through my veins, thinking about them believing the rumor about you and I being intimate?!" I yelled. She just blinked at me for a second. "It's beginning to settle in, yes." She nodded. I groaned and threw my head back in annoyance. "Why would they think that anyway?" Retro asked. "Because of your stupid ninja vr game!" I snapped. "Ninja game? ...oh. That's not what that is. It's called Mantis Meditation, and it's how I release stress. I'm just not very good at balancing." She explained. "You can fly." I spat. "It's important not to use any magic while meditating. It clears the pressure." She waved her hand above her head and I just stared at her like she was stupid. "We need to find a solution to this before my parents find out." I said. "Why don't you just tell them it's not true?" Retro asked. "You really think they'd believe me? That'd just reinforce their belief that it is true." I groaned. "Ok! Ok. So what do you want to do?" She asked. I sighed. "I think... we can't go to homecoming together." I said. "What?! But we went last year! I thought we were school dance buddies!" She pouted. "We were! Last year, but look what it's caused! I can't reinforce everyone's stupid view on our friendship. It's gonna be fine, Retro. We'll still be there together, just not dancing together." I shrugged. Retro frowned. "Right... ok. You should probably get out. I'm gonna meditate, and I wouldn't want anyone to think we're together, so." She turned away and stormed over to the closet. I sighed and left.

Addison and I sat on the couch, playing Zombie Explorer three, when we suddenly heard a continuous banging from my room. I giggled imagining Retro trying to stand on one foot, and ultimately fall over, again and again. "See! Not me." I gestured to the door. "Ah- I see." Addy chuckled. We laughed together. "What are you girls laughing about?" Riley sat down beside us. "Retro falling over while meditating." I pointed at the door again and Riley smiled. "Always a fun sight." She agreed. "I always thought she and Ella were getting busy, but she just had to prove me wrong." Addy rolled her eyes. I glared over at her. "They're not dating." Riley replied. "Thank you!" I smiled. "But Retro likes her." She added. "What?!" I snapped. "Oh yeah. For like... two-ish years now?" Riley shrugged. Addison laughed behind me, while I sat in shock. "Why wouldn't she tell me?" I asked. "Who ever tells their crush they like them?" Riley asked, sarcastically. I blinked a few times. "I just told her that I didn't want to go to the dance with her." I said. Riley chuckled to herself. "That was a bad idea. She's gonna be 'meditating' for a while, now. And by that I mean, she's not letting you back in. So find a new buddy to bunk with tonight!" Riley patted my shoulder and stood up. "Just not me." She added, and walked away.

I went home that night, and took a huge risk regarding my mental health. I knocked on the door and Lila answered it. "Hi!" I greeted her. She slammed the door closed, and I stuck my arm in it just in time. I yelped in pain. "Ah! Fuck- that hurt." I whined. "What the hell are you doing here?" Lila asked. I came in and closed the door. "I need your help." I smiled. "No." She spat. "Please! It's not about work or anything. I need... relationship advice." I admitted. Her eyebrows shot up. "Can I come out yet?" I heard. Lila panicked. "Yep! I'll help you! Just, get in the garage, now, please." She shoved me into the garage and locked us in. "Who was that?" I asked. "Uh... who was who?" She smiled nervously. I raised an eyebrow and she groaned. "It's my boyfriend, ok. Mom and dad aren't home. Mia and Josh are out with their friends. It was good timing." She shrugged. "Gross." I gagged. "Oh yeah? And you're here for who? Retro, I assume?" She snapped. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the garage door and Lila sighed. She opened it and let her boyfriend in. "Was the yep for me?" He asked. "No! Zane! It wasn't!" She snapped. "Zane?! You're dating a Matrix?!" I exclaimed. "Hi Cyan." He waved politely. "Fuck off, Ella. I can date whoever I want." Lila rolled her eyes. "He's an idiot though!" I exclaimed. Zane frowned and Lila smirked. "I know he is. That's why I like him. Babe, go stay in my room." She ordered. "But I-" She glared back at him and he stopped. "Going." He teleported away. "Wow. Such compassion." I huffed, sarcastically.

"So what's going on?" She asked. "So, I just found out that Retro has liked me for two years! Right after I told her that I did not want to go to homecoming with her, and now I feel like the biggest jerk in the world." I explained. "Well, you are, but for other reasons. Let's circle back. She told you she liked you?" Lila asked. "No. Riley did." I said. "Who is- nevermind. Ok. And you believe her?" She asked. "Yeah. They're best friends." I nodded. "Ok, and why do you feel bad exactly?" Lila asked. "Because I hurt her feelings." I whined. "Feelings that you didn't know about until now?" She asked. I nodded. "I just didn't want people to keep assuming that we were dating when we aren't! I was worried mom and dad would find out." I admitted. "That's reasonable. That's why I'm hiding Zane. So you're not going to the dance with her, to avoid speculation. But do you want to go to the dance with her?" Lila asked. "Of course I do." I huffed. Lila hummed in thought. "Seems to me that you're only upset now, because you didn't just hurt your own feelings. You hurt hers too. You thought that not going with her would only affect you, but you were wrong, and now you feel worse about yourself." She explained. "My feelings? What are you talking about?" I asked. She just blinked at me. "Ella, are you really this dense? You're upset because you like her too!" She exclaimed. My eyes widened. "What? No, I- I don't- I never thought- what?" I stumbled over my words. "Think really hard, Ella. Why are you always glued to the hip with her? Why do you share a room? Why are you the second in command when you aren't her best friend? Why do you put up with her nonsense?" She asked. I looked down as I thought about it. "I... wasn't mad that there were rumors about us. I was just worried about more people finding out, because I knew I couldn't deter what they would think. Because I couldn't prove it wasn't true." I told myself. "Because it is true?" Lila asked. I looked back up at her. "Or at least, because you want it to be." She smiled. I gripped my arms and frowned. "I kinda screwed that up, huh?" I asked. "Not necessarily. You Arrows are so dramatic. Make a gesture." She suggested. I smiled at her. "Thank you, Lila. I'm sorry I barged in on you." I said. "You're fine. I'm happy to spend time with you when it's not about The Arrows, but that is a rare occurrence, which is what pisses me off." She explained. "Got it. I'll work on that." I told her. She smiled. "Get out of here. Your dance is tomorrow and you have a lot of thinking to do." She said. "Yes! And I'll call mom from dads phone. She'll come to HQ, and you will have more time with Zane." I replied. "Thanks. Goodnight, Ella." Lila chuckled and walked away.