See You in the Storm

6

Louis and Peter sit underneath a massive oak tree, branches brushing the ground. I wonder how I've never seen them here before, but the table is tucked so far back, away from all the others. 

Louis is a character himself, with a leather trench coat over his uniform, decked out in pins. His hair is long and curly and he is exactly who'd I'd imagine would be Peter's best friend. 

I sit down across from him and he eyes me with suspicion.  

"Louis, this is Alina," Peter explains. 

I smile and wave in greeting but the boy in front of me only stares.

"Are we doing your homework?"

The smile slips right off my face. Jeez. "I can do my own homework, thank you very much."

Peter puts his hands between the two of us like he'd be able to hold us back. 

I lean away. "I'm sitting here because I have no friends. Except for Peter."

Louis sniffs. "Alright, I guess."

I watch them unroll paper lunch bags from their backpacks while I break the granola bar in my pocket into a million pieces. It tastes better that way. Usually, I eat on my way home from school, so people don't realize that all I can afford most days is a bag of chips from the nearby gas station. 

They engage in a conversation about some new video game, it's a conversation I'm happy to be excluded from, so I sit with my chin in my hands and close my eyes. They're quiet enough and I don't mind the comforting blanket of no longer being alone is. 

"It's so hyper-realistic," Peter says. "The graphics are just incredible." 

Louis nods. "And the attention to detail is insane. Did you notice that if you look down you can see your tendons and muscles moving when you play Nightwing?" 

I snort. "What are you talking about?"

Peter opens his mouth to answer but Louis beats him to it. "The new Supers of Gotham game, it came out last Thursday. You can play any of the Bats."

"Oh... cool."

"It's so cool, because it's like really realistic. Like you're actually there with the characters," Peter adds, eyes shinning. 

I roll my eyes. "You know you can like go outside at night and literally see Batman any day of the week?"

Louis shrugs. "That's dangerous." 

He has a point, though from what I gather, neither of these boys have ever walked around Gotham at night. It isn't so bad if you know where to go and you carry a weapon. 

"Even if you just sit on a roof, you'd probably see a hero, even from far away," I say. "We could go."

"Go where?" They ask in unison. 

I lift a shoulder. "Make it a late night and stalk the superheroes. We'd do it from far away. Like a roof."

For a few moments, Louis looks at me like I've been teasing them, then his expression turns into contemplation. "When? And where?"

Peter scoffs. "Please, my mom would never let me go out if I told her I was looking for Batman."

"Just say we're going to the movies. It's not dangerous if we're just sitting on the roof of an apartment building."

Louis seems inclined, though Peter is still fidgeting. 

I roll my eyes again. "Look no offense but I'm sure both of your parents would be excited to think you we're making new friends and doing something other than playing a video game about a life that's literally outside of your door.