Justice League Femme

Chapter Three: Supergirl

"They really have to make us do this?" a kid with black and blue hair asked me as we walked into the National City Technical High gymnasium.

I had my blonde hair in a ponytail and made sure my black-rimmed glasses were secure on top of my nose. "Unfortunately, Lee."

Lee scoffed. "Seriously? We have to go through endurance training after I have to be shoved into the boys' locker room?" They shook their head. "This place needs to get some gender-neutral locker rooms in this place."

I sighed lightly. "I know, Lee."

We walked to the other side of the gym and sat on the bleachers when I heard Lee chuckle.

I turned to them. "What's funny?"

"I...I was just thinking of something," Lee answered, "it's stupid."

I shook my head. "I doubt it's stupid."

"I don't know if she'd have the power to do it."

"Supergirl, you mean?"

Lee nodded their tan-colored head.

That's how Lee and I met, unknown to them. After National City distrusted me, I met Lee, all alone. They explained to me how they were non-binary, and the others at school never understood. I explained to them that I knew what it felt like to be an outsider, too. From then on, Supergirl and Lee became best friends. As Kara, I made an effort to sit with them in the cafeteria and stick with them in gym class shortly after and, just like Supergirl, I treated them like an equal.  In moments like this, I wish I could tell him who I really was.

"What do you think Supergirl wouldn't be able to do?" I asked.

Lee sighed. "You think she could talk to the school officials?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, if she can converse with other aliens and find a compromise with them."

Lee rose an eyebrow. "Kara, how do you know about that?"

"I mean, I'm Cat Grant's intern at CatCo," I explained, "I gotta be updated on the Supergirl news or Miss Grant will have my head." I paused for a second. "Plus, Supergirl's just a good person. What can I say? I like her."

"I'm guessing your articles have a positive slant toward Supergirl, huh?" Lee asked.

"Kinda," I answered, "as many as Miss Grant will let me." I looked over to see an African-American boy come out of the boys' locker room wearing a dark green jersey and dark blue gym shorts. Behind his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes were as brown a dark-chocolate. He was tall, too; tall and thin.

Suddenly, I felt Lee shaking my shoulder.

"Hello," they said, waving their hand up and down over my eyes, "Earth to Kara!"

Instantly, I blinked, snapping back into reality. "Huh? What?"

Lee snickered. "Do you know how long you were looking at Ben Rubel?"

"Oh, uh..." I shrugged. "I don't know?"

Lee sighed. "A couple of minutes, but I thought I was going to lose you for the rest of the period." A chuckle escaped them. "Have you ever thought about, you know, asking him out?"

My eyes widened. "Oh..no."

"Seriously?" Lee asked, "if anything, you've got the best chance out of anyone. You intern with him at Catco."

I shook my head. "Just because I'm around him doesn't mean that I stand a chance."

"Ever heard of the Mere Exposure Effect?"