public schools. It’s an idea I floated to Millie months ago at the last event I attended, suggesting that Warrior Nation take a break from donating to firefighters and police precincts and experiment with being heroic in other ways. In the four years I’ve known her, Millie has been an impossible nut to crack, but somehow my idea slipped through, and she summoned me to HQ a couple times for brainstorming sessions. No matter how awkward it will be for me to show up single, I at least have to make an appearance. And, okay, secretly, I want to check on Matt. We don’t have to talk; I just want to see him, to make sure he’s okay after today’s sinkhole trauma. Then I can go home and feel like I did something.
Standing on the sidewalk outside, I smooth out my black A-line skirt in the glow of the gallery window. “All That Shines” is the name of tonight’s event, and the entrance is strung with an intricate web of fairy lights, hundreds of strands crisscrossing in a pattern that looks impossible to untangle. I take a deep breath, fluffing out my short waves with my good hand to give them any ounce of extra volume. Just a quick appearance. See the exhibit, check on Matt, and get out.
The place is packed, people laughing and clinking champagne flutes to the sound of tinkling chimes playing over the gallery speakers. The exhibit is all about artists experimenting with light, and there’s a wide variety of mediums showcasing the theme. A sculpture made of shattered mirrors casts twinkling sparkles all over the room, while a large installation of flickering Edison bulbs blinks phrases in Morse code. There are also several blinking LCD screens, playing a looped video showing extra-close-ups of shiny objects like tinsel and diamonds. I weave through the crowd, though not undetected, as familiar faces and strangers alike recognize me, each looking past me for a certain superhero, confused when they realize I’m alone. But I keep moving, doing my best to avoid small talk so I can complete my mission as quickly as possible.
“Bridgette!” calls a female voice from the crowd, and I cringe, not wanting to engage in any kind of post-breakup interrogation. I turn to see Anna waving furiously at me. I give her a friendly nod, which she takes as an invitation to bop over like a tiny woodland mouse, larger-than-large eyes taking me in with absolute curiosity. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? I heard that you and Matt broke up! And your hand, it’s broken? Oh no, that’s terrible! What about your art? How are you handling all this? Do you need something? A drink? A goat-cheese-stuffed mushroom cap? They’re really good, I can get you one. But, oh, are you allergic to dairy? I—”
“Anna, it’s okay, I’m fine,” I interrupt her, knowing she could continue this one-sided conversation for a very long time. Every time I see her, she rambles on and on until she’s completely sure that every person in her vicinity is cared for. Matt and I joked that it must be her coping mechanism, since having a boyfriend who throws himself into danger is a situation she cannot control. Offering people beverages or a shoulder to cry on is her own little way of saving the world.
“But you and Matt! Oh my god, I’m devastated!” she continues, clutching the front of her dress. “You’ve always been my inspiration. The way you’ve stayed together through all this craziness? Wow, it’s just…Wow! Like sometimes I feel like I’m going to explode when I know Ryan is fighting, you know? What am I saying, of course you know! It’s so hard! He’s so strong but it’s so much, and now there’s this siege and—”
“Geez, Anna, give the girl some room,” says Houston, swooping in to save me from Anna’s ramble. He puts some space between us, though Anna quickly darts back around him to ensure she’s not left out. “Nice to see you, Bridgette.”
“You too,” I say with a warm smile. “You both look really nice.”
“Aw, thanks, but I’m nothing compared to my girl,” Houston says, nodding at Aqua Maiden across the room. She’s way overdressed in a floor-length green-sequined gown, long red hair falling down her back. Of all the heroes, she’s always been my least favorite, exceedingly fake and only in it for the fame. But Houston is crazy for her, and never misses a chance to compliment his lady. “You