Chapter 9: Broken Love

Romaine's POV

I've been forced into isolation by my mom for nearly a week. It's Saturday again and I can't take it anymore. She's been even more paranoid lately because of the two recent attacks on downtown. I don't think that she's going to let me leave unnecessarily unless I tell her the truth.

I walked downstairs and told my mom that I had to go now. She was watching Real Housewives again, seems obsessed if you as me. Drinking her tea and relaxing in the couch, she was having a nice normal Saturday.

I walked down the stairs with my bag hoisted on my back.

"Bye mom, see you later." I said, attempting to leave under the radar

She wasn't as engulfed in Real Housewives as I thought; she immediately broke her focus and looked over to me.

"Where do you think you're going?" She accused

"Well..uhh I.."

"Go back upstairs, it's too dangerous to leave the house."

"Mom you have no idea how important it is for me to go to Cassandra's house today."

"You can study alone. I couldn't live with myself if I let you go out there and you got injured or even killed."

"Mom, the city needs me."

"What are you talking about?"

I held out my left hand and gently vibrated it at superspeed. Along with the couch now being stained with tea, my mom's favorite tea cup was shattered. I didn't think I'd startle her to the point where she'd drop the cup.

"I-...What...?" She fumbled over her words

"I'll explain later but now, the city needs me."

"What.."

"Love you, bye." I went over and kissed her before speeding out

Well that failed, but it's still much better than when I had to inhibit her.

~~~~~~~

I sped into the lab, desperate to see my friends again.

"Anybody miss me?" I said as my grand entrance

"Romaine!" Donte ran and braced me as I continued to look around.

Cassandra was at her usual spot, with a tea cup beside her. And Dondre was in the adjacent room. Before getting up Cassandra took a sip of whatever was in the cup and hid it behind nearby clutter on the desk.

"Look who's back." Cassandra said, folding her arms, "The MIA speedster. Surprised your mom let you out. You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"No of course not. And I figured the only way for her to trust me to leave was to show her my powers." I responded

"After all that, you willingly showed her you powers, without any form of explanation?" She said

"Well...yeah it made sense at the time." I whispered, realizing that my smart thinking wasn't exactly coming out in my actions

"I swear sometimes it's like I'm dealing with a brick wall. Do you have any form of sense?"

"Look, it was the only way I could get her to understand why I needed to leave"

"What a waste of an inhibitor." She mumbled under her breath, turning away and walking back to the table

"Welcome back bro." Dondre greeted.

~~~~~~~

After they explained to me all the fun that they'd had in the past few days I was lost for words. Everyone has new skill they can do except for me. And somehow Dondre learned something I didn't even think of; I'm supposed to be the teacher, not him.

"Maybe I can teach you some time." Dondre offered

"Yeah..sure"

~~~~~~~

When I finally got to be alone with Cassandra I was welling up with emotion. I energetically walked over to her and held her close to me.

"I've been waiting for this all week." I said

When I went in to kiss her I was left hanging as she backed away.

"Hold on Romeo." She said

"What's the problem?" I asked, "I thought we both felt the same way."

"Look..I-..we..this..this can't happen."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, you're just going too fast for me. Way too fast. I tried to play it your way and tried to keep up with your pace but, I just- I just can't."

"This can't be happening" I said under my breath, walking away

We were now just there, both trying to avoid eye contact and neither of us knowing what to say.

"Hey..." Dondre came in

I don't know if his appearance either helped break the tension or made it worse.

"I'm going for a drink" I sped off, leaving them behind

Dondre's POV

Ok, I don't know what kind of hell's mania I just walked into but I gotta admit, that was funny. Donte and I saw the whole thing. Typical of Romaine to assume a sense of confidentiality without first checking his surroundings. But of course, I had to act like I didn't know what was going on.

"Hey.." I called out to Cassandra, now walking further into the room

"What happened there?" I pointed in the direction that Romaine went

"Dondre I have had just about enough of this." She said, "I can't keep up with him. And half the time I'm racing with his ego anyway."

"Look, I know he can be a lot at times, but the guy really loves you. And honestly, I'd much rather watch twilight than you two; and in case you couldn't guess, I hate twilight. Everytime you lead us on you end up ruining our expectations."

"Well that's not really my fault."

"Ehh, 50/50"

"Oh my god what did I just do?

"..You just.. completely obliterated your crush's dreams and wildest fantasies while subsequently making yourself look like the type of girl that has to know someone for three years before having her first kiss."

"Well...I.."

"Hey I don't blame you, I'd rather wait until I turn fifty to have my first kiss as well."

"Don't use sarcasm with me. And of course I don't plan to wait until I'm fifty. And how are you so sure I haven't had a boyfriend before?"

"Really. You?" I scanned her up and down with my eyes judging her, "You've never known what it's felt like to be in love before."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh please. The way you look at him, the way you like to sneak in a few unnoticed touches. Don't think I don't notice you. You're obsessed with drinking the same thing you ordered on your first date with him. And the way you act when he's around. Cassandra, there's love written all over you; and you can't control it. He's the first guy you've ever had feelings for."

"Well..I..", her face turned red as she broke our eye contact

"You can't tell me you don't feel the same way about him. The guy's madly in love with you."

"Well that's his loss. I'm still waiting on the right guy. And besides, he's not my type; he's too arrogant and stubborn, not to mention narcissistic."

"Are you describing him, or yourself?"

"Look I'm not narcissistic, ok?"

"Oh I know. But that's just how you act when you're around him. When he's around you're the biggest control freak too."

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms again, "Whatever you say. But I'm not interested in dating him. I'd be sentencing myself to hell."

"Keep telling yourself that. We'll see how far that gets you. And if, God forbid, Black Zero were to kill him, you'd be agonized in grief. Because then you'd finally realize what you lost; the best friend and companion in the world, the most caring guy in the universe, the most kind and loving of all time, and the second best most good looking guy you know."

Yeah... I think I went a but over the top...I mean seriously, world? Universe? Time? I'm overselling this.

"...Second most good looking? Who'd be the first?"

"Me of course."

I walked out of there leaving her speechless. I'm tired of watching a love story that multiple people have tried to cultivate get ruined by the two that are supposed to be falling in love.

~~~~~~~

When I got to the Café, knowing that's where Romaine would be, I looked around for a possibly depressed and obviously conflicted teenager. I found the target sitting beside one of the glass pane walls and staring outside.

I sat down in the chair opposing him as I greeted him saying,

"Couldn't have gotten coffee for two?"

He looked at me, taking another sip of his coffee before saying,

"Didn't exactly expect to be followed"

"Yeah sorry man" I sympathized, "I heard about how you got shutdown by Cas."

"I don't know what to do at this point man." He sighed, "It's clear she was just leading me on before, but for what? Does she enjoy seeing me emotionally in despair?"

"I think you just went a but too fast for her mate."

"Dude, I've known her for almost a year."

"Exactly. You know, some girls like to actually get to know you first. And your girl is special so I wouldn't be surprised if she feels that way. You two barely know each other. All you do is argue, fight bad guys, do homework and make fake romance scenes where you slowly get your viewers' hopes up and then crush them."

"What are you talking about? And Of course I know stuff about her."

I raised my eyebrow, "Really?"

"Mhm"

"Favorite color?"

"Well uhh..pink I think."

"Favorite beverage?"

"Uhh.. Iced te~"

"Pants size."

".ei~'

"Shoe size. Favorite rock band. Favorite music genre. Deepest darkest secrets."

"Well..I.."

"See man, you know nothing about her. These are things you have to know before dating somebody."

"Wait..seriously? Even pants size?.."

"Yep. But here's what I think."

"I'm listening.."

"I think that for now you should give her some space..and focus on you. Focus on getting faster and defeating Black Zero. Then you two can break out into a (long awaited) lovey dovey makeout session."

"..."

"But until then, you focus on the bad guys. And maybe a date every now and again will help you two. But wait until the tension is gone please. For the love of God I can not watch another replay of that."

"Wait..you were watching us..?"

"What? No of course not. I was.. thinking of a movie I saw one time in my head; the thought just came out, you know how that is sometimes."

"Oh..yeah of course. Sorry I said that, I know you'd never spy on me."

"Right, right. So what'd you say we head back to the lab?"

"Maybe later.. I don't think I could possibly face Cas right now."

"Ok sure thing. Tomorrow then."

I waved him off as we went our separate ways. Presumably he went home, and I went back to the lab.

NEVER again, am I wasting my time helping these two if they decide to do something like this again. Because so help me I will get mad at both of them and do things that I would most likely regret.