Chapter 36

The opening credits of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 blared from the TV, the overly dramatic music a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere in Diamond's room. We were all sprawled across her oversized beanbag chairs and floor cushions, a motley crew of teenagers united by our love of bad movies and even worse jokes. 

As the movie dragged on, we traded sarcastic comments and groan-worthy puns, our laughter echoing through the room. It was a welcome distraction from the ever-present pressure of being a hero-in-training. Diamond excused herself to use the bathroom, her black hair with a blue lightning bolt streak swaying as she walked out.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, Denki turned to me, mischief dancing in his yellow-lightning-bolt-streaked hair. "So," he began, his voice a little too casual, "you got a thing for Diamond or what?"

My eyes widened. My face flushed, the blood rushing to my cheeks with an alarming speed. "What?!" I stammered, completely caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

He just shrugged, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "I mean, you two have been glued at the hip since you were kids. You lean on each other, you always have each other's backs. It just… makes sense, you know?"

I stared at him blankly. Me? And Diamond? We'd been friends since forever. It was like breathing, like a natural law of the universe. I'd never consciously considered her in that way. "I… I never thought of it like that, Denki," I admitted, my voice a little weaker than I'd intended.

"Well, maybe you should," he said, a hint of seriousness underlying his usual playful tone.

I nodded slowly, the idea a strange seed planted in the fertile ground of my mind. Was he right? Had I been oblivious to something that had been there all along?

Before I could delve deeper into that confusing mess, the door opened and Diamond walked back in. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked, her voice light and curious.

"Denki thinks I have a crush on you," I blurted out, immediately regretting my lack of tact.

Diamond stiffened, her eyes widening slightly before she quickly recovered, a forced smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, really?" she said, trying to keep her voice breezy. "Well, that's ridiculous. We are better off as friends, Denki."

Denki raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between us. "Why is it ridiculous?"

Diamond's forced smile faltered slightly as she threw her hands up. "Because if we dated, it would ruin everything. We're too close. If it went south, that's it. No going back." she paused, inhaling deeply before continuing "Besides, some things aren't worth risking." She knew, more than anyone, the dangers I constantly faced as someone with my power, and my past life, and the extra threats that would come with dating me.

Denki looked between us, clearly confused, then let out a sigh "fine, okay, I guess so." he said accepting his fate as he left her room.

The air in the room thinned, leaving a heavy silence. Diamond and I avoided each other's eyes, the tension palpable. Finally, I broke the silence, my voice barely a whisper. "You know I know you, right?"

She nodded slowly, her gaze finally meeting mine, a hint of something unreadable lurking in her blue eyes.

"This isn't what you want, is it?" I whispered, the words barely audible.

She let out a soft, humorless chuckle. "No," she admitted, her voice equally quiet.

"I know," I said, a strange sense of melancholy settling over me.

She sighed, the fight in her eyes fading slightly. "I get it, you're with Momo. And I respect it, so it's for the best we never cross that road. Because it would ruin everything. I don't want that for you..."

I reached out and took her hands in mine, her skin warm against my own. "Thank you for getting it." I squeezed her hands. "But what if he was right? What if we could have tried, like two years ago?"

She looked up at me with a look of uncertainty. "Anos… what's done is done. There's no going back. But maybe… maybe it might have worked back then."

We stared at each other, a strange electricity arcing between us, the same feeling we shared back in freshman year, but amplified, more intense. We both wanted to, to see what could have been, but neither of us were willing to risk everything we held dear.

That moment, hung in the air. Time seemed to slow, and I could only see her. A sudden crash broke the silence and we turned to see Denki standing by the door with his eyes wide. We didn't notice him until Hannah, their maid, rushed in and started pushing him out of the door while saying "Give them privacy!" and slamming the door shut.

We instantly recoiled, breaking apart like we had been burned. Shame, guilt, and a deep sense of regret washed over me. "I'm sorry," I began, but she cut me off, her voice sharp.

"Don't apologize. We didn't do anything, so it's fine."

"But we almost…"

She nodded, her eyes dark. "Yeah… we almost. Maybe we should just focus on our friendship, yea?"

"Yeah," I echoed, the word feeling hollow in my mouth.

The rest of the night passed in a haze. We laid down in her room soon after, and I was sure Diamond did not sleep that night either as I was staring at the wall and could feel her staring at the ceiling. We both knew that it wouldn't work. So why couldn't we stop thinking about it? Nothing made sense. I was dating Momo, and I should just focus on that. But why couldn't I?

"Fuck," I sighed, rolling over and grabbing my phone. I sent a text to Peter, "I'll see the therapist on Monday. And I better not regret it."

He responded immediately with a string of happy emojis and a simple, "Yay!"

Tonight was going to be a very long night, and a very confusing one too.