A Super Heart to Heart

***Monday, November 4, Big High, following the events of S3E120: In the Shadows***

 It’s lunchtime, and when Boon asks around for Atlanta, she’s pointed toward the hall of practice rooms. There’s a small hallway lined with small rooms. As she peeks in through the windows, she comes across one with Atlanta inside, back to the door and ukulele in hand.

Boon lifts her hand to knock on the door, and then hesitates for a moment. She lifts her hand again and gently raps on the window. “Hey, Atlanta? It’s Boon, from the other night? Do you have a minute”

Atlanta jumps when Boon knocks on the window. Sheet music scatters. She looks at the window for a moment before getting up and opening the door. “Boon! Or, uh, Bobby? Hi! Um, yeah. Sure. Come on in. Sorry about that.” Atlanta gestures at the music on the ground, then starts to pick it up.

Boon looks guilty upon seeing Atlanta drop her sheet music, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. Let me help you with those.” She crouches to help pick up the scattered papers.

There aren’t many, so it doesn’t take long to pick them up. If Boon looks, a lot of them are copied and pasted print-outs of tabs, but there is actual sheet music for Danny Boy and Mr. Sandman. Atlanta shoves them into a folder and sits down on a chair. “Thanks. Um. So what did you need? And do you want me to call you Bobby when you’re not doing the hero stuff, or?”

Boon smiles “Boon’s fine, it’s a childhood nickname so I’m used to people back home calling me that. ‘Sides I don’t really keep the hero stuff a secret.” Boon scratches the back of her neck. “I uh, I actually just wanted to check in on you to see how you were doin’. I noticed you kinda disappeared the other night when shit hit the fan so I wanted to make sure you were okay. You know, not all of us are used to dealin’ with werewolves n’ vampires n’ stuff. Also... I uh… wanted to apologise about the spaghetti, I can’t help but feel like it was my fault for getting Brian riled up.”

Atlanta nods, relieved to know what to call the other girl. She looks a little surprised when Boon says why she’s here. “Oh. That’s really nice of you. Brian told me that something was going on, so I got out before it got bad. So those were actual vampires and werewolves? I mean, weirder things have happened.” She shrugs when Boon brings up the spaghetti. “And it’s okay. I mean, it was kinda gross, and my shirt is ruined, and I still kinda smell like garlic, but worse things have happened. I don’t hold a grudge or anything.” Atlanta shrugs again, smiling back at Boon.

Boon smiles, “I’m glad! Brian is a nice kid once you get to know him”. Boon shifts awkwardly, “Yeah things got pretty wild once you left. Another Big Teamer ended up showing up and we got to team up with her. I hadn’t gotten much chance to meet her yet but she seems pretty cool I guess” Boon gives a half smile, “but yeah I’m just glad you got out okay. I’ve seen you around before in school and stuff and uh, I don’t know, you seem really nice. Despite- nevermind…”

*Despite being evil?* Atlanta thinks, but doesn’t change expression. Of course that’s why Boon is here. “That’s still really nice of you. I mean, Ellen checked on me after I was in a bank being robbed, but we were already friends…” she trails off. “So the three of you got out okay? I mean, I know you’re heroes and all, but even heroes can get hurt and stuff.”

*There’s no way this adorable Sophomore is evil, why does everyone keep saying that?* Boon ponders. She puts her hands behind her head and feigns a look of confidence “Ah y’ain’t got to worry about me. I’ve yet to meet my match.” She grins and flexes an arm. *Except that time I caught on fire* Boon thinks. “But hey, I’m glad you’ve got people lookin’ out for you. And you can feel free to add me to that list. Give me a call if you ever run into trouble again.” She gestures at the sheet music with her head “Or if you ever want to jam out”.

Atlanta flushes ever so slightly when Boon flexes. *Chill out, girl, it’s an arm. A very nice arm.* “Ellen’s a good friend, and I appreciate the offer.” She smiles as she looks at her music. “Uh, ukulele isn’t really the best for jam sessions. I do have an electric tenor that’s a little better for that kind of thing, but…” She shrugs. After a moment, she looks back at Boon. “Why are you a hero, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Boon frowns slightly and looks lost in thought for a second. “Okay bear with me for a second. About a year ago I uh… happened upon some really cool abilities. They came to me at a very dark moment in my life and helped me feel better about my situation. Suddenly I could be someone, I could change things, I felt important. But a bit more recently I realized that I'm not anymore important than the next asshole. There’s dark stuff at work in the world. And you know, none of us really know how much time we have left…” Boon looks solemn after saying this “But that’s okay right, like I’m not any more important than someone without powers, but if I can make life better for someone, if I can lend a helping hand somewhere, it helps fill me with purpose. Knowing that I can help someone else who’s just out here trying to live their life like I am.” Boon realizes her gaze has been shifting off to the side the whole time she’s been talking and looks back at Atlanta “I have no idea if any of that made sense”.

Atlanta nods, looking pensive as Boon talks. “Yeah. It does. And I think that’s a really good reason...Can I ask you another invasive question?”

Boon chuckles, “You can certainly try! I’m kind of an open book.”

"Do you have a family? Do they know about you being a hero? How did they take it when they found out you had powers?" Atlanta says this quickly, like she's scared she'll chicken out if she goes too slowly. "Sorry. That's three questions. Um. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'd understand." She tugs nervously on her sleeves, pulling them down over her hands.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Boon says placing a hand on Atlanta’s shoulder. “Like I said, I’m an open book. I’m an only child, and my Dad passed away about a year ago. I recently left for Halcyon to attend to… personal business… and left my Ma behind in Georgia. I keep in touch with her sure but I haven’t really told her about my powers, or about the hero stuff. I uh, don’t want her to worry you know? I mean if she found out it’s not like she could do much. I’m 18 and can do whatever I want. Still though, I know she doesn’t watch much TV but I figure if she finds out I’ll uh… I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. She might be worried, but I have full faith that she’ll support me regardless. That might be kinda hard to understand if you’re not a superhero though *heh*.”

Atlanta tenses for a second when Boon touches her shoulder, but relaxes almost immediately.  “I mean, I guess at least she can’t kick you out?” she says, shrugging. “But uh, you know, I can’t really understand, cuz like you said, I’m totally not a superhero,” she finishes with an awkward chuckle.

Boon looks puzzled for a moment but then continues on. “No need to take it so hard though! Like I said, ain’t nothin’ special about superheroes. We’re all capable of improving the lives of people around us. You don’t need powers to check up on a friend who needs it, or to make someone laugh, **or to support a picket line, OR TO OPPOSE-** hang on gotta stop myself” Boon takes a deep breath. “But anyway we’re all a little bit super!” She gives a wink.

Atlanta is very confused as she watches the sudden change of tone and the pause. “Uh. Sure. Super.” She does an awkward double thumbs up, but is saved from having to say anything else by the bell ringing. “Shoot.” She stands and shoves her music into her bag. “Thanks again for coming to check on me, Boon. I know you said it’s not a big deal, but I really do appreciate it.”

Boon’s eyes widened after seeing the double thumbs up, but doesn’t remark on it… “Yeah no problem Atlanta. And again feel free to let me know if you need anything, or if you just want to hang out! You seem pretty cool and I wouldn’t mind getting to know you a little bit better… if you want to of course…” She smiles “And plus, I think I can work with an electric tenor.” Boon gives a wink and a peace sign and then holds open the door to the practice room”.

Atlanta grins. “Okay.” She picks up her stuff, then scribbles her number down and hands it to Boon. “I’d like to get to know you, too.”

The halls of Fredericks H. Big High School fill with students as the two leave the practice room, disappearing into the crowd.