Whether Elasti-Girl was happy for Elasti-Woman and Robotman or not, the next few weeks were difficult.  The younger Rita wasn’t used to being as alone as she was in the guest house.  She craved time with her older counterpart, in part because of the gaps in her memory, and in part simply for companionship.  But for Elasti-Woman, her teen self was a reminder of all she had lost, including her individuality, and the only companionship she really craved was Cliff’s.

It turned out Elasti-Girl even cut into Elasti-Woman’s time with Cliff.  Even though she wasn’t able to have the relationship with Cliff that the adult Rita did, the teen still had strong feelings for Cliff and she was having all the trouble sorting through them a teen in love has … and she had it without adult help in sorting it all through.

To make things worse, the adult Rita soon figured out that the missing memories in her younger self were almost exclusively the things she wished she could erase.  They were all the hurts, all the pains -- the actions of the Chief and Steve Dayton, the awful elements of being protoplasmic and even the jerk who dumped her in high school when, at age 14, she shot up a foot in height.  Being so tall had made her ideal for swimming, which set up her Olympic career and everything that followed, but it had cost her the first love of her life, and it hurt like the dickens.

Only the kid hadn’t experienced any of that.

The woman fumed inside every time she saw the teen, which only made the teen’s needs worse.  Meanwhile, the three of them were mostly alone on the island, with Gar, Raven and Karen living their own lives.

Then came the day that Cliff and Elasti-Woman were supposed to be getting together for some of their “special time,” and Cliff was late.  Finally, after 20 minutes, Rita looked out the window, and saw Cliff talking to Elasti-Girl.  The teen was in a bikini and leaning back flirtatiously, laughing at some undoubtedly lame thing Cliff had said.

Rita went out the window, grew to the ground and returned to normal as she strode to the other two.  “Excuse me,” she said.

Cliff pivoted.  “Oh! Rita!  Geez, I’m sorry. I guess I lost track of time talking to Rita, here.”

“That’s OK, Cliff.  We can talk in a bit, but I need to talk to Rita alone, please.”

“OK,” said the teen, looking confused.

Cliff put a hand on Elasti-Woman’s shoulder as he passed.  “Don’t be too hard on the kid, Rita.  This is at least partly my fault, too.”

Rita the adult made no acknowledgement as Cliff walked back toward the main house.

“What’s up?” the girl asked.

“I think you should leave,” the woman said.

“What?”

“I think you need to figure out what you’re going to do with your life.  It isn’t here.  I think you should leave.”

The teen stared at her older self in disbelief.  “And where do you expect me to go?” she asked.

“I don’t know.  Back to Gar’s place,” the woman said.  “Not my problem.”

“No, and I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ve had enough of it.” Elasti-Girl said.  “And I’m not leaving.”

“What?”

“I’m staying put,” the teen said.  “I was part of you when you bought this island.  Legally speaking, I have as much right to it, as much ownership interest in it, as you do.  This is my island, too, and I’m staying.  The only reason I’ve been staying in the guest house is because you and Cliff are a couple now.  I’ve been trying to stay out of your way.”

“Well, you’re sure getting in the way often enough!” the adult yelled.

“I’m just living here!” the teen yelled.  “I’m alone!  I need someone to talk to, and there’s only you and Cliff.  I don’t even have a phone or communicator of my own to call anyone, and all my friends from when I was this age the first time are your age now.  I’m starting over out here all by myself, and you won’t even help me!”

The adult pivoted to walk away, saying, “I don’t have to listen to this.”

The teen grew to match Elasti-Woman’s resting height and grabbed her shoulder.  “Oh, yes you do!”  the girl said.  “You welcomed me at first, but now you treat me like dirt.  There’s something about me that bugs you.  What -- is -- your -- problem?”

The woman’s lower lip quivered.  “You are!” she yelled.  “You’re everything I used to be, and everything Cliff fell in love with, and everything I want to be again and can’t be.”  The adult began to sob.  “You’re young, and you’re vibrant, and you’re happy, and you’re innocent, and you’re … you’re …”

“Human,” the teen said.

The woman collapsed to the ground, sobbing.  “I can’t even make real tears,” she said.  “They’re as fake as I look.  I called you rita 3.0, but you’re more Rita Farr than I am.  You’re everything I used to be and loved being and am not any more, and … I hate you for it.”  She said the last part quietly.

The teen put a hand on the adult’s shoulder.  “It’s not easy having an instant kid sister or teen daughter, is it?  Especially when she really is so much a copy of, a part of, you as I am?”

The adult shook her head.  “I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling.  “I don’t really hate you.”

“Not much, anyway,” the teen said.  “It’s sibling rivalry, only instead of vying for parents’ attention, it’s almost like we’re vying for identity.”

The adult looked up at the standing teen.  “How’d you get so smart?”

The girl shrugged.  “I was still part of you when you were Gar’s mom,” she said.  “I learned a thing or two from the best.” She offered her arm.

Elasti-Woman took it and stood up.  :”You’re right, of course,” she said.  “You have as much right to be here as I do, and I shouldn’t be treating you so shabbily.  I’m sorry.”

Elasti-Girl smiled.  “I can handle it,” she said.  “I may not remember all the bad times, but I know you, since we … share a history, shall we say.  I know the dark places you and I can get to, and you’ve been through more trauma than I remember.  But, you know, I wouldn’t mind talking to you about it, if you like.”

“You want to move into the main house?”

The teen shook her head.  “Nah.  You and Cliff need the room, and my place is closer to the beach.  Besides, how many 13-year-olds have their own house?”

Elasti-Woman nodded.  “I’ll see what we can do about getting you some kind of cell service or communication here.  And Gar, Karen and Raven know other super teens.  They can help you make some contacts, and some friends.”

“Thanks,” the younger Rita said.  “Um, I want to be your friend, too.  I know it won’t be easy.  In some ways, we’re closer than twins.  But --”

The adult place a single index finger to the younger Rita’s lips.  “I don’t know what you’d call this relationship, but we’re definitely friends, at the very least.  Very close friends who can drive each other crazy.”

The teen laughed.

“And from now on, we talk when either of us needs to -- except, of course, if my husband to be needs my attention at the time.  He will need to come first.”

The teen nodded, “That makes sense,” she said.

The two of them walked to the main house, steps in synch, their arms around each other’s shoulders.

Elasti-Girl looked up at Elasti-Woman.  “This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” she said, trying to sound like an old-time movie actor.

The woman groaned.  “That was really bad,” she said, laughing.

“We never could do impressions,” the teen said, also laughing.

“Let’s just be ourselves.  That’s hard enough,” the adult said.

“Agreed,” the girl said.  “And let’s have as much fun as we can doing it, OK?”

“OK,” the woman said.