"Alex. ALEX. ALEX!"

I hovering above the ground, as confusion washed over me. Before I could fully grasp the situation, I clumsily plummeted back to the floor, colliding with the unforgiving metal bed frame, my head bearing the brunt of the impact.

"He's floating," Melissa said, wide-eyed.

"Told you. You owe me twenty bucks." Mateo replied, waving his fingers at Melissa.

"Did you two place bets on me?" I groaned, nursing the tender spot on my head.

"Yeah," Melissa said, smiling. I sighed, realizing my sister and best friend were still poking fun at my newly discovered abilities.

"Just terrific," I muttered, finally heaving myself off the floor. Melissa wasted no time pointing out the glaring omission.

"Where's your suit, you doofus?" she scolded, her expression filled with exasperation.

I had to concede that she had a point. Being a superhero necessitated preparing for any situation. I leaned over the side of my bed and retrieved my suit, handing it to Melissa.

She scolded me, "You couldn't have done this last night because—"

"I was exhausted," I interjected, attempting to concoct a halfway plausible excuse.

Mateo, chimed in with a ludicrous superhero moniker, "Alright, Mexicano Rayo."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "That's still a ridiculous name."

Melissa, rightfully so, called him out on his racially insensitive suggestion, and I had to concur with her. "Yeah, pretty racially insensitive, Mateo."

As the playful banter persisted, Mateo playfully warned me about potential cringeworthy superhero nicknames the media might bestow upon me. It was overwhelming, and I struggled to keep pace with it all. Nevertheless, I was determined to navigate this newfound reality.

"I'll come up with something," I assured them, rubbing the back of my neck.

I shifted the conversation, inviting Melissa to accompany us to work for the day. She, however, wasn't thrilled about donning my oversized uniform. "If you think for a second I'm squeezing into your sweaty boy clothes, think again," she declared.

"We could speak to Harrison," I suggested.

⚡⚡⚡

"Enough with the 'back in my day' spiel, Harrison. You're only twenty-four," Melissa retorted, interrupting Harrison's nostalgic rambling.

Melissa's eyes widened as the one boy she avoided in school barreled up to the counter, watching her with widen doe eyes.

"What can I get you, Garrett?" she asked, her irritation barely concealed.

Mateo nudged Melissa playfully, attempting to smooth things over. "She's a bit moody today. Must be that time of the month," he quipped, his voice faltering slightly.

Garrett chuckled nervously, "Yeah, it happens to the best of us."

Melissa shot Mateo a disapproving look before taking Garrett's order. Meanwhile, I reached for a cleaver to slice turkey for another customer. As I brought down the blade, it snapped in half, the impressions of my fingers on the steel handle.

"Uh, Alex, are you okay?" Garrett inquired, eyeing the broken cleaver.

I sighed, "Yeah, just a little tired, I guess."

"Goodbye, Melissa. I'll see you at school," Garrett waved and sat at the far end of the mall cafeteria, putting Melissa at ease.

"Is it too much to ask you to rough him up a bit, Alexander?" She asked, watching me chop meat.

I snorted. "Him? He's harmless. It's pretty obvious he likes you."

"You probably like him too. I know you too well. You get all irritable when you like someone," Mateo said as he prepared a to-go order.

Melissa glared at him, retorting, "I don't get irritable."

"Yeah, you do," I teased. "Every time you like someone, you—"

Melissa shoved me into the counter, nearly knocking me off balance, cleaver in hand. "Shut up, Alexander," she snapped, landing a punch on my bicep, which was a big mistake.

She massaged her sore wrist, wincing in pain. "What? Are you made of steel?" She inquired.

"Bulletproof. It might come in handy..." Mateo quipped, finishing up the last order.

Mateo's voice trailed off as his gaze shifted to Gregory and his crew—Lennox, Samuel, and Leonardo—scanning the mall cafeteria for a potential free meal. Then, their eyes locked onto Mateo, Melissa, and me, standing behind the counter. That's when my day took a turn for the worse.

"Open the fucking register, Alex," Gregory demanded, brandishing a gun.

Caught tensely, I exchanged glances with Mateo, seeking guidance. Melissa and Mateo gave me a subtle shrug, so I reluctantly opened the register, causing a cascade of cash to spill onto the floor.

"Alex, do something before I do something," Mateo whispered urgently.

"Are you insane?" Melissa hissed. "He can't use his powers here! There are too many—"

"Where's my money, putas?!" Greg snapped again, growing impatient.

"We, uh..." Mateo hesitated.

"They don't have your money, Gregory, and they never will. I suggest you and your punk friends step back and go about your business before things get ugly," Melissa retorted, her voice filled with defiance. Gregory responded by pulling a pistol from his waistband and pointing it at Melissa. Panic ensued as people in the cafeteria either fled or watched in terror.

"Shut up, Mucosa," he snapped.

Mateo growled, stepping in front of Melissa. "Hey, that's my nickname for her."

"I heard you two made a deal with my brother yesterday," Gregory continued, waving the gun menacingly. Mateo and I exchanged bemused glances, wondering when this supposed deal occurred.

"Is that what your brother told you? Because we don't make deals with demon spawn," Mateo retorted, eyeing the meat cleaver I tightly clenched.

"Nice one, idiot," Melissa scolded Mateo. Ouch. Gregory then aimed his gun at me, his finger hovering over the trigger.

"Open the damn register again," he demanded. I glanced at Melissa and Mateo, who both shrugged. So, I reluctantly pulled open the drawer.

"Give me all the money!" Gregory snapped once more. I hurled the money onto the floor, causing a cascade of one-dollar bills, fives, twenties, and even two-fifty-dollar bills to flutter like feathers.

Gregory's fury showed in his eyes, and he thrust his gun back in Melissa's direction. "Pick it up, bitch," he sneered.

Melissa rolled her eyes, clearly fed up with Gregory's demands. "Excuse me?"

Mateo and I looked at her, our faces reflecting panic. Melissa sighed in defeat and walked out through the swinging double doors, collecting the scattered cash and begrudgingly handing it over to Gregory.

"Count it," he growled.

"One... Two... Three... Four... There's gotta be at least five hundred here, Gregory."

"I'll be back for the other $31,800 later," Gregory said, snatching the money from her hand.

Gregory and his crew walked away, leaving from a distance. We watched as they departed, their figures growing smaller.

"What the hell, Alexander! Dad is going to kill you," Melissa snapped.

I sighed, leaning against the countertop. "I know," I muttered. The countertop abruptly gave way beneath my strength as I leaned, sending debris and dust flying in all directions.