Taylor didn't have time to sit with this discovery long before the nurse made her entrance and escorted Taylor into her office. The explanation Taylor gave for the mountain on the back of her head and the possible signs of a concussion was as true as she could. She'd been knocked into a wall and hit the back of her head.

It left out the fact that the offender was likely someone with an ability and someone Taylor might have just met. As well as hitting the wall without ever having been touched by the attacker. She didn't think these details were needed in the grand scheme of it all, what she needed was aspirin.

With aspirin taken, advice from the nurse to take it slow, and a note forgiving her tardiness, Taylor left the office. As she headed to her class, she contemplated messaging Clint and Dominic about the news that they were possibly going to school with a bank robber.

But knowing Clint wouldn't look at his phone until the period was done and Dominic would ask for her location to discuss it, she decided to wait. Repeating herself would be a waste of time.

In her history class, she managed to appear engaged with what Mrs. Wood was saying while her mind turned over the data. As she thought about it, it didn't make complete sense.

There were many guys who were tall and had broad shoulders, why would it mean Grayson was the bank robber? Secondly, who robbed a bank and still decided to show up for school? Seemed like anyone committed to breaking major laws wouldn't be averse to skipping school for the day.

The more Taylor laid out the facts, the more she doubted what she'd initially thought. After all, she was suffering from a mild concussion and she'd only seen his back for a few seconds. Was that enough to accuse someone she'd just met of assault and robbery?

Either way, she knew she'd bring it to Clint and Dominic and hear their thoughts. Though based on how opposing their thoughts usually were, she didn't imagine they'd easily come to a conclusion.

When the bell rang for morning break, Taylor stayed in her seat a second longer as her classmates rushed for the door in the hopes of savoring a few seconds more of freedom.

Taylor: Meet at the library. I have something to tell you.

Clint: See you there.

Dominic: Is it urgent?

Clint: Whether it is or isn't, she asked us to meet her there so we will.

Dominic: You don't have to get huffy. I wanted to know if I could get something to eat before we met up.

Clint: Huffy? What are you an old British lady?

Taylor didn't wait to see how Dominic would fight back, these types of discords over their group chat were common that she found ignoring them to be the best course of action.

The dynamic between the two guys never ceased to baffle her. When in agreement, they were nearly unstoppable, but against each other? Nothing ever seemed to get done.

As Taylor cut her way through the clumps of stationary students, Elena converged into Taylor's path. Taylor stopped. Over the previous month, her interactions with Elena had diminished to nearly zero.

Though it was a far cry from showing the consideration Taylor hoped to inspire when she'd saved Elena's life, she wasn't that surprised either. Neutral seemed the best Elena could do.

"Do you have a second?" Elena asked.

"Not really."

"I promise I'm not going do anything mean to you."

"I didn't think you were, I just don't have a second."

Elena took a step closer and lowered her voice as she ducked her head. "It's about your accident last summer."

Taylor felt as ice sliced through her veins. But she didn't react, almost a year of keeping her secret meant she'd learned how to not betray herself.

"What about it?" she asked, making her voice sound almost bored.

Elena glanced around at the surrounding students. Taylor thought this pointless since she'd yet to see a hallway full of students locked in their own groups ever pay much attention to the world outside it.

"I just want one second," Elena said.

Despite Elena mentioning Taylor's accident, which had resulted in her developing her abilities, she thought about saying no. But she needed to know why Elena felt curious about her accident.

"Fine."

Elena turned away and Taylor felt that was an obvious message she wanted Taylor to follow her. They ended up in an empty computer room that Elena still decided to double-check for anyone. When satisfied that there was no one else to overhear them, Elena faced Taylor with her hands on her hips.

In contrast, Taylor lounged against one of the tables, leaning back on her hands, head tilted. A causal position that hid the quickened beating of her heart.

"You said one second," Taylor said, already knowing her phone would be filled with messages from the boys asking where she was.

"I want to know how you survived your car accident last summer," Elena said.

Taylor furrowed her brow at the stupidity of the question. "EMTs and a defibrillator."

Elena eyed her and Taylor held to the unbothered attitude. She'd heard the deeper meaning of the question Elena asked but acted as if she hadn't.

"You sure there wasn't something else... someone else?"

"You understand I was technically dead when it happened, right? That's why they needed to restart my heart because it wasn't beating."

At the hole Taylor had pointed out in Elena's line of thinking, Elena seemed to deflate a little. But Taylor saw as she rallied herself and knew she wasn't going to let the topic drop.

"What about your brother?"

"He didn't need his heart restarted."

"No, I mean did he see anything... anyone?"

"Besides the EMTs and the dozens of other people who rushed over to the car?"

Taylor knew what Elena was digging out but wasn't going to admit it. She wasn't supposed to know anything after all.

"No, I mean. Someone else. Someone... who disappeared quickly."

Taylor crossed her arms and sighed heavily. "Are you being vague for a reason? You said this would take a second and it's taken a lot longer than that."

Taylor could feel her backpack buzzing with the influx of messages coming in. Not wanting to deal with two guys who were annoyed with her, she figured she'd push Elena into saying what she wanted to out loud, deny it, and be on her way.

"Look," Elena said. "This is going to sound... crazy. But when I was in my car accident I was saved... by someone in a hoodie. Someone, who one second appeared in my car with me and the next somehow moved both of us out of the car and onto the sidewalk."

Elena stared at Taylor and Taylor blinked. "You're right, that does sound crazy."

She stood to leave but Elena rushed to her, grabbing a hold of her arm.

"I'm not crazy," Elena said, a tone of intensity in her voice. "There are other people who have been saved by this hooded figure. I started an account where I've shared these stories and more people have been contacting me. One lady said a hooded figure saved her and her bobbleheads from a burning building."

Taylor froze at the mention of the bobblehead lady. Others could have been written off as people wanting to make up stories but Bobblehead Lady, Taylor remembered her. Despite her now racing heart, Taylor shook off Elena's hold in a careless manner.

"So a bunch of crazy people are finding you," Taylor said. "Not surprising to me."

"They are not crazy. I am not crazy!" Even though the words and the emphatic tone could have made Elena seem exactly what she claimed not to be, her eyes were deadly serious. "There's a super in our city and the world needs to know about it."

Panic slowly invaded Taylor's chest but she tamped it down, knowing she needed to get out of this room with Elena under the impression Taylor was clueless.

"Okay..." Taylor said, dragging out the word to show her skepticism. "There's a super in the city. If you say so. But I wasn't saved by one."

"Maybe you don't remember but your brother might. Can you ask him?"

Taylor felt the twinge of pain in her chest where the absence of her bother in her life lived.

"I'm pretty sure he would have told me if we were saved by some hooded person."

Taylor made to leave but Elena took her arm again, halting her. "Please. Just ask him."

"Why do you even care if there is a super in our city or not?"

"Because they saved my life and I think the world deserves to know about them and the good they have done."

Even though Elena's voice infused the words with awe and appreciation, Taylor could only think how that was exactly what the super wouldn't want. Better to appreciate in silence and never tell anyone than have the world know there was another super out there doing good. Another super who people would look to for rescuing at all times. A super who was trying to figure out how to live a normal life.

"Okay," Taylor said, extricating her arm from Elena's grasp for the second time.

She opened the door and Elena spoke. "Please. Ask your brother."

"I would but my brother isn't talking to me right now."

Taylor slipped out, wishing that the statement had been a lie to avoid Elena again but reality wasn't that nice to her.

In the library, she found the librarian in his usual spot with his feet up on the desk and book in hand. He lifted his head to inspect her over the top of his book then looked to the corner of the library.

"They've been waiting," he said. He lowered his head. "You have two very antagonistic friends."

"I know."

When Taylor entered the aisle, both Dominic and Clint surged towards her, their words hitting her before their tall presence could.

"Where were you?" Dominic asked. "Did you go somewhere? What was with your message?"

"Are you okay?" Clint asked. "Did the nurse have any concerns about your head? What took you so long to get here?"

"Do you know how annoying it is to wait here with Gym Boy?"

"I swear you call me that again and I'm going to put you through a wall."

"That's great, break the stereotype that not all gym rats are violent meatheads."

"You seriously need to stop-"

Taylor put her hands on either guys's arms and instantly their arguing stopped. The tension between them evaporated as they focused all their attention on her. She looked at Dominic and the world froze.

"So, yeah," she said. "We have a problem."

**********************************************************************

Sup Supers!

Give me a second. *You watch as I grab hammer, nails, board, and rope*

Joy, what are you doing? Are you already making a ship?

Oh, no, I'm making you a seat to sit on while dangling off the cliff. I figure it would be more comfortable for you than hanging from a rope for dear life. Might get tiring after a while. I'm thinking of you.

*You glare and I grin* I know. I'm the worst. Go ahead and tell me, or you could talk about the chapter. I accept all comments of all kinds! 💬🗯💭🦸🏽‍♂️🦸🏿‍♀️🦹🏻‍♀️

Look! You can get mad at me all you want for the cliff hangers but it ain't gonna change facts. So accept it, okay? We'll simply turn it into a swing and enjoy the danger that comes with swinging back and forth over a deadly drop. You know what they say: live life on the edge! That's what we're doing!

Haha! Okay, I know you hate me but that's fine answer this to distract yourself: Werewolf or vampire?

Me: Uh, extremely old man or hairy one. Haha can I refuse to answer my own question? Well that's what I'm going to do. I'm dipping out of this one.

Vote, comment, follow but only if you have a secret identity no one else can know about. Except me, of course, you should definitely tell me.