It was a headshot of Proliator. He had no signs of any injuries. He had his normal uniform and his gold mask concealed his true identity like usual.

"I'd like to thank the city of Manhattan and its citizens-in any form, whether you're law enforcement, emergency services or even someone walking the streets every day, adding to this city's beauty," he started with a low English-charmed voice. His eyes were shaded by his mask and the mysterious lighting behind him, but I wanted to know what color they were to identify what he was really thinking. "But even though I've been giving in the extra effort over the years...I have to announce my retirement."

"WHAT!?" Jem exploded. 

"Shh," I hushed, now interested more in the television than him. This couldn't be true.

"It's been an honor helping everyone I can over the years. I know that hanging up my cape will be a shock to most, seeing as I haven't been around for that long to begin with, but I just need to put this job on hold and get my priorities aligned before anyone gets hurt in my life. That being said, I'll still keep an eye out for anyone planning to cause any sort of major disturbances just like before, only, I'll be the person taking a stand by doing the right thing and calling emergency services..."

The bullshit he said after that--about he was always watching and he could be some random guy on the street--was tuned out because I had fell back into the chair by the door, too shocked to say or listen to anything. He was retiring? Giving up? Even though he said it was so no one in his life was to get hurt, I couldn't help but think he was talking about me. I instantly felt guilty. What if he was turning the city over to some bad guys all because of me? Manhattan didn't deserve that! The Proliator didn't even deserve that because I didn't deserve him.

"I don't want him to quit!" Jem cried, running into my arms and lap and burying his face in my chest. Great. If Jem ever finds out that I'm the potential reason as to why his favorite person in this world quit the "coolest job ever," he'd hate me. It would be his very own villain origin story, i bet. More guilt filled my body.

"Me either..." was all I could whisper back. I stood from the seat and started to walk out, not caring about any other farewell words drenched in hope-turned-law-enforcement-propaganda that the Proliator was saying on the TV. Nothing mattered anymore. He was leaving for sure and what if it was my fault because I had treated him so cruelly last time?

"What's wrong?" a concerned voice asked once we were in the hall. Jem immediately wiped his face and stood up taller.

"Nothing," he huffed and walked around Hayden. I sighed.

"What happened?" Hayden asked me, even more concerned now.

"The Proliator just resigned," I stated, but then a light bulb went off into my mind.

The thought of my plan's success was officially gone. I had no leads because I was sure that everyone was here now, late or not, and they wouldn't have to leave for some accident or crime because their double-identity was out of business for good...for whatever that reason was. And considering the network received that video just now, all of my suspects were too busy being here to record/send it. In their best interests, they probably pre-recorded it and scheduled for it to be released.

"Really?" Hayden asked. I detected a sense of hope in his voice.

"Yeah?" we had started to walk to the hall and I saw Jem run into Dastan. Instead of giving some crap excuse, Jem told him the problem and Dastan ushered him to the other side of the lobby to talk. This time, I trusted him with Jem. Something about the way he was with Jem made me believe he was an understanding and empathetic person that couldn't harm a fly.

The way he looked at Jem was so compassionate even though Jem was ranting to him about his disappointment in his favorite superhero. That all went away when Dastan looked over to Hayden though. His eyes went cold, his jaw tensed, and he even sort of scowled. He gave daggers for two seconds before Jem must've said something and he snapped his eye contact back over to him, softening all his features. What was that about?

"Come on," Hayden said, tugging at my wrists. I could tell that he wanted to get out of view of Dastan, but he was learning to control himself. He had confessed before that all he had to do was kiss me in front of Dastan to set him off...which made so much sense now...but Hayden decided that he didn't want to deal with his problems in front of me anymore.

"There's my daughter," I heard my dad say over the microphone. I froze as Hayden and I stepped through the door. Everyone was off the dance floor and they were lightly clapping at the tables. What was going on? My dad handed the mic to Veronica and started walking toward me as Hayden nudged me from behind.

"Angela, I know it was hard to lose your mom all those years ago, and even harder to gain me as a hopeful stand-in over these years," Veronica started, "but this dance is for you and your father because you know how much we go back and forth about sharing him."

I couldn't do anything but wipe the confused look off my face and smile as my father was in the middle of the dance floor, holding a hand out to me. I felt the blush in my cheeks as I left Hayden and made my way over to my dad. He placed his left hand on my waist as his other was clasped with mine.

"She spins and she sways,

To whatever song plays

Without a care in the world

And I'm sitting here wearing

The weight of the world on my shoulders

It's been a long day

And there's still work to do

She's pulling at me

Saying 'Dad, I need you

There's a ball at the castle

And I've been invited

And I need to practice my dancing

Oh, please, Daddy, please?'

So I will dance with Cinderella

While she is here in my arms

'Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh, I will dance with Cinderella

I don't want to miss even one song

'Cause all too soon the clock with strike midnight

And she'll be gone..."

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman was a beautiful song and I enjoyed dancing slowly with my dad. The majority of the chords really sank into my core and I knew my mom's spirit was somewhere crying at our touching moment. Even though I was in my dad's arms, it was her embrace I was missing right about now. 

"You're growing up so fast..." he commented. I looked up to him.

"I should be telling that to you; you're the one married!" I commented, pretending to be an excited parent of the groom and pushing the tears out of my eyes.

"Well I'm not the one with a boyfriend trying to think of a way to cut in lightly," he laughed. I looked over to see Hayden watching us. The corners of his lips turned up slightly as his eyes glittered over to mine .

"Only because you're the one with a wife who wants the spotlight," I replied. He looked over to her and then back down to me.

"They can wait," we chimed at the same time and continued our dancing.

When the song ended and started to fade into "Big Green Tractor," Dad kissed my cheek, but was quick to depart from me because of the tall teenage boy standing there behind me.

"May I have this dance?" Hayden said, smiling a cute, crooked smile. I put my arms around his neck as his hands went to my waist. He pulled me into him and I felt his heart beating really fast. I looked up to him.

"What's wrong?" I asked up to him. He was looking over someplace.

"Nothing..." he lied. "I just think someone has a problem with us."

"Huh?" I asked. I followed his gaze and it went to Nik who was glaring at us while hissing something probably insulting to Cheyenne. "Forget Nik."

We were friends when I first moved here because somehow him and Cheyenne got along well, but I had quickly realized that he was a very temperamental guy that thought he was always right and had no hesitation when it came to telling everyone else they were wrong. And how could I be really good friends with him if he insulted me on a daily basis for going out with Hayden?

"I'm surprised he's the only one," Hayden commented with a light chuckle. He was now looking over at Dastan who was lingering by the door, looking someplace else.

I traced his gaze and saw Sebastian and Kenneth start to walk up to our table (which sat Nik, Cheyenne, and now Sarah with Jem) with Jamie and Kylie in a joking manor, but when they reached the table, Kenneth froze, staring directly at Nik. Nik immediately stood, but I couldn't see his expression now that he was facing Kenneth and the others. Kenneth took a step back and even though I wanted to know what the hell just happened, I was trying to not get so involved because I was here with Hayden and that's all that mattered for now.

"What do you mean?" I asked Hayden, mostly because I forgot what he said.

"Well I mean, your brothers don't really like me and your ex boyfriend is here so..."

Suddenly, I had completely forgotten that this song was mine and Kenneth's song. Oops. Guess it's not anymore.

"Who cares?" I asked. "I'm with you and they can just get over it."

"And that's another reason people have love you--" Hayden laughed, but as soon as the L word came out of his mouth, his eyes widened, meaning he didn't mean to say it. I even paused myself. Instead of stammering or running off, he composed himself and took a deep breath. I was ready for what he had to say even though I was apprehensive about returning the sentiment. "Angela, I love--"

"You. It's you," a voice suddenly said from behind before someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into them: Kenneth. I peeled his hands off of me and sent him a questioning look, but now his look towards Nik from earlier was now given to Hayden. He suddenly tore away from him to look at me. "It's him. He was a guy at the field."

"What field?" Hayden asked. I started to loosen and looked at Kenneth, trying to sift out the confusion and focus on the assertion. I knew how strong his memory was and he wasn't one to accuse anyone of anything unless he was absolutely certain.

"Are you sure?" I asked him in the quietest voice I could manage that would be heard over the music. Kenneth nodded and then maneuvered me behind him once more to protect me from Hayden.

"Hey. Get your hands off of her," Hayden said, taking that threatening stance like every time he had an encounter with Dastan.

"Hell no," Kenneth said firmly. That's how I knew I would have to take his side. Kenneth never cussed in front of me or any girl. For him to be so defensive meant he was certain Hayden was on that field four years ago and started that fire...meaning he was dangerous to me. When Nik appeared at his side, something clicked in my mind.

Their distain for each other lined up with their tension in Sebastian and Kenneth's story from back then. They surely couldn't stand each other now and I don't think they ever did. But if they both realized that Kenneth was coming here, that's maybe why they were talking so secretively yesterday and today...but...that couldn't be my Hayden right? One look to his blue orbs and they toed the line of guilt and vindication.

"You know which goddamn field we're talking about," Sebastian hissed, arriving to validate Kenneth.

"Sebastian, hear us out," Nik pleaded. I guess he was in the most hot water. He had been Sebastian's best friend here and he hadn't said anything this entire time. Sebastian didn't say one word back to him. Nik's eyes flashed to mine. "Angela, please, just listen to us."

"Why should she?" Sebastian spat in his face even though, as I understand it, "the blonde one" from their barn story was the one that was being cooperative. The other friend had to be...Hayden. Another look at him and I finally saw the shift in his eyes. Guilty.

"Angela, please," Hayden now pleaded to me. "You don't honestly believe some stupid story that happened in the middle of nowhere that not even they can fill in the holes to, are you?"

"No one said anything about a story..." I caught. He had to know good and well, because no one said anything about a story. Everything about him seemed to be like some sort of lie. Instead of Sebastian's self-protection that he assumed the Proliator to have, he should've just said it about Hayden. I felt completely used. Like his "I love you" that he just told me was nothing but some checkpoint in some plan.

"Angela--" he reached out to grab my hand and Sebastian smacked it away.

"Don't touch my sister," Sebastian hissed.

"Yeah. We don't know how you'll affect her; she could lose her memory for all we know!" Kenneth added. Okay. That was ridiculous. Hayden shifted positions.

"With all the times we've touched and made out before, I'm pretty sure she'll have memories of me for a long time that I could never take away," Hayden retorted. This time, Kenneth moved me behind him and got in Hayden's face, ready to fight him. "What? You want to fight me? Obviously your buddy didn't tell you how badly I f*cked him up when he tried fighting me the first time!"

He was talking about fighting with Sebastian.

"Hayden, that's enough," I ordered. Sebastian glanced at me.

"Did you even tell her why we fought that day?" Sebastian asked. Hayden's jaw tightened.

"She has nothing to do with that," he denied. Sebastian looked to me with a smug expression.

"She has everything to do with it!" Sebastian shouted. He looked back to me. "He was bragging all day about how he scored a date with you and he was quartering you as his girl early on, but he didn't want to be the douchebag to admit that it was his fault for you ending up with eleven stitches."

"I apologized to her for leaving her there, but you know that is not the closest damn reason as to why--"

"Stop!" I finally yelled. "My injuries weren't your fault..."

"Ha!"

"But don't think that I'm defending you any further than that," I finished to Hayden.

"What?" he asked with disbelief. I shook my head.

"I have no idea who you are," I stated.

"Yes you do. I'm the same person that you've known this whole time," he insisted. That was a lie, even without the boys' side story. He was a complete asshole when I met him. He had changed from that now with motivation but that wasn't what I was concerned with at this point.

"No you're not," I denied. "You're a different person now from when I met you, just like you could've been a different person back when they first met you."

"But you and I have nothing to do with that--"

"Nothing to do with that?" I quoted. "You were seen at a field with Nik and some superhero--before he was a superhero! You probably still know him and know about me and him. So don't you dare say that back then has nothing to do with us!"

I was done with this. I just ran away from it all, literally.

The encounter four years ago changed everything. By Hayden not being the Proliator, it meant that he at least knew the Proliator. With that, he surely had to know that I met up with him time to time, whether I wanted to or not. So he was just playing along then. Maybe they were both playing with me. While I was promised some undying relationship from the Proliator, I could always fall back on Hayden who had the same damn motives when I figured that dating a superhero wasn't reasonable.

And to think, he was about to change it further by saying he loved me.