Taylor was going to fall through the floor from the hole she was creating by her pacing. It couldn't be helped, she couldn't stop pacing.

The excitement and accomplishment from the night before had built a bomb inside her and she was about to explode. The second her phone dinged with a message from Dominic, Taylor swapped her room for his. With the fuse of her eagerness lit, she hurried over to him.

"Dominic, you aren't going to believe what I did-"

Dominic up his hands, shaking his head. "Taylor, don't, okay? Just don't."

At the blunt refusal to hear her, she took a step back, the light in her dimming. She studied him, seeing what her enthusiasm had blinded her to. His hair was disheveled, but not in a way that said it was purposeful and under his eyes were signs that he had hardly slept.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Dominic palmed his eyes, exhaustion radiating from him. "I'm fine. Can we go? I need coffee."

"You sure you don't want to-"

"No!"

The harshness made Taylor retreat and Dominic growled in frustration. "We need to leave."

"Okay."

Frowning with concern, Taylor nodded and reached for him. As she rested her hand on his arm, a baby's cry pierced the house. Dominic closed his eyes as his shoulders slumped.

"Give me a minute," he said.

Without looking at her, Dominic left his room. Taylor sank onto his bed, swinging one leg. Collin's shrill cry broke off and a minute later Dominic returned. He stood by the door, looking like his backpack was crammed full of boulders. Cautiously, Taylor slid off the bed and crossed over to him.

"Hey," she said. "You can talk to me."

Dominic pressed his fingers into his eyes as if trying to hold back the flood of his emotions. Taylor gently laid her hand on his arm, trying to remind him he wasn't alone. He let out a breath.

"Julia was pulling an all-nighter for some big test and my dad and I were up and down with Collin. Anthony was supposed to take care of him but the jerk didn't show up or even call."

Without thinking, Taylor wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. Startled, Dominic remained frozen before accepting the embrace and dropping his forehead onto her shoulder.

"I can teleport Anthony to Alaska so he throws up then freezes to death if you want," she said.

Dominic chuckled lightly then sighed heavily. "As much as I want that I still think Collin needs a dad. Even if it's only part of one."

"You're probably right." She paused. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He pulled away from her and dragged a hand through his hair, unable to look at her. "Umm...thanks for the hug."

"Sure. Though the goodness doesn't end there, I'll also buy you a bagel."

Relaxing, Dominic squinted at her. "Do I really look at that awful?"

She made an apologetic face. "Only kind of."

Shaking his head, Dominic sighed again. "Nothing I can really do."

"We could hang out at Starbucks for an hour or so. It might help you not look like death."

"Can't do that, it's part of the reason I'm so tired, I kept having to use the Time Stop to help Collin sleep."

Taylor held out her hand for him. "Then just coffee and a bagel it is."

Dominic wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed them in a silent thank you.

After they were armed with coffee and warm bagels, the pair made their way to the school. Neither of them spoke and somehow it meant the same if they had shared parts of themselves with a conversation.

They had barely emerged into the crowded school hallways when a group of Dominic's friends spotted him. As they moved to sweep Dominic into their pack, Taylor broke away, leaving him to be absorbed.

"Dude! What's wrong with you?" one of Dominic's friends said.

Taylor glanced back at Dominic. It was like watching him don a mask. The haggard boy was replaced with a smirking, overconfident guy. Even if it was one that looked a bit ragged around the edges.

"Seriously, you look like sh-"

"Yeah, thanks man," Dominic mocked, his tone light.

Taylor stared, seeing how this was his alter-ego. This was the boy she had first met, the smirking jerk who had brushed off her need for help.

"What happened?" another friend said.

Dominic shrugged. "Late night."

"Does late-night have a name?" a boy said, shoving Dominic's shoulder.

All the boys laughed, including Dominic. It was like seeing two sides of a coin. Spinning away, Taylor wondered how many saw the weary, compassionate younger brother side of him.

Taylor stopped at her locker and popped it open. As she exchanged her textbooks, Bailey materialized beside her, like a ghost of students past. Wispy flyaways framed her delicate face, adding the spectral illusion.

"Are you okay?" Bailey asked. Taylor gave her a sideways glance. "Yesterday you freaked out on Elena after losing your coffee, when that was the least aggressive thing she's done. Also, your hand was bandaged so I didn't know if you had hurt yourself."

At the mention of the bandage, Taylor brushed her thumb over her still wrapped and healing knuckles. She tugged the edge of her sleeve up, hiding as much of her hand as she could.

"Bad day," Taylor said. "Hopefully, this one is better."

Bailey hugged her books and nodded but went rigid, focus drifting over Taylor's shoulder.

"Incoming," she murmured.

Taylor followed Bailey's gaze to where Elena headed down the hallway circled by twittering girls who all had the frantic energy of hummingbirds.

"I can't believe you survived!"

"Were you terrified?"

"How did it even happen?"

"I don't know if I could ever get in a car again after something like that."

Elena basked in the attention and comments of her friends, all with the air of composed victim and survivor. Taylor leaned against her locker, watching. As the group neared, Elena locked eyes with Taylor.

Taylor stilled, waiting for some comment or abuse. But even as she waited, she couldn't help picturing the teary-eyed girl who had wanted Taylor to stay with her. Maybe the snooty bully was Elena's alter-ego.

The cluster of girls passed by without Elena making a single remark. Though it couldn't compare to Taylor saving Elena's life, Taylor decided to count the lack of bullying as an act of kindness. Bailey raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe almost dying gave her a change of heart."

"Maybe." Taylor stuffed her physics book into her backpack and zipped it up.

"I'll see you at lunch," Bailey said. "And by the way, you should know that Clint Rivera is staring at you in a very hot and intense way."

Taylor scanned the hallway. Through the mesh of students, she found Clint leaning against a locker with his arms crossed. Taylor had to admit he was staring at her in a very hot and intense way.

"I wish he would stare at me like that," Bailey murmured.

Taylor barely heard her as her excitement reignited. Slamming her locker closed, she rushed through the mass of students towards Clint. Before she could say anything, he was talking.

"It's on the News and around school that Elena was saved by some mysterious force while her car plowed into the side of the building, knowing anything about that?"

Without answering, Taylor grabbed Clint's hand and dragged him around the corner and into the nearest storage closest.

"I did it," she said, the second the door was closed.

"I know that."

Taylor gripped his arms. "No, you don't understand. I teleported into a moving car a second before it crashed into the wall."

Clint froze. "You did?"

Taylor bit her lip, nodding. Clint grinned, taking hold of her arms so they were locked in a strange, semi-embrace. "That's insane!"

"I know it's insane! One second I'm on the sidewalk staring at this car that's barreling towards a building, I think 'Eff it' and the next I'm in the car!"

"You seriously thought 'Eff it'?"

"I did! Clint, it was crazy! I've never done anything like that before!"

Clint laughed, tightening his hold on her. "I can't believe you did it! That's amazing!"

"Completely insane!"

Taylor buzzed and felt like she could bounce around the room. Before she could test the sanity of her feeling the school bell rang, bringing her back to earth.

The rush of endorphins frizzled out as Taylor let go of Clint and he did the same. For a breath, they stared at each other as if trapped in limbo between reality and surrealism. Clint smiled at her, reminding her that it all wasn't a dream.

"You ready to do something insane in training, Danger?" he asked.

Taylor grinned back at him. "Bring it."

***********************************
Don't get mad, it's a double update so you can't hate me for the cliff hanger!
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"No one would know. Last I saw him Ultron was sitting on him"

(Probably the moment everyone fell in love with Hawkeye!)

Sunshine Girl calling all Supers, calling all Supers! Report in Supers! What are your thoughts? 🦹🏻🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♂️

I have to saw, I'm with Bailey, who wouldn't want Clint looking at you in a hot and intense way!

Which brings to a point I'm not sure I've talked about in an author's note and if I have I apologize I've just gotten to the point where I've written so many I don't know what I have or haven't covered.

Anyhow! Jane Austin is to blame for every bad boy, bad boy billionaire trope we have! Why? Because that is exactly what Mr. Darcy is, the silent, hot, rich, bad boy with a heart of gold! Man!

Who knew Jane was ahead of her time...wait, if she created it wouldn't that mean she's not ahead of her time but actually the inventor of her time??

Either she perfected the trope and now nothing can ever live up to it. What is your favorite bad boy trope book? I think mine is...Holding Back (plugging it! 😁)

Tahu tak (Malay): Josh Brolin Wore A Giant Foam Head While Playing Thanos

Haha I bet that was hilarious to see!

Vote, comment, follow but only if you stand for breaking the bad boy trope