The sound of her name being called broke into Taylor's dreams, in the strange way the outside world often did when sleeping. Taylor ignored it, clinging to the scenario playing out in her mind.

"Taylor, wake up, sweetie. I'm going to drive you to school."

Taylor shoved her face deeper into the embracing folds of her pillow. "No need. I can teleport there."

This seemed like the logical response since it guaranteed that she could go back to sleep. But her mother's soft laugh shattered the remains of Taylor's sleep and sent her heart racing.

"Tomorrow you can do that. Today I'll drive you."

Sitting bolt upright, Taylor stared up at her mother's kind and lined face.

"You know I can teleport?" she asked.

Again, her mother chuckled and kissed Taylor's forehead. "Why don't you take another minute to wake up, you're still half dreaming, sweetie."

With that, her mother walked out of the room, leaving Taylor in a puddle of relief and leftover panic. Trying to slow her frantic heartbeat, Taylor curled her legs up and dropped her head onto her knees, breathing slowly.

When she felt more in control, she fell back onto her bed. Only once she'd stopped being so aware of her panicking heart, did she register the rest of the world. Outside, the rain tap danced on her window. Taylor watched it, listening to the quick rhythm while following trails of droplets as they raced each other.

The sight of it reminded her of Dominic and the time they'd been in the rain when it was frozen, like millions of diamonds suspended in the air. It had been beautiful.

Dominic!

Taylor sat up again though with less panic than the last time. Snatching her phone off her nightstand, she typed out a message telling him that she couldn't pick him up for school.

Halfway through, she paused, thinking about the rain and how he'd have to ride his bike through it. As she hesitated, trying to form a new plan, her mother walked back into her room.

"I wanted to make sure you were still up and didn't fall back asleep," she said.

Taylor nodded, the phone still sitting in her hands. "Mom, can we drive a friend of mine to school so he doesn't have to bike in the rain."

"Where does he live? If it isn't too far and we leave early we can do it."

"Okay."

Taylor: Where do you live?

Dominic: You know that.

Taylor: No. I know what your room looks like and vaguely your house but I don't know where it is.

Dominic: And that's worked out. Why do you need to know where it is?

Taylor: My mom is driving me to school and I asked her if we could pick you up that's why I need to know.

Dominic: I live near Richard's cemetery.

Taylor looked up from her phone to convey this to her mom but found she'd left. Slipping out of bed, she padded her way down the hall and stopped at the entrance to her parents' room.

It looked like them, neat and simple. Though the photos on the walls spoke to a more adventurous side of them and the things they'd done in their younger years. Though it was a side Taylor hadn't ever seen, both of her parents in their sixties.

"Mom?" Her mother poked her head out of the master bathroom. "He lives near Richard's cemetery."

"We can do that." Her mother disappeared but slowly emerged again, her expression curious. "Did you say 'he'?"

Though Taylor didn't understand why she felt this way since it was only Dominic, everything in her wanted to fidget, run, and hide. But she forced herself to remain steady.

"Yeah, Dominic, you met him," Taylor said.

"The handsome smart one," her mother said.

"The one you gave tea to when I was sick," Taylor countered, not at all wanting to travel down that path her mother was laying out.

After all, it was only Dominic.

Her mother smiled and it seemed she planned to go down that path whether Taylor followed her or not.

"We can definitely give him a ride to school," her mother said.

"I'm going to get ready now," Taylor said turning away before her mother could possibly look more pleased. Maybe she should let Dominic ride to school in the rain, it would be less miserable than a full drive with a curious mother.

Taylor: I'll pick you up but be warned, I think my mother likes you and likes the idea of you and me.

Dominic: All mothers love me, they sense the absence of mine and want to fill it. I look forward to being your mother's future son-in-law.

Taylor: Bike to school in the rain.

Dominic: See you soon.

The wariness Taylor had didn't diminish in the slightest by the time they pulled up to the curb outside of Dominic's house. The rain descended with more ferocity and still the way her mother looked at Dominic approaching the car, made Taylor want to leave him behind.

But Dominic hopped into the back of the car before she could tell her mother to drive on. However, she knew her mother never would have listened and would have admonished Taylor for being cruel.

"Good morning, Mrs. Barnes," Dominic said wiping rain from his face.

"Hello, Dominic," Taylor's mother said. "It's been a while."

"It has. How have you been?"

Taylor stared out the window so her emotions wouldn't be read on her face. She'd never seen Dominic around other mothers so she couldn't judge if this was his usual manner or if he was laying it on thick. It felt like he was laying it on thick just to annoy her. Which sounded like something he'd do.

Though with the way Dominic easily kept up a conversation with Taylor's mother the whole ride, she began to doubt if he was doing it to annoy her. When they arrived at the school, Taylor admitted to herself that Dominic might have a second ability, the ability to connect with everyone.

"I'll definitely take you up on that offer some time," Dominic said, opening the back door. "As long as Taylor doesn't mind me joining in on a family dinner."

"Oh she doesn't mind," her mother said.

Taylor might have but it seemed she had no say in the matter.

"Thanks for the ride," Dominic said.

He climbed out and waited for Taylor to join him.

"I like him," her mother said.

"Okay but remember you've been married to your husband for forties years now, is a young man worth ruining that over?"

Her mother laughed. "Have a good day, sweetie."

"You too."

"Let me know if you, and Dominic, need a ride home. I could rework my schedule to pick you up."

"It's okay. We'll be fine."

"Okay, but call me if that changes."

"Will do. Love you."

"I love you too."

The second Taylor stepped out of the car, the rain pounced on her. Dominic shut her door and hurried her to the safety of an awning.

"What took you so long, I'm nearly soaked?" Dominic said.

"You could have left without me."

"And have your mother think I'm rude? I couldn't do that."

"Because it's your mission to win over every mother you come across?" 

"Basically." Dominic shook out his hoodie, spraying her with water.

"Hey!"

Dominic only grinned at her and Taylor rolled her eyes as she headed into the school. Not letting the front door close on him, Dominic settled in beside Taylor and ran his hands through his wet hair.

"You didn't have to ask your mom to give me a ride," Dominic said.

"I wasn't going to let you bike to school in the rain." Though it had been a thought that crossed her mind, he didn't need to know that.

"I mean you could have come here, found a private place to..." He glanced at the half-empty hallways, rain slowing most people down. "Jump and stuck with our normal routine."

"Oh. I didn't think of it."

"Well now that we're here and at too early an hour-"

"We have twenty minutes to class, it's not that early."

"It's early. You want to get something to eat at the cafeteria."

"Sure."

Unlike during lunch, only a few clumps of students dotted the tables and there was no line to wait in. With a churro injected with jelly that Taylor didn't think could be called breakfast, they claimed a table towards the back. Though it might not count as a healthy breakfast food, it was delicious.

"This morning I told my mom that I could teleport," Taylor said.

Dominic coughed, half choking on his bite. Beside him, Taylor calmly kept eating, not looking at him.

"You...what?" Dominic asked, horsely.

"It was an accident. I was half asleep when she told me she'd give me a ride to school and I told her it was pointless since I could teleport there."

Dominic stared at Taylor, his exasperation rising when she didn't go on. It wasn't payback for him spraying her with water but it was amusing to watch.

"And?" he demanded.

"She thought it was a joke because I was half asleep."

"So you're safe?"

Safe. She didn't know if that was the word to use. Was it safety she felt for keeping the biggest secret of her life from her parents? It didn't feel like that, it felt like betrayal. And she knew the repercussions, she was living them out with Weston.

But she always looked at her parents and could only see the people who feared so much for her since she'd almost died in the car accident that gave her, her ability.

"Do you ever think of telling your dad?" Taylor asked.

"All the time," Dominic said. "I hate that he doesn't know. But there's so much on his shoulders with work, my sister, Collin. I love my nephew but it's a lot to try to help raise your grandson while your daughter is working to graduate college and I'm still in high school. I do what I can but it's all a balancing act for us. I don't want to add to his plate with something he can't change."

"I don't want to worry my parents. I still feel like the worst child in the world."

Instead of reassuring her, Dominic only nodded in understanding. Silently, they ate the rest of their breakfast.

With five minutes until the bell rang, Taylor headed to her locker, Dominic trailing along. At some point from their trek from the cafeteria to her locker, she expected one of his friends to detach him from her.

But to her surprise, he was still with her when she reached her destination. No longer at their secluded table but surrounded by the noise of full hallways, Taylor realized what the start of the day meant. During the school hours, she would have to make a connection with Grayson. How she was supposed to do that was beyond her reach.

"Do you honestly expect me to get close to Grayson?" Taylor asked Dominic.

"Yeah. Don't worry, it will be super easy."

"For you maybe? You're friends with everyone. I don't know how to talk to guys."

With wide panicked eyes, Dominic patted his chest, arms, and legs. "What...what am I? Am I human? What species am I?"

Scowling, Taylor smacked his arm as he laughed. She really should have made him bike in the rain, maybe it would have made him less annoying.

"Mr. Darcy you need to chill," Dominic said. "Are you the first male lead in a book to be socially awkward yes, but do not think like your nickname. Just talk to Mystery Boy like you talk to Gym Boy."

Talk to Grayson like she talked to Clint, what a joke that was. Crossing her arms, Taylor stared Dominic down.

"And how do you think I talk to Clint? Training conversations? Ability systems? Nutrition plans for max amount of energy?"

At the clinic topics, Dominic leaned back, eying Taylor up and down as if he wasn't sure who she was.

"That's what you talk about?"

"What else would we talk about?"

"Literally anything else. It seems at this point talking about the weather would come off as flirting."

Sighing, Taylor sank against her locker because it felt depressing hearing Dominic put in such sad terms. Though yesterday they'd had a moment... it had been about driving home. Scrunching up her face as if in pain and closing her eyes, she dropped her head against the cold metal.

"I don't know how to do this," she moaned.

"Hey, it's fine. Mystery Boy is already attracted to you. Guys don't actually need much encouragement to make idiotic attempts to get close to a girl. Answer when he talks to you. Maybe smile once and a while."

Taylor smiled but Dominic made a face. "Less manic and more natural. Or sure, scowl like that. Works as well."

Taylor returned to having her eyes closed as if that could shut out the disaster that awaited her whenever Grayson tried to talk to her.

But it seemed the universe was a comedian.

"Taylor."

Opening her eyes, she found Grayson hovering nearby and Dominic suddenly absorbed in his phone and acting like he hadn't been in conversation with Taylor a second ago.

"Hey," Grayson said as Taylor looked at him.

"Hey-" Taylor stopped herself before she could say Mystery Boy and made a mental note to kick Dominic late for using that nickname.

"Grayson," Grayson said as if she'd forgotten it.

"Yeah, I know. I was getting there," Taylor said.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Dominic press his lips together and debated kicking him then and there.

"I'm glad I was worth remembering."

Taylor tilted his head. "I'd have to have a very poor memory to forget your name after one day."

At Dominic's cringe, Taylor wanted to yell at him that this was his doing while also shrinking to the size of a pea. But Grayson only chuckled softly.

"True. I guess I'll have to do something to be more memorable." He tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned forward a bit, giving him an almost shy appearance. "I'm throwing a party this Friday, wanna come?"

Even without looking at him, Taylor could feel Dominic's eyes screaming at her to say yes and not screw it up.

"Uh..." Though she knew the answer was yes, she hadn't been to a party for over a year and had no idea what that meant anymore. It was like when she got her ability half of her previous life just disappeared and she had no memory of it.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable," Grayson jumped in. "Ummm...you can come too and that other guy."

Dominic lifted his head as Grayson gestured to him. Smiling in the way that transformed him looks from intimidating to friendly, Dominic held out his hand to Grayson and Grayson slapped his hand into it in a half-bro-handshake. Taylor didn't know if that was the correct term but it was something she'd seen guys do countless times.

"Sounds fun," Dominic said. "Thanks, man. Taylor, you should give him your number so he can text you details."

Taylor almost threw Dominic a look, knowing what he was doing. It felt ridiculous to be driven through a conversation with a guy by another guy like she was absolutely helpless as a girl. Well, in this area she was.

"Right," Taylor said as Grayson pulled out his phone. With her number saved in his phone, Taylor silently felt Dominic instructing her. "Text me whenever."

Internally she cringed at what that sounded like but clearly, it was the right thing since Grayson smiled at her. She didn't smile back, unsure if what she produced would be 'manic' as Dominic had dubbed it.

"I will," Grayson said. "See you around, Taylor."

"See you, Mystery Boy."

The name slipped out, Dominic coughed on a laugh and Grayson smirked. The bell rang saving Taylor from a prolonged awkwardness.

"Mystery Boy," Grayson said. "I like that."

Taylor managed to hold in her complete humiliation until Grayson had been swallowed up by the crowd then she turned into the locker, buried her face in her hands, and groaned in pain. Dominic let out his laugh beside her and without looking, Taylor kicked his leg but either he dodged her or she hadn't been close.

"That was perfectly done," Dominic said.

"What was perfectly done?" Clint asked.

The question relieved Taylor, since it meant that Clint's arrival hadn't coincided with her moment of stupidity.

"Taylor getting an invite to Grayson's party this Friday," Dominic said.

"That's... that's great," Clint said.

Even with her back to him, Taylor could imagine his face struggling to stay composed. It made her heart hope a little, that even though their conversations were never flirty maybe they eventually could be. If she wasn't trying to get close to another guy.

"It is. We'll talk plans during lunch," Dominic said. "We should get to class."

Knowing he was right and she couldn't spend the rest of her day trying to melt into her locker, Taylor turned around.

In a heartbeat, Dominic jumped from one pose to another. Though the shift wasn't anything huge, the fact that there'd been no transition between them told Taylor everything.

"Can I walk with you to class?" Clint asked Taylor.

"I'm leaving," Dominic said.

Even with Taylor shooting lasers of questions at him with her eyes, Dominic left.

"Taylor?" Clint asked.

"Sure."

They walked in silence for a minute before Taylor decided she had to ask the question.

"What did Dominic tell you in the Time Stop?"

"Caught that?"

"I did."

Clint scratched the back of his neck, a tell Taylor was starting to learn meant he was uncertain.

"He told me to stop being an idiot and do something," Clint said.

The next time Taylor saw Dominic, she would be looking directly at him when she kicked him so she didn't miss.

"I'm sorry if I've been an idiot," Clint said.

"No, Dominic is the idiot in this situation."

"I can agree to that."

Taylor smiled and Clint looked at her with a softness that he rarely showed when Dominic was around. It sent a strand of warmth through her.

At her first period, Taylor hesitated before stepping in, even as the second bell rang.

"The party Friday," she said. "Grayson invited Dominic and you as well, which means I'm not..."

"We'll be there," Clint said. "I'll be there. You won't be alone."

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

"As far as promises go that's not great."

Remember these emojis 💭🗯💬🌚 mean if you want to comment thoughts you can here.

Reader Joy: Joy?

Writer Joy: Yes, Joy?

Reader Joy: I don't want this to sound mean... it's not a judgement on your writing more like an observation that I thought about sharing with you but one that you I hope you don't take offense at because no offense is really mean by it-

Writer Joy: Will you please just say it already?!

Reader Joy: ummm... this sequel doesn't really feel like the first... it's...well...

Writer Joy: Slower. Not as action focused. Less fast paced. Slow on the mystery development aspect. More intent on the relationships than the first one.

Reader Joy: Oh, you're aware of that?

Writer Joy: Yeah. In the first, Taylor needed to learn how to survive having an ability and a life. Now she's working on learning how to balance relationships with a side of mystery and action.

Reader Joy: So it won't be the same pace as the last?

Writer Joy: So far no. If it makes you feel any better I have minor qualms about whether it's boring and too slow.

Reader Joy: No that doesn't help! I feel like you should know what you're doing.

Writer Joy: Well, that makes two of us.

Reader Joy: But considering we're the same person does that just mean we have split personality?

Writer Joy: I don't think that's a line of thought we want to venture down. Let's just stick to vote, comment, follow for now and leave the existential crisis for later.

Reader Joy: Sounds like a solid plan. Oh! Maybe it will be our mid-book thing to spice it up!