The bell rang raising a wave of students and pushing them out the door. Going against the current, Taylor slowly flipped her notebook closed and shoved it into her backpack. She stood and swung the straps on her shoulders.

As she passed by the front, Mrs. Hall called her name, tugging her backward. In her outstretched hand was a recently graded essay.

"It's nice to see you know how to pay attention and put in some effort," her teacher said.

Taylor took the essay, staring down at the B+ marked in green. A knot in her chest unfurled at the sight. At least she was getting a handle on one thing in her teetering tower of problems.

"Thanks," she said, following the exiting tide.

Outside, Taylor converged with the mass of students making their way to the cafeteria, the raucous around her a dull roar in her ears. She slipped off one strap of her backpack and twisted to reach the zipper. As she did, a shoulder slammed into her making her stagger and crash into a set of lockers, the essay fluttering to the ground.

"You really should watch where you walk," a voice said.

Taylor knelt, ignoring the statement. She was now familiar with the snide voice and had no desire to offer a reply. Snatching the fallen paper, she stuffed it away and continued toward the library.

As she stepped inside, she paused unsure what would be waiting for her. The feel of Dominic's lips on hers and the way he held her bubbled to the forefront of her mind. At the desk, the praying mantis lowered his book.

"He's back there," he said. "Looked just like you do, like you are going to throw up. You two fight?"

Taylor eyed him. He was sitting in his usual position, feet propped up on his desk, book in hand, some odd accessory like a bowtie making him look out of place and out of time.

"Don't you ever work?" she asked.

"Yes."

There was no explanation to follow the answer. Taylor looked away from him.

"You two break up?"

"We're not even dating."

The librarian lifted his book, clearly deciding the rest of the story was not one he cared all that much about.

"Okay then. Have fun talking to your relationally-ambiguous person."

Shaking her head at this man's strangeness, Taylor gripped her straps and headed to the far corner. When she entered the aisle, Dominic looked up from his phone, hesitant.

As she approached him, she waited for her emotions to flare, for some spark of desire, excitement or anticipation to come rushing forward.

But nothing did.

The only thing that surfaced was worry. Worry that what they had might be ruined. Seeing him now, she knew what the previous night had been, a flood of endorphins that had transformed into hormones which had then been transferred to the closest thing: Dominic.

As far as her feelings for him went, it was akin to friendship, but that was about it.

Taylor stopped a couple of feet away from him. They stared at each other for the first time that day, since Dominic had given an excuse for not needing her assistance with transportation that morning. The silence stretched on from uncertain to strained to uncomfortable until they both broke the quiet at once.

"I don't want a relationship."

"I'm not allowed to date."

They blinked, startled by the other's response.

"You don't want a relationship?" Dominic asked.

"You can't date?" Taylor said, the comment overlapping with his question.

When he didn't race to give her answer, Taylor decided to lead the charge.

"No, I don't," she said. She stuffed her hands into her hoody's pockets. "I'm just barely keeping my head above water with school, sleep, and life. Adding someone who is emotionally dependent on me is too much."

Dominic nodded. When he again wasn't quick to return the favor of an answer, Taylor repeated her question.

"You're not allowed to date?"

Dominic dropped his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a long story."

Taylor cocked her head. "I feel like this is the obvious moment when I point out the fact that you can stop time and so, therefore, time is relative."

Dominic frowned at the floor and Taylor leaned back on the bookshelves. Step by step they had found their way through the terrain of acquaintances to something like friends but she knew that there were some mountains too high to cross and secrets that were too heavy to pass on.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. We can leave it at this," she said.

The gift of space made Dominic meet her gaze, the conflict of his thoughts mirrored in his eyes. Instead of accepting, he sank to the ground, dropping his backpack beside him. Falling in with the habit, Taylor sat adjacent to him and laid her calves over his straightened legs.

Only after she had done this, did she glance at him making sure it was okay. He didn't seem to notice and so she kept her position. As Dominic released his breath, the Time Stop draped over them and Taylor waited. He contemplated his knotted hands.

"Almost three years ago," he said, "my mother was killed in a hit-and-run."

Even though the declaration came out of left field, sympathy swelled in Taylor's chest and she opened her mouth, but Dominic threw up his hand.

"Please don't say you're sorry," he said. "It doesn't help."

The words were choked in her throat, lodging there, the struggle to keep them down harder than she imagined it would be. She swallowed, forcing the sentiment away, even though she knew a piece the pain he held, having lost her aunt.

When Taylor remained silent, Dominic relaxed, but still didn't look at her.

"She was a librarian," he said, quietly.

He rifled through his backpack and pulled out the current book he was reading. Opening it, he removed the photograph. Taylor absorbed its contents. A boy about six-years-old with round cheek sat on a slender woman's lap, the book Curious George opened before them.

"When you mentioned all the books on your bookshelves were from her, you spoke in the present tense," she said.

Dominic kept his focus on the worn picture, sadness cloudy his eyes. "I didn't feel like telling you then." He took back the photo. "She's the reason I read as much as I do. She would always make me promise to keep reading."

Taylor leaned back against the line of books, letting the quiet help the rest of the story come out.

"Anyway," he said. "When she died my family kind of fell apart. My dad did the best he could but he was grieving and we all dealt with it in different ways."

Dominic let out a slow breath and met Taylor's gaze. "I have an older sister, she's nineteen. An amazing tennis player. She actually got a full-ride scholarship because of it."

Taylor made no comment, not seeing the connection between the bits of information but figuring there was a common thread and it would eventually make sense.

"A couple of months after my mom died, she got pregnant. Adoption was talked about but she decided to keep it. The scholarship was lost and in its place was a baby boy. Collin."

Dominic dug his hand into the pocket of his pants for his phone. After scrolling a couple of times, he showed the screen to Taylor. In Dominic's arm was a laughing baby with hazel eyes and wispy black hair. Besides his nephew, Dominic grinned, the look brimming with affection.

"That's him," he said. "He's the one you heard crying that one morning." He studied the screen. "He's teething right now and I'm usually the one that can calm him down. I take him into the Time Stop so that his pain goes away and he can fall asleep."

Taylor watched him, noticing the way his lips curved at the sight of the baby and hearing the tender note in his voice.

"Collin's dad is still kind of part of the picture, so I guess that means something. I don't know. I still hate him."

A laugh rose in Taylor's stomach but she kept it trapped.

"Julia is the one who does a lot for Collin and Anthony barely manages to babysit once a week."

His sister's name sparked a memory of the first time Taylor had appeared in Dominic's room and his father had mentioned it. The random puzzle pieces became to fit together. Dominic shook his head as if trying to realign his thoughts.

"Anyway, because of Collin, my dad made the rule that I wasn't allowed to date in high school. It makes sense but at the time I was fifteen and pissed. I didn't go along with it at first, but then there was this one time I was sneaking home and...I found him crying in his room holding a picture of my mom."

Dominic angled his body towards Taylor. "You have to understand something, my dad works on construction sites and is huge. He's like a freaking bear and he doesn't cry. I know he must have after my mom died but he always made himself strong for us." He sagged, returning to the memory. "You can imagine how unnerving it was to see that. He was whispering about how he was trying to do his best...well after that I decided to follow the rules."

Even after the words had trailed off, Taylor waited, not wanting to rush in.

"Your dad sounds like a smart guy," she finally said.

Dominic gave a lopsided grin. "He is, but looking at him you would think he was dumb as a brick wall." He chuckled softly, though there was a tinge of sadness in the sound. "My mom told me she was speechless when he walked into the library one day and said he was looking for a good translation of War and Peace cause he wanted to read it again. They made a really odd pair."

"My parents are like that too," Taylor said, wanting to share, to show that she appreciated him trusting her.

Dominic raised his eyebrows and she nodded.

"Yup, he is the tall, broad-shouldered black guy and my mom is this petite, blonde white woman. Any younger and they would look like a poster for cultural diversity."

Dominic chuckled, the grief retreating from his eyes.

"Well, anyways that's why I'm not allowed to date," he said. "Sorry, it was a long explanation."

"I didn't mind."

At the sincerity of her words, Dominic gave a small smile which she echoed.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

A moment of hesitation passed before Dominic agreed.

"Is it ever difficult not being able to date and do all the stuff that it usually involves?"

Dominic shrugged. "Sometimes. But I've had enough bad nights waking up to the sound of a baby crying and having to help that I understand. Besides, my life is pretty full with school, friends, football training, and babysitting, that a girlfriend would add complications to it all."

"And you have to deal with late nights saving people from muggers," Taylor said.

Dominic fidgeted, not meeting her gaze. "Yeah, and when I have those."

There was an evasion in what he said that Taylor wanted to prod at, but she held herself back, knowing that one big secret was more than she expected from the day. As if sensing where her mind was going, Dominic diverted her.

"It's why I didn't agree to help train you to fight," he said, rushing on.

"That makes sense. You have a lot going on. I'm not sure you had to be a jerk about it, but I get it."

Dominic winced at the memory. "I'm sorry about that." He swallowed. "You wanted it cause that guy punched you, didn't you?"

Taylor touched her cheek as if feeling the faint pain of the bruise that was already healed.

"Yeah, didn't want to face that again."

"I'm sorry again."

Taylor blinked herself out of her thoughts and shook her head.

"It's fine. Clint helps me so it's okay."

Confused, Dominic frowned. "Clint who?"

"Another senior. He is some crazy good karate trainer. He offered to help me and so far I haven't quit."

"Of course you haven't, you're a badass."

Taylor burst out laughing, half from what he said and the other half because of the complete certainty in which he said it.

"I'm not sure that's true but thanks for saying it."

"It is true, I was there last night as you decided to walk into a crime family's lair."

She lifted one shoulder. "Couldn't have done it without you though."

"I guess we make a good team then."

"I guess we do." She paused. "So we agree? Last time was just a fluke?"

"Yeah, it was."

For a breath, they stared at each other caught in a realm of what could have been.

Then the Time Stop fell away and they returned to reality. Rousing themselves, they stood and gathered their things. Before she could regret it, Taylor wrapped her arms around Dominic's neck, hugging him.

"This is me not saying sorry about your mom," she said.

He hugged her back. "Good, I don't want to hate you. I kind of like you."

She pulled away. "I know. You kissed me."

"This isn't going to be awkward, is it?"

"Only if we make it."

Taylor backed up, giving Dominic space to leave first. After he had taken a few steps, he turned back.

"You know you can walk with me," he said.

"You sure about that?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, we did walk around an evil guy lair, I think we can walk down a school hallway together."

After a moments hesitation, she joined him. As they passed the front desk, the librarian eyed them, noting that they were together. Taylor caught the way he suppressed a smile and shook her head at him. The hallways were quiet and the only sound the pair exchanged was the uneven rhythm of their footsteps.

"Do you have a date for Winter Formal?" Dominic asked.

Taylor frowned. "I didn't even know we were having a Winter Formal."

"How do you not know?" He waved his hand around the hallway. "There are posters for it literally everywhere."

As if put there by his words, Taylor noticed a bright colored sign announcing Winter Formal in two weeks. She shrugged.

"I didn't notice. It's usually a miracle I end up in the right classroom most days."

"Now you know, will you go?"

"It's at night, so probably not. I usually spend my nights....elsewhere."

Dominic laid a hand on her arm stopping her. "Are you telling me you would rather sit out in the cold than go to a dance?"

"It's just a dance. People need help."

"And they always will no matter whether you're there or not. But you could miss out on one of the last dances of your high school life."

"It doesn't seem important."

Crossing his arms, Dominic studied her. "It might not be, but having a life does."

"I do-"

"No, you don't if you consider stopping muggers rather than experiencing a normal high school event a life."

Taylor opened her mouth to argue the fact that people needed saving and that she had to do it, but Dominic cut her off.

"You called me out for acting like Elizabeth Bennett and sitting around, so I'm going to call you out for being Mr. Darcy and not joining in with the dance and standing on the sidelines."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously."

Taylor rubbed her eyes, wishing she hadn't decided to walk with Dominic after all, his words hitting a something she didn't want to think about. Sighing, she dropped her hand. Dominic was still staring her down, challenging.

"Fine, Ms. Bennett, if I promise to think about going to the dance will that satisfy you?"

Dominic grinned, triumphant. "That's all I ask, Mr. Darcy."

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

"You didn't see that coming?"

(Haha which works because I kind shoved a massive barrier in the way of the Day Ship real fast! Like Quicksilver fast. 😏 I'm sorry, 🙈 I had to do it)

Go ahead supers, tell whether you're annoyed by the barrier, happy about the barrier or completely neutral about the barrier because you knew I would pull something like this soon enough? 🦸🏽‍♀️🦸🏿‍♂️🦹🏽

If you haven't noticed I have a love for Pride and Prejudice. It's made multiple appearances in my books. I'm not going to lie I've read it like five times. It's that good!I know classics can be the bane of your existence since schools make you read them, but give this one a chance. It's lasted this long for a reason. The characters are great and their development is ever better!

I wish I was Elizabeth but I'm not. I'm not even pretty boring as a stick Jane, nope I'm Mary. The weird one no one talks about. 🙈

If you're a movie person and want to watch a really funny version of Pride and Prejudice watch Bride and Prejudice, it's a Bollywood-ish type movie. I say 'ish' because it's like a gateway into Bollywood. It's dramatic but not as dramatic as some Bollywood movies.

(If you know this movie then 'no life, without wife'. *breaks out into song and dance*)

Oro Igbadun (Yoruba): In Thor Ragnarok, the actor who plays Thor in Odin's (Loki's) Luke Hemsworth, the third Hemsworth Brother.

Vote, comment, follow but only is you stand for great dance scenes!

😂 IT'S SO GREAT! 🤣