Falling for a Superhero

Chapter TwentyOne-"It Worked."

I sat on my windowsill. No. I sat on my fire escape, hoping that some deranged person could see me, report it as attempted suicide, and then Proliator would show up, but...I was sitting cross-legged—like he used to—and I was eating ice cream. That didn't scream "suicide watch" to me. But at this point, I'd do anything to take away the gapping whole in my chest from not seeing him...also the annoyance towards myself for being so obsessed with someone who I didn't even know.

"He's a, a good time, cowboy Casanova leaning up against the record machine! He looks like a cool drink of water, but he's candy-coated misery. He's the devil in disguise—"

I ended the music blasting from my phone because I hadn't even downloaded it. I didn't even know why it was going off, which caused me to actually turn over my phone and see who called me. Dastan? I dialed him back.

"Dastan? How did you get into my phone?" I asked him when I heard him pick up.

"I need to talk to you," he said in a soft voice.

"Alright. Just come over," I allowed, even though I was mentally slapping myself for being so desperate to him after I saw how dangerous he got today.

"I can't," he said the two words that plunged through my heart. "It's something that I have to say without anyone else around."

"Oh," I replied. He gave me directions to a sort of remote area of downtown. I told my family that Cheyenne and I had to get supplies for a project, but I'm sure Sebastian knew that was a lie. However, he didn't say anything. He only gave me a disapproving look.

***

I was waiting here for an hour and a half. I had called Dastan, but he didn't answer. Hayden had texted me a few times and then I wasn't the one to answer.

"Dastan, I've been waiting here for almost two hours. I'm sure whatever you have to say can wait until tomorrow-that is if you come to school," I left him a voicemail. "Well, I'm just gonna start heading home. I hope you feel better than you were in school, today because I don't want to fight with you...Bye."

I started to walk back and when I reached Central Park, I decided that I'd enjoy the autumn scenery. I drank a cup of hot chocolate that I had bought from a closing cart and I just accepted the cool, breezy night. Minutes later, I was walking the trail and when I got to a tree-surrounded path, I heard a group of people to the side of another trail. They were even stationed around a fire.

"Hey!" one of them called. I looked over. "Yeah, you! Come'ere!"

I hesitantly walked over and saw there to be three guys and a couple of girls making out by a tent.

"Do I know you?" I asked them. I noticed the spread out bottles of beer and I became even more reluctant to near them. Not to mention the pungent smell of marijuana.

"No, but you should," one of them smiled. From behind, someone jumped out and scared me. The other three laughed and stumbled as they neared me. As much as I wanted to run, I couldn't.

"Hey!" a new voice called. I looked over to the tent and saw a man emerging. He had on a leather jacket, some dusty jeans and a beanie. He looked to be in his early twenties, maybe. His friends looked back as he jogged over to his drunken friends. He seemed sober...or at least the soberest one here, because I'm sure the others couldn't do that. He got closer to me and the fire danced light across his attractive face. He glanced to me shortly before telling his friends something that I couldn't hear. Then he jogged over to me. "What's your name?"

"Annie," I lied. I didn't know anything about him. I wouldn't just give him my name. However... "Yours?"

"RJ," he said just as vague as I. "So why are you stumbling around the park at night?"