This supergirl has no powers (Now Published so sample only)

Chapter 4 - Thrown from the building

© Sandra Corton 2014

Chapter 4

Winters POV

Present Day

I can't believe it's the last day of term and we will be going onto our senior year after the holidays. Caz caught my eye from where he sat with his crowd of admirers and I sighed.

Sometimes I had a hard time believing that I let him get away with what he did. The thing was that he never broke his pinkie promise to me. He never said a bad word about me to anyone. My problem was that he never once defended me when people within his group said degrading stuff about me.

Every afternoon though he came to my house under the pretence of studying with either Dad or East. Really he came to see me. We spent all of that time together and it was the best. That was the time when my sheer adoration for him could barely contain itself.

Today was the last day I would see my best friend until school started again. I was going to miss Caz so much. Already I felt my heart ache at just the thought of him being gone. I captured his gaze once again before quickly looking away. I couldn't let Cole or Quill catch me and bug me about it again.

"Winter I need you to help as a volunteer today." North came up to me and I frowned.

"No! Why are you doing a rescue on the last day of school?" I asked my brother who sighed.

"We just are, now come on." North waggled a finger at me so I returned his sigh and threw my lunch in the trash untouched.

Within the next hour I was getting more and more furious. My Dad and North had me strapped into the strangest harness at the top of an ultra-tall building. I was up so high that the wind was whipping my hair back fiercely. I could barely see the people moving on the streets below me and the cars looked like toys driving along.

My family knew I hated heights so I was shaking like crazy. I was as scared as I was raging at them. I didn't dare look at the ground again or the nausea I was feeling would make itself known. Why were they using me for this rescue? It made no sense to me at all.

"You ready Winter?" North asked cheerily.

"N....n....no." I stammered out feeling a scream scrambling up my throat.

"Too late Sis, see you later."

I felt a push against my back, causing me to stumble on the edge of the building. I looked towards my brother and father who simply smiled encouragingly. In the next instant all I felt was the rush of air as I fell into the emptiness off the side of the building. A scream of sheer terror escaped my lips as I fell. The ground was coming up to me fast and my screams only grew louder. Just as I was sure I saw death coming up to me furiously, I felt arms grab me close and halt my fall.

"Winnie what the hell are you doing?" Caz's panicked voice filled my ears and I could finally comprehend through the fear that he had saved me.

"D...dad....North." All I could do was stammer out their names as I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Really? Why would they do that?" Caz mused as he began to calm down.

"Ouch! Caz the harness." I pulled at the straps that were digging into me from the way he caught me.

"Sorry Winnie, I didn't know." He said as he flew back up to where Dad and North waited.

I let out a squeak and tightened my arms around him. The security I got from his embrace helped, especially when I closed my eyes and pretended we were on the ground. Caz was the one guy that I trusted unconditionally. I knew he would never let me fall.

"Was there a point you guys?" Caz asked angrily to my family members.

"Yes actually there was." Dad said calmly as he came over to me and began removing the harness from my shaking body.

"D...don't you ever ask me to do that again." I managed to stammer out the words angrily but Dad and North just grinned.

"I reckon you will change your mind." North said rather smugly.

"Nothing could change my mind." The last two words came out in a whisper when I turned to face my family members.

Behind them on the rooftop was set up a table and chairs. They were surrounded by a pergola that was decorated with soft gauze curtains. Standing beside the table for two was Dirk with a wide smile on his face. He gestured to Caz and I while all I could do was stand there in confusion.

"We thought you two might want to spend some time together before Caz goes home." Dad said with a grin.

"By pushing me off a building?" I snapped at the pair of them.

"Yep." North answered as he tugged at my hair and grinned.

"That is so not the way to go about things." I scolded them both with a shaking finger.

"Yeah that's what Mum said too." North teased before quickly moving away from me. He might have super strength like Dad but I knew where he was most ticklish.

"We will see you back at school before it ends." Dad went all teacher mode on us before they both disappeared back into the building.

"I so hope Mum yells at them for this." I ground out the words.

"Are you okay Winnie?"
 
Caz knew all about my fear of heights. Being on the roof of our house two stories up never bothered me. As soon as I went higher and could see how far it was to the ground though I just couldn't handle it. The vertigo and nausea was almost too much for me to deal with.

"Yeah Caz I'll be fine." I replied as he pulled me in for a hug again.

Gosh I loved feeling his warm, strong arms around me. He rested his chin on top of my head as he rubbed my back reassuringly. These were the times I found my heart taking me deeper, drawing me in closer to a love I could never reveal to him.

"Thanks for catching me." I murmured into his shirt.

"Any times Winnie, I will always be there to catch you."

It was his comments like these where my heart squeezed and my body filled with warmth. If only I could believe him. He was there to catch me only when we were alone together and nobody could see him pay attention to me. I never doubted we were best friends, but it was best friends with conditions. Those conditions were what I hated the most.

The worst thing was I had seen him save countless lives over the past almost five years that I had known him. If there was anyone that needed saving, he was there. He truly was a hero in everyone's eyes. Only I knew the hatred he held for himself over what he called his cowardice.

The problem was, the only person to ever see the cowardice in him was me. I saw it on a daily basis. He would flinch when people like Cole or Quill taunted me or treated me rudely, but he never said anything back to them. Sometimes it made me so mad but sometimes it gave me the feeling that he never truly cared for me. Our afternoons together were the only times I felt he really did care, or special moments like this one.

"Well for all that suffering they had better organised something really good." I said as I reluctantly pulled away from him.

"Of course Miss Winter. Come and take a seat."

Dirk once again gestured to the chair in front of him. I smiled at him before reaching back a hand to Caz. His fingers threaded through mine without thought as we walked through the gauzy curtains together. The meal was spectacular and it was great to spend time with Caz away from our house, his dorm or school. These were the moments I held safe in my memories and never let go.

"I'm going to miss you like I do every summer." I told him as I scooped up some delicious mashed potato.

"Well I have to go back to my parents." He rolled his eyes and I couldn't help but chuckle.

His mother had only gotten worse to me every year that Caz had turned up for re-enrolment. His Dad though always insisted on treating me politely. Apparently at home they were both a bit overbearing to Caz about what he was going to do when school was done. It drove Caz nuts because he felt he had never deserved his powers due to being so cowardly.

"At least it's the last year you have to stay with them." I said with a shrug and he sighed.

"I know but still...." He trailed off then and I knew it was time to change the subject.

"So what are you planning to do for your holidays then?" I asked him curiously.

I always found the world outside the superhero one I existed in quite fascinating. They called it normal and I called it bizarre. That was the world Caz lived in while it was the world I actually belonged in, being powerless and all.

"If the guys I know stop gawping at me for more than two seconds then normal stuff I guess?" He finished on a question and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Like I know what normal is." I told him wryly.

"I guess we'll go out to the creek swimming, play some sport; you know that kind of stuff." He told me as he finished his meal and pushed his plate away.

"Do the girls go with you?" I asked and then wished I hadn't.

"Yeah sometimes, they often turn up wherever I am." He huffed out a breath.

"That girl, are you going to spend time with her again?"

I fiddled with the serviette and refused to look at him. I hated asking about that girl but it seemed that every summer he came back talking about her while I had nothing new to say. I was dreading hearing about 'Susie this and Susie that' when he returned from holidays.

"Yeah probably." He cleared his throat before answering.

"She's your girlfriend then I guess? I mean you haven't dated anyone for a while." Why couldn't I shut my mouth? I bit down on the side of my cheek and hoped he didn't notice.

"Winnie we do this every year and you know she's not my girlfriend." He told me as he sent me a look and stroked a finger along my cheek. Dammit he knew I was biting it! He knew what that meant; I was trying hard not to let my real feelings show.

"Whatever you say." I looked down at my plate then but he refused to let me turn away from him.

"Winter." He whispered my name as he tilted my chin up to look at him.

Beautiful blue eyes met mine as he smiled reassuringly to me. My stomach fluttered the second his hand covered mine. He was right; we did have this same conversation before every school holidays. I just always felt bad when he came back and talked about her endlessly.

"You just always seem to have a better holiday than me." I said lamely.

"If you want to spend all your holidays with people fawning over you and pretending they like you when they really don't, well that's my holiday." He grumbled and I knew it was time to give this topic up.

"Sorry I mentioned it." I told him.

"Winnie if I could stay here with you I would but my parents...." He trailed off again and I didn't know what to say.

Thankfully Dirk brought over a fancy looking chocolate mousse and I was completely distracted by its deliciousness. Caz lifted his hand from mine before sending me a grin. I had a tiny problem with anything sweet and he knew that well. He handed me a spoon and I was shovelling down the dessert while he simply snorted with laughter at me.

A sigh escaped me without meaning to, which had nothing to do with the delectable dessert and everything to do with this guy in front of me. He knew me so well yet it was all so secretive. Nobody knew we were friends and they would all laugh in disbelief if I ever mentioned it.

Caz could do no wrong in everyone's eyes and sometimes that made me feel rather bitter towards him. The feeling never lasted long though. When we were alone he was the best friend any girl could ask for. It was just a shame that it was only when we were alone.

"If you're not having that last mouthful?" Caz teased as his spoon edged its way towards my dessert.

"Touch it and face the wrath of Winter." I warned him as I flicked my spoon against his to get it away from my dessert.

"Master Caspian, Miss Winter I have been advised that it is time to head back to school." Dirk said distracting my attention.

It glanced up at him as I saw Caz steal my last spoonful of dessert. I quickly went to glare at Caz, expecting him to be grinning smugly at me. I was surprised to find him offering the spoon to me.

I accepted it as our eyes met and the intimacy of the moment surrounded me. My insides fluttered as that delicate chocolate taste hit my tongue. He smiled so warmly at me that I found I could barely breathe for a long while. 

"School you two." Dirk interrupted with a pointed expression and that fleeting instant was gone.

"Okay we're going." Caz said with a sigh. "Come here Winnie."

He gestured to me and I backed up. Flying was not something I enjoyed doing. Sure having Caz's strong arms wrapped around me was fantastic but flying....nope not since the day East had accidentally dropped me on my head when I was three.

"We have to get back." Caz said as I felt his hand squeeze mine.

"You know I'm not good with flying Caz." I took another step back, pushing through the gauzy curtains.

"Too late." He said with a grin. Before I knew it he had scooped me into his arms. I struggled against him which seemed rather useless when I considered how strong he was. "Listen to me. Place your head here and close your eyes. Don't open them until I tell you to."

He gently placed a hand on the side of my head and tucked it against his chest. I felt so warm and safe with him holding me. I just wasn't looking forward to the actual flying. His hand brushed my hair softly back from my face and I sighed.

"Close those eyes Winnie." He told me softly and I did as asked.

I tightened my fingers around his neck as I felt us leaving the ground. A whimper escaped me as the air began to rush against me. It was funny how different things felt with my eyes closed. I felt safe, secure but at the same time as though I was floating on air. I finally felt us touch down on the ground but didn't dare open my eyes in case I had judged it wrong. I heard him let out a small laugh as I felt his lips touch my forehead.

"You can open your eyes." His voice sounded teasing in my ear so I slowly opened my eyes.

We were in the hallway right next to my locker. I could only wonder how he flew into here without catching anyone's attention. I glanced around to see everything calm and still. We had arrived between classes and I could only wonder if we actually missed anything in class. Then I remembered that it was last day which always tended to be lazy and full of cleaning out our desks or lockers.

"That was really nice of your Dad to do that." Caz said as he gave me a quick hug.

"Well it was definitely unexpected. How many fathers throw their daughters off buildings?" I replied dryly and he let out that snort of laughter that I found so darn cute.

"Okay true but it was good to get away for a while and just be together." He said it as though asking me a question.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine which ratcheted my heart rate considerably higher. Being this close to him felt beyond wonderful. It started up the fluttering in my chest and the tingles on my skin where we touched.

Hearing a bell ring made me want to curse aloud. This was it, the moment I lost Caz and he became Caspian the superhero again. To me they almost seemed to be two different entities. I pretty much despised Caspian while Caz was my life line that kept my life worth living.

"I'll see you back at your place." Caz whispered the second before he disappeared from in front of me.

Suddenly the delicious lunch felt sour in my stomach.  I felt cold and bereft from the distance that was now forced between us. I went back to being a nothing whereas he had always been a someone. I wondered if this was the way it was always going to stay. I tried not to let it bother me. I pulled on the familiar cloak of protection that was simply my tougher attitude towards things. I headed to class as the next bell rang and prepared myself for anything.

"Oh Caspian you missed your last class and I was getting worried about you." One of the girls twittered as they went to hold his arm.

I didn't let it bother me even though deep down inside it did, especially when he lied about where he had been. Just once I want him to admit that he was with me, that we were friends who just had lunch together. He didn't though and the bitterness from earlier returned.

I caught his eye as I shoved through the crowd that always insisted on gathering around him. He winced and shrugged before sending me a timid smile which I was in no mood to return.

Another girl rushed over to him, almost knocking me down in the process. There were no apologies when I was worth less than the dirt beneath their feet. She simply sneered at me for getting in her way.

I could feel his eyes follow me as I finally left for class. It only made the bitterness in me sting so much more. If he wanted to be with me all he had to do was be brave enough to admit it. He wouldn't though; he followed whatever the crowd did even though the crowd thought they followed him.

It was ironic really that the most powerful person here felt completely powerless. After almost five years of getting to know Caz I knew it would never be any other way though.

He was the coward he had admitted to all those years ago but he was also the best friend I could ever ask for. There was nothing I could do to change either of those facts.

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So I thought we would look at their relationship with them being all grown up. In case your wondering Zeke will make his first appearance in chapter 6!