HOW TO FLY ⁀ ᶜʰᶦᶜᵏˡᶦᵗ

03 ─ extraordinary

❝ sometimes you gotta run,
before you can walk. ❞

chapter three | extraordinary

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ENTITY CAME BACK OUT, HAIR STILL SLIGHTLY DAMP. not as fully drenched as mine would've been, darn boys and their absurd blessing of a quick air dry. not to mention a slightly— hah, completely— short bathrobe around his body for his suit was currently hanging from the shower rod. the robe was my mom's, oops?

❛❛ don't say anything, ❜❜ the hero said lowly, a boyish scowl planted across his lips as his face was scrunched rather immaturely.

❛ the mask too? this is rich! how much money do you think i'd make if i took a picture and sold it online? ❜ i bit out through the laughter i was so desperately trying to keep at bay. spoiler alert: it wasn't working.

it was a sight to see after all, wavy brown hair loose against the side of his face, bright eyes blazing, mask or no mask...

... of course, which looked insane— compared to the fluffy, blue robe that barely made it to his knees paired with a soft mahogany mask concealing his true self. the mask's material something i was positive i wouldn't be able to pronounces, similar to me during spanish class excluding words like hola and el baño.

his scowl only deepened, ❛❛ i should have just left, the storm sounds more pleasant than your voice. ❜❜

❛ ouch, my heart's been broken. how ever will i continue to live on? ❜ i deadpanned, flipping my body upwards to where my legs hung off of the bed while i sat upright.

❛❛ hopefully you're less annoying this way, ❜❜ entity retorted.

❛ heyy, ❜ i smiled, an innocent smile, before sticking up three fingers directly at him, ❛ read between the lines, superhero. ❜

❛❛ cute, ❜❜ he smirked before blatantly flipping me off in response, ❛❛ that was elementary, my dear watson.❜❜

❛ as if you'd be sherlock, ❜ i scoffed indignantly, waving him off, the idiot.

uninvited, he sat himself down next to me.
the quiet fell between us, even with the storm's full-force whistling outside. my hands were folded in my lap as i kept my eyes on them rather than the boy mere inches away.

❛ so, you're an actual hero, huh? ❜ i offered up lamely, a minimal variation in my tone.

everything suddenly felt— awkward, noticeably awkward. i felt his eyes boring through me and his breathing was even. mine, however, was not.

❛❛ and you're leighton, ❜❜ he answered in his own form of confirmation. ❛❛ it's nice to formally meet you. ❜❜

❛ back at you, entity-x, ❜ i crookedly nodded.

❛❛ so tell me about yourself, for God only knows you're a super-stalker and lured me into a kidnapping, ❜❜ he shoots me a pointedly suspicious look, teasing evident in his vocal cords.

the awkwardness was gone.

i roll my eyes, ❛ you caught me, it's all ruined now, ❜ i reply dryly before pausing.  ❛ well, what do you want to know? other than im not a kidnapper. which i'm not. ❜

❛❛ knew it, ❜❜ he smirked lightly, ❛❛ anything? everything. ❜❜

my eyebrows raised in return, ❛ everything? gee, who's the super-stalker now? ❜ a chuckle followed.

❛❛ stop avoiding it and just talk, ❜❜ the boy said bluntly, the kind of bluntness that had an air of softness as well; it was an oddly compelling mixture.

❛ i'm not avoiding anything, i've just got nothing extraordinary to tell you, ❜ i pulled my left shoulder into a half shrug.

it was true, what i said, and i didn't know why he'd care in the first place. he'd practically stumbled into a dying museum merely existing to collect dust. i was boring. there's no self-pity from that or wanted prying questions, it was the truth. simple as that. i don't have a crippling sickness or backstory, my talents are average or slightly above, my hair color is a natural brown, and i like to sleep.

❛❛ liar!! ❜❜ he said in a song-song voice, wagging a disapproving finger at me.

❛ stop that. ❜

❛❛ stop lying. ❜❜

❛ i'm not! i've already told you. i'm not extraordinary, that's okay with me. if you wanted an elaborate backstory or special talent, you're going to find yourself severely disappointed. i'm not going to apologize for that, either. ❜ my lips pursed slightly and i re-averted my gaze to the white wall in front of us.

i am who i am and i didn't need somebody else, entity-x or not, telling me i need to be more.

the hero stayed silent for a moment.
another moment.
and another.

i wasn't nervous before. now i was.

❛❛ and you have the audacity to tell me you're not extraordinary? that very fact makes you false. ❜❜ he finally spoke, soft, genuine.

i couldn't help the subtle blush that fell upon my fair complexion.

the night roared on, more conversation fell from our lips in a midnight exchange of laughter, teasing, and hard truths. before i knew it daylight had filtered through the dew covered windows. everything had gone back to normal. except it hadn't.

a clean bathrobe laid neatly folded at the foot of my bed. a certain suit had been taken off of the shower rod. my balcony door was left partially ajar and taped to the glass remained a note. it read:

had to run. secret super hero duties, you know.
thanks for the shelter, i owe you. fully expect me to repay you in full. soon. keep your door unlocked (;
that sounded creepier than i intended.
oops. x

—truly sherlock.

p.s you are the definition of extraordinary, leighton greene, dont convince yourself of otherwise. that's a crime.

for what felt like the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours, my heart leapt and so did the corners of my lips. there i was, a slightly dumb-struck brunette, pushing the open door shut, but leaving it unlocked.

it was just then i realized i'd never told entity my last name.