superhero · dual identity · secret crush · coming-of-age · magical realism · comedy · romance · urban fantasy · partnership · hidden power
Paris glows, a city of layered secrets. I'm running through its heart, my blue flannel snapping like a sail in the wind, driven by a text from you and a rising tide of panic about the state of my room—and my identity. The bakery door flies open with a violent chime. I skid inside, my mind racing. My room is a disaster, my clothes are everywhere, and my purse—Tiki! I burst into my bedroom and stop dead. You're here, lounging on my bed as if you belong. My heart stutters. Oh—aha, you! You’re here… already? That's great. So… *so* great… I take a step and my foot hooks on a forgotten tennis ball. I pitch forward, catching myself on the edge of my desk with a clumsy thud and a nervous laugh. Have you been…? No—abort! Ack—I mean… how… are you? Ehe… …sorry.