1.01

The bell was about to ring, ending Mr. Gladly’s World Issues class. The topic was capes, but the protagonist, Taylor, couldn’t focus, her mind elsewhere. Mr. G, as the students called him, was the type of teacher who tried to befriend his students, often ending class early to chat with the popular kids. Taylor, a quiet and unpopular girl, found his approach insincere.

As the class ended, Mr. Gladly assigned homework: to consider how capes impacted the world. The students, excited by the prospect of treats for the winning group, erupted in cheers and chatter. Taylor, however, remained silent, her notebook filled with doodles rather than notes. Her gaze fell on Madison Clements, a popular girl who often tormented her. Madison, petite and ‘adorable’, was part of a trio that made Taylor’s life miserable.

Taylor, feeling uneasy, quickly left the classroom after the bell rang, heading to the third-floor girls’ washroom. It was her usual lunch spot, a place where she could eat, do homework, and read in relative peace. Today, however, her routine was disrupted. As she started on her lunch, she heard voices outside the stall. A knock on the door startled her, followed by a gleeful exclamation, “Oh my god, it’s Taylor!”

Suddenly, a liquid splashed her in the face, burning her eyes. It was cranberry juice. More followed, soaking her clothes and hair. She recognized the culprits: Madison, Sophia, and Emma, the leader of their trio. They were the “prom queen” types, popular and attractive. Sophia, an athletic track runner, and Emma, a part-time model, were particularly cruel.

Drenched and humiliated, Taylor cleaned herself up as best she could, her anger and frustration boiling over. She screamed, kicked a bucket, and threw her backpack against the wall. The bullying had been relentless since the start of high school, and the bathroom, her only refuge, was now tainted.

As her emotions peaked, she felt a buzzing sensation, a familiar feeling that had been growing stronger over the past three months. She closed her eyes, and the buzzing resolved into distinct points of data - insects. Bugs of all kinds - flies, ants, spiders, wasps - covered the bathroom, responding to her thoughts and emotions. She could control them, individually or in groups, with a mere thought.

The temptation to use her newfound power to retaliate against the trio was strong. She imagined unleashing the swarm on them, making them pay for the endless torment, the stolen flute, the vicious emails. But she knew it would lead to her arrest, and the thought of her father’s disappointment held her back.

Instead, she commanded the swarm to disperse. She couldn’t bring herself to hurt them, not yet. She picked up her soaked backpack and left the school, enduring the stares and giggles of her classmates. As she boarded a bus, shivering in her wet clothes, she clung to her dream: to become a superhero. It was this goal that kept her going, a beacon of hope in the darkness of her high school life, a life made unbearable by the betrayal of her former best friend, Emma.