While having a superhero father can be exhilarating, it can also be exhausting, especially when every kid and teacher in school is constantly gushing over him. It became so annoying that I sometimes wished to plug my ears and move to a different town. My father is a fantastic superhero, but hearing others boast about him as if he were their dad drove me.

That morning, Mr. Sandoval launched into his lecture about Shadow Fighter and his striking ruby-red eyes. Somewhere in the middle of his speech, I couldn't help but close my eyes and doze off on my desk. This wasn't like me at all. I wasn't the type to fall asleep in class; after all, I had a perfect 4.4 GPA and worked hard to maintain it.

When I felt a tap on my shoulder, my eyelids fluttered open, and I quickly wiped my mouth before removing my hoodie. Mr. Sandoval, leaning against my desk, quipped, "Ah, Mr. Adams, welcome back to Earth." I looked up at him, lifting my head. "Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Adams, that this is unusual behavior for you?"

I nodded, my head still spinning as I stared at the board. This was definitely out of character for me.

Mr. Sandoval sighed as he observed me straightening my notes on my desk. "Mr. Adams, I'm assigning you to Ms. Williams, our newest student. She's in the back, three tables behind you." I turned to see Addison seated next to Garrett Jackson. I got up from my seat, tossed my notebooks into my bag, and went to the back row, where Addison winked at me.

As I settled into my seat, I casually threw my backpack onto the table before me while searching for a pen. The girl beside me, her blue eyes glancing my way, offered me one from her collection.

"Hey," she said quietly as Mr. Sandoval continued his lecture. I accepted the pen and turned to face her. She continued, "That girl before us took your pens." I scoffed, my right hand gripping the pen as I glanced at my sister in the next row.

Of course, she did.

"She's my twin," I whispered, my gaze fixed on the whiteboard as I began taking notes. The girl next to me chuckled and introduced herself in hushed tones, "I'm Allison, but you can call me Allie."

I focused on my notepad, occasionally glancing at the board to jot down more notes. Allison watched me, and as the bell rang, I finally said, "Hey, um, do you want your pen back?" I asked as I noticed her gathering her belongings from the desk. Handing her the pen, her eyes brightened up.

She said, "Oh, uh, you can keep it," smiling before standing up and leaving the classroom.

Physical Education was the one time I couldn't freely display my remarkable strength, speed, and agility, which sometimes made things even more challenging, as my powers were still developing, and my control over them was limited.

Coach Haynes had a brilliant idea to let his baseball team practice during our PE session to prepare for the upcoming tryouts. They needed new players to replace Jack Johnson and Hero Romero, who had graduated the previous year, along with my brother and other seniors on the team.

Coach Haynes scanned the bench, cleared his throat, and said, "As you've heard, we have tryouts tomorrow for the baseball team. My team has volunteered today to help us with the selection process." I glanced out at the baseball field, and my brother David locked eyes with me, wearing a smirk as he tossed the ball in the air and caught it in his glove. Coach Haynes' gaze shifted to me, oblivious to my near-sonic hearing.

"Is everything okay, Adams?" he asked. I shifted uncomfortably on the bench, surprised by his attention. "Uh, yeah, everything's fine," I replied, expecting his following words.

Unaware of my heightened hearing, Coach Haynes blew his whistle and declared, "Good, you're up first." I clamped my hands over my ears, walked onto the field, and picked up my brother's bat. I turned to face David, who playfully punched my leg behind the batter's box.

"Hit the ball, dork," he grumbled under his breath. I rolled my eyes and turned to face our pitcher, Jason Gray. I gripped the bat tightly, the wood creaking under my strength, while Mason prepared to pitch. Coach Haynes stood to my right, and Allison sat on the bench, handing him a piece of paper.

My palms were sweaty as the bat rested in my hands. David patted me on the leg again, and I returned his gaze. "Calm down," he whispered. I turned my attention back to Mason.

Mason wound up and released the ball, hurtling it toward me. I swung the bat instinctively, and the ball collided with it. My brother removed his mask, and his hand reached my shoulder as we watched the ball disappear into the woods behind the school.

David mumbled, "We're talking to Dad tonight," before giving me a friendly kick.

Coach Haynes approached us, slamming his clipboard on the ground. "What the hell was that?" he bellowed. My eyes widened, and I saw the same expression on David's face.

"That," he said, exhaling deeply, "was freaking awesome, Adams," Coach Haynes praised. I gave a slight nod, tossed the bat aside, and walked away with my brother patting me on the shoulder.

"Coach, is Chase trying out for the team?" David asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Of course he is. I want to see that again," Coach Haynes grinned.

Lunchtime was always a peaceful respite for me. I usually sat alone, but today was different, and I appreciated the company of my lab partner, Allison.

"Hey," she greeted me with a smile, placing her tray on the table before me. "Do you mind if I sit here?" I groaned playfully and looked up at her, but she gave me the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes I couldn't resist.

"Sure," I said, and she tossed her backpack into the seat next to her before taking a chair in front of me.

"I saw you on the baseball field earlier. Was that your brother?" she inquired. I lifted my fork and took a bite of chicken before responding.

"You mean David."

She sipped her drink and asked, "Are you going to try out tomorrow?" I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I doubt it. David and I don't get along well as teammates. We barely get along at home," I muttered under my breath as I took another bite of chicken.

She smiled again, genuinely concerned, and I stared at my food. When I looked up at her, her smile had grown even brighter.

"Maybe this is an opportunity for you two to work things out together."

I shook my head, expressing my doubts. "I'm not so sure about that," I said, sipping my water, before grabbing my backpack and heading out. Allison followed me to the trash can, holding her tray in her tiny hands.

"What about your brother bothers you?" she asked as we disposed of our trays.

I sighed as we walked away. "You wouldn't understand," I muttered under my breath.

She sighed, dumped her tray, and kept pace with me. "Try me," she challenged.

As I turned to face her, I growled softly, and our noses bumped. I stepped back, fearing she might notice the red under my blue contacts, and stumbled over a bag on the floor, hitting my head against a wall before collapsing onto the smooth surface. Allison reached out to help me, but I quickly pulled myself to my feet, brushing myself off as she tried to assist.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," she winced. I took a deep breath and sighed. Her puppy-dog eyes were back.

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to be such a jerk to you," I replied, looking into her eyes.

"It's all right, Chase," she said. As we left the cafeteria, her ocean-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and the bell rang.