Taylor idly watched the crowd of shoppers and browsers from her bench in the mezzanine of Brockton Bay View Mall.
'Tomorrow is the day,' Taylor thought. 'Tomorrow is the day me and Dad meet with the PRT.' There was a mental pause. 'And I still don't have a cape name!'. The events two days reminded Taylor of the fact, and to Taylor's frustration, despite having written out a page full of potential cape names, none of them really.... resonated with her.
Taylor sighed and leaned back. 'Maybe I could let the PRT to help me pick one?' She idly made a quick mental check on her power. It's still working. 'It'll be five days by tomorrow at this rate. Wonder what kind of power it'll be...?'
Taylor was startled out of her thoughts by her bench creaking a bit. A young girl, about ten to twelve year old, had sat next to her on the bench. The girl had an uncharacteristic look of exhaustion and weariness on her, and the girl was rubbing her head with one hand, as if trying to smooth away a headache.
"Can I sit here?" The girl politely asked, not quite looking at Taylor.
Taylor answered, "Sure kid."
They sat in silence on the bench. The girl giving Taylor furtive glances out of the corner of her eyes, and Taylor could softly hear the girl murmuring to herself. Something about 89.71%?
Curiosity driving her, Taylor asked the girl, "Can I help you with something?"
The girl turned slightly to face her, and a moment of silence passed, before. "...can I have your phone number?" The girl quietly asked.
Taylor blinked in surprise at the odd request. "Um..." Taylor started, before giving herself a slight shake. "Why..?" she ventured.
The girl took a deep breath, then turn towards Taylor fully and looked at Taylor with determined eyes. "....you're a hero, right?"
Taylor's eyes widened. She certainly isn't expecting that. "...Wha- How-?" Taylor sputtered, but kept her voice down to not draw too much attention from the shoppers passing by.
"....I have powers. To know things." The girl answered. "Please, can you help me?" she pleaded.
"...Um" Taylor said, scrambling to find her mental footing.".... How about we-" She started, but was cut off.
"No one else believes me. Not my parents or teachers or anyone else. The numbers are bad if I go to the PRT or the police. By the time they figure out, it'll be too late and the bad man would have gotten me and-"The girl said in a rush of words.
"Okay, okay. Calm down." Taylor placated her in a steady voice. Power? Numbers? Bad Man? Despite herself, the girl's plea touch her heartstrings a bit.
"Please, I need to have your phone number." The girl pleaded again, this time with teary eyes, her face full of desperation now.
Taylor took one look at that face, considered what she had heard and her resistance crumbled. "...sure. Here." Taylor punched in the number into the phone that the little girl had quickly and graciously passed to her.
The girl thankfully accepted back her phone before going quiet again. "...and you need to promise something." The little girl whispered.
Taylor blinked. A promise? "....what?" Taylor asked cautiously.
The girl took a breath before stating firmly. "That you keep your phone with you at all times."
The odd request took Taylor by surprise. Apparently, the pause was too long, because the girl pleaded again. "Please! Please please please...".
"Okay, okay!. I will!" Taylor quickly said.
The girl looked at Taylor a bit, before she slumped, slightly despondent. ".....you don't quite believe me, do you?" The girl whispered.
"I do, I do." Taylor defied her statement, frantically thinking of a way to reassure this apparently desperate girl. "...Look." Taylor took a breath before she solemnly swore. "I pinkie promise to keep my phone with me and keep it ready at all times, And I promise to save you from bad guys."
The girl look at her, with one part hope and one part puzzled. "Pinkie Promise?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, Stick a cupcake in my eye." Taylor automatically recited, making the appropriate motions. Taylor fixed the reassuring smile and firm look on her face as she internally questioned herself. Where the hell did that come from?
The little girl gave Taylor an odd look before looking forward. "...That's weird." the girl softly muttered. Taylor had barely any time to think or react before the little girl suddenly turned and fiercely hugged her. "Thank you." The girl softly said to Taylor. "The numbers are much better now. I'll won't end up as the bad man's..."
The hug continued for a while longer, before the little girl untangled herself from Taylor. The little girl looks more at peace now, like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, or like she was a starving and thirsty traveler that had found a place of salvation.
" ...so who are you anyway?" Taylor asked. "I'm Taylor."
The little girl looked at Taylor, with a smile. The first one on her face throughout this entire strange encounter. "My name is Dinah. Dinah Alcott."