Deke leapt and his body soared over the atmosphere for a moment before he began his plummet.
Daisy braced herself; she had to do something.
Time stopped for Daisy.
She had powers. Nobody knew that.
Her adoptive parents, Phil and Melinda didn't. Grant didn't. God, she had to will herself to stop when she got excited, especially with him.
Grant.
Grant lied to her.
He said he was working on college applications but he was photocopying test answers and making money off of it.
She stared as Deke fell.
Deke didn't lie to her. He was truthful to a fault.
God, he serenaded her with that horrible song. He really was stuck in the 1980s.
He didn't deserve this.
Daisy played back what Deke had said before he leapt, "It'll never be alright!" Deke had shouted . "I'm going to jump" he continued, "Then everyone can go on with their lives, happy again"
Maybe her parents gave her up because she was a freak, and nobody else knew.
Daisy stared as Deke fell.
They'd know now.
She extended her arms and waves of vibrations emitted.
"Gentle" she reminded herself. She didn't want to slam Deke into the school's exterior wall.
Deke stopped falling.
"Whoa!" he shouted. "I'm flying!"
Daisy guided her vibrations slowly until Deke was lowered onto the ground again.
Deke stared at her once his sneakered feet touched the concrete. He didn't ask her how. He just couldn't take his eyes off her.
"I thought nobody cared" he finally spoke, "Why?"
"Why did I care?" she answered
Everything came flooding back to her once more. Grant's lies, her birth parents, her powers, the way Deke followed her around like a lovesick puppy.
Could she risk taking a chance? Now? On him?
She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Because you're -" she smiled despite herself, "not like the other guys"
"What the hell is this?" Grant Ward strode forward, "What happened to you, Skye?"
She wheeled around, dropped Deke's hand, and faced him, "What are you talking about?"
"That!" he mimicked her arm movement, his arms straight ahead, "you're a freak! What the hell?"
Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but Grant cut her off,
"I knew it. I should've listened to my counselor. I had a feeling about you"
"Ah, young Grant" the counselor showed up as if on cue
"Mr. Whitehall?" Daisy stared at him. He was the reason her mother- her birth mother- wasn't here right now.
"Come on, now" Whitehall placed a reassuring arm around Grant, "You don't need to sully yourself with classmates from SHIELD Academy. The skies are much brighter after graduation. You'll like college. There's one in particular" he led Grant away, "that you'll enjoy. Steeped in heritage. The founder hailed from Germany, you know"
Daisy didn't try to stop Grant. It was as if she'd been blind for years and was finally seeing things. Sky was what he liked to call her. She called herself that for a time, but when she found out that her real name had been Daisy, from her birth parents, then she didn't want to be called anything else, except by Grant.
"Never again" she resolved now.
"Never again what?" Deke's fingers hooked around hers. His silly grin was gone, and he looked concerned.
"I won't fall for jerks again" she gave him a strong look, "Never again"
"Amazing job back there" Principal Carter pushed past the growing crowd around the teenagers, "Daisy, you'll do well in our accelerated classes from here on out" she went on, smiling, "and might I add, you two are an adorable couple" she pulled an old fashioned wallet album from her purse, "reminds me of my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Daniel" she opened the album to a brunette man and woman, their arms intertwined, posed at a simple wedding reception, her available hand holding a wedding bouquet, his plugged into a forearm crutch.
"Ooh, he's cute" Daisy stared
"He's a little old for you" the principal laughed, "he's about eighty now"

After the crowd had dispersed, and the four adults- the Coulsons and FitzSimmons were talking, Daisy and Deke stood behind the school's bleachers, the seats casting odd shadows over their faces
"Really, I mean it, why me? What's so great about me" Daisy held Deke's hand while he spoke

"Hold on" she stopped him, and squeezed his hand, "What was that all about back there, you saying that if you died, everyone could go back to being happy again?"
"Well, you know, everyone who likes me is dead"
"You've got your parents"
"They're not my parents" Deke scoffed, "they just took me in because we're tangentially related"
"Oh" Daisy was quiet. After a moment, she went on, "my parents – they're not really my birth parents"
"Oh" it was Deke's turn. "But they like you, they love you. They wouldn't have taken care of you if they didn't love you" he offered
"You could say that about - Nana and Bobo" she smiled
"Ok" he conceded, "Sure"

"But back to your question" she rubbed the palm of his hand with her fingers. "There were a lot of guys I knew who said a lot of nice things, but their actions didn't really match up" she continued when Deke opened his mouth to say something, "and you're – you're not like that." she smiled at the thought, "your actions match up with what you're saying" she leaned closer so their shoulders touched, "I like that"
Deke stared at Daisy
Daisy stared at Deke
"Hurry up and kiss her!" Trevor shouted.
Daisy and Deke looked up to see Trevor Khan and his girlfriend, Sequoia staring down at them from the bleachers. Trevor hopped down from a low seat and helped Sequoia down.
"Spying on us, huh?" Daisy gave Trevor a friendly punch in the arm
"Well, that's a letdown" Trevor threw an arm around Deke's shoulders, "maybe later" he made exaggerated kissing noises with his mouth.
"Shut up" Deke grinned at his best friend
"Come on" Trevor looked from Deke to Daisy and back, "we're going to grab burgers. Let's make it a double date" he winked at Squoia.

"Sure" Daisy held Deke's hand. She didn't mind anyone seeing her now.
"Where are you all headed?" Melinda May-Coulson called to where the teenagers were
"We're going out" Daisy began, "all of us, for burgers"
"Have fun!" Phil Coulson waved and smiled. He looked back at his wife, "Weird kid, but good"
"Like someone else I know" she nudged him gently.

Daisy felt comfortable with Deke. They shared interests and had a mutual understanding between them. She knew that with Deke around her, she could enjoy a relationship, and that having one didn't mean that her life of action and adventure ever had to –

END