Ella lay in bed feeling particularly heroic. What had she become overnight? More than all her years of education and struggle had produced. In one earth shattering instant she had become super.

For a moment she contemplated what that meant. Evidenced by prior events, she could see farther and with more precision than a bald eagle. She could be any place her mind envisioned in an instant by just forming the thought. Best of all, she could save others in distress. Yes, Ella James the wall flower, turned bookworm, turned workaholic recluse, had turned into something amazing.

Meanwhile on the other side of the tracks, Tameka Jackson sat in the beauty salon annoyed. She was a wisher-would kinda girl. She wished someone would start something with her today. She wished Carmen, the new stylist, would mess up her blond extensions. She wished someone would cut her off in traffic. She wished a stranger would look at her crazy. Because if they did, bam, she was gonna let someone have it.

Tameka could have wished for better things but she lived for confrontation and drama. She reveled at her mirrored image. Yes, she thought, my hair is tight and this chick is lucky she got it right. Her black and gold Baby Phat pumps click clacked against the pavement as she made her way to her brand new Lexus. Sure she had to work overtime to keep up with the note, but she looked good in it.

Tameka put one foot into her car.

“Damn it,” she exclaimed as she attempted to pull her other foot in. She seemed to have stepped into a sticky green substance. As she pulled off her heel in attempt to clean off the mess, her car was filled with an overpowering acridity. A sudden tiredness began to overtake her as her head slumped against the steering wheel.